Twenty-One Years Ago

Twenty-one years ago, in the fall and winter of 1991/1992, one of the most heated battles of all time was taking place. The combatants were a couple of veterans and a newcomer, all with the spirit of competition in their veins. Twenty-one years ago, in the fall and winter of 1991, the battle for chart supremacy was waged, between three of the best albums of all time: U2’s ‘Achtung Baby’, Michael Jackson’s ‘Dangerous’, and Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’. This is the story of that war.

U2 had the most to prove, coming on the heels of the American backlash to their album and film, ‘Rattle & Hum’. Even though the album was a commercial success, selling over 7 million copies, the film bombed and U2 was vilified in the American press as a band that was too full of itself. There were two paths they could have taken as a result of this backlash. One would have been to ignore the press and create another ‘Joshua Tree’, their most successful album to date and a sure return to prominence for the band. The other was a more treacherous path, to try and “dream it all up again”, as Bono, the band’s singer, said during their last concert in 1990. U2 chose the second option; hence, ‘Achtung Baby’ was a rebirth for the band in more ways than one. If this experiment tanked, there was honestly no telling if the band would even remain a band. Preliminary results were good, however, when the album’s first single, ‘The Fly’, stormed up the charts a full month before the album was even released. By the time the album made its appearance, at the same time as its second single, ‘Mysterious Ways’, the verdict was in. ‘Achtung Baby’ was a critical and commercial success, eventually selling over 18 million copies worldwide and debuting at #1 on the US Billboard Charts.

With the second-most to prove, Michael Jackson’s ‘Dangerous’, his first album in four years, dropped on November 26, 1991, to mixed reviews. Easily the most recognizable artist of all time, Michael’s two previous albums had set a very high bar. ‘Thriller’ was the highest selling album of all time, and ‘Bad’ had produced five straight #1 singles. What the world wanted to know in 1991 was if Michael still had “it”, if he could still rock it after four years away from the spotlight. The answer to that question was a resounding “yes” when the album’s first single, ‘Black or White’ went to #1 in the charts and smoothly melded for the first time Michael’s strong, clear vocals with an in-song rap portion geared to modernize what was previously just an 80s style and sound. Follow-up ‘Remember the Time’ continued the process of transformation for Michael, helping the album to debut at #1 on the US Billboard Charts and stay there for four straight weeks.

On the reverse side, absolutely nothing was expected of Seattle grunge band Nirvana, who had very recently been an after-thought on indie record label Sub-Pop. Interestingly enough, the fact that Kurt Cobain blew out his voice while recording a song that would make it into the final album gave them the chance to sign with a major label, Geffen Records. When ‘Nevermind’ was released, it debuted at #144 on the US Billboard Charts.Yet, on the surprising strength of its first single, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, the album blew away all expectations, eventually replacing Michael Jackson’s ‘Dangerous’ as the #1 album in January of 1992. The glory of ‘Nevermind’ wasn’t its punk leanings, nor was it its humble beginnings. The ultimate glory of ‘Nevermind’ was that it channeled the angst of young people in the early-90s more so than any album had ever done before for any prior generation. Kurt Cobain’s intense pain transferred to the band’s music was addictive to people feeling that same pain. Eventually, ‘Nevermind’ went on to outsell both of the previously more-acclaimed artists’ records, with a current tally of 30 million copies sold worldwide.

The fall and winter of 1991 into 1992 was special for many reasons, not the least of which was the amazing music that was on display. This time period was one of the best for songwriters as it was when some of the seminal songs of all time were released. The ones that have stood the test of time are numerous, but the time period would best be remembered for songs like ‘One’, ‘Black or White’, and ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ from three artists who couldn’t be more different, yet together they waged one of the greatest battles in music history.

Sam