My rundown of the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 for the week ending April 20, 1991
Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2024 9:58 am
I've always thought 1991 was a great year for top 40 singles in general, and especially so for this particular week's countdown. There're a few Sludge-related songs on this particular week's countdown, as well as a couple of non-top 40 debuts on the Hot 100 from Warrant's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and Damn Yankees' "Come Again". So with all this in mind, here's another top 40 rundown/song review thread!
40 34 STONE COLD GENTLEMAN –•– Ralph Tresvant – 9 (34)
"Sensitivity" was his biggest non-New Edition solo hit, but the follow-up here managed to squeak into the top 40 for a few weeks as well. Solid New Jack Swing R&B.
39 50 SHE TALKS TO ANGELS –•– Black Crowes – 6 (39)
Decent southern rock ballad from one of Atlanta's finest.
38 24 I’LL BE BY YOUR SIDE –•– Stevie B – 12 (12)
A fairly good pop ballad from one of the Miami Freestyle genre's main stars.
37 52 WHAT COMES NATURALLY –•– Sheena Easton – 4 (37)
As Mr. Freeze said in the 1989 top 40 thread she was absolutely fuck-tastic back then, and here she is continuing the sound she had kind of settled into around late 1988 with a solid dance hit.
36 — LOVE IS A WONDERFUL THING –•– Michael Bolton – 1 (36)
Album 3 1/2 of Bolton's adult contemporary crooner phase begins here. Am I gay for admitting I really like this one? Yes. Yes I am.
35 49 DON’T TREAT ME BAD –•– Firehouse – 7 (35)
A Sludge classic. Pour one out for CJ and crank this one!
34 57 LOSING MY RELIGION –•– R.E.M. – 3 (34)
A stone cold Athens, GA classic and a worthy tune for the superb Peter Buck mandolin work alone. This is one of my favorite R.E.M. songs.
33 32 THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER –•– Whitney Houston – 7 (20)
Nearly three months later and Whitney's Gulf War-themed Super Bowl XXV performance is still on the charts. Meh.
32 46 IT’S A SHAME (MY SISTER) –•– Monie Love – 6 (32)
Female rap/hip-hop from the UK, and decently done, though as far as female rap acts go, I definitely prefer Salt-N-Pepa.
31 25 HOW TO DANCE –•– Bingo Boys Featuring Princessa – 10 (25)
House music to shake your booty to, and that's pretty much it. I'd crank it at a party.
30 37 MORE THAN WORDS –•– Extreme – 5 (30)
Much like the Michael Bolton song, if you're a dude who admits to liking this one, you've officially left zero doubt as to your sexual preference.
29 33 YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO HOME TONIGHT –•– Triplets – 6 (29)
Obscure Latina-American female pop rock trio with their only song to ever make the Hot 100. I quite like this one.
28 21 SOMEDAY –•– Mariah Carey – 14 (1)
Mariah's 3rd straight #1 moving down the charts from that peak. Love her or hate her, it's a great pop number.
27 20 THIS HOUSE –•– Tracie Spencer – 18 (3)
More dancefloor R&B pop. It's listenable in a good New Jack Swing kind of way.
26 26 WRITTEN ALL OVER YOUR FACE –•– Rude Boys – 7 (26)
Speaking of New Jack Swing, here's a nice slow jam for ya!
25 29 SAVE SOME LOVE –•– Keedy – 6 (25)
Dancepop singer from Texas of all places. This was her only top 40 hit and a good one, though she had a second song to make the Hot 100.
24 28 MORE THAN EVER –•– Nelson – 7 (24)
LAGlamrocker's homies Matthew and Gunnar with their third top 40 single. Not as good as the previous two, but still solid.
23 31 I DON’T WANNA CRY –•– Mariah Carey – 3 (23)
Mariah's 4th straight #1 moving up the charts toward that peak. Kind of a meh pop ballad, but I understand why it was a hit.
22 27 SILENT LUCIDITY –•– Queensryche – 5 (22)
Another all-time Sludge classic in the form of Uncle Geoffster & Co.'s pop chart-crossing tribute to dream control.
21 12 ROUND AND ROUND –•– Tevin Campbell – 20 (12)
Good New Jack Swing-era R&B from a then-early-teenaged Tevin Campbell, inaugurating a moderately successful early 90's career. Not to be confused with the Ratt classic, of course.
20 14 ONE MORE TRY –•– Timmy T – 18 (1)
Freestyle pop ballad. Solid/good.
19 8 COMING OUT OF THE DARK –•– Gloria Estefan – 13 (1)
Gloria's final #1 to date, and a mighty fine pop ballad.
18 22 JUST THE WAY IT IS, BABY –•– The Rembrandts – 11 (18)
Whaaaat?!? These guys have other songs besides "I'll Be There For You"? They sure do. Great combo of lite AOR and adult contemporary several years before the ubiquity of that Friends theme...
17 10 SIGNS –•– Tesla – 16 (8)
One Five Man Acoustical Jam coming up!
16 17 MERCY MERCY ME (THE ECOLOGY)/I WANT YOU –•– Robert Palmer – 10 (16)
Palmer covering Marvin Gaye for his final top 40 single, and doing a damn good job of it.
15 23 RHYTHM OF MY HEART –•– Rod Stewart – 6 (15)
First single off of Vagabond Heart, and very solid, though I prefer its follow-up "The Motown Song".
14 19 VOICES THAT CARE –•– Voices That Care – 6 (14)
Y'know I, too, sometimes wonder if it was Jani's idea to take off his John Lennon glasses and stare at the camera like that. Decent all-star number like "We Are the World" and others before it, though it was definitely awkward that the song didn't hit top 40 until AFTER the Gulf War had already abruptly ended...
13 9 IESHA –•– Another Bad Creation – 15 (9)
Pre-teen rap/hip-hop group with the first of their two top ten hits. I enjoy this one every now and then.
12 18 I TOUCH MYSELF –•– Divinyls – 7 (12)
One of the all-time great one hit wonders to come out of 1991. I love it. Then again:
11 16 TOUCH ME (ALL NIGHT LONG) –•– Cathy Dennis – 8 (11)
Great classic dance hit, but I love her follow-up "Too Many Walls" even more.
10 15 HERE WE GO (LET'S ROCK & ROLL) –•– C&C Music Factory Featuring Freedom Williams & Zelma Davis – 8 (10)
Of course "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" was their most famous hit, but this one follows it up quite nicely with more solid dancefloor partying.
9 11 CRY FOR HELP –•– Rick Astley – 10 (9)
He ditched S,A,&W a year prior in search of a more soulful sound and this final top ten hit was the result. It doesn't compare to his classic Rick Rollings, but it's a passable pop ballad.
8 13 I LIKE THE WAY (THE KISSING GAME) –•– Hi-Five – 9 (8)
More New Jack Swing. Average/good.
7 7 RICO SUAVE –•– Gerardo – 12 (7)
I'm fairly certain this is one you either love it or hate it with little in-between. I, of course, love it.
6 5 SADENESS –•– Enigma – 11 (5)
Is it new age easy listening? Is it a dance hit? I'd call it a bit of both, and it's very good.
5 6 JOYRIDE –•– Roxette – 8 (5)
Their final #1 and an absolute classic. I can't say enough good things about this one. "Hello, you fool! I love you!"
4 3 HOLD YOU TIGHT –•– Tara Kemp – 14 (3)
Anyone remember her? Boy, there sure was lot of dance music during this particular week's countdown. Very good/great.
3 1 I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU –•– Londonbeat – 11 (1)
More house music to dance to. Good/very good.
2 4 BABY BABY –•– Amy Grant – 9 (2)
Her second and most famous attempt at crossing over from CCM to secular hits following that Cetera duet four-and-a-half years prior, this one was good enough to almost make you forget she sings Jeebus music. Almost.
1 2 YOU’RE IN LOVE –•– Wilson Phillips – 11 (1)
Their last (and my personal favorite) of their #1's before Wilson Phillips-mania kind of faded out. Shame because they had the talent, just not the longevity thanks to poor management.
40 34 STONE COLD GENTLEMAN –•– Ralph Tresvant – 9 (34)
"Sensitivity" was his biggest non-New Edition solo hit, but the follow-up here managed to squeak into the top 40 for a few weeks as well. Solid New Jack Swing R&B.
39 50 SHE TALKS TO ANGELS –•– Black Crowes – 6 (39)
Decent southern rock ballad from one of Atlanta's finest.
38 24 I’LL BE BY YOUR SIDE –•– Stevie B – 12 (12)
A fairly good pop ballad from one of the Miami Freestyle genre's main stars.
37 52 WHAT COMES NATURALLY –•– Sheena Easton – 4 (37)
As Mr. Freeze said in the 1989 top 40 thread she was absolutely fuck-tastic back then, and here she is continuing the sound she had kind of settled into around late 1988 with a solid dance hit.
36 — LOVE IS A WONDERFUL THING –•– Michael Bolton – 1 (36)
Album 3 1/2 of Bolton's adult contemporary crooner phase begins here. Am I gay for admitting I really like this one? Yes. Yes I am.
35 49 DON’T TREAT ME BAD –•– Firehouse – 7 (35)
A Sludge classic. Pour one out for CJ and crank this one!
34 57 LOSING MY RELIGION –•– R.E.M. – 3 (34)
A stone cold Athens, GA classic and a worthy tune for the superb Peter Buck mandolin work alone. This is one of my favorite R.E.M. songs.
33 32 THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER –•– Whitney Houston – 7 (20)
Nearly three months later and Whitney's Gulf War-themed Super Bowl XXV performance is still on the charts. Meh.
32 46 IT’S A SHAME (MY SISTER) –•– Monie Love – 6 (32)
Female rap/hip-hop from the UK, and decently done, though as far as female rap acts go, I definitely prefer Salt-N-Pepa.
31 25 HOW TO DANCE –•– Bingo Boys Featuring Princessa – 10 (25)
House music to shake your booty to, and that's pretty much it. I'd crank it at a party.
30 37 MORE THAN WORDS –•– Extreme – 5 (30)
Much like the Michael Bolton song, if you're a dude who admits to liking this one, you've officially left zero doubt as to your sexual preference.
29 33 YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO HOME TONIGHT –•– Triplets – 6 (29)
Obscure Latina-American female pop rock trio with their only song to ever make the Hot 100. I quite like this one.
28 21 SOMEDAY –•– Mariah Carey – 14 (1)
Mariah's 3rd straight #1 moving down the charts from that peak. Love her or hate her, it's a great pop number.
27 20 THIS HOUSE –•– Tracie Spencer – 18 (3)
More dancefloor R&B pop. It's listenable in a good New Jack Swing kind of way.
26 26 WRITTEN ALL OVER YOUR FACE –•– Rude Boys – 7 (26)
Speaking of New Jack Swing, here's a nice slow jam for ya!
25 29 SAVE SOME LOVE –•– Keedy – 6 (25)
Dancepop singer from Texas of all places. This was her only top 40 hit and a good one, though she had a second song to make the Hot 100.
24 28 MORE THAN EVER –•– Nelson – 7 (24)
LAGlamrocker's homies Matthew and Gunnar with their third top 40 single. Not as good as the previous two, but still solid.
23 31 I DON’T WANNA CRY –•– Mariah Carey – 3 (23)
Mariah's 4th straight #1 moving up the charts toward that peak. Kind of a meh pop ballad, but I understand why it was a hit.
22 27 SILENT LUCIDITY –•– Queensryche – 5 (22)
Another all-time Sludge classic in the form of Uncle Geoffster & Co.'s pop chart-crossing tribute to dream control.
21 12 ROUND AND ROUND –•– Tevin Campbell – 20 (12)
Good New Jack Swing-era R&B from a then-early-teenaged Tevin Campbell, inaugurating a moderately successful early 90's career. Not to be confused with the Ratt classic, of course.
20 14 ONE MORE TRY –•– Timmy T – 18 (1)
Freestyle pop ballad. Solid/good.
19 8 COMING OUT OF THE DARK –•– Gloria Estefan – 13 (1)
Gloria's final #1 to date, and a mighty fine pop ballad.
18 22 JUST THE WAY IT IS, BABY –•– The Rembrandts – 11 (18)
Whaaaat?!? These guys have other songs besides "I'll Be There For You"? They sure do. Great combo of lite AOR and adult contemporary several years before the ubiquity of that Friends theme...
17 10 SIGNS –•– Tesla – 16 (8)
One Five Man Acoustical Jam coming up!
16 17 MERCY MERCY ME (THE ECOLOGY)/I WANT YOU –•– Robert Palmer – 10 (16)
Palmer covering Marvin Gaye for his final top 40 single, and doing a damn good job of it.
15 23 RHYTHM OF MY HEART –•– Rod Stewart – 6 (15)
First single off of Vagabond Heart, and very solid, though I prefer its follow-up "The Motown Song".
14 19 VOICES THAT CARE –•– Voices That Care – 6 (14)
Y'know I, too, sometimes wonder if it was Jani's idea to take off his John Lennon glasses and stare at the camera like that. Decent all-star number like "We Are the World" and others before it, though it was definitely awkward that the song didn't hit top 40 until AFTER the Gulf War had already abruptly ended...
13 9 IESHA –•– Another Bad Creation – 15 (9)
Pre-teen rap/hip-hop group with the first of their two top ten hits. I enjoy this one every now and then.
12 18 I TOUCH MYSELF –•– Divinyls – 7 (12)
One of the all-time great one hit wonders to come out of 1991. I love it. Then again:
11 16 TOUCH ME (ALL NIGHT LONG) –•– Cathy Dennis – 8 (11)
Great classic dance hit, but I love her follow-up "Too Many Walls" even more.
10 15 HERE WE GO (LET'S ROCK & ROLL) –•– C&C Music Factory Featuring Freedom Williams & Zelma Davis – 8 (10)
Of course "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" was their most famous hit, but this one follows it up quite nicely with more solid dancefloor partying.
9 11 CRY FOR HELP –•– Rick Astley – 10 (9)
He ditched S,A,&W a year prior in search of a more soulful sound and this final top ten hit was the result. It doesn't compare to his classic Rick Rollings, but it's a passable pop ballad.
8 13 I LIKE THE WAY (THE KISSING GAME) –•– Hi-Five – 9 (8)
More New Jack Swing. Average/good.
7 7 RICO SUAVE –•– Gerardo – 12 (7)
I'm fairly certain this is one you either love it or hate it with little in-between. I, of course, love it.
6 5 SADENESS –•– Enigma – 11 (5)
Is it new age easy listening? Is it a dance hit? I'd call it a bit of both, and it's very good.
5 6 JOYRIDE –•– Roxette – 8 (5)
Their final #1 and an absolute classic. I can't say enough good things about this one. "Hello, you fool! I love you!"
4 3 HOLD YOU TIGHT –•– Tara Kemp – 14 (3)
Anyone remember her? Boy, there sure was lot of dance music during this particular week's countdown. Very good/great.
3 1 I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU –•– Londonbeat – 11 (1)
More house music to dance to. Good/very good.
2 4 BABY BABY –•– Amy Grant – 9 (2)
Her second and most famous attempt at crossing over from CCM to secular hits following that Cetera duet four-and-a-half years prior, this one was good enough to almost make you forget she sings Jeebus music. Almost.
1 2 YOU’RE IN LOVE –•– Wilson Phillips – 11 (1)
Their last (and my personal favorite) of their #1's before Wilson Phillips-mania kind of faded out. Shame because they had the talent, just not the longevity thanks to poor management.