100% Hits Volume 2 came out in 1991 and featured 18 charting songs from that year, some of them are memorable, some you can hear and remember that you heard it before and liked it, and some are obscure songs that disappeared into the ever-growing sea of music.

Good Vibrations – Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch

Before he was a movie star, Mark Wahlberg was first briefly a member of New Kids On The Block and then he became ‘Marky Mark’ as part of the hip hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.

Their debut single ‘Good Vibrations’ is not related to the Beach Boys hit of the same name; the song also features Loleatta Holloway who is reportedly the most sampled female singer in popular music.

Good Vibrations was a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 4 in Australia, it also charted in several countries including hitting No. 1 in Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark.

Four Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch songs would chart in both Australia and America with both albums charting in America with ‘Music for the People’ peaking at No. 21.

Sexy (Is the Word) – Melissa

Melissa Tkautz was a star on the Australian TV Show ‘E Street’ and appeared on 158 episodes in 1990-91, she also started her music career in 1991 and hit No. 1 with ‘Read My Lips’, Sexy (Is The Word) was her second single and it was almost as successful as it peaked at No. 3.

Melissa would have a total of five Top 40 singles and a combined total of nine charting singles from 1993 to 2008.

I’ve Got To Go Now – Toni Childs

‘I’ve Got To Go Now’ is about a woman leaving an abusive relationship, the song was popular in Australia as it peaked at No. 5, it peaked at No. 19 in New Zealand and No. 78 in Germany but did not do well elsewhere despite performing the song on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Wind of Change – Scorpions

‘Wind of Change’ was a massive hit for Scorpions, hitting No. 1 in eleven music markets and peaking at No. 2 in the UK, No. 4 in America and No. 7 in Australia.

The song was Klaus Meine’s personal reappraisal of what had happened in the world in the recent years before 1989, Communism was starting to crumble in Europe after being around almost 70 years.

Fourteen million copies of the song were brought worldwide which is not surprising considering its success.

Break in the Weather – Jenny Morris

‘Break in the Weather’ peaked at No. 2 in 1991, it was Jenny’s most successful result in Australia and New Zealand, Jenny charted twenty-one singles in Australia between 1981 and 1996 and had two Top 5 albums and a third peaking at No. 13.

Icy Blu – Pump It (Nice ‘n’ Hard)

Icy Blu was an artist who released just one album and two singles, the singles charted in Australia, New Zealand and America and the album peaked at No. 100 in Australia.

Pump It (Nice an’ Hard) peaked at No. 4 in New Zealand, No. 8 in Australia and No. 78 in America.

Just Like You – Robbie Nevil

Robbie Nevil hit the big time in 1986 with ‘C’est la Vie’ with the song peaking in the Top 10 of ten music markets including hitting No. 1 in Canada and the US Dance chart.

‘Just Like You’ from the album ‘Day 1’ peaked at No. 25 in America but it was far more successful in Australia as the song peaked at No. 4 and the album peaked at No. 89.

Robbie would release just three more singles since the release of ‘Just Like You’ with ‘Partners in Crime‘ peaking at No. 62 in Australia in 1992.

The Big L – Roxette

‘The Big L’ was the third single from the smash album ‘Joyride’, the song charted in sixteen music markets, but it was never released as a single in North America

‘The Big L’ peaked at No. 20 in Australia, it was their eighth consecutive single to be in the Top 20, they would score an additional Top 20 hit with ‘Spending My Time’ to make it nine, Roxette would have another four non-consecutive Top 20 songs by 1994.

Do You Want Me – Salt-n-Pepa

The UK loved this song by Salt n Pepa, it peaked at No. 5, it peaked at No. 19 in Australia and No. 21 in America though it peaked at No. 7 on the Hot Rap Songs chart.

Their next release was the very popular ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ which was No. 1 in ten music markets.

Temptation – Corina

This song hit No. 1 in the 12-inch Singles Sales chart and No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it had also peaked at No. 36 in Canada and No. 57 in Australia.

Corina would have six songs chart somewhere in the world between 1987 and 1996 with ‘Temptation’ the most successful of the songs charting in five music markets.

Hole Hearted – Extreme

This song was the single that came after the big hit ‘More than Words’ and it peaked at No. 2 in Canada, No. 4 in America, No. 8 in New Zealand and No. 12 in the UK, it didn’t do too badly in Australia with the song peaking at No. 24.

This is one of those songs whose title you may not remember but you do remember the song upon hearing it.

Too Many Walls – Cathy Dennis

This song was a Top 10 hit in America and Canada, but it did not have the same effect in Australia as it peaked at No. 57.

Cathy charted ten times in Australia and had three No. 1 songs on the Dance Club Songs chart in the US.

As a songwriter, songs that Cathy Dennis either wrote solo or contributed to charted 24 times in the UK, eight of those songs hit No. 1 including ‘Never Had a Dream Come True’, ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’, ‘Toxic’ and ‘I Kissed a Girl’.

Lovesick – Gang Starr

Gang Starr were a force on the Hot Rap Songs chart in America; they had nine songs in the Top 20 including ‘Take It Personal’ which hit No. 1.

They only charted twice in Australia, ‘Lovesick’ was one of those songs when it peaked at No. 13, their previous single ‘Take A Rest’ peaked at No. 143.

Every Heartbeat – Amy Grant

Amy Grant is undoubtedly one of the most successful Christian music singers of all time, ‘Every Heartbeat’ came from her ninth album ‘Heart in Motion’.

‘Every Heartbeat’ peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 7 in Canada and No. 17 in Australia.

Amy Grant released fifteen non-Christmas studio albums between 1977 and 2013, out of those albums only 1977’s ‘Amy Grant’ did not peak at either No. 1 or No. 2 on the Top Christian Albums chart, it had peaked at No. 13.

Three of the five Christmas albums that Amy Grant released hit No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart which shows there is no doubt the Top Christian Chart was Amy Grant’s domain.

I’m On Your Side – Divinyls

Divinyls had a great record in Australia, all but one single (the seven-inch single ‘Punxsie’) charted in Australia between 1981 and 2007.

‘I’m On Your Side’ peaked at No. 92 in Australia and was released as a promo single in America despite the song being performed on Arsenio Hall in 1991.

Fall At Your Feet – Crowded House

‘Fall At Your Feet’ peaked at No. 31 in Australia and No. 75 in America which is quite surprising although the eight Crowded House studio albums have never peaked below No. 3 showing Australians preferred their Crowded House music in bulk than a single.

Two-three years ago, this song was a song chosen by a couple of YouTubers when they recorded their reactions to the song, reviews of the song are positive, here is one example of a reaction video.

I’ll Be There – The Escape Club

The Escape Club had a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit in 1988 with ‘Wild, Wild West’ and it peaked at No. 6 in Australia.

Their fifth single ‘I’ll Be There’ was a No. 8 hit in America and peaked at No. 42 in New Zealand and No. 43 in Australia.

The band would release one more single before disbanding but would release albums in 2005 and 2010.

They are the only British band to have a No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 but not have the same song chart in the UK.

…Someone’s Singing New York New York – Ghostwriters

Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst and Hoodoo Gurus bassist Richard Grossman combined to be the Ghostwriters,

‘…Someone singing New York New York’ peaked at No. 29 in Australia, Ghostwriters were notable for Rob and Richard not crediting themselves in the credits in line with the way that old famous writers wished to be anonymous therefore being ghostwriters, this practice would change in the second album.

Session performers would have their first name and the first initial of their last name credited, Ghostwriters would go on to chart two of their four albums and all five of their singles released between 1991 and 1996.