1991

In 1991 the Cold War ended for good, as the Soviet Union broke apart late in the year and left fifteen republics in its place. The Gulf War opened in January with air strikes on Iraq, and in August the World Wide Web was announced to the public, complete with its first website. Few people noticed at the time, but it would matter rather a lot.

Grunge made its breakthrough, with Nirvana's Nevermind arriving in September alongside Pearl Jam's Ten, Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger and Alice in Chains' Live Facelift. Yet heavy metal still ruled the charts, and the most popular American album of the year was Metallica's self-titled Black Album, the first by a thrash band to reach number one. Guns N' Roses put Use Your Illusion I and II in the top two places on the Billboard 200 together, a feat no other rock band has managed. Elsewhere, The Smashing Pumpkins debuted with Gish, Sepultura sharpened their thrash on Arise, Ozzy Osbourne released No More Tears, and Queen delivered Innuendo. Glam metal was still selling, but its days were numbered. Rage Against the Machine, Machine Head and Cradle of Filth all formed.

The year had a grim side. Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark died in January, and on 24 November both Freddie Mercury and Kiss drummer Eric Carr died. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" returned to number one in the UK. Poison fired CC DeVille after a fistfight backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards, and Mayhem's vocalist Dead took his own life.