Currently, an image posted on Twitter by user @QueenCityJamz is having a viral moment. The photograph shows a stack of cassettes — seven legendary albums all released during 44 days in 1991. What’s more, the last three albums debuted on the same day!
- Metallica, Metallica
- Pearl Jam, Ten
- Guns N’ Roses, Use Your Illusion I
- Guns N’ Roses, Use Your Illusion II
- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik
- Soundgarden, Badmotorfinger
- Nirvana, Nevermind
It’s no wonder why this photo has captured the imaginations of so many people. There’s nostalgia, of course. But, more importantly, it highlights what a monumental year 1991 was for rock ‘n’ roll and popular music in general.
Perhaps, it’s part of our collective psychology to launch cultural sea changes at the turns of decades, centuries, and millennia — or maybe it’s just pure coincidence. Whatever the case, musically speaking, when the ’90s hit, it was clear that audiences were ready for something different. These seven albums are an excellent example of the rapid transformation of rock ‘n’ roll from the glammed-out excesses of hair metal to the stripped-down, antiestablishment aesthetics of the diverse set of bands given the convenient umbrella term “grunge.” Even the entries from Metallica, the Chilis, and GNR, though definitely not grunge, felt unique and, most importantly, authentic.
And the entire year was like that. My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, R.E.M.’s Out of Time, Teenage Fanclub’s Bandwagonesque, and many other game-changing albums filled the new-release shelves at record stores. However, what’s more amazing is that these albums found their way to the airwaves and were promoted by mass media. Music today is arguably even more diverse and interesting than it was in 1991. However, unless you’re okay with the limited selection on Top 40 stations, you’re required to seek it out. So, the privilege of that time was not that such great music was being made — that’s still true. The privilege was how easy it was to access all that great music!
That said, let’s shine a light on seven classic records released in 44 days that perfectly demonstrate the changing face of ’90s rock.
Metallica, Metallica (a.k.a. The Black Album)
August 12, 1991
By the ’90s, Metallica had already established themselves as one of the most popular underground metal acts. But, with the release of their fifth studio album in 1991, they would cross the threshold into the mainstream and remain there to this day. Commonly referred to as The Black Album, this self-titled record was Metallica’s first to feature the production work of Bob Rock. Bob brought a new level of refinement to Metallica’s work in the studio, encouraging the band to perform the songs live rather than to rely on overdubs, which had been Metallica’s preferred way to record. He also pushed the band to expand their repertoire by including orchestral sounds in both “The Unforgiven” and “Nothing Else Matters.” The result was a 12-song cycle exploding with energy with a more accessible sound that drew in legions of new fans while appealing to the heavy-metal sensibilities of Metallica’s die-hard supporters.
Pearl Jam, Ten
August 27, 1991
In 1990, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament were still reeling from the death of Andrew Wood, the lead vocalist for their band Mother Love Bone. Andrew’s loss prompted a period of reflection for Gossard, which he channeled into a batch of emotionally tinged, aggressive rock songs. Over the next year, Stone and Jeff would recruit Seattle guitarist Mike McCready and — through a connection with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ former drummer Jack Irons — Eddie Vedder, a singer, songwriter, and surfer from San Diego. The last piece of the puzzle was drummer Dave Krusen, and Pearl Jam (who, for a time, were known as Mookie Blaylock, after the professional basketball player) turned Stone’s sketches and Eddie’s introspective lyrics and emotive vocal delivery into Ten. Though Pearl Jam was lumped in with the grunge movement, Ten had firm roots in 1970s stadium rock and an earnestness that differentiated it from albums by the band’s contemporaries. In fact, in the following years, tabloid journalists exploited a rift between Pearl Jam and Nirvana after Kurt Cobain publicly criticized the album for sounding too commercial. However, Kurt eventually reconciled with the band, specifically with Eddie, and the two remained friends until Kurt’s passing in 1994.
Guns N’ Roses, Use Your Illusion I & II
September 17, 1991
Guns N’ Roses fans had been waiting four years for a proper follow-up to the band’s monster 1987 debut, Appetite for Destruction. In the interim, they had to tide themselves over with G N’ R Lies, a collection of covers, live performances, and acoustic songs, including the massive hit “Patience.” So, on September 17, 1991, when Guns N’ Roses released not one but two full-length records, fans were elated. What’s more, these albums would attract even more fans — turning Guns N’ Roses into a global phenomenon. While the early ’90s were unkind to the hair metal bands that dominated the charts in the 1980s, Axl, Slash, Duff, Dizzy, and gang survived and thrived. Perhaps it was because they had always set themselves apart from the other follicularly blessed Sunset Strip compatriots by leaning more heavily into straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll. That’s not to say that Use Your Illusion I & II were without grandiosity, but the pretensions were more cinematic than pyrotechnic. As grunge rose to become the early and mid-’90s’ dominant rock ‘n’ roll genre, Guns N’ Roses’ monumental two-album collection sat comfortably beside releases from the flannel-clad Nor’westers consuming the charts.
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik
September 24, 1991
The Red Hot Chili Peppers had been steadily churning out their brand of hyped-up West Coast funk rock since 1983. At the end of that decade, they dropped Mother’s Milk, which, with more thought-provoking songs including “Knock Me Down” and “Taste the Pain,” foreshadowed RHCP’s transition from an impish party band to an alternative-rock powerhouse with the release of Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Recorded in a purportedly haunted mansion in Laurel Canyon with super-producer Rick Rubin at the helm, Blood Sugar Sex Magik saw them expand their sonic palette and musical ambitions. Though there were plenty of straight-ahead funk-rock bangers included on the 17-track LP, it was form-breaking entries such as “Breaking the Girl,” “Give It Away,” and “Under the Bridge” that catapulted the band into the upper echelons of mainstream-rock megastardom.
Soundgarden, Badmotorfinger
September 24, 1991
Soundgarden was never comfortably contained under the label “grunge.” Sure, they down tuned their guitars, dealt in sludgy distortion, and let Chris Cornell’s raspy baritone deliver angst-filled lyrics full of apocalyptic imagery. Yet, on Badmotorfinger, Chris, guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Ben Shepherd, and drummer Matt Cameron showcased their myriad influences, including progressive rock, psychedelia, heavy metal, and classic rock. Full of odd time signatures, sophisticated arrangements, and unexpected musical modes, Badmotorfinger was a surprisingly quirky platinum-selling record. In the flowing years, Soundgarden would release two more massively popular records — Superunknown (1994) and Down on the Upside (1996). Yet, there was something timeless and inscrutable about Badmotorfinger, which has made it the album of choice for Soundgarden superfans.
Nirvana, Nevermind
September 24, 1991
Few albums have had the kind of seismic impact of Nirvana’s sophomore LP, Nevermind. Combining the spirit of underground art-rock — including the quiet/loud/quiet dynamics of the Pixies and the relentless sonic onslaught of post-hardcore — with infectious pop melodies, Nevermind shifted the tectonic plates of popular music and primed a generation to open their minds to a host of new sounds and styles. While Kurt Cobain’s singular voice was certainly part of Nevermind‘s appeal, the album was much more than a one-man show. It introduced the world to Dave Grohl’s muscular drumming, Krist Novoselic’s insistent bass riffage, and Butch Vig’s crackerjack production work. When Nevermind hit, the popular consciousness changed, and, for a few years, mainstream radio stations and MTV presented a diversity of bands that has been unmatched in the popular culture since.
Conclusion
For those of us at Sweetwater who were around in 1991, we can still recall slipping off the cellophane wrappers on these records and drawing in the scent of fresh ink while we pored over the liner notes. What are your favorite albums — rock or otherwise — from the 1990s? Reach out to your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700 and let us know.