A History of Pop Music Albums – 1993
Featured Album: R.E.M – Automatic For The People
This is a series of articles looking at albums from 1960 to 1999. Just cannot go on that much longer with the drivel that is the 90’s with worse to come from 2000 onwards!
I will select a featured album for each year and the link for the whole album, Plus list the songs on it.
As before, it is not just about the songs and tunes, it is very much about memories, and good ones, I hope.
Not everyone will like my choices of course, and you may remember some from each particular year that you feel should have been included, so do please post a link to the song.
1993 workwise was just its normal busy self. I improved and extended the numbering system to give a label to everything that was on the Eurotunnel site and in the tunnels, rather proud of that.
Some memorable news items though, Princess Diana wanting a divorce, James Bulger killed. UKIP formed this year as well.
The featured album for 1993 is: R.E.M and “Automatic for the People”. It is the eighth studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on October 1992, but a huge hit in the UK into 93. R.E.M. began production on the album while their previous album, Out of Time (1991), was still ascending top albums charts and achieving global success. Aided by string arrangements from John Paul Jones, Automatic for the People features ruminations on mortality, loss, mourning and nostalgia.
I have featured R.E.M as it has some awesome tracks including the funeral favourite “Everybody Hurts.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, except where noted.
| ‘Drive’ side | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | “Drive“ | 4:31 |
| 2. | “Try Not to Breathe” | 3:50 |
| 3. | “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite“ | 4:06 |
| 4. | “Everybody Hurts“ | 5:17 |
| 5. | “New Orleans Instrumental No. 1” | 2:13 |
| 6. | “Sweetness Follows” | 4:19 |
| ‘Ride’ side | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
| 7. | “Monty Got a Raw Deal” | 3:17 |
| 8. | “Ignoreland“ | 4:24 |
| 9. | “Star Me Kitten” | 3:15 |
| 10. | “Man on the Moon“ | 5:13 |
| 11. | “Nightswimming“ | 4:16 |
| 12. | “Find the River“ | 3:50 |
| Total length: | 48:52 | |
R.E.M.
- Bill Berry– drums, percussion, keyboards, bass guitar, backing vocals, melodica on “Find the River”
- Peter Buck– electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, bass guitar, bouzouki on “Monty Got a Raw Deal”
- Mike Mills– bass guitar, piano, keyboards, accordion, backing vocals, double bass on “New Orleans Instrumental No. 1”
- Michael Stipe– lead vocals
More writings on this album here: Automatic for the People
So, on we go with 1993:
The Top 10 Albums with a You Tube hyperlink on the title:
Top Tip: Right-click and open in new tab
| Top Albums of 1993 | ||
| 1 | Meat Loaf | Bat Out Of Hell II – Back To Hell |
| 2 | R.E.M. | Automatic For The People |
| 3 | Take That | Everything Changes |
| 4 | Dina Carroll | So Close |
| 5 | Bryan Adams | So Far So Good |
| 6 | Diana Ross | One Woman – The Ultimate Collection |
| 7 | UB40 | Promises And Lies |
| 8 | Phil Collins | Both Sides |
| 9 | U2 | Zooropa |
| 10 | Mariah Carey | Music Box |
Not the best top 10 in terms of sellers. Very much enjoyed Meatloaf, opening track is something he would do but not that. Good, but not Bat Out of Hell good. Take That were mega-popular, but not to my liking. Bryan Adams great album includes Summer of 69, I like that sort of thing.
Diana Ross, just wow, this includes so many absolute classics. I am sure she will feature in an upcoming series I may do. Which will include various genres of music, such as Motown, Northern Soul, Disco, C&W etc.
UB40 politics are not to our liking, but I do like much of their stuff. PC is there again. U2 a band I particularly dislike. Some pleasant stuff on the Mariah Carey album though.
Most notable albums for my liking for 1993 though are below:
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon: Twentieth Anniversary Edition
I bought the CD version.
That was it, the only album I bought in 1993 apart from R.E.M and bat Out of Hell II.
Scoring:
As you know I like to review your “tunes” that you post.
*Note. Anyone scoring a Morrissey (lowest score possible) will be reported and blocked.
Hat tips to these sites:
http://www.everyhit.com/chart1.html these give the top 10 songs for each year.
https://www.youtube.com/ you know them.
Next Time: 1994. Will it get better? Forecast: (No, and not even got to Robson and Jerome yet).
Featured Image: “Automatic For The People – R.E.M.” by Brett Jordan is licensed under CC BY 2.0
© Phil the ex test manager 2021
