Music History - 20 Years Ago - GRUNGE IS BORN!

Timeline for April 1991

April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York.

Biggest Hits

Bryan Adams (Everything I Do) I Do it For You
Michael Jackson Black Or White
Roxette Joyride
Scorpions Wind of Change
R.E.M. Losing My Religion

GRUNGE IS BORN

The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year. Followed immediately by other grunge bands like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and in 1992 by Stone Temple Pilots, grunge dominates the U.S. charts for the next few years. Its success effectively ends the reign of the glam metal groups that enjoyed massive success in the 1980s like Mötley Crüe, Poison, Warrant, Cinderella, and Ratt whose sales and critical viability were beginning to decline for about two years previously. Even so, the rock band Guns N' Roses's popularity flourishes with the release of their albums Use Your Illusion I & Use Your Illusion II, both selling over 10 million copies each. Def Leppard's next album Adrenalize, released in March 1992, would go on to reach multi-platinum status and prove to be the last major commercial success for 80's pop metal.

See the band and song that started it all Smells Like Teen Spirit, from the most popular USA album of 1991 20 years ago, Nevermind by Nirvana.

Nirvana played Fender Guitars and Boss Pedals. Check them out and start your own Grunge Band.

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Music History - 20 Years Ago - March

Music History - 20 Years - March 1991

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Timeline

March 11 - Janet Jackson signs a $30 million (US) contract with Virgin Records, making her the highest paid female recording artist ever.

March 16 - Seven members of country music singer Reba McEntire's band and her road manager are killed when their private plane crashes in California, near the U.S.-Mexico border. McEntire travels on a separate plane.

March 20

Michael Jackson signs a contract with Sony which could generate 1 billion dollars for the company.

Eric Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor, dies after falling 53 stories from a New York City apartment window, which would inspire Clapton to write the hit single "Tears in Heaven").

March 21: Death of Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender (August 10, 1909 – March 21, 1991) was an American inventor who founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, now known as Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, and later founded MusicMan and G&L Musical Products (G&L Guitars). His guitar, bass, and amplifier designs from the 1940s continue to dominate popular music more than half a century later. Marshall, Mesa Boogie, most boutique amplifier companies and many other guitar amplifier production companies have used Fender instruments as the foundation of their products. Check out Fender products here



March 24 - The Black Crowes are dropped as the opening act of ZZ Top's tour for repeatedly insulting the tour's sponsor, Miller Beer.

March 27 - New Kids on the Block star Donnie Wahlberg is arrested in Louisville, Kentucky for allegedly setting his hotel room on fire.

March 28 - George Harrison, Phil Collins and others attend funeral services for Eric Clapton's late son, Conor.