iconic Poppy Bush Interzone records

Ah, that makes more sense. Let’s count it in then.

Transition from Metallica's "One" (the video for which was announced as a major event for days leading up to its release on MuchMusic) to the monster that was the black album seems key.

Hell yeah, D-40!!! K-Klass “Let Me Show You” felt like the best song ever to me at the time. (Achtung Baby was not involved)

Twin Peaks soundtrack, Chris Isaak, Divinyls, Mazzy Star

sorry.. was a little drunk and felt compelled to belch that post out while on a train.

Here's my 1991 list, peak PBI.

1991-1992 was notable for a brief spasm of post-Native Tongues alternative hip-hop that got played on the local alternative rock station. It was in and out in a little over a year, culminating in Digable Planets and Arrested Development with Cantaloup by Us3 following in 1993, after which I think the station ceased playing rap, other than maybe Beck. See also, PM Dawn from Alfred's list.

MC 900 Foot Jesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KB54p8_wh8

Basehead - 2000 BC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxWzzGpmBEA

Rise Robots Rise - All Sewn Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecs5IQfdahw

Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Television
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky4uYnsF3kc

I will second "Winds of Change" as an iconic PBI song, especially given its overt political nature.

It was released as the album's third single in January 1991 and became a worldwide hit, just after the failed coup that would eventually lead to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The song topped the charts in Germany and across Europe and peaked at number four in the United States on August 31, 1991 and number two in the United Kingdom.

It would be a shame if we overlooked PBI-era songs containing actual Poppy Bush samples

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imqvLToWH7k

"Language of Violence" was the Hiphoprisy single that really stuck with me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J_qadIwM60

The actual Native Tongues groups were a huuuuge deal at my high school, probably more than any other music.

Also, I somehow got sent on a field trip to see PM Dawn around that time.

More transitional rock stuff, that I was hearing on MuchMusic only:

Pop Will Eat Itself - Wise Up! Sucker
Warrior Soul - Losers

We didn't have a commercial alternative station until the mid-90s so I remember that the campus stations would sometimes play relatively popular singles (not that I knew anyone who listened to them) by e.g. Cure or Morrissey or NIN during general music programs, in between shows devoted to music in Hindi or discussions of eco-feminism or John Cage tributes. Within a few years, DJs would have probably thought it ludicrous for someone to request those things.

I somehow got sent on a field trip to see PM Dawn around that time.

we took an 8th grade class trip in 1990 to see laser Depeche Mode

For your reference and edification, I present a complete list of SNL musical guests from Bush I's term of office:

Anita Baker
John Hiatt
Luther Vandross
Cowboy Junkies
Gipsy Kings
Elvis Costello (x2)
Living Colour
Dolly Parton
John Cougar Mellencamp
Fine Young Cannibals
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (x2)
Neil Young (x2)
Rickie Lee Jones
Billy Joel
Don Henley
Eurythmics
David Byrne
k.d. lang
Linda Ronstadt/Aaron Neville
Tracy Chapman
Harry Connick, Jr.
Bonnie Raitt (x2)
Tevin Campbell/Kool Moe Dee/Big Daddy Kane
Aerosmith
Technotronic
The Pogues
Eric Clapton
The Smithereens
The B-52's
Julee Cruise/Spanic Boys
The Notting Hillbillies
Sinéad O'Connor (x2)
Hothouse Flowers
Morris Day & The Time
Mariah Carey (x2)
World Party
Paul Simon
Faith No More
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
The Neville Brothers
Vanilla Ice
Sting
INXS
Deee-Lite
Whitney Houston
The Black Crowes (x2)
Fishbone
R.E.M.
Michael Bolton
Chris Isaak
Public Enemy
Color Me Badd
Skid Row
Tin Machine
MC Hammer
James Taylor
Nirvana
Robbie Robertson/Bruce Hornsby & the Range
C&C Music Factory
Teenage Fanclub
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Garth Brooks
En Vogue
Pearl Jam
Annie Lennox
Bruce Springsteen
Vanessa Williams
Bobby Brown
The Spin Doctors
Arrested Development
10,000 Maniacs
Morrissey
Sade
Bon Jovi
Madonna

Lol, what schools did you go to? We did go to see Phantom of the Opera. xp

"Language of Violence" was the Hiphoprisy single that really stuck with me.

Yeah, I was a fan of the whole album, but didn't even know that Language of Violence was a single!

And Winds of Change is definitely one of those songs that I heard a million times back then and I think about all the time, but never hear on the radio or anything.

I feel like there had to have been 'can you even believe this mindblowing era we're living through?' songs from more than just Jesus Jones and the Scorpions released back then but I'm drawing a blank rn.

Rush had one, but it sucks

We Didn't Start the Fire is kinda of that ilk.

Yeah, it's kinda in the ballpark, but then it's also kinda just a recitation of a history text without any coherent aim.

There was also this type of thing, kind of metaphorically optimistic somewhat 1960s conscious vibe that somehow also felt new

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zg-MhEXb4c

that SNL is amazing

xxp: yeha, it was more accidentally relevant

yeah

1991-1992 was notable for a brief spasm of post-Native Tongues alternative hip-hop that got played on the local alternative rock station. It was in and out in a little over a year, culminating in Digable Planets and Arrested Development with Cantaloup by Us3 following in 1993, after which I think the station ceased playing rap, other than maybe Beck

This stuff dovetailed and blended with the acid jazz scene, but then I've seldom heard the term acid jazz spoken since around '96 (maybe it's different in UK)

Yeah, it's kinda in the ballpark, but then it's also kinda just a recitation of a history text without any coherent aim.

― Welcome to the Sandwich Trough (Old Lunch), Thursday, December 12, 2019 11:15 AM (seventeen minutes ago)

What's incoherent about trying to dodge an arson charge?

It's called 'protesting just a little too much', Billy. I mean you reek of gasoline.

(Now I'm imagining his attorney plaintively intoning the verses from the song in his closing statement to the jury, and it's a funny thing to imagine.)