The early 1990s, particularly 1991, marked the peak of Grunge music's popularity, epitomized by Nirvana's groundbreaking release of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and their second album, Nevermind. This success paved the way for other influential grunge bands like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and even the early works of Radiohead.
Simultaneously, in 1991, Metallica and Guns N' Roses achieved their greatest commercial triumphs with their respective albums. Metallica's self-titled "black album" sold over 30 million copies worldwide, while Guns N' Roses' Use Your Illusion I & II collectively sold over 15 million copies.
However, amidst the musical milestones, tragedy struck on November 24 when Queen's frontman Freddie Mercury passed away at his home in London due to complications from AIDS. Queen's iconic song "Bohemian Rhapsody," released as a double A-side with "These Are the Days of Our Lives," reached number one on the UK charts for the second time, further solidifying Mercury's legacy.
01. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
02. REM - Losing My Religion
03. Guns 'n' Roses - November Rain
04. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
05. Queen - The Show Must Go On
06. Pearl Jam - Alive
07. Metallica - Enter Sandman
08. Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman
09. The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored
10. Simply Red - Stars
11. Guns'n' Roses - Don't Cry
12. Metallica - The Unforgiven
13. My Bloody Valentine - When You Sleep
14. U2 - The Fly
15. Lenny Krawitz - It Ain't Over Till It's Over
16. Erasure - Love to Hate You
17. Prince and the New Power Generation - Cream
18. Prince the New Power Generation - Get Off
19. The KLF - 3 AM Eternal
20. Enya - Caribbean Blue