Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 5 days ago
- (Created: 12/04/2011 20:30).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 22 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s has an average rating of 87 out of 100 (from 45 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
View the complete list of 58,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
This chart is currently filtered to only show live albums. (Remove this filter)
Produced by Nirvana & Scott Litt. "Oh, Nirvana is so overrated". "Oh, Kurt Cobain wasn't what everyone says he was". Cut the damn whining and listen to MTV Unplugged. There's no hiding behind Marshall stacks here. This is a band with cool songs playing them without the noise and with as much heart as anyone ever could. When the unplugged format was good, it was amazing, and nobody ever topped what Nirvana did with it. If they had never made another album, this alone would make them a legend.
[First added to this chart: 02/09/2012]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,962
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
1992-REPRISE
Produced By RUSS TITELMAN
1. Signe
2. Before You Accuse Me
3. Hey Hey
4. Tears In Heaven
5. Lonely Stranger
6. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
7. Layla
8. Running On Faith
9. Walkin’ Blues
10. Alberta
11. San Francisco Bay Blues
12. Malted Milk
13. Old Love
14. Rollin’ And Tumblin’
Unplugged is Eric Clapton’s sixth solo live album. Recorded in front of a small audience at a film studio in Windsor, it’s an all acoustic performance, and is notable for its versions of “Tears In Heaven”, a song from the Rush soundtrack that Clapton wrote about the tragic death of his son Conor, and for the very different version of the Derek & The Dominos classic “Layla”. The album has been hailed (wrongly, in my opinion) by many as his greatest album, likely because of the emotional period it represents for him. There are some great moments here, but most of what you get is the worst incarnation of Clapton: acoustic and JJ Cale-ish laid back to the point of snooziness. The album has been highly praised and has sold over 10 million copies in the US alone. The playing is exceptional, with Clapton being joined on guitar by Andy Fairweather-Low and on keyboards by Chuck Leavell. But Unplugged breaks no new ground, and is, as are most of Clapton’s laid back albums, best described as safe.
The big hits are not the best tracks. “Tears In Heaven”, while highly emotional, lacks any kind of punch and was beaten to death for years by amateur guitar players in coffeehouses everywhere. The rework of “Layla” is puzzling…Clapton turns it into a kind of lazy shuffling mess. Most of the rest consists of a different setting for his number one love…the blues. “Alberta” is nice, while “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out”, another Dominos song, is the real highlight of the show. The days of the flashy and explosive Clapton died with the death of Blind Faith, but his playing here is, as always, excellent. Overall, Unplugged is…again…safe, but it still sounds really great in spots, making it worth having. But if you’re going to go for this, get the DVD for the full effect, as well as six additional tracks you won’t hear on the album version. [First added to this chart: 11/06/2012]
Produced By RUSS TITELMAN
1. Signe
2. Before You Accuse Me
3. Hey Hey
4. Tears In Heaven
5. Lonely Stranger
6. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
7. Layla
8. Running On Faith
9. Walkin’ Blues
10. Alberta
11. San Francisco Bay Blues
12. Malted Milk
13. Old Love
14. Rollin’ And Tumblin’
Unplugged is Eric Clapton’s sixth solo live album. Recorded in front of a small audience at a film studio in Windsor, it’s an all acoustic performance, and is notable for its versions of “Tears In Heaven”, a song from the Rush soundtrack that Clapton wrote about the tragic death of his son Conor, and for the very different version of the Derek & The Dominos classic “Layla”. The album has been hailed (wrongly, in my opinion) by many as his greatest album, likely because of the emotional period it represents for him. There are some great moments here, but most of what you get is the worst incarnation of Clapton: acoustic and JJ Cale-ish laid back to the point of snooziness. The album has been highly praised and has sold over 10 million copies in the US alone. The playing is exceptional, with Clapton being joined on guitar by Andy Fairweather-Low and on keyboards by Chuck Leavell. But Unplugged breaks no new ground, and is, as are most of Clapton’s laid back albums, best described as safe.
The big hits are not the best tracks. “Tears In Heaven”, while highly emotional, lacks any kind of punch and was beaten to death for years by amateur guitar players in coffeehouses everywhere. The rework of “Layla” is puzzling…Clapton turns it into a kind of lazy shuffling mess. Most of the rest consists of a different setting for his number one love…the blues. “Alberta” is nice, while “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out”, another Dominos song, is the real highlight of the show. The days of the flashy and explosive Clapton died with the death of Blind Faith, but his playing here is, as always, excellent. Overall, Unplugged is…again…safe, but it still sounds really great in spots, making it worth having. But if you’re going to go for this, get the DVD for the full effect, as well as six additional tracks you won’t hear on the album version. [First added to this chart: 11/06/2012]
Year of Release:
1992
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,077
Rank in 1992:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
1992-T
Produced By BRUCE FAIRBAIRN
1. Thunderstruck
2. Shoot To Thrill
3. Back In Black
4. Who Made Who
5. Heatseeker
6. The Jack
7. Moneytalks
8. Hells Bells
9. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
10. Whole Lotta Rosie
11. You Shook Me All Night Long
12. Highway To Hell
13. T.N.T.
14. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
The second live album from AC/DC, and the first of the Brian Johnson era, is nowhere near as inspired as the first one, If You Want Blood You’ve Got It. Pulling songs from more recent times as well as from the Bon Scott era, the band sounds rushed and somewhat tired…going through the motions, if you will. It’s not that they sound bad (they don’t)…they just sound like they want to hurry up and get this show over with already.
If You Want Blood is a much better set, as is the later Live From Atlantic Studios and Let There Be Rock: The Movie, both from 1997. If you have to have live from this period, this one is still out there…but there are better options for live from this band. There is a video of this show (Live At Donington), as well as a 2 CD collectors edition. Skip the latter: one disc is tough enough. [First added to this chart: 12/07/2011]
Produced By BRUCE FAIRBAIRN
1. Thunderstruck
2. Shoot To Thrill
3. Back In Black
4. Who Made Who
5. Heatseeker
6. The Jack
7. Moneytalks
8. Hells Bells
9. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
10. Whole Lotta Rosie
11. You Shook Me All Night Long
12. Highway To Hell
13. T.N.T.
14. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
The second live album from AC/DC, and the first of the Brian Johnson era, is nowhere near as inspired as the first one, If You Want Blood You’ve Got It. Pulling songs from more recent times as well as from the Bon Scott era, the band sounds rushed and somewhat tired…going through the motions, if you will. It’s not that they sound bad (they don’t)…they just sound like they want to hurry up and get this show over with already.
If You Want Blood is a much better set, as is the later Live From Atlantic Studios and Let There Be Rock: The Movie, both from 1997. If you have to have live from this period, this one is still out there…but there are better options for live from this band. There is a video of this show (Live At Donington), as well as a 2 CD collectors edition. Skip the latter: one disc is tough enough. [First added to this chart: 12/07/2011]
Produced by Jimmy Page & Robert Plant. The two guys at the front of Led Zeppelin make a comeback, but not without controversy. Despite the snubbing of John-Paul Jones, this live collection of mostly Zeppelin songs works very well, giving new interpretations to classics like "Kashmir", "Thank You", and "The Battle Of Evermore". Being UnLEDded meant unplugged, so you get a lot of acoustic here, and the music (and Page and Plant) sounds refreshed. This is, after so many years, surprisingly good.
[First added to this chart: 12/04/2011]
Total albums: 4. Page 1 of 1
Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1991 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1992 | 14 | 14% | |
| 1993 | 16 | 16% | |
| 1994 | 13 | 13% | |
| 1995 | 13 | 13% | |
| 1996 | 6 | 6% | |
| 1997 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1998 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1999 | 2 | 2% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Uncle Tupelo | 4 | 4% | |
| Nirvana | 3 | 3% | |
| Pearl Jam | 3 | 3% | |
| A Tribe Called Quest | 2 | 2% | |
| Wilco | 2 | 2% | |
| The Jayhawks | 2 | 2% | |
| The Lemonheads | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 5 from 27th to 22ndGentlemen by The Afghan Whigs |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 22nd to 23rdThe Bends by Radiohead |
| Down 1 from 23rd to 24thMarch 16-20, 1992 by Uncle Tupelo |
| Down 1 from 24th to 25thSiamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s |  Brandon8 | 1990s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Top 83 Music Albums of the 1990s | maverick470 | 1990s decade chart | 2015 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s | Finky | 1990s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Los 100 mejores discos de los años 90 | Diariocrítico | 1990s decade chart | 2016 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s | edubs | 1990s decade chart | 2016 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Romanelli | Overall chart | 2026 | |
| My Overall Chart: 201-300 | Romanelli | Custom chart | 2026 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s |  StefanR10 | 1990s decade chart | 2020 |  |
| Rolling Stone 100 Best Albums Of The 1990s | WayneMC | Custom chart | 2019 |  |
| 100 Best Albums of the Nineties | Rolling Stone | 1990s decade chart | 2010 | |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s similarity to your chart(s)
Not a member? Registering is quick, easy and FREE!
Why register?
- Join a passionate community of over 50,000 music fans.
- Create & share your own charts.
- Have your say in the overall rankings.
- Post comments in the forums and vote on polls.
- Comment on or rate any album, artist, track or chart.
- Discover new music & improve your music collection.
- Customise the overall chart using a variety of different filters & metrics.
- Create a wishlist of albums.
- Gain access to a Dark Mode theme.
- Help maintain the BEA database.
- Earn member points and gain access to increasing levels of functionality!
- ... And lots more!
Register now - it only takes a moment!
Other decade charts by Romanelli
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 7 Music Albums of the 2020s | Romanelli | 2020s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | Romanelli | 2010s decade chart | 2026 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | Romanelli | 2000s decade chart | 2026 | |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 45 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/09/2023 22:04 |  pedro1976 | 106 | 85/100 | |
| 02/06/2023 02:26 | jonatascv1990 | 14 | 78/100 | |
| 02/10/2022 00:40 |  Larcx13 | 1,139 | 86/100 | |
| 06/26/2021 23:01 |  zwiebel | 189 | 86/100 | |
| 05/03/2021 09:53 |  jnfbn | 309 | 96/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 86.8/100, a mean average of 85.9/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 87.1/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 17.1.
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s favourites
Showing all 4 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 22 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
From jonatascv1990 02/06/2023 02:27 | #293622
Good chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Larcx13 02/10/2022 00:44 | #281051
Larcx13 02/10/2022 00:44 | #281051
Good descriptions and a bunch of new records for me to check out. Favorited.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From henrygreen0203 05/04/2021 18:49 | #269358
This is an excellent list. Lots of "alt-country" here, which is much more Replacements-Meets-Bruce Springsteen than traditional folk or country.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
seb7 05/03/2021 18:04 | #269325
seb7 05/03/2021 18:04 | #269325
I can't really give a good rating because I haven't listened to 96 of these albums, but I just want to say that I am convinced that Romanelli and AM are the same person
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Johnnyo 05/03/2021 09:28 | #269302
Great chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ExTeaSea 01/18/2020 16:05 | #246969
ExTeaSea 01/18/2020 16:05 | #246969
I really appreciate some of the more personal picks. This is a really good chart. 14 albums in common is pretty good. Perhaps one day I'll check out Uncle Tupelo.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ForegroundNoise 05/30/2019 07:36 | #236903
ForegroundNoise 05/30/2019 07:36 | #236903
Really love the detailed notes and careful selections!! I still feel it's a little too focused on American alt-rock for my liking however, would be nice to see some electronic releases/more hip hop besides Public Enemy at no.73!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
RoundTheBend 05/30/2019 02:57 | #236900
RoundTheBend 05/30/2019 02:57 | #236900
23 albums in common. Solid other picks!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From edubs 05/29/2019 20:20 | #236889
awesome chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
HoldenM 10/01/2017 05:52 | #198955
HoldenM 10/01/2017 05:52 | #198955
Ahhh... That's a great chart right there.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Your feedback for Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s
Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!
If you enjoy our site, please consider supporting us by sparing a few seconds to disable your ad blocker.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
