Editing 1991 in music (section)

==Events==
===Summary===
Although the year 1991 is the year that [[grunge]] music made its popular breakthrough, heavy metal was still the dominant form of rock music for the year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2011/09/23/showbiz/music/nirvana-nevermind/index.html|title='Nevermind,' never again? |first=Mark |last=Morgenstein|work=CNN|access-date=10 June 2018}}</ref> Therefore, [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]'s ''[[Nevermind]]'', led by the surprise hit single "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]", was not the most popular U.S. album of the year. The most popular album was [[Metallica]]'s self-titled [[Metallica (album)|"black album"]]. Nirvana's success was eventually followed by other grunge bands like [[Pearl Jam]], [[Soundgarden]], [[Alice in Chains]], and [[Stone Temple Pilots]], as grunge climbed the U.S. charts for the next few years. Its success eventually ended the reign of the [[glam metal]] and other [[hard rock]] groups that enjoyed massive success in the 1980s like [[Mötley Crüe]], [[Poison (American band)|Poison]], [[Warrant (American band)|Warrant]], [[Cinderella (band)|Cinderella]], and [[Ratt]], whose sales were still going strong by 1991. Also during the year, the rock band [[Guns N' Roses]]'s popularity flourished with the release of their albums ''[[Use Your Illusion I]]'' & ''[[Use Your Illusion II]]'', both selling over 15 million copies total. [[Def Leppard]]'s next album ''[[Adrenalize]]'', released in March 1992, would go on to reach multi-platinum status and prove to be the last major commercial success for 1980s [[hair metal]]. [[A Tribe Called Quest]]'s ''[[The Low End Theory|Low End Theory]]'' is released this year; it would go on to be considered one of the best [[Hip-hop|hip hop]] albums of the 1990s. A Tribe Called Quest, along with [[De La Soul]], [[Dream Warriors (band)|Dream Warriors]], [[Gang Starr]] and the [[Poor Righteous Teachers]], help define what comes to be known as [[Alternative hip-hop|alternative rap]] with important releases this year.

On November 24, the death of [[Freddie Mercury]], who had confirmed to the press that he had AIDS only a day before his death,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1991/nov/25/paulmyers|title=Queen star dies after Aids statement|last=Myers|first=Paul|date=25 November 1991|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=10 June 2018}}</ref> came as a shock to millions of fans and the music industry. The remaining members of Queen formed [[the Mercury Phoenix Trust]] and the following year, a [[The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert|tribute concert]] would be staged in Wembley Stadium, in front of a sell-out crowd. 
[[Queen (band)|Queen's]] "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]" (released as a double A-side with "[[These Are the Days of Our Lives]]") went to number one for the second time in the U.K.. It is also the only time a single has gone to number one more than once on the UK Christmas charts.

During the year, [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] started using [[Nielsen SoundScan]] for its sales source for the music charts. Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data for ''Nielsen'' on 1 March 1991. The 25 May issue of ''Billboard'' published [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and Country Album charts based on SoundScan "piece count data," and the first Hot 100 chart to debut with the system was released on 30 November 1991. Previously, ''Billboard'' tracked sales by calling stores across the U.S. and asking about sales – a method that was inherently error-prone and open to outright fraud. Indeed, while transitioning from the calling to tracking methods, the airplay and sales charts (already monitored by Nielsen) and the Hot 100 (then still using the calling system) often did not match (for instance [[Paula Abdul]]'s "[[Promise of a New Day]]" and [[Roxette]]'s "[[Fading Like a Flower]]" reached much higher Hot 100 peaks than their actual sales and airplay would have allowed them to). Although most record company executives conceded that the new method was far more accurate than the old, the chart's volatility and its geographical balance initially caused deep concern, before the change and the market shifts it brought about were accepted across the industry. [[Tower Records]], the country's second-largest retail chain, was originally not included in the sample because its stores are equipped with different technology to measure sales. At first, some industry executives complained that the new system – which relied on high-tech sales measurement rather than store employee estimates – was based on an inadequate sample, one that favored established and mainstream acts over newcomers.

1991 was also the year [[Contemporary Christian music|CCM]], or contemporary Christian music, reached a new peak. [[Amy Grant]], who had already crossed back and forth between CCM and Contemporary Pop in the mid-80s, achieved her first solo No. 1 hit on the pop charts with the hit single "[[Baby Baby (Amy Grant song)|Baby Baby]]," becoming the first single by a CCM artist to reach No. 1 (despite the fact the song was a pop song and was void of any Christian references). Another single, "[[That's What Love Is For]]," would also top the charts, this time in the Adult Contemporary field. Meanwhile, Grant's album ''[[Heart In Motion]]'' reaches No. 11 on the pop chart and No. 1 on the Christian chart despite its non-religious objective, and quickly becomes a best-seller. Another CCM crossover artist in 1991 is [[Michael W. Smith]], who achieves a Top Ten pop hit with his single "Place In This World." The subsequent album, ''[[Go West Young Man (Michael W. Smith album)|Go West Young Man]]'', is also a hit. [[Jon Gibson (Christian musician)|Jon Gibson]]'s hit "Jesus Loves Ya" still holds the record as the longest playing hit single in [[Christian music]] history. The track spent eleven weeks at No. 1 and became the top selling CCM single of 1991.<ref>{{Citation|title=Love Education|date=5 June 1997|asin=B000008P2A}}</ref> Only three artists received more [[airplay]] on [[Christian radio]] stations in that year other than Gibson; Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and [[BeBe & CeCe Winans]].

The massive success of [[Garth Brooks]] in this year set the stage for the mid-1990s influx of pop-oriented [[Country music|country musicians]]. Several soon-to-be pivotal bands formed or released debut recordings, including [[Dave Matthews Band]], [[Live (band)|Live]], [[Phish]], [[Spin Doctors]] and [[stoner metal]] ([[Kyuss]], [[Sleep (band)|Sleep]], [[The Obsessed]]). [[Massive Attack]]'s ''[[Blue Lines]]'', pioneered the sound that would eventually become known as [[trip hop]]. [[Entombed (band)|Entombed]]'s ''[[Clandestine (album)|Clandestine]]'' and [[Dismember (band)|Dismember]]'s ''[[Like an Ever Flowing Stream]]'' were early releases from the [[Scandinavian metal]] scene. In the US, New York death metal band [[Suffocation (band)|Suffocation]] released their debut full-length ''[[Effigy of the Forgotten]]'', often considered one of the most influential of extreme metal albums. [[Trance music]] rose to prominence in the underground dance scene of [[Frankfurt]], Germany, pioneered by such producers as [[Dance 2 Trance]] and Resistance D. [[U2]] released their seventh album ''[[Achtung Baby]]'', considered by many of their fans to be their best. [[Metallica]]'s [[Metallica (album)|self-titled album]] was their most commercially successful, and the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] broke through to the mainstream with ''[[Blood Sugar Sex Magik]]''. [[R.E.M.]] released their massive commercial breakthrough album ''[[Out of Time (album)|Out of Time]]''.

===January–March===
*[[8 January]] – [[Def Leppard]] guitarist [[Steve Clark]] dies of respiratory failure from a lethal mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs. He was 30 years old.
*[[15 January]] – A new all-star rendition of the [[John Lennon]] song "[[Give Peace a Chance]]" is released, featuring [[Yoko Ono]], [[Lenny Kravitz]], [[Peter Gabriel]], [[Alannah Myles]], [[Tom Petty]], [[Bonnie Raitt]] and many more, billed as "The Peace Choir". The single has been rushed to market in response to the imminent [[Gulf War]].
*[[16 January]] – The sixth annual [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] induction ceremony is held in New York. The event goes forward despite a tense atmosphere caused by the US President's announcement of the Gulf War the same evening. The inductees are [[Ike & Tina Turner]], [[Jimmy Reed]], [[John Lee Hooker]], [[LaVern Baker]], [[The Byrds]], [[The Impressions]], [[Wilson Pickett]] and [[Howlin' Wolf]].
*[[18 January]] – Three people are crushed to death during an [[AC/DC]] concert in [[Salt Lake City]], Utah, United States, when audience members rush the stage.
*18–[[27 January]] – The massive nine-day festival [[Rock in Rio#Rock in Rio 2|Rock in Rio II]] is held in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brazil]]. The headliners are [[a-ha]], [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[INXS]], [[Guns N' Roses]], [[New Kids on the Block]], [[George Michael]] and [[Happy Mondays]].
*[[19 January]]  – [[Janet Jackson]] with seventh single from ''[[Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814]]'', "[[Love Will Never Do (Without You)]]", becomes the only artist to have seven singles from the same album chart in the top five.
*[[27 January]] – [[Whitney Houston]] sings "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]" at the [[Super Bowl]]. The recording is then released and becomes a hit single.
*[[31 January]] – ''[[DJ Magazine]]'' is launched under its new name.<ref>{{cite journal|title=20 Years of DJ Mag – A Retrospective|journal=DJ Mag|date=9 October 2012|url=https://djmag.com/content/20-years-dj-mag-retrospective|access-date=25 September 2017|language=en}}</ref>
*[[5 February]] – [[Queen (band)|Queen]] release their final album of [[Freddie Mercury]]'s lifetime, entitled [[Innuendo (album)|''Innuendo'']]. This album includes hit singles such as [[The Show Must Go On (Queen song)|"The Show Must Go On"]], [[Headlong (song)|"Headlong"]], "[[These Are The Days Of Our Lives]]" and "[[Innuendo (song)|Innuendo"]].
*[[20 February]] – The [[33rd Annual Grammy Awards]] are presented in [[New York City|New York]], hosted by [[Garry Shandling]]. [[Quincy Jones]]' ''[[Back on the Block]]'' wins [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]], [[Phil Collins]]' "[[Another Day in Paradise]]" wins [[Record of the Year]] and [[Bette Midler]]'s version of "[[From a Distance#Bette Midler version|From a Distance]]" wins [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]]. [[Mariah Carey]] wins [[Best New Artist]].
*[[27 February]] – [[James Brown]] is granted an early parole and released from jail, following his arrest after a high-speed car chase through two states in 1989. [[Pop Will Eat Itself]] documented the affair with their song, "Not Now James, We're Busy".
*[[28 February]] – Hollywood's [[Record Plant Studios]] recording studio closes down. Among the albums recorded at the Record Plant were [[The Eagles]]' ''[[Hotel California (Eagles album)|Hotel California]]'', [[Fleetwood Mac]]'s ''[[Rumours (album)|Rumours]]'' and [[Stevie Wonder]]'s ''[[Songs in the Key of Life]]''.
*[[1 March]] – [[Nielsen SoundScan]] begins tracking sales data for Nielsen.
*[[11 March]] – [[Janet Jackson]] signs a [[US$]]30 million contract with [[Virgin Records]], making her the highest paid female recording artist ever.
*[[12 March]] – [[R.E.M.]] release their seventh studio album, ''[[Out of Time (album)|Out of Time]]''. The album would serve as the band's breakthrough, catapulting the Georgia [[alternative rock]] band from cult status to a massive international act.
*[[16 March]] – Seven members of country music singer [[Reba McEntire]]'s band and her road manager are killed when their private plane crashes in California, near the [[U.S.-Mexico border]]. McEntire travels on a separate plane. The disaster inspires the title song of her next album, ''[[For My Broken Heart]]''.
*[[20 March]]
**[[Michael Jackson]] signs a contract with [[Sony]] for 1 billion dollars.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/21/movies/michael-jackson-gets-thriller-of-deal-to-stay-with-sony.html|title=Michael Jackson Gets Thriller of Deal To Stay With Sony|last=Randall Rothenberg|date=21 March 1991|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>
**[[Eric Clapton]]'s four-year-old son, Conor, dies after falling 49 stories from a New York City apartment window; the event later inspires Clapton to write the hit single "[[Tears in Heaven]]".
*[[24 March]] – [[The Black Crowes]] are dropped as the opening act of [[ZZ Top]]'s tour for repeatedly insulting the tour's sponsor, [[Miller Beer]].
*[[27 March]] – [[New Kids on the Block]] star [[Donnie Wahlberg]] is arrested in [[Louisville, Kentucky]] for allegedly setting his hotel room on fire.
*[[28 March]] – [[George Harrison]], [[Phil Collins]] and others attend funeral services for [[Eric Clapton]]'s late son, Conor.

===April–June===
*[[17 April]] – [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] performs "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]" live for the first time at the [[OK Hotel]] in [[Seattle, Washington]].
*[[28 April]] – [[Bonnie Raitt]] marries actor [[Michael O'Keefe]] in New York.
*[[4 May]] – The [[Eurovision Song Contest 1991]] is held in [[Rome, Italy]], and, after a highly controversial voting segment, Sweden's ''[[Fångad av en stormvind]]'' by [[Carola Häggkvist|Carola]] is declared the winner.
*[[7 May]] – In [[Macon, Georgia]], a judge dismisses a [[wrongful death]] lawsuit against [[Ozzy Osbourne]]. The suit was filed by a local couple that believed their son was inspired to attempt suicide by Osbourne's music.
*[[10 May]] – ''[[Madonna: Truth or Dare|Truth or Dare]]'', a documentary chronicling singer [[Madonna]]'s 1990 [[Blond Ambition Tour]], is released to theatres.
*[[24 May]] – [[Guns N' Roses]] kick off their 26-month world [[Use Your Illusion Tour]] in [[Alpine Valley]] in [[East Troy]].
*[[25 May]] – The [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] album chart starts incorporating electronically monitored sales data provided by [[Nielsen SoundScan]], thus beginning what chart aficionados tag as the "SoundScan era".
*[[28 May]] – [[The Smashing Pumpkins]] release their debut album ''[[Gish]]'', establishing the band as one of the most important of the alternative scene.
*[[7 June]] – [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] revives the late-night rock performance series ''[[In Concert (American TV series)|In Concert]]''.
*[[21 June]] – The [[Mérida State Symphony Orchestra]] is founded in Venezuela.
*[[28 June]] – [[Paul McCartney]]'s classical composition, the ''[[Liverpool Oratorio]]'', receives its première at the [[Liverpool Anglican Cathedral]].

===July–September===
*[[2 July]] 
**Launch of the [[Australian Festival of Chamber Music]].
**[[Hollywood Bowl Orchestra]] gives its first public performance.
**During the [[Use Your Illusion Tour]], [[Axl Rose]] assaults a member of the audience watching the show on camera, after security fails to respond to the singer's orders to confiscate the camera. After the attack, Rose angrily says, "Thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm goin' home!" and storms off the stage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spinner.com/2009/11/10/freakiest-concert-moments/|title=Slacker Radio Featured|first= |last= |website=Slacker Radio|access-date=11 January 2010|archive-date=6 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306003531/http://www.spinner.com/2009/11/10/freakiest-concert-moments/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[13 July]] – Pianist [[Keith Jarrett]] records his [[Vienna Concert]] at the [[Vienna Staatsoper]].
*[[18 July]] – [[Perry Farrell]] launches the first [[Lollapalooza]] tour as a farewell for his just-dissolved band, [[Jane's Addiction]]. Other acts appearing on the tour include [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]], [[Nine Inch Nails]], [[Rollins Band]], [[Fishbone]] and [[Rage Against the Machine]].
*[[12 August]] – [[Metallica]] release their most successful album, ''[[Metallica (album)|Metallica]]'' (also called "The Black Album"). Something of a departure from the [[thrash metal]] sound they helped pioneer, it becomes one of the best-selling albums of all time<ref>[https://www.riaa.com/gp/bestsellers/diamond.asp RIAA.com Diamond Certified Albums] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060818085906/http://www.riaa.com/gp/bestsellers/diamond.asp |date=18 August 2006 }}</ref>
*[[15 August]] – [[Paul Simon's Concert in the Park]] takes place in [[Central Park]]. The free concert is broadcast live on [[HBO]].
*[[20 August]] – The six-day [[International Pop Underground Convention]] opens in [[Olympia, Washington]].
*[[27 August]]
**[[Pearl Jam]] release their debut album, [[Ten (Pearl Jam album)|''Ten'']]. While initially slow to sell, it becomes No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' charts within a year and has since become certified thirteen times Platinum in the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine
 |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Albums&f=Top+Pop+Catalog 
 |title=Top Pop Catalog 
 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] 
 |access-date=2 April 2009 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404081837/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Albums&f=Top%2BPop%2BCatalog 
 |archive-date=4 April 2009 
 |url-status=dead
}}</ref>
**[[Dr. Dre]] pleads no contest to charges that he beat up a woman at a West Hollywood nightclub. Dr. Dre is sentenced to 24 months probation.
*[[10 September]] – [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] releases the single for "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]," a song that would achieve unprecedented success the following year and become a trailblazer for [[grunge]] and [[alternative rock]] as a whole.
*[[17 September]] – [[Rock music|Rock]] band [[Guns N' Roses]] release their first full-length follow up to their debut album ''[[Appetite for Destruction]]'' in the form of the double album ''[[Use Your Illusion I]]'' & ''[[Use Your Illusion II]]''. Both go on to sell a combined excess of 1.3 million on their first week of sale in the US alone.
*[[23 September]]
**[[Primal Scream]] releases [[Screamadelica]], which would go on to win the first [[Mercury Prize]] in 1992. 
**The TV Series ''[[Baywatch]]'' begins its second season with a new theme song performed and co-written by former [[Survivor (band)|Survivor]] member [[Jimi Jamison]], "[[I'm Always Here]]".
**[[Bryan Adams]] releases his sixth album ''[[Waking Up the Neighbours]]'' produced by [[Mutt Lange]], achieving diamond status in his native [[Canada]] for the second time.
*[[24 September]] – Retrospectively considered by critics<ref>{{Cite news |last=Condran |first=Ed |date=September 21, 2021 |title=Is Sept. 24, 1991, the greatest day in music history? |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/sep/21/is-sept-24-1991-the-greatest-day-in-music-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20210922141318/https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/sep/21/is-sept-24-1991-the-greatest-day-in-music-history/ |archive-date=September 22, 2021 |access-date=August 11, 2024 |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tedder |first=Michael |date=September 24, 2021 |title=Memoria: The Most Consequential Release Date In Alt-Rock Was 30 Years Ago Today |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2161757/nirvana-rhcp-pixies-sept-24-1991/columns/sounding-board/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20210924135353/https://www.stereogum.com/2161757/nirvana-rhcp-pixies-sept-24-1991/columns/sounding-board/ |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |access-date=August 11, 2024 |website=[[Stereogum]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hart |first=Ron |date=September 24, 2021 |title=September 24, 1991: A Banner Release Day for Musical Masterworks |url=https://www.spin.com/2021/09/september-24-1991-a-banner-release-day-for-musical-masterworks/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924182304/https://www.spin.com/2021/09/september-24-1991-a-banner-release-day-for-musical-masterworks/ |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |access-date=August 12, 2024 |website=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sylvester |first=Daniel |date=September 19, 2021 |title=Remembering September 24, 1991, the Day Underground Music Hit the Mainstream |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/september_24_1991_greatest_album_release_day_nirvana_nevermind_red_hot_chili_peppers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921005447/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/september_24_1991_greatest_album_release_day_nirvana_nevermind_red_hot_chili_peppers |archive-date=September 21, 2021 |access-date=August 12, 2024 |website=[[Exclaim!]]}}</ref> to be a seminal date in music history, as it saw the release of several key albums:
**''[[Nevermind]]'', the sophomore album from Seattle-based band [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], which would go on to popularize the [[grunge]] movement nationwide and be considered both a defining album of [[Generation X]] and one of the greatest albums in the history of popular music.
**''[[The Low End Theory]]'', the sophomore album from hip hop group [[A Tribe Called Quest]], which came to also be regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, as well as a defining album for [[Alternative hip-hop|alternative hip hop]].
**''[[Blood Sugar Sex Magik]]'', the fifth album from funk rock band the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]], which, alongside ''Nevermind'', also helped to popularize [[alternative rock]].
**''[[Trompe le Monde]]'', the fourth album from influential alternative rock band the [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]], their last before their breakup two years later. It would be the band's final full-length LP for 22 years.

===October–December===
*[[8 October]] – [[Soundgarden]] releases their breakout album ''[[Badmotorfinger]]''.
*[[3 November]] – A free tribute concert is held at [[Golden Gate Park]] in memory of concert promoter [[Bill Graham (promoter)|Bill Graham]], killed in a helicopter crash three weeks earlier at the age of 60. Performers include [[Santana (band)|Santana]], [[Grateful Dead]], [[Journey (band)|Journey]] and [[Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young]].
*[[7 November]]
**[[Bryan Adams]]'s 16-week stay at the top of the [[UK Singles Chart]] with "[[Everything I Do (I Do It For You)]]" is finally ended by [[U2]] single "[[The Fly (U2 song)|The Fly]]", having already set a new record for the longest consecutive stay at the top of the UK Singles Chart.
**[[Izzy Stradlin]] quits [[Guns N' Roses]].
**[[Frank Zappa]]'s children, [[Dweezil]] and [[Moon Zappa|Moon]], announce to an audience in New York that their father is unable to attend the tribute concert to his music because he is seriously ill with prostate cancer.
*[[14 November]] – The new [[Michael Jackson]] music video "[[Black or White]]" premieres simultaneously in 27 countries to an audience of 500 million people. Controversy is immediately generated by the video's last four minutes in which Jackson smashes windows, vandalizes a car and causes a building to explode, as well as suggestively grabs his crotch repeatedly while dancing.
*[[19 November]] 
**[[U2]] releases album ''[[Achtung Baby]]''.
**[[Luis Miguel]] releases ''[[Romance (Luis Miguel album)|Romance]]'' which revitalized the popularity of [[bolero]]s in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Ageless+romance+with+bolero.-a017482173|title=Ageless Romance with Bolero|last=Holston|first=Mark|journal=Américas|publisher=Organization of American States|date=1 September 1995|access-date=21 March 2015}}</ref> 
*[[24 November]] – [[Freddie Mercury]], lead singer of [[Queen (band)|Queen]], dies from AIDS-related complications at the age of 45 one day after making the disease public. The same day, [[Eric Carr]], formerly of [[Kiss (band)|KISS]], also dies from complications of [[heart cancer]].
*[[26 November]] – [[Michael Jackson]] releases his worldwide hit album ''[[Dangerous (Michael Jackson album)|Dangerous]]''. It comes four years after ''[[Bad (album)|Bad]]'' and goes on to sell more than 32 million copies worldwide. 
*[[30 November]] – Following in the steps of the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] also begins a new era by incorporating and merging electronically measured sales and airplay data from [[SoundScan]] and [[Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems|BDS]] respectively.
*[[1 December]] 
**[[A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert]], featuring [[Kathleen Battle]] and Frederica von Stade, a jazz band led by [[Wynton Marsalis]], and orchestra and chorus conducted by [[André Previn]], is recorded for television.
**[[George Harrison]] plays [[Yokohama]], [[Japan]]. The brief Japanese tour with [[Eric Clapton]] marks his first set of formal concert performances since 1974.
*[[4 December]] – [[The Judds]] give their final concert performance as a duo.
*[[December 17]] - Judge [[Kevin Duffy|Kevin Thomas Duffy]] rules, in singer-songwriter [[Gilbert O'Sullivan]]'s [[Grand Upright Music, Ltd. v. Warner Bros. Records Inc.|lawsuit]] against rapper [[Biz Markie]], that all future samples must be cleared.
*[[31 December]] – The twentieth annual ''[[New Year's Rockin' Eve]]'' special airs on ABC, with appearances by [[Boyz II Men]], [[Simply Red]], [[Vanessa L. Williams]], [[Another Bad Creation]], [[Restless Heart]], [[Michael Bivins]] and [[Barry Manilow]].

===Also in 1991===
*[[Aerosmith]] signs a new deal with [[Sony Music]] worth an estimated $30 million.
*[[The Rolling Stones]] sign a new contract with [[Virgin Records]].
*Country music legend [[Kenny Rogers]] starts his restaurant chain, [[Kenny Rogers Roasters]].
*[[Tupac Shakur]]'s solo career begins with his first album, ''[[2Pacalypse Now]]''. Six-year-old Qa'id Walker-Teal is shot dead by a stray bullet during a confrontation between Tupac's entourage and a rival group.
*[[Mangue Bit]] is originated in [[Recife]], Brazil, circa 1991.