#1 at KUKQ/Phoenix: “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M., the group’s biggest hit and the #1 song of 1991 on many year-end alternative radio charts. The title is an old Southern expression meaning to lose self-control, or to get angry. It has nothing to do with religion.
Ditto for the song at #2, Enigma’s “Sadeness (Part I)” — despite the Gregorian chants. At #3 is “I Touch Myself” by the Divinyls and yes, that’s what she’s singing about.
Among other cool songs on the Newstuff Alternative Music Survey:
- Material Issue’s “Valerie Loves Me” (#6), first (and biggest) hit for the Chicago power pop band;
- Jesus Jones with “International Bright Young Thing” (#8), follow-up to their #1 smash “Right Here Right Now“;
- A-ha with “Crying In The Rain” (#9), a cover of the Everly Brothers’ 1962 hit;
- Sisters Of Mercy’s “Detonation Boulevard” (#13), featuring typical Lou Reed-like vocals from Andrew Eldritch;
- Sonic Youth’s “Dirty Boots” (#25), whose video prominently features a girl wearing a Nirvana t-shirt — half a year before their breakthrough album Nevermind was released;
- Hoodoo Gurus with “Miss Freelove ’69” (#37), a quasi-psychedelic throwback.
A trio of fish bands are on the chart:
- Jellyfish with “Baby’s Coming Back” (#20);
- An Emotional Fish has “Change” (#29);
- School of Fish with their biggest hit, “3 Strange Days” (#34).
Other food-related band names include:
- Pop Will Eat Itself with “X, Y and Zee” (#7);
- Meat Beat Manifesto’s “10X Faster Than The Speed Of Love” (#31);
- Lemonheads with the Michael Nesmith-penned “Different Drum” (#45), originally a hit for the Stone Poneys featuring Tucson’s Linda Ronstadt;
- Soup Dragons’ “Mother Universe” (#46), a remake of their own single from the year before;
- Kitchens of Distinction with “Drive That Fast” (#50).
Truly alternative.