Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s
by Romanelli

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1990-AMERICAN
Produced By GEORGE DRAKOULIAS

1. Twice As Hard
2. Jealous Again
3. Sister Luck
4. Could I've Been So Blind
5. Seeing Things
6. Hard To Handle
7. Thick N' Thin
8. She Talks To Angels
9. Struttin' Blues
10. Stare It Cold

The debut album from The Black Crowes came from almost nowhere...The Georgia Satellites had already come from that place four years earlier. But The Black Crowes had more swagger, and they had better songs. And on this album, they reached a commercial peak that they would never again get close to, but they would become more adventerous and improve on the blueprint they drew up here. The big single was a smart Otis Redding cover ("Hard To Handle), and they also scored with "Jealous Again" and "She Talks To Angels".

"Stare It Cold" and "Seeing Things" are standouts, giving a glimpse at how much better they would become after this album,. and after replacing guitarist Jeff Cease with Marc Ford. This is a fine debut album that would be quickly overshadowed by their next two albums. It's the real return of Southern rock, years after the Skynyrd plane crash effectively ended it.
[First added to this chart: 12/04/2011]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,265
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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1990-MUTE
Produced By DEPECHE MODE & FLOOD

1. World In My Eyes
2. Sweetest Perfection
3. Personal Jesus
4. Halo
5. Waiting For The Night
6. Enjoy The Silence
7. Policy Of Truth
8. Blue Dress
9. Clean

During the 1980’s, I never quite got Depeche Mode. After all, it was cheesy synth dance music, and the younger me was all about guitars, dammit. Then, at the dawn of the 90’s, came Violator, and a whole new understanding of what Depeche Mode was really all about. There was nothing soft or cheesy about what was happening on this album, and it was immediately apparent that this band had grown a lot from the days of lite pop songs like “Just Can’t Get Enough” that had ruled the waves of KROQ. THIS Depeche Mode was serious, could really play, was growing fast, and more than anything else, had real and powerful songwriting at their disposal. A band that had featured very little to no guitars during the 80’s now had guitarist Martin Gore as their principal songwriter, adding a depth to their music that had been sorely missed in their early days. For me, Violator changed the way I saw Depeche Mode forever…both for future and for past releases. From afterthought to a seriously great band in one album for me. Sometimes things just work out for the best.

Not to say that Violator isn’t a dance record. And the fact is, it was the album that put them on the charts in the United States. It’s a pop record. It’s a pop gem. From the opening synth of “World In My Eyes”, you get right away that it’s also a pretty dark record. Before you know it, you’re rocking to the exceptional “Personal Jesus”, and basking in the glory of great songs like “Enjoy The Silence”, “Halo”, and “Policy Of Truth”. Together with Black Celebration and Music For The Masses, Violator marks the end of a great trilogy of albums that was the peak of Depeche Mode. And despite the critical mixed bag of reviews it got (some dismissed it as a straight pop album, which is absurd), this is the one album by this band you should definitely end up with. Violator is as close to perfection as they ever got, and it’s one that you should definitely own. Dismiss this as pop if you must…but I say it would be a much better world if all pop aspired to be like Violator.
[First added to this chart: 06/03/2013]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,331
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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1990-ISLAND
Produced By GEOFF WORKMAN

1. Around The Block Again
2. Chain Reaction
3. Fly Me Courageous
4. Look What You've Done To Your Brother
5. For You
6. Let's Go Dancing
7. The Innocent
8. Together
9. Lost In The Shuffle
10. Build A Fire
11. Rush Hour

This is what the lower echelon of bands from Georgia sounded like. Drivin-N-Cryin even had a minor pedigree (drummer Jeff Sullivan played with the Robinson brothers before they were the Black Crowes), but although they survived a long time, they never really amounted to much. In fact, guitarist and singer Kevn Kinney's solo albums are all much better than anything he recorded with this band. And while Fly Me Courageous is by no means its worst album, there really isn't much to recommend it. The title track was a semi-hit because of the timing with the Gulf War, but not much else stuck.

Although still a band, they have recorded only one full length album since 1997. Not that many have noticed. The country pop-metal-rock whatever it is that they play has not endured well. Look for Kinney's solo albums instead.
[First added to this chart: 01/15/2012]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
97
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Produced by Paul Q. Kolderie & Sean Slade. Maybe the single most important alt-country album ever made. The title later became the name of the musical movement it represented, and the music has been an endless inspiration to every alt-country band since. Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy sound like amateurs, their brand of country is puzzling, and nothing sounds like it should work...but every bit of it does. A brilliant, rough as sandpaper and perfect debut album. An absolutely must have. [First added to this chart: 02/20/2012]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
393
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Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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1990-EPIC
Produced By TIM PALMER

1. Burning Tree
2. Wigs, Blues And High Heeled Shoes
3. Fly On
4. Mistreated Lover
5. Masquerade
6. Playing In The Wind
7. Last Laugh
8. Crush
9. Same Old Story
10. Baker's Song
11. Baby Blue
12. Turtle

The more I listen to this, the more I like it. Burning Tree’s debut (and only) album was released at the height of hair glam, which may be why it didn’t sell much. This album is more late 60’s rock than it is Motley Crue and Poison. The album became lost in the shuffle and they split before making another one. Guitarist Marc Ford shows his brilliance throughout, and the songs grow on you, particularly “Masquerade”, “Fly On”, and “Same Old Story”. Unfortunately, not a hit in the bunch, but it all sounds pretty good. A good, cohesive energy is here, and who knows what they could have done with another chance. The critics loved it…the public never heard it. There are some lyrical question marks…”She’s got a crush on one of us/But she don’t know which one it is” on “Crush” is just silly, and maybe I’m not cool, but I have no idea what “She makes me do the turtle” (from “Turtle”) means.

Ford joined the Black Crowes in 1992. The other members, Doni Gray and Mark Dutton, went on to play on side projects with members of Guns ‘N Roses.
[First added to this chart: 12/08/2011]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
34
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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1990-WARNER BROTHERS
Produced By DAVE JERDEN & PERRY FERRELL

1. Stop!
2. No One's Leaving
3. Ain't No Right
4. Obvious
5. Been Caught Stealing
6. Three Days
7. Then She Did...
8. Of Course
9. Classic Girl

You have to give Jane's Addiction credit...in 1990, no one was doing this. In the midst of hair metal, Jane's was pulling out funky heavy rock in 5 to 10 minute chunks at a time. They rocked as hard as anyone, and even better: there wasn't a freaking power ballad in sight. Ritual De Lo Habitual houses the band's big hit, "Been Caught Stealing", as well as the excellent "Three Days" and "Stop!". Thre are, instrumentally, some really great moments on this record.

But here's the problem. Lead singer Perry Ferrell, as difficult as it is to look at him, has a voice that's just as unattractive. He sings very high, and he rarely sings a melody, which means that he's mainly shreiking. I know that a lot of people like his singing, but to me, high does not mean good. And to me, all he has going for him is high. Ferrell drags this, and everything else he's ever "sang" on, way below what it could have been. With a better singer, this album would rate much higher. But I'm not buying into Ferrell. Never have, never will. Otherwise, great job to Dave Navarro & the rest of the band.
[First added to this chart: 02/27/2022]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,869
Rank in 1990:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Produced by Ed Stasium. Hard to find now in the US...you might have to buy it as an import. This is the follow up to their breakthrough album, Vivid. It does not contain "Cult Of Personality", which may explain why it's not well known. But this is just as good, if not better than, Vivid. Particularly the rollicking "Love Rears Its Ugly Head", the excellent "Elvis Is Dead", and the just as good "Type". Living Colour deserves to be known for much more than "Cult", and a great place to hear just how good they were is right here on Time's Up. A meaningful purchase. [First added to this chart: 05/29/2012]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
306
Rank in 1990:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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[First added to this chart: 07/28/2012]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
262
Rank in 1990:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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[First added to this chart: 10/05/2012]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
122
Rank in 1990:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 9. Page 1 of 1

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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s composition

Year Albums %


1990 9 9%
1991 10 10%
1992 15 15%
1993 17 17%
1994 13 13%
1995 11 11%
1996 6 6%
1997 9 9%
1998 8 8%
1999 2 2%
Country Albums %


United States 79 79%
United Kingdom 11 11%
Mixed Nationality 3 3%
Canada 3 3%
Sweden 1 1%
France 1 1%
Australia 1 1%
Show all
Live? Albums %
No 96 96%
Yes 4 4%

Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s chart changes

Biggest climbers
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Biggest fallers
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Faller Down 1 from 60th to 61st
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by Stone Temple Pilots
Faller Down 1 from 61st to 62nd
I Am The Cosmos
by Chris Bell
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s ratings

Average Rating: 
87/100 (from 45 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
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02/09/2023 22:04 pedro1976  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 10785/100
  
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02/06/2023 02:26 jonatascv1990  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1478/100
  
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02/10/2022 00:40 Larcx13  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,14286/100
  
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06/26/2021 23:01 zwiebel  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 18986/100
  
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05/03/2021 09:53 jnfbn  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 31096/100

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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.

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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s comments

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Rating:  
65/100
From 02/06/2023 02:27
Good chart!
#293622 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 02/10/2022 00:44
Good descriptions and a bunch of new records for me to check out. Favorited.
#281051 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 05/04/2021 18:49
This is an excellent list. Lots of "alt-country" here, which is much more Replacements-Meets-Bruce Springsteen than traditional folk or country.
#269358 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 05/03/2021 18:04
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
#269325 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 05/03/2021 09:28
Great chart
#269302 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 01/18/2020 16:05
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.
#246969 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 05/30/2019 07:36
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!
#236903 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 05/30/2019 02:57
23 albums in common. Solid other picks!
#236900 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 05/29/2019 20:20
awesome chart!
#236889 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 10/01/2017 05:52
Ahhh... That's a great chart right there.
#198955 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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