On That Note: Number 1’s - Album series, part 2 (1981 & 1991)

[CyclonesFan4ever]

As a fan of the New Age genre, Enya is an artist on top of my list. Her music is like the sound/voice from heaven.
Her 1991 album Shepherd Moons is one of my favorite of her works. This album has won a Grammy for the Best New Age Album of the Year.

Here are the four best songs from the album.

Book of Days



Caribbean Blue



How Can I Keep from Singing?



Marble Halls

 

[CyclonesFan4ever]

Vagabond Heart by Rod Stewart is a 1991 album I really like. Here are some of my favorite songs.

Rhythm of My Heart



The Motown Song



It Takes Two



Have I Told You Lately

 

[CyclonesFan4ever]

Follow up cyfanatic's post #35 about Journey's 1981 album Escape. It appears to be their most successful studio album. I really love the following three songs.

 

[Althetuna]

One from '91. Green Day's Kerplunk, their last album on an independent label. (There seems to be some confusion when the album came out, December '91 or January '92. I'm using the former date)

80


2000 Light Years Away


One For the Razorbacks


One Of My Lies

 

[cycloner29]

Love not only the album but it lead to the song being their encore song with the cannons. I worked a concert in Hilton and this song was probably the loudest song at a concert I had ever heard. The reverb coming back literally pushed us back as we were trying to get to the front of the stage to get ready to clear the house once the song was over. I probably lost part of my hearing following that.

For those about to rock (we salute you)



Let's get it up



Evil Walks

 

[CyclonesFan4ever]

Mariah Carey is my top three pop divas (the other two being Celine Dion and Whitney Houston). Emotions (1991) is her second studio album. Here are the three songs I love the most.

 

[CyclonesFan4ever]

Amy Grant is another one of my favorite female singers in the 80s-90s. Her 1991 album Heart In Motion is a big hit. Yes I still have this CD in my collection. Here are the most famous songs from the album.

 

[Buster28]

Barbara Mandrell "Live" was released in 1981 and spun off two singles: "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool," which reached number one in Billboard 40 years ago this Sunday (July 4), and "Wish You Were Here" which reached number two later in the year. Both songs reached number one on the Cashbox country chart. When the latter hit the top there, "Live" also sat at the pinnacle of the country album chart.

I enjoyed the album because of the hits that were performed (including her breakthrough "Sleeping Single In A Double Bed"), but it showed off her musical talents (she regularly played multiple instruments during her shows), and payed homage to some of her favorite influences, both songs and artists) from her youth. The final reason was because it closed with the full-length vocal version of the theme song to her NBC variety show, Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters, called "Country Girl." If you recall the tv show, the music will sound familiar.

Interesting fact about "I Was Country...": It was recorded as a "live" performance, but the concert for the album wasn't recorded until AFTER the single was released. It was simply some studio editing to add crowd noise at the beginning, end, and when George Jones does his guest vocal so that it would sound like it came from the album.

"I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool" (album version):


"Wish You Were Here":


"Sleeping Single In A Double Bed", the album opener:


"Country Girl", the last track on the album:

 

[Angie]

Primus - Sailing the Seas of Cheese





And the best:

 

[Angie]

Prince - Diamonds and Pearls (1991) - this was filthy but soulful, fantastic:

Eponymous single:



Classic:



Best single on the album:

 

[Angie]

REM might still be my favorite band. From Out of Time , I prefer these three:

While it's not my favorite REM album, this was one of my first thoughts!

 

[CyclonesFan4ever]

My favorite 1981 hit singles (part 1)

Arthur's Theme by Christopher Cross (Oscar Best Original Song)



Woman by John Lennon



Believe It or Not by Joey Scarbury (Theme from The Greatest American Hero)



Slow Hand by The Pointer Sisters



Endless Love by Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (Theme song of the same title movie)

 

[cyhiphopp]

My #1 entry for '91

“Bandwagonesque”
Teenage Fanclub
Released: November 1991

I've rambled about this LP in several CF music threads ... I'm willing to shut up and listen. Limiting to 3 song clips -- not easy.


“When she's at the gig, she takes her car / And she’ll drive us home if there isn’t a bar / Oh yeah”




“Seen it all before / Seen it all before / Given time, these things will change”

I only started listening to this band because of @cyclones500 , so thanks for that!

One of my not already listed favorites from this album.

 

[cyhiphopp]

1981 Births - Pitbull, Willa Ford, Alicia Keys, Johnny Lang, Justin Timberlake, Kelly Rowland, Paris Hilton, Josh Groban, Rachel Platten, Beyonce, Christina Milian, Natasha Bedingfield, Britney Spears, Amy Lee

1981 deaths - Bill Haley (55), Bob Marley (36), Harry Chapin (38) all 3 of these we lost way to early.


1991 births - Ed Sheeran, Wolfgang Van Halen, Quavo, Jamie Lynn Spears - interesting note that both of these years included a Spears being born), Fetty Wap, Charlie Puth, DaBaby, Louis Tomlinson

1991 deaths - Steve Clark (30) (Def Leppard), Gene Clark (46) (The Byrds), David Ruffin (50) (Temptations) Tennessee Ernie Ford (72), Freddie Mercury (45) Again most of this list left us way too soon

#FreeBritney

 

[cyhiphopp]

Moving Pictures Rush


Those two are all that is needed.

Oh I beg to differ. The entire album is a masterpiece. Top to bottom. One of my all time favorite albums to listen to in it's entirety. I would wholeheartedly recommend a full album listen for any music lover.

Other monumental songs from this album include:

YYZ - One of the all time great instrumental rock songs. Truly epic.


Red Barchetta - Another classic and one of RUSH's best story telling singles.


Witch Hunt - A haunting tune. I remember my older brother playing this when I was a little kid and it scaring the **** out of me. I later came to adore the song.

 

[cyhiphopp]

Temple of the Dog

Background:
Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who had been Mother Love Bone vocalist Andrew Wood's roommate, approached former Mother Love Bone members Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament about working on material he had written when he was on tour with Soundgarden in Europe.[1] The line-up eventually included Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron and newcomers Mike McCready (lead guitar) and Eddie Vedder (background vocals). McCready and Vedder were featured on the album due to their involvement with Ament and Gossard's next project, which became Pearl Jam. The name Temple of the Dog is derived from the opening lyrics of the Mother Love Bone song "Man of Golden Words", "I want to show you something, like joy inside my heart, seems I been living in the temple of the dog".

Personal:
Basically the first grunge supergroup. Put together after the tragic overdose of Mother Love Bone's Andrew Wood. The songs are both awesome and heart wrenching when put in that context.

Hunger Strike - This one everyone probably knows because it was the big feature of Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder singing together.


Say Hello 2 Heaven - A tragic ballad which makes you think of the reason why this group was formed. Now it makes me think of the recent death of Chris Cornell.


Pushing Forward Back - This one definitely rocks much harder and shows the full range of the group together.

 

[cyhiphopp]

Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger

Speaking of Chris Cornell (RIP), who I consider one of the best rock front men of all time. Badmotorfinger was Soundgardens 3rd album but it's when they really exploded and the Seattle grunge scene came to the forefront. This album has some of their best songs and my favorite of their albums for its raw quality. They polished it up a bit for Superunknown in 94, but I always preferred this one. Soundgarden to me was always the most METAL of the grunge bands.

Rusty Cage - I remember first seeing this video on MTVs Headbangers Ball and being blown away. I needed to know who this band was. Luckily my older brother was way ahead of me and already had the CD! I listened to the whole damn thing right away, even if my mom would not have approved. Thanks bro! Still one of the most recognizable Soundgarden songs. This one really kicks.


Jesus Christ Pose - So sacrilegious!!! I remember there was a big outrage from the Christians on this one. Such a bada$$ song.


Outshined - "I'm looking California, and feeling Minnesota". Ever song on this album is chock full of edge and power from Chris Cornell.


Face Pollution - And I'm throwing in this one because it's also awesome but less well known because it wasn't a big single

 

[cyhiphopp]

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magic

I'm shocked no one has posted this yet, unless I missed it. This album rocketed RHCP to the top of the charts with multiple popular singles. The entire album is great as well. I remember listening to their earlier stuff after this and being impressed by their funky origins. This album added to that with some ballads while still keeping the funk.

Give It Away - Their first mega single. The video blew up and that was that. They were superstars. A great funky tune that speaks to their roots.


Under The Bridge - Their first huge ballad. It showed the softer side and their range. A deep look at their struggles with addiction.


Suck My Kiss - My personal favorite from the album. Back to the funk roots.


Breaking the Girl - My favorite RHCP ballad. Under the Bridge got overplayed, but this one always felt fresh and soulful to me.
There's also THIS connected to the song:
Beavis: This sucks, change it!
Butthead: Shut up, fart knocker, this is cool!
Beavis: Who is this?
Butthead: Dude! It's the Red Hot Chili Peppers!
Beavis: No way! Why are they playing like this?
Butthead: Uh, like, Chicks like this kind of music. This is the song that the Chili Peppers play when they want to get chicks.
Beavis: Ohh! Ok, this is cool.

 

[cyhiphopp]

Smashing Pumpkins - Gish

Last one before lunch. Kind of a forgotten album after Siamese Dream blew upin 93. I remember finding this CD after falling in love with Siamese Dream. Gish is the SP debut full album and has a more raw quality than Siamese Dream. I personally think it has some of the best SP songs on it, outside of Siamese Dream. Meloncollie and the Infinite Sadness was hugely successful but I always felt that it was too much of a departure from what I loved most about SP. For me it goes Siamese Dream, Gish, Meloncollie, then every other SP release.

I Am One - The opening track and a huge dive into the SP sound. Thrashing throughout.


Rhinoceros - This song is a good early example of SPs depth. A song with equal parts soft ballad and interspersed killer guitar.


Siva - A rocking tune with a melodic interlude. A Corgan classic


Bury Me - Another great tune that is classic Smashing Pumpkins style.

 

[cyclones500]

“Electric Bird Digest”
Young Fresh Fellows
1991 (no specific released date)

Not widely known (i.e., obscure, I guess), but it's one of my favorites of '91. The heaviest album YFF released, and probably the band’s most cohesive long-player.

Side-note: Produced by Butch Vig, who also produced “Nevermind” and “Gish” (Smashing Pumpkins, referenced above by @cyhiphopp) in 1991. Two years later, he co-founded Garbage and co-produced Smashing Pumpkins’ “Siamese Dream.” Fairly productive stretch for him!

Underrated element: The album cover (the band wore those costumes during a live show I saw in Mpls around that time — I assume it was the standard clothing for the tour).

I don’t expect many others to cite this album, so I’ll get greedy and post 5.