ARIA Charts Throwback: 1 September 1991

Look into your heart - you will find some of the biggest hits of September 1991!

As 1991 hit its final quarter, there were big albums releases from Dire Straits, Mariah Carey, Guns N’ Roses, A Tribe Called Quest, Nirvana and more.

For the entire month, a Canadian rocker was setting a (for its time) ARIA record.

10. Metallica - Enter Sandman

Metal titans Metallica made their first appearance in the Top Ten on the ARIA Singles Chart when ‘Enter Sandman spent two weeks at #10 in September 1991. The single was the first to come from the band’s self-titled fifth album (#1 Aug. ’91). Metallica scored two more Top Ten singles from the album with ‘The Unforgiven’ (#10 Nov. ’91) and ‘Nothing Else Matters’ (#8 Jun. ’92).

9. UB40 - Here I Am (Come And Take Me)

Covering a song originally by Al Green in 1973, British reggae band UB40 notches up their third Top Ten on the ARIA Singles Chart. Peaking at #3, ‘Here I Am (Come And Take Me)’ appeared on the band’s second covers album, Labour Of Love II (#20 Jan. ’92).

8. Melissa - Read My Lips

The debut single from E Street star turned singer Melissa Tkautz became her first (and to date only) #1 on the ARIA Charts when it spent two consecutive weeks in the top spot in July 1991. The first single released from Tkautz’ debut album Fresh (#15 Jun. ’92), ‘Read My Lips’ spent 11 weeks in the top ten 18 weeks in the top 50. It was accredited Platinum and was #6 on the 1991 ARIA End Of Year Singles Chart.

7. Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up

American vocal group Color Me Badd took out the first of their two Top Ten hits on the ARIA Singles Chart when ‘I Wanna Sex You Up’ peaked at #4 in August 1991. Later in the year they hit the chart with ‘All 4 Love’ (#9 Dec. ’91). Both tracks came from the quartet’s debut album, C.M.B. (#17 Feb. ’92).

6. C+C Music Factory - Things That Make You Go Hmmm

The second and final Top Ten single in Australia for American dance music act C+C Music Factory came when ‘Things That Make You Go Hmmm…’ peaked at #6 for three weeks in August/September 1991. At the beginning of 1991 they peaked at #3 with debut single ‘Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)’.

5. Guns N’ Roses - You Could Be Mine

‘You Could Be Mine became the first single by Guns N’ Roses to hit the ARIA Top Ten when it peaked at #3 in July 1991. The track was the first released from the album Use Your Illusion II (#1 Sept. ’91) and featured on the soundtrack of Terminator 2: Judgement Day. It’s the band’s highest peak in Australia.

4. Martika - Love… Thy Will Be Done

Martika picked up her only #1 on the ARIA Charts when ‘Love… Thy Will Be Done’ spent one week at the top of Singles Chart in October 1991. The first single from the singer-songwriter’s second album, Martika's Kitchen (#9 Sept. ’91), ‘Love… Thy Will Be Done’ spent a total of ten weeks in the Top Ten and 16 weeks in the Top 50. ‘Love… Thy Will Be Done’ is one of four tracks on Martika's Kitchen produced and co-written by Prince.

3. Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole - Unforgettable

Using vocals recorded by her late father Nat King Cole in 1951, Natalie Cole released the virtual duet ‘Unforgettable’ in 1991. Peaking at #2, the single became Cole’s second and final Top Ten on the ARIA Singles Chart. It also appeared on the #1 album Unforgettable… With Love (#1 Aug ’91) The song also won three awards at the 34th Annual Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

2. Extreme - More Than Words

Better known as a heavy rock band, American group Extreme scored the biggest hit of their career with the acoustic ballad ‘More Than Words’. Released as a single from Extreme’s second album, Pornograffitti (#29 Jan. ’92), ‘More Than Words’ peaked at #2 for two weeks in September 1991. It was also the band’s only #1 in the US.

1. Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You

Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams reached #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart for the first time when ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It For You’ spent eleven straight weeks at #1 between July and October 1991. The first single from Adams’ sixth album, Waking Up the Neighbours (#1 Oct. ’91), as well as the soundtrack to Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves (#21 Aug. ’91), ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It For You’ was #1 on the 1991 ARIA End Of Year Singles Chart. It was accredited 2x Platinum.

At the time, the single’s eleven weeks at the top of the Singles Chart was an ARIA record.

It was the first of Adams’ four singles to reach #1 in Australia. He had further success with ‘Please Forgive Me’ (#1 Nov. ’93) and ‘Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?’ (#1 Jun. ’95), as well as the collaboration with Sting and Rod Stewart ‘All For Love’ (#1 Jan. ’94).