The Best Albums of the 90's

rummy

I maybe should have included RHCP's BSSM in my list.

rummy

intodeep said:

Neutral Milk Hotel- In an Aeroplane over the Sea

I only recently discovered this album. It's great!

brookelily

Achtung Baby
Ten
Nevermind
The Chronic
Superunknown
Wildflowers
Purple
Californication
Automatic For The People
Vs

ed243421

10. REM - automatic for the people
9. Beastie boys - check your head
8. Tie - Sublime - sublime & 40oz to freedom
7. Public enemy - fear of a black planet
6. Stevie Ray Vaughn - live in the beginning 
5. Jane’s addiction - ritual de lo habitual
4. A tribe called quest - low end theory 
3. Tie - Alice in chains - alice in chains
             Nirvana - in utero
              Soundgarden - down on the upside
              Local H - as good as dead
2. Tie - Nirvana - nevermind
             Soundgarden - badmotorfinger
             STP - tiny music
1. Tie - PJ - no code
                  - yield
                  - vitalogy
                   - vs
                    - ten
             Tool - aenima
             Soundgarden - superunknown
             Alice In Chains - jar of flies
             STP - purple
             Nirvana - incesticide

Evenflow8112

One reason I hate "influence" in musical discussions (by the way my computer isn't letting me quote, which is why I'm using arrows and responding indirectly) is that it is used in a biased fashion usually - ex: Nirvana is cited as heralding the return of real rock to the radio, but Pearl Jam is often given a lot of undue credit for the existence of bands like Creed, Nickelback etc. So basically critics use influence to their own ends - on one end to celebrate the bands they prefer and on the other to punish bands for the actions of other bands way outside of their control, almost assigning blame to certain artists for unfortunate musical trends. That's another reason I generally dislike the term.

lolobugg

rummy said:

intodeep said:

Neutral Milk Hotel- In an Aeroplane over the Sea

I only recently discovered this album. It's great!

I forgot about this record. I played this thing to death from 1998-2000.

Evenflow8112

Albums that could have made my list but missed by a hair:

Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane over the Sea
ATCQ - Low End Theory
Weezer - Pinkerton
Green Day - Dookie

REM - Automatic For The People

Outkast - Aquemini

Dr Dre - The Chronic

Soundgarden - Superunknown

PJ_Soul

rummy said:

intodeep said:

Neutral Milk Hotel- In an Aeroplane over the Sea

I only recently discovered this album. It's great!

It's SO good!! I definitely have this in my best albums of the 90s list as well.

HesCalledDyer

Just to throw some contenders out there:

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

Jeff Buckley - Grace

Weezer - (Blue album)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Californication

Dr. Dre - The Chronic

Nine Inch Nails - The Downard Spiral and The Fragile

Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville

R.E.M. - Automatic for the People and Monster

Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend

Green Day  - Dookie

Billy Bragg & Wilco - Mermaid Avenue

Oasis - Definitely, Maybe

The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole

Janet Jackson - Janet

lolobugg

HesCalledDyer said:

Just to throw some contenders out there:

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

Jeff Buckley - Grace

Weezer - (Blue album)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Californication

Dr. Dre - The Chronic

Nine Inch Nails - The Downard Spiral and The Fragile

Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville

R.E.M. - Automatic for the People and Monster

Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend

Green Day  - Dookie

Billy Bragg & Wilco - Mermaid Avenue

Oasis - Definitely, Maybe

The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole

Janet Jackson - Janet

oh shit. I forgot about Liz Phair too- Exile and Whipsmart are up there for me too. as well as Wilco- Summerteeth.

damn, this is impossible to narrow down to 10.

lotsalemon

I forgot one - 

Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine

Whenever I think 90's music, for some reason in my mind I'm thinking early 90s. I forget there's a ton of awesome stuff that happened later on!

thispureamericanriot

Evenflow8112

Sadly, "Pretty Hate Machine" was from 89'. "The Downward Spiral" is in my top 30 of the 90's, though.

Gingerlou77

So many great albums here. 

thispureamericanriot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQnQ0uqrm5I

lotsalemon

Evenflow8112 said:

Sadly, "Pretty Hate Machine" was from 89'. "The Downward Spiral" is in my top 30 of the 90's, though.

That's right. Man that was a long time ago....
OK - so I'll replace it with The Downward Spiral. 

RS151862

Maybe not the best, but my favorite...

1. Kyuss - Blues For The Red Sun
2. Afghan Whigs - Black Love
3. Deftones - Around The Fur
4. Mark Lanegan - Whiskey For The Holy Ghost
5. Neil Young - Broken Arrow
6. QOTSA - QOTSA
7. Mad Season - Above
8. Tool - Aenima
9. Alice In Chains - Dirt
10. Pearl Jam - Ten, Vs, Vitalogy, No code, Yield

tbergs

Not my top ten because that would be impossible, but albums I loved from the 90's I haven't seen on here yet.

Deftones - Around the Fur (Killer album)
Bush - Sixteen Stone (Complete schlock, but I played that album a lot in 94/95)
Metallica - Load (Yep, loved that album too. Outlaw Torn is their most under rated song ever)
White Zombie - Both La Sexorcisto and Astro Creep
Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe
Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rearview
Silverchair - Frogstomp
Third Eye Blind - Self Titled

curmudgeoness

Achtung Baby

------

everything else -- even though I'm not a U2 superfan, I do think Achtung Baby is the best album of the 90's, hands down.

.

.

.

I'm one of the minority on here, in that I don't think Ten is PJ's best album. I think Vs., No Code, Yield all are much better. So I would add one or two of those to my top-ten list.

I'd also include:

Beastie Boys, Ill Communication

Green Day, Dookie

Paul Weller, Stanley Road

The Church, Priest = Aura

I don't know OK Computer well enough to add it here, although I like the songs that I know from that album and respect the band's reputation.

Hole -- Live Through This

Nevermind

Rage Against the Machine

In choosing my list, I thought about what I still listen to regularly, how the music has held up over time, where the album fits into the band's/ artist's oeuvre, and influence.

Oh, and I love half of Jeff Buckley's Grace, and the other half I just never listen to, so....

thispureamericanriot

pljam

CANDLEBOX self titled,is one of the most underrated albums,I honestly believe it got lost because of the late  80's metal / hard rock to 90's grunge transition 
i think if it was released a couple of years earlier would /could have pushed the classic  hard rock albums of that time (APPITITE FOR DESTRUCTION, METALICCA BLACK ALBUM ETC as classic albums
It is a classic of the 90's , never reached the accolades it truly deserves , an amazing record

Stickman24

Evenflow8112 said:

Oh come on, it's harmless fun ranking. And plus, it is Pearl Jam related - who here isn't listing Ten?

I agree! 
 
Or Yield 

Ten has to be up there. Yield and NO CODE. Yup NO CODE  were my favs from the 90s.  VS gets honorable mention. 

dankind

Impossible, so I added a zero (though I did keep it to one album per artist)!

1. Faith No More -- Angel Dust
2. Jane's Addiction -- Ritual de lo Habitual
3. David Bowie -- Outside
4. Public Enemy -- Fear of a Black Planet
5. Sonic Youth -- Dirty
6. Neil Young -- Harvest Moon
7. Portishead --Dummy
8. Emmylou Harris -- Wrecking Ball
9. Tom Waits -- Mule Variations
10. Nine Inch Nails -- The Downward Spiral
11. Tori Amos -- Little Earthquakes
12. Pearl Jam -- Yield
13. The Cure -- Wish
14. Mazzy Star -- So Tonight That I Might See
15. Dwight Yoakam -- This Time
16. Red Hot Chili Peppers -- Blood Sugar Sex Magik
17. Bob Dylan -- Time Out of Mind
18. Liz Phair -- Exile in Guyville
19. Wu-Tang Clan -- Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
20. Prince -- 
21. Jewel -- Pieces of You
22. Fishbone -- The Reality of My Surroundings
23. The Breeders -- Last Splash
24. Tom Petty -- Wildflowers
25. Iron Maiden -- Fear of the Dark
26. A Tribe Called Quest -- The Low End Theory
27. XTC -- Nonsuch
28. Kristin Hersh -- Hips and Makers
29. Primus -- Frizzle Fry
30. Spearhead -- Home
31. The White Stripes -- The White Stripes
32. L7 -- Bricks Are Heavy
33. Alice in Chains -- Dirt
34. Mr. Bungle -- Mr. Bungle
35. Ice Cube -- The Predator
36. R.L. Burnside -- A Ass Pocket of Whiskey
37. Fugees -- The Score
38. Hole -- Live Through This
39. Nirvana -- Nevermind
40. The Juliana Hatfield Three -- Become What You Are
41. Frank Sinatra -- Duets
42. Garbage -- Garbage
43. Temple of the Dog -- Temple of the Dog
44. Rage Against the Machine -- Rage Against the Machine
45. Sade -- Love Deluxe
46. Ministry -- Psalm 69
47. Cypress Hill -- Cypress Hill
48. They Might Be Giants -- Flood
49. Beck -- Mutations
50. Lauryn Hill -- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
51. Slayer -- Seasons in the Abyss
52. Dr. Dre -- The Chronic
53. U2 -- Achtung Baby
54. Sarah McLachlan -- Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
55. Body Count -- Body Count
56. John Frusciante -- Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt
57. Megadeth -- Rust in Peace
58. Snoop Doggy Dogg -- Doggystyle
59. Morphine -- Cure for Pain
60. Butthole Surfers -- Independent Worm Saloon
61. Indigo Girls -- Rites of Passage
62. Soundgarden -- Badmotorfinger
63. Weezer -- Pinkerton
64. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones -- Question the Answers
65. Violent Femmes -- Why Do Birds Sing?
66. The Beastie Boys -- Check Your Head
67. Crash Test Dummies -- God Shuffled His Feet
68. Lard -- The Last Temptation of Reid
69. The Black Crowes -- Shake Your Money Maker
70. Peter Gabriel -- Us
71. Iggy Pop -- Brick by Brick
72. Tracy Chapman -- New Beginning
73. Wilco -- Being There
74. Fugazi -- Repeater
75. Pantera -- Vulgar Display of Power
76. Dinosaur Jr -- Green Mind
77. Fiona Apple -- When the Pawn ...
78. Queensrÿche -- Empire
    
79. Roger Waters -- Amused to Death
80. The Squirrel Nut Zippers -- Hot
81. Mudhoney -- Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
82. Rancid -- ... And Out Come the Wolves
83. R.E.M. -- Automatic for the People
84. Missy Elliott -- Supa Dupa Fly
85. Mad Season -- Above
86. Suzanne Vega -- 99.9F°
87. House of Pain -- House of Pain
88. The Flaming Lips -- The Soft Bulletin
89. Arrested Development -- 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of ...
90. Leonard Cohen -- The Future
91. Smashing Pumpkins -- Gish
92. Johnny Cash -- American Recordings
93. Tool -- Ænima
94. The Roots -- Things Fall Apart
95. Screaming Trees -- Sweet Oblivion
96. Blind Melon -- Blind Melon
97. Boyz II Men -- Cooleyhighharmony
98. Radiohead -- The Bends
99. 10,000 Maniacs -- Our Time in Eden
100. Nas -- Illmatic

thispureamericanriot

Mikemzl91

dankind said:

Impossible, so I added a zero (though I did keep it to one album per artist)!

1. Faith No More -- Angel Dust
2. Jane's Addiction -- Ritual de lo Habitual
3. David Bowie -- Outside
4. Public Enemy -- Fear of a Black Planet
5. Sonic Youth -- Dirty
6. Neil Young -- Harvest Moon
7. Portishead --Dummy
8. Emmylou Harris -- Wrecking Ball
9. Tom Waits -- Mule Variations
10. Nine Inch Nails -- The Downward Spiral
11. Tori Amos -- Little Earthquakes
12. Pearl Jam -- Yield
13. The Cure -- Wish
14. Mazzy Star -- So Tonight That I Might See
15. Dwight Yoakam -- This Time
16. Red Hot Chili Peppers -- Blood Sugar Sex Magik
17. Bob Dylan -- Time Out of Mind
18. Liz Phair -- Exile in Guyville
19. Wu-Tang Clan -- Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
20. Prince -- 
21. Jewel -- Pieces of You
22. Fishbone -- The Reality of My Surroundings
23. The Breeders -- Last Splash
24. Tom Petty -- Wildflowers
25. Iron Maiden -- Fear of the Dark
26. A Tribe Called Quest -- The Low End Theory
27. XTC -- Nonsuch
28. Kristin Hersh -- Hips and Makers
29. Primus -- Frizzle Fry
30. Spearhead -- Home
31. The White Stripes -- The White Stripes
32. L7 -- Bricks Are Heavy
33. Alice in Chains -- Dirt
34. Mr. Bungle -- Mr. Bungle
35. Ice Cube -- The Predator
36. R.L. Burnside -- A Ass Pocket of Whiskey
37. Fugees -- The Score
38. Hole -- Live Through This
39. Nirvana -- Nevermind
40. The Juliana Hatfield Three -- Become What You Are
41. Frank Sinatra -- Duets
42. Garbage -- Garbage
43. Temple of the Dog -- Temple of the Dog
44. Rage Against the Machine -- Rage Against the Machine
45. Sade -- Love Deluxe
46. Ministry -- Psalm 69
47. Cypress Hill -- Cypress Hill
48. They Might Be Giants -- Flood
49. Beck -- Mutations
50. Lauryn Hill -- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
51. Slayer -- Seasons in the Abyss
52. Dr. Dre -- The Chronic
53. U2 -- Achtung Baby
54. Sarah McLachlan -- Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
55. Body Count -- Body Count
56. John Frusciante -- Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt
57. Megadeth -- Rust in Peace
58. Snoop Doggy Dogg -- Doggystyle
59. Morphine -- Cure for Pain
60. Butthole Surfers -- Independent Worm Saloon
61. Indigo Girls -- Rites of Passage
62. Soundgarden -- Badmotorfinger
63. Weezer -- Pinkerton
64. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones -- Question the Answers
65. Violent Femmes -- Why Do Birds Sing?
66. The Beastie Boys -- Check Your Head
67. Crash Test Dummies -- God Shuffled His Feet
68. Lard -- The Last Temptation of Reid
69. The Black Crowes -- Shake Your Money Maker
70. Peter Gabriel -- Us
71. Iggy Pop -- Brick by Brick
72. Tracy Chapman -- New Beginning
73. Wilco -- Being There
74. Fugazi -- Repeater
75. Pantera -- Vulgar Display of Power
76. Dinosaur Jr -- Green Mind
77. Fiona Apple -- When the Pawn ...
78. Queensrÿche -- Empire
    
79. Roger Waters -- Amused to Death
80. The Squirrel Nut Zippers -- Hot
81. Mudhoney -- Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
82. Rancid -- ... And Out Come the Wolves
83. R.E.M. -- Automatic for the People
84. Missy Elliott -- Supa Dupa Fly
85. Mad Season -- Above
86. Suzanne Vega -- 99.9F°
87. House of Pain -- House of Pain
88. The Flaming Lips -- The Soft Bulletin
89. Arrested Development -- 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of ...
90. Leonard Cohen -- The Future
91. Smashing Pumpkins -- Gish
92. Johnny Cash -- American Recordings
93. Tool -- Ænima
94. The Roots -- Things Fall Apart
95. Screaming Trees -- Sweet Oblivion
96. Blind Melon -- Blind Melon
97. Boyz II Men -- Cooleyhighharmony
98. Radiohead -- The Bends
99. 10,000 Maniacs -- Our Time in Eden
100. Nas -- Illmatic

#56 is all time but I don't know if the kids are ready for that one. 

dankind

Mikemzl91 said:

dankind said:

Impossible, so I added a zero (though I did keep it to one album per artist)!

1. Faith No More -- Angel Dust
2. Jane's Addiction -- Ritual de lo Habitual
3. David Bowie -- Outside
4. Public Enemy -- Fear of a Black Planet
5. Sonic Youth -- Dirty
6. Neil Young -- Harvest Moon
7. Portishead --Dummy
8. Emmylou Harris -- Wrecking Ball
9. Tom Waits -- Mule Variations
10. Nine Inch Nails -- The Downward Spiral
11. Tori Amos -- Little Earthquakes
12. Pearl Jam -- Yield
13. The Cure -- Wish
14. Mazzy Star -- So Tonight That I Might See
15. Dwight Yoakam -- This Time
16. Red Hot Chili Peppers -- Blood Sugar Sex Magik
17. Bob Dylan -- Time Out of Mind
18. Liz Phair -- Exile in Guyville
19. Wu-Tang Clan -- Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
20. Prince -- 
21. Jewel -- Pieces of You
22. Fishbone -- The Reality of My Surroundings
23. The Breeders -- Last Splash
24. Tom Petty -- Wildflowers
25. Iron Maiden -- Fear of the Dark
26. A Tribe Called Quest -- The Low End Theory
27. XTC -- Nonsuch
28. Kristin Hersh -- Hips and Makers
29. Primus -- Frizzle Fry
30. Spearhead -- Home
31. The White Stripes -- The White Stripes
32. L7 -- Bricks Are Heavy
33. Alice in Chains -- Dirt
34. Mr. Bungle -- Mr. Bungle
35. Ice Cube -- The Predator
36. R.L. Burnside -- A Ass Pocket of Whiskey
37. Fugees -- The Score
38. Hole -- Live Through This
39. Nirvana -- Nevermind
40. The Juliana Hatfield Three -- Become What You Are
41. Frank Sinatra -- Duets
42. Garbage -- Garbage
43. Temple of the Dog -- Temple of the Dog
44. Rage Against the Machine -- Rage Against the Machine
45. Sade -- Love Deluxe
46. Ministry -- Psalm 69
47. Cypress Hill -- Cypress Hill
48. They Might Be Giants -- Flood
49. Beck -- Mutations
50. Lauryn Hill -- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
51. Slayer -- Seasons in the Abyss
52. Dr. Dre -- The Chronic
53. U2 -- Achtung Baby
54. Sarah McLachlan -- Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
55. Body Count -- Body Count
56. John Frusciante -- Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt
57. Megadeth -- Rust in Peace
58. Snoop Doggy Dogg -- Doggystyle
59. Morphine -- Cure for Pain
60. Butthole Surfers -- Independent Worm Saloon
61. Indigo Girls -- Rites of Passage
62. Soundgarden -- Badmotorfinger
63. Weezer -- Pinkerton
64. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones -- Question the Answers
65. Violent Femmes -- Why Do Birds Sing?
66. The Beastie Boys -- Check Your Head
67. Crash Test Dummies -- God Shuffled His Feet
68. Lard -- The Last Temptation of Reid
69. The Black Crowes -- Shake Your Money Maker
70. Peter Gabriel -- Us
71. Iggy Pop -- Brick by Brick
72. Tracy Chapman -- New Beginning
73. Wilco -- Being There
74. Fugazi -- Repeater
75. Pantera -- Vulgar Display of Power
76. Dinosaur Jr -- Green Mind
77. Fiona Apple -- When the Pawn ...
78. Queensrÿche -- Empire
    
79. Roger Waters -- Amused to Death
80. The Squirrel Nut Zippers -- Hot
81. Mudhoney -- Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
82. Rancid -- ... And Out Come the Wolves
83. R.E.M. -- Automatic for the People
84. Missy Elliott -- Supa Dupa Fly
85. Mad Season -- Above
86. Suzanne Vega -- 99.9F°
87. House of Pain -- House of Pain
88. The Flaming Lips -- The Soft Bulletin
89. Arrested Development -- 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of ...
90. Leonard Cohen -- The Future
91. Smashing Pumpkins -- Gish
92. Johnny Cash -- American Recordings
93. Tool -- Ænima
94. The Roots -- Things Fall Apart
95. Screaming Trees -- Sweet Oblivion
96. Blind Melon -- Blind Melon
97. Boyz II Men -- Cooleyhighharmony
98. Radiohead -- The Bends
99. 10,000 Maniacs -- Our Time in Eden
100. Nas -- Illmatic

#56 is all time but I don't know if the kids are ready for that one. 

“The smile on my face isn’t always real.”

thispureamericanriot

dankind said:

Mikemzl91 said:

dankind said:

Impossible, so I added a zero (though I did keep it to one album per artist)!
56. John Frusciante -- Niandra Lade and Usually J a T-Shirt

#56 is all time but I don't know if the kids are ready for that one. 

“The smile on my face isn’t always real.”

#56 is a classic. "Your Pussy's Glued to a Building on Fire" is one of my favorite tunes! Frusciante's pre-2004 music reminds me a lot of Jandek and Skip Spence's Oar. And you're right - the kids definitely are not ready for that one!

Tim Simmons

no order top 10:

Parklife
Enter the 36 Chambers
Ok Computer
Endtroducing
In Utero
Slanted and Enchanted
Siamese Dream
Post
Exile in Guyville
Loveless





I mean, theres at least another 25 albums I could put here. After the 60s and maybe the 70s (but probably not), the 90s were the best decade for music. Yes some garbage music got a lot more exposure, but that was because of the mediums of broadcast and the peak monetization of said exposure. Maybe it was the case for all the decades, but the 90s really pushed things forward. Probably in a greater capacity than the previous 20 years of music. 

Stickman24

Ahhhh Jewel and indigo girls.  Love them.   

thispureamericanriot