We've covered nearly 40 years so far in this series and I have to say 1991 is probably the most monumental in terms of the sheer scale of world events. 1990 saw several stories left with cliff-hanger endings. Iraq has invaded Kuwait with the United Nations establishing international embargoes and resolutions that clear the way for a military intervention. Nelson Mandela has been freed in South Africa but the system of apartheid is still in place. While the Berlin Wall fell and Germany re-united, many other nations from the old Eastern Bloc continue the struggle of replacing fascist leadership with new, democratically elected governments.
While American news outlets will focus on events in Kuwait and the Soviet Union, an equally important story bubbles under the surface in Yugoslavia, as Serbia and Croatia have their own views on independence.
In the UK, the political response to all of these important international events will be provided by a new leader, John Major having replaced Margaret Thatcher as prime minister.
Strangely there was less going on musically in 1991. There is a distinct lack of good, original music. Obviously there's some (there always is) and it would be easy to just dismiss this as a gap in my own personal record collection. But even John Peel, who collected listeners votes for their favorite songs of the year, had to abandon his Festive 50 due to insufficient contributions from the public.
There's a lot going on in this episode so you'll have to pay attention. Strap in. You're in for a bumpy ride.
