Top 50 90s Albums

[MR BEEBS]

Stemming from a comment in the Alanis Morissette thread 500 some days ago, @Moral challenged me and I accepted. It has been pure bliss listening to old CDs, scouring Apple Music, discussing with friends and doing my research. Narrowing to a top 100 was difficult… top 50 even more so. I know if I tried to do this again, my list would look different next time. I enjoy almost every genre except country. (Just not my jam, and the country I really like pre dates the 90s). I attempted to actually order the albums 1-50, but gave up because… I just can’t. So many memories unfolded in this process.

Ground Rules:
No repeat artist (variety is the spice of life).
No greatest hits.
Albums graded cover to cover, none of that “Yay I Made one good song” sh*t.
How did the album make me feel after?

In no particular order….

Depeche Mode - Violator

Built to Spill - Keep it Like a Secret

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders

Beck - Odelay

Madonna - Ray of Light

Elliott Smith - Either/Or

OutKast - Aquemini

HUM - You’d Prefer an Astronaut

Tom Petty - Wildflowers

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet

Morphine - Cure for the Pain

Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape

R.E.M. - Automatic for the People

Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang

Wilco - Being There

4 Non Blondes - Bigger, Better, Faster, More

RHCP - Californication

Garbage - Garbage

Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die

The Olivia Tremor Control - Dusk at a Cubist Castle

Toadies - Rubberneck

Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club

Deftones - Around the Fur

Snoop - Doggystyle

RATM - Evil Empire

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane over the Sea

Weezer - Pinkerton

Moby - Play

STP - Tiny Music

The Lemonheads - Come on Feel the Lemonheads

Dr Dre - The Chronic

Ween - The Mollusk

The Beta Band - The Three EPs

Pearl Jam - Vitalogy

Oasis - Definitely Maybe

Radiohead - Ok Computer

Fiona Apple - Tidal

2Pac - All Eyez on Me

Sublime - Sublime

Green Day - Dookie

Fugees - The Score

Nirvana - Nevermind

Beastie Boys - Ill Communication

Portishead - Dummy

Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville

Soundgarden - Superunknown

Daft Punk - Homework

Mad Season - Mad Season


That’s my list. If you want to comment, cool. If you want to post some of your own favorite sweet 90s music, doubly cool.

Hoping this thread is way better than Biden/Trump stuff. ✌️

 

[DooBi]

No Pantera? List is invalid.

 

[Moral]

Looks like I have some work to do.

 

[SeaPA]

Did I overlook it, or did you not include The Black Crowes? Shake Your Money Maker was released in February 1990 and set the standard for the rest of the decade.

 

[mthawkeyes]

Did I overlook it, or did you not include The Black Crowes? Shake Your Money Maker was released in February 1990 and set the standard for the rest of the decade.

Good catch. Southern Harmony and Musical Companion was my chill bus ride to a basketball game album.

Also, STP Purple > Tiny Music.

 

[SolarHawk]

Stemming from a comment in the Alanis Morissette thread 500 some days ago, @Moral challenged me and I accepted. It has been pure bliss listening to old CDs, scouring Apple Music, discussing with friends and doing my research. Narrowing to a top 100 was difficult… top 50 even more so. I know if I tried to do this again, my list would look different next time. I enjoy almost every genre except country. (Just not my jam, and the country I really like pre dates the 90s). I attempted to actually order the albums 1-50, but gave up because… I just can’t. So many memories unfolded in this process.

Ground Rules:
No repeat artist (variety is the spice of life).
No greatest hits.
Albums graded cover to cover, none of that “Yay I Made one good song” sh*t.
How did the album make me feel after?

In no particular order….

Depeche Mode - Violator

Built to Spill - Keep it Like a Secret

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders

Beck - Odelay

Madonna - Ray of Light

Elliott Smith - Either/Or

OutKast - Aquemini

HUM - You’d Prefer an Astronaut

Tom Petty - Wildflowers

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet

Morphine - Cure for the Pain

Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape

R.E.M. - Automatic for the People

Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang

Wilco - Being There

4 Non Blondes - Bigger, Better, Faster, More

RHCP - Californication

Garbage - Garbage

Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die

The Olivia Tremor Control - Dusk at a Cubist Castle

Toadies - Rubberneck

Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club

Deftones - Around the Fur

Snoop - Doggystyle

RATM - Evil Empire

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane over the Sea

Weezer - Pinkerton

Moby - Play

STP - Tiny Music

The Lemonheads - Come on Feel the Lemonheads

Dr Dre - The Chronic

Ween - The Mollusk

The Beta Band - The Three EPs

Pearl Jam - Vitalogy

Oasis - Definitely Maybe

Radiohead - Ok Computer

Fiona Apple - Tidal

2Pac - All Eyez on Me

Sublime - Sublime

Green Day - Dookie

Fugees - The Score

Nirvana - Nevermind

Beastie Boys - Ill Communication

Portishead - Dummy

Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville

Soundgarden - Superunknown

Daft Punk - Homework

Mad Season - Mad Season


That’s my list. If you want to comment, cool. If you want to post some of your own favorite sweet 90s music, doubly cool.

Hoping this thread is way better than Biden/Trump stuff. ✌️

GTFO NOOB

 

[SeaPA]

Good catch. Southern Harmony and Musical Companion was my chill bus ride to a basketball game album.

Also, STP Purple > Tiny Music.

Yeah, Southern Harmony is fantastic, too. They really came out of the gates strong

 

[MR BEEBS]

Good catch. Southern Harmony and Musical Companion was my chill bus ride to a basketball game album.

Also, STP Purple > Tiny Music.

I would have four STP albums if I didn’t play by my own ground rules.

 

[MR BEEBS]

I didn’t include any live albums, but I almost picked this over Nevermind and In Utero. They all give me the warm fuzzies.

 

[SA_Hawk]

Guns n Roses - Use Your Illusion 1 & 2
311 - Blue Album
Van Halen - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
Black Crowes - Amorica

 

[GlenHawk]

How do you forget AIC?

 

[MR BEEBS]

How do you forget AIC?

Didn’t forget, had to trim.

 

[speak34]

Alice in Chains: Dirt or Jar of Flies
Sevendust: Sevendust
Dave Matthews: Under Table and Dreaming or Crash
Gin Blossoms: New Miserable Experience
Soundgarden: Superunknown
Weezer: Weezer (Blue Album)
Nine Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral
The Smashing Pumpkins: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
STP: Core or Purple
Counting Crows: August and Everything After
Metallica: Metallica (Black Album)
Pearl Jam: Ten

Just a few of my personal favs....some of them should be in the top 50

 

[sultanofsuede]

Not a dis but noticed it seems like your list skews more toward early 90s overall. Lots of cool albums there

I’ll add:
Wilco, AM
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Orange
Radiohead, OK Computer

 

[General Tso]

Fun list, but anyone who as Pinkerton over Blue Album is trying too hard and can GFY.

 

[praguehawk]

Would definitely place Sugar Copper Blue in the list and probably a Blues Traveler. Overall though, decent job.

 

[Stoopsbrother]

this is the only one that needs to be on the list!

 

[fsu1jreed]

How do you forget AIC?

Add Jar of Flies also...and Sponge: Wax Ecstatic

 

[GlenHawk]

Add Jar of Flies also

I agree and had JOF added to my message but then saw the “no repeat artist” rule.

As much as I love JOF, it’s gotta be Dirt.

 

[jasonrann]

Solid list, OP. I would add:

Johnny Cash - American Recordings
Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Hole - Live Through This
The Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker
Cracker - Cracker
Cracker - Kerosene Hat
Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual
U2 - Achtung Baby
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Alice in Chains - Unplugged
Metallica - The Black Album
The Prodigy - The Fat of The Land

 

[hawkirugged17]

I own one of those top 50 ... Tom Petty Wildflowers. Good doc on that album ...

 

[ParkerHawk]

Tool - Aenima

 

[Scott559]

Jeff Buckley. Grace
Iris DeMent. Infamous Angel

 

[HawkMachine]

Top 50 from the 90's? No list is complete without:

Live - Throwing Copper

 

[hawkirugged17]

 

[Ferentz_Fan]

NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

Can’t take your list seriously including HUM and not AIC. You get extra credit for Mad Season, but Dirt and Jar of Flies are better.

 

[MR BEEBS]

90’s is probably my overall favorite decade for music… like I said, hard to make a top 100. I could have made a top 200 with no repeat artists and still felt like I was not giving proper dues.

 

[Ferentz_Fan]

Motley Crue - The Dr. Feelgood

 

[MR BEEBS]

Can’t take your list seriously including HUM and not AIC. You get extra credit for Mad Season, but Dirt and Jar of Flies are better.

You don’t have to take my list seriously… it’s my list. To each their own.

 

[fsu1jreed]

NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine

NWA was 87

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

You don’t have to take my list seriously… it’s my list. To each their own.

Why didn’t you keep your list to yourself if you didn’t want feedback? Did you not expect comments?

 

[MR BEEBS]

Why didn’t you keep your list to yourself if you didn’t want feedback? Did you not expect comments?

I don’t mind comments at all. Just because you don’t agree 100% with my list doesn’t mean either of us are wrong. Like I mentioned before, I could do my top 50 again and it would look different.

 

[Ferentz_Fan]

Nirvana - Nevermind

 

[CoachH]

Top 50 from the 90's? No list is complete without:

Live - Throwing Copper

Yes. IMO, the album from the 90's.

 

[Hawked]

Eminem - Slim Shady LP

Came out in 1999 and has sold over 10 million copies. I think that needs added to the list.

 

[GES4]

The four records from the 90's that I always want to see on any list are

Slint - Spiderland
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted and Crooked Rain Crooked Rain

 

[drew_hawk]

+Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Volume II

 

[Jimmy McGill]

 

[HawkMachine]

NWA - Straight Outta Compton

Was in Compton just the other day.

My son and I might have been the only white people there. LOL