1991 - Most Important Event

[IrishCanadian25]

In 1991, several major occurances shaped the landscape of music - and society - for the years and decades to come. What I seek to explore in this thread is which of these events was the most important / impactful, and why.

Freddie Mercury Dies

On November 24th, 1991, Freddie Mercury "suddenly" dies due to complications from AIDS. Mercury's status and health were the subject of much rumor at the time, and since nothing had been confirmed, his death was a major blow to the industry world-wide. The reverberations were significantly more impactful, though, as Mercury represented one of the first, if not the first, high-profile celebrities to die of the AIDS virus. It added new light to the subject, and some believe Mercury's death accelerated the research of the disease and the crusade for treatments and cures, later augmented by Magic Johnson.

Nevermind becomes US's Most Popular Album

Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" catapulted "Nevermind" into the history books, and signified the "passing of the torch" from glam metal and rock to the more edgy grunge / alt rock scene. Bands like Motley Crue and Poison began to decline, and in their place was the Seattle-sound of Grunge and acts such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and of course, Nirvana. While many genre transitions can be harder to pinpoint, it's safe to assume that the success of "Nevermind" effectively ended Hair Metal's run and started the grunge craze just like Wrestlemania 13 passed the torch from Hart to Austin.

Ozzy Acquitted

On May 7th, Ozzy Osbourne sat in a courtroom and was acquitted of charges in a wrongful death suit. The suit was brought up by the parents of a boy who had committed suicide, and those parents contended that Osbourne's music motivated the suicide. This was Ozzy's 2nd acquittal for the same charges, but the perceived effect that music has on youth had scarcely been a hotter topic than in 1991. The fact that the court found in Ozzy's favor was a major win for free speech and against parents who want to blame everything media for their poor parenting or their child's clinical depression.

Tupac Debuts Solo / 6 year old killed

One of rap music's most polarizing and controverisal figured, Tupac Shakur, debuted with 2Pacalypse Now in 1991. Though the album failed, later in 1991 during a confrontation between Shakur and another group (no word on if it was gang related), guns become involved and a bullet strikes and kills a 6-year old boy. Shakur's career would be further marked by violence, but 1991 marked his arrival as a solo artists - and may have reinforced his "street cred" as a reuslt of the confrontation.

Steely Dan Reunites

Are you reeling in the yeeeaaarrrrssss...sorry...

There are honorable mentions (Axl's tempertamtrum incites concert riot, 3 trambled to death at AC/DC concert, Chili Peppers BloodSugarSexMagik debuts, etc.) but I believe the first four I listed above are the most significant. I'd like to ask - which music storyline was the most significant from 1991???

 

[Ty Burna]

While 2pac going solo was important to hip hop in the grand scheme of things, I don't see it as it coming into effect until a few years later when he was on Death Row Records. Which brings me to my most important event in hip hop/music in 1991.

1991 signified the final album N.W.A. released as an existing group. By this point Ice Cube had already left the group due to a conflict over royalties. Eventually Dr. Dre and The D.O.C. decided to leave Ruthless Records due to their own conflicts with Eazy-E over money and royalties. As most know, Dr. Dre was enticed by former bodyguard and alleged crime boss Suge Knight to create a new record label, which Dre agreed to. However due to Dre's contract with Ruthless, Eazy wouldn't let Dre go. Allegedly Eazy was forced at gun point to sign off on Dr. Dre being let go from the label, but Eazy was able to hold onto a portion of the publishing rights.

This led to the creation of arguably the biggest hip hop label aside from Def Jam. That label of course was Death Row Records. This was the jumping off point for Dr. Dre's solo career, as well as the beginning of some of hip hop's most legendary artists such as Snoop Dogg and 2pac himself. The creation of Death Row Records continued the meteoric rise of West Coast Hip Hop, which led to the bitter rivalry that developed between the East and West.

Really when you look at it, this event in 1991 was critical to the landscape of hip hop for the 90's, and even into the 2000's. So I have to say the most important event in 1991 was the breakup of N.W.A., and the creation of Death Row Records.

 

[X]

I don't see how you could vote for anything besides the release of Nirvana's Nevermind. It completely changed the entire landscape of both rock music and popular music in general for the rest of the decade and marked the new era of alternative rock music being the most dominant factor in rock and roll and pop music in general (though that's obviously been replaced with hip-hop/R&B over the years). Nevermind just how influential the album was as every single band and their mother tried to rip off and imitate Nirvana in any way they could to try and capture that same magic that Nirvana had with Nevermind, but no one ever came close aside from maybe Pearl Jam and even their most critically acclaimed album in Ten isn't half the album that Nevermind is in my eyes.

Lots of major shit went down in '91, but nothing more important than Nevermind. It forever changed the music landscape instantly and for long-term.

 

[kissfan85]

3 people are crushed to death during an ac/dc concert
and michael jackson debuts Dangerous

I think those two events beat most of the options up there...

A high profile accident resulting in death...and one of the highest sellers of all time releasing a CD

and Eric Carr dies....He's the first replacement drummer from kiss after Peter criss left..
He was in the fox makeup, he was a very sweet gentle kind of person, it's a sham cancer can take anybody

 

[Ferbian]

I'm not exactly sure what I would choose. There's a lot of big moments that came from 1991 when it comes to music. But the first one that came to mind for me was Metallica's Black Album debuting, becoming their best selling album of all time, and somewhat of a signature album, with their signature song "Nothing Else Matters".

One of my favorite albums, and 1991 brought it to us. There's a lot of great moments with 1991, and they all deserve some kind of mention. But the big Metallica fan I am, this certainly solidifies it as perhaps the biggest thing for me, seeing as some of the other things really wouldn't change my lifestyle, or my joy in music. But Metallica has changed my joy in music, and they have become one of my favorite bans of all time.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Ferbs, there's a massive difference between "favorite" and "significant."

Metallica's Black album was a classic, no question. But it did not change the landscape of music, and while it enhanced Metallica's discography and legacy, it neither created nor defined it.

Nevermind, by comparison, and as XFear reinforces, completely altered the musical landscape for more than a decade. How many albums can make that claim? Certainly Metallica's "Black" cannot.

Furthermore, when one of the most renowned world-wide musicians and front men in Freddie Mercury becomes one of the first high profile names to die of AIDS, the ensuing reaction touched so many realms beyond music. It altered our world-wide culture.

I also have to agree with Ty Burna. The creation of Death Row Records as a result of the final album from NWA is massively significant. That set of events set the scene for Hip Hop to go from fringe inner city to 100% unavoidably mainstream.

Metallica's Black album wouldn't even crack my Top 10.

 

[Ferbian]

Ferbs, there's a massive difference between "favorite" and "significant."

Metallica's Black album was a classic, no question. But it did not change the landscape of music, and while it enhanced Metallica's discography and legacy, it neither created nor defined it.

Nevermind, by comparison, and as XFear reinforces, completely altered the musical landscape for more than a decade. How many albums can make that claim? Certainly Metallica's "Black" cannot.

Furthermore, when one of the most renowned world-wide musicians and front men in Freddie Mercury becomes one of the first high profile names to die of AIDS, the ensuing reaction touched so many realms beyond music. It altered our world-wide culture.

I also have to agree with Ty Burna. The creation of Death Row Records as a result of the final album from NWA is massively significant. That set of events set the scene for Hip Hop to go from fringe inner city to 100% unavoidably mainstream.

Metallica's Black album wouldn't even crack my Top 10.

I see, I might have misunderstood where we stand on the topic. I was thinking significant in my musical aspect. Not to the world. Even though I would say that Metallica's Black Album did solidify them somewhat of legends to the business. I could be wrong however, but I would definitely say that.

However if we're talking overall significance, I have to admit I'm probably not too sure what to choose. Sure Nirvana's album was a big thing, but any of those things up there is considered a big thing.

I guess one thing that would be worth mentioning might be the "Use Your Illusions 1 & 2" albums. Debuting as number 1 and 2 of albums, being the first band to ever do such thing, and making one of the most expensive music video's. Sure it did place it's mark on the music business, but didn't change the landscape. But it's worth mentioning right?

I guess if I had to go with one thing up on the list, it would be 2pac. His career changed the landscape of rap by giving us one hell of a talent, that went on to influence a big amount of the currently active rappers around the world. He is perhaps one of the most significant single persons in the world of music to ever live. I know that might be a stretch, but he's certainly up there.