Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 1991, 18 songs topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Adult Contemporary, based on playlists submitted by radio stations.[1]
In the issue of Billboard dated January 5, English singer-songwriter Elton John was at number one with "You Gotta Love Someone", its fourth week atop the chart.[2] The song held the top spot for the first two weeks of 1991 before being displaced by "Because I Love You (the Postman Song)" by Stevie B. The longest unbroken run at number one was achieved in August and September by Canadian singer Bryan Adams, whose song "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" spent eight consecutive weeks in the top spot, the longest run atop the AC chart since 1979.[3] The song, taken from the soundtrack of the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, also topped Billboard's all-genre singles chart, the Hot 100, for seven weeks and was ranked by the magazine as the year's top song.[4] It also won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television,[5] as well as being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song, the first of three Oscar nominations for the singer.[6] Several other songs which topped the AC chart also reached the top spot on the Hot 100, including "The First Time" by Surface and "All the Man That I Need" by Whitney Houston, consecutive AC chart-toppers in February, which in addition reached number one on the Hot R&B Singles listing.[7][8][9][10]
Only two artists achieved more than one number one during the year. Amy Grant had two chart-toppers and spent a total of six weeks at number one with "Baby Baby" and "That's What Love Is For", both taken from the album Heart in Motion.[11] Grant had experienced significant success in the contemporary Christian music field since the late 1970s, but had begun to move into the secular market in the late 1980s.[12] Heart in Motion was her first album to be primarily targeted at top 40 radio,[12] and five of its songs reached the top 5 of the AC chart.[11] Michael Bolton was the only artist to achieve three Hot Adult Contemporary number ones in 1991 and topped the chart for a total of ten weeks with "Love Is a Wonderful Thing", "Time, Love and Tenderness" and "When a Man Loves a Woman", giving him the highest number of weeks atop the chart of any act in 1991. "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" was the only song to be displaced from number one and return to the top spot. The final number one of the year was "Keep Coming Back" by Richard Marx, which spent the final two weeks of the year in the top spot.
Chart history
edit† | Indicates best-performing AC song of 1991[13] |
References
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006. Record Research Incorporated. p. vi. ISBN 9780898201697.
- ^ a b "Adult Contemporary chart for January 5, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Joel Whitburn's Top Adult Contemporary, 1961-2001. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 345–348. ISBN 9780898201499.
- ^ Trust, Gary. "This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 1991, Bryan Adams Ruled With the Song of the Summer". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "'Unforgettable' Wins Grammy as Song of Year". Los Angeles Times. February 26, 1992. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Childs, Paul (February 12, 2018). "Examining the Many Movie Songs of Bryan Adams". Den of Geek. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Surface Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Whitney Houston Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Surface Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Whitney Houston Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2002). Joel Whitburn's Top Adult Contemporary, 1961-2001. Record Research Incorporated. p. 106. ISBN 9780898201499.
- ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Amy Grant Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ "Billboard Adult Contemporary Year End, 1991" (PDF). Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 12, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 19, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 26, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 2, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 9, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 16, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 23, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 2, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 9, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 16, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 23, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 30, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 6, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 13, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 20, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 27, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 4, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 11, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 18, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 25, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 1, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 8, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 15, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 22, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 29, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 6, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 13, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 20, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 27, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 3, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 10, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 17, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 24, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 31, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 7, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 14, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 21, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 28, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 5, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 12, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 19, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 26, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 2, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 9, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 16, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 23, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 30, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 7, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 14, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 21, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 28, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.