Pick a Day

Music History Events: Releases

March 23, 1992 Billy Ray Cyrus releases "Achy Breaky Heart." It becomes his signature song and starts a line-dancing craze throughout the US.

March 13, 1992 Bad Religion release their sixth full-length studio album, Generator. This is the band's debut album with drummer Bobby Schayer, who remains in the band until 2000's The New America.

March 3, 1992 Soundgarden release the third and final single off Badmotorfinger, "Rusty Cage." B-sides differ depending on the territory - among them are covers of Devo's "Girl U Want" and the Rolling Stones' "Stray Cat Blues."

February 17, 1992 Shakespears Sister release their second album, Hormonally Yours. Initially based on a B-movie called Cat-Women Of The Moon, it produces a huge hit with "Stay," a sci-fi single that spends eight weeks at #1 in the UK.

February 12, 1992 Richard D. James releases Selected Ambient Works 85-92, under the alias Aphex Twin. It is James' first full-length album, and is a step away from his previous dance-focused work, containing lush ambient pads, soft acid-esque synth melodies, samples of conversations and distant techno percussion. The album contains some tracks started when James was only 14 years old.

January 14, 1992 R. Kelly and Public Announcement release the album Born Into The 90's, with the hits "She's Got That Vibe" and "Honey Love."

November 26, 1991 Michael Jackson releases Dangerous, his eighth studio album.

November 18, 1991 U2 release their seventh album, Achtung Baby, featuring the songs "Mysterious Ways" and "One."

October 22, 1991 Neil Young & Crazy Horse release Weld, a collection of live songs from the Ragged Glory promotional tour.

October 8, 1991 Soundgarden's second album for A&M Records, Badmotorfinger, is released. Its arrival neatly coincides with the uprising of grunge (Nirvana's Nevermind was released two weeks earlier, and Pearl Jam's Ten was issued on August 27) and serves as the group's commercial breakthrough.More

September 3, 1991 Rush release their 14th studio album, Roll the Bones.

August 20, 1991 Spin Doctors release their debut album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite. It sells over 5 million copies thanks to the hits "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" and "Two Princes."More

July 30, 1991 "Enter Sandman" is released as a single, serving as a preview of what's to come from Metallica's Black Album. With a cover of the early Queen classic "Stone Cold Crazy" on the B-side, it reaches #16 on the Hot 100, their best showing to this point.

June 11, 1991 Lynyrd Skynyrd return to recording with Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991. It's their sixth album, following Street Surviors, but is their first since the plane wreak take took three band-members lives in 1977. The new lineup initially uses the name "Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991," but eventually has to drop this name after the media and fans essentially ignore it and continue to call them Lynyrd Skynyrd.

June 11, 1991 Skid Row release the album Slave To The Grind, the follow-up to their 5-million-selling self-titled debut. It debuts at #1 in America and sells 2 million, but it doesn't have legs: none of the songs catch on with radio or MTV.

May 20, 1991 The first album from an MTV Unplugged performance is released when Paul McCartney issues Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) in the UK. It is released in America in June.

May 18, 1991 Bananarama release Pop Life, their first album without bandmate Siobhan Fahey, who left the group in 1988 amid tensions over their pop-oriented image. It's also their last release as a trio. Jacquie O'Sullivan replaces Fahey on the album, but leaves later that year due to the press constantly comparing her with the former 'Nana.

May 14, 1991 Primus' major label debut (and eventual commercial breakthrough), Sailing the Seas of Cheese, is released. The album spawns the alt-rock classics "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver," "Tommy the Cat," and "Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers."

April 1, 1991 School of Fish release their eponymous debut album, featuring their lone hit "3 Strange Days."

March 26, 1991 Bob Dylan's The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 is released.

January 22, 1991 Sting releases his third full-length studio album, The Soul Cages.

November 23, 1990 Bad Religion release their fifth full-length studio album, Against the Grain. This is the band's last recording with drummer Pete Finestone, who left the band just prior to the recording of their next album Generator, which eventually dropped in 1992.

September 25, 1990 INXS release X, the follow-up to their wildly successful 1987 album Kick. In the interim, lead singer Michael Hutchence released an album with his less glamorous band, Max Q.

September 24, 1990 AC/DC releases The Razors Edge, omitting the apostrophe in the title. The only album by the band to feature Chis Slade on drums, it reaches #2 on the US Albums chart and #4 in the UK.

September 9, 1990 Following Freedom, his much-lauded return to form, Neil Young releases Ragged Glory. His 18th studio album, the garage rock classic is also one of his most balls-out productions to date, and not what one would generally expect from a 45-year-old man late into a long musical career.

August 20, 1990 Prince releases his album Graffiti Bridge, which contains the tracks "Thieves In The Temple" and "New Power Generation."More

June 26, 1990 Nelson release their debut album After the Rain, which sells over 2 million copies thanks to the #1 single "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection." Nelson is the duo of Gunnar and Matthew, the twin sons of Rick Nelson.More

June 26, 1990 Sonic Youth release Goo. With songs like "Kool Thing," the album is a seminal landmark in alternative rock.

June 21, 1990 Exodus release their fourth studio album, Impact Is Imminent.

May 15, 1990 Mariah Carey releases her first single, the ballad "Vision Of Love." In August, it climbs to #1 in America, setting Carey on track to become the best-selling female artist of the '90s.