Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 3 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.
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Produced by Butch Vig. Nevermind was the album that changed everything at the exact moment it was needed. Tired hair metal was becoming dronish, and "Smells like Teen Spirit" gave us all hope for the future. This album reminded us all that we didn't have to follow the formula, that we didn't have to make crappy power ballads, that it was okay to rock without pyrotechnic guitar solos, and that you didn't have to wear spandex and makeup to be a star. Thank you, Nirvana. Always.
[First added to this chart: 12/04/2011]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
38,357
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
413
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Produced by Rick Parashar & Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam is not just a band, it's a brotherhood. That's what has always made them great...you can feel the comraderie in their music. And when they have songs, they are simply great. On their debut, Ten, they had songs for days, and the result is a poweful and strong album connected by the brotherhood they already had. Grunge, blah blah blah. I don't care about how much flannel Eddie Vedder wore in the 90's. Ten is a great album, and I feel for those who don't get it.
[First added to this chart: 12/06/2011]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,623
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 12/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,305
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 01/06/2019]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
28,971
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 10/21/2013]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,976
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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1991 – JIVE
Produced By A TRIBE CALLED QUEST & SKEFF ANSELM
1. Excursions
2. Buggin’ Out
3. Rap Promoter
4. Butter
5. Verses From The Abstract
6. Show Business
7. Vibes And Stuff
8. The Infamous Date Rape
9. Check The Rhime
10. Everything Is Fair
11. Jazz (We’ve Got)
12. Skypager
13. What?
14. Scenario
The Low End Theory has been called the Sgt. Pepper’s of hip hop, and that may actually be the most accurate description of A Tribe Called Quest’s second album. Forget that the multitude of early 90’s references (pagers, Bell Biv Devoe, fades) sound painfully dated…this is one of the great hip hop masterpieces, and will always remain so. The key to this album, and the importance of it all,
is jazz. DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad expands on his use of jazz samples from their debut album to include pieces that are, at times, so subtle that they are almost invisible. This marriage of hip hop and jazz turns out to be completely natural, and it works amazingly well. Minimalism is something that hip hop has embraced, but with only a few exceptions, it has not done it well. Those few exceptions exist mostly on The Low End Theory, an album that both artists and producers should revisit much more often.
The highlights here are “Check The Rhime”, “Scenario” (with Busta Rhymes), and “Jazz (We’ve Got)”, but there are plenty of stellar moments. “Butter” flows like the title. “Excursions” features a nice sample from Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. Everything here flows like it’s supposed to, and there’s no fluff pieces (skits), and unlike pretty much every hip hop album ever made, there is not an ounce of filler. A Tribe Called Quest had one more good album in them (the mainstream Midnight Marauders) before settling for average releases…but there will always be The Low End Theory, a beautiful and vastly important album that changed the genre of hip hop forever, in very good ways. It’s not just an important album, it’s an exceptionally good album that deserves a spot in any collection. [First added to this chart: 12/15/2023]
Produced By A TRIBE CALLED QUEST & SKEFF ANSELM
1. Excursions
2. Buggin’ Out
3. Rap Promoter
4. Butter
5. Verses From The Abstract
6. Show Business
7. Vibes And Stuff
8. The Infamous Date Rape
9. Check The Rhime
10. Everything Is Fair
11. Jazz (We’ve Got)
12. Skypager
13. What?
14. Scenario
The Low End Theory has been called the Sgt. Pepper’s of hip hop, and that may actually be the most accurate description of A Tribe Called Quest’s second album. Forget that the multitude of early 90’s references (pagers, Bell Biv Devoe, fades) sound painfully dated…this is one of the great hip hop masterpieces, and will always remain so. The key to this album, and the importance of it all,
is jazz. DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad expands on his use of jazz samples from their debut album to include pieces that are, at times, so subtle that they are almost invisible. This marriage of hip hop and jazz turns out to be completely natural, and it works amazingly well. Minimalism is something that hip hop has embraced, but with only a few exceptions, it has not done it well. Those few exceptions exist mostly on The Low End Theory, an album that both artists and producers should revisit much more often.
The highlights here are “Check The Rhime”, “Scenario” (with Busta Rhymes), and “Jazz (We’ve Got)”, but there are plenty of stellar moments. “Butter” flows like the title. “Excursions” features a nice sample from Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. Everything here flows like it’s supposed to, and there’s no fluff pieces (skits), and unlike pretty much every hip hop album ever made, there is not an ounce of filler. A Tribe Called Quest had one more good album in them (the mainstream Midnight Marauders) before settling for average releases…but there will always be The Low End Theory, a beautiful and vastly important album that changed the genre of hip hop forever, in very good ways. It’s not just an important album, it’s an exceptionally good album that deserves a spot in any collection. [First added to this chart: 12/15/2023]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,343
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1991 – ZOO ENTERTAINMENT
Produced By FRED MAHER & MATTHEW SWEET
1. Divine Intervention
2. I’ve Been Waiting
3. Girlfriend
4. Looking At The Sun
5. Winona
6. Evangeline
7. Day For Night
8. Thought I Knew You
9. You Don’t Love me
10. I Wanted To Tell You
11. Don’t Go
12. Your Sweet Voice
13. Does She Talk?
14. Holy War
15. Nothing Lasts
Matthew Sweet’s career has always been big on potential, while delivering less success. He worked early on with Michael Stipe of R.E.M., and also with Stipe’s sister Lynda. His first two albums were critically acclaimed but sold very little, leading him to sign with a new label to start off the nineties. His third album, Girlfriend, still stands as his strongest effort. With guitarists Richard Lloyd (of Television), Robert Quine and Lloyd Cole, Girlfriend, which was written following Sweet’s divorce, is loaded with pop rock gems and fine playing. The title track is a real gem, but there’s enough here to make the whole album enjoyable.
Girlfriend is special starting with the beautiful cover shot of Tuesday Weld from the late 50’s on down. “Divine Intervention” is a terrific song, as is “Winona” (written about Winona Ryder). Unfortunately, Sweet didn’t follow the path he was on at the time: his next album went for a heavier sound which had the effect of burying his songwriting skills. Nothing wrong with trying new things, which Sweet has done often, but the downside is that he’s never repeated the success he had here. Even with a few flaws, Girlfriend is the best of what Sweet has to offer. One of the true bright spots from 1991, for sure. [First added to this chart: 09/24/2024]
Produced By FRED MAHER & MATTHEW SWEET
1. Divine Intervention
2. I’ve Been Waiting
3. Girlfriend
4. Looking At The Sun
5. Winona
6. Evangeline
7. Day For Night
8. Thought I Knew You
9. You Don’t Love me
10. I Wanted To Tell You
11. Don’t Go
12. Your Sweet Voice
13. Does She Talk?
14. Holy War
15. Nothing Lasts
Matthew Sweet’s career has always been big on potential, while delivering less success. He worked early on with Michael Stipe of R.E.M., and also with Stipe’s sister Lynda. His first two albums were critically acclaimed but sold very little, leading him to sign with a new label to start off the nineties. His third album, Girlfriend, still stands as his strongest effort. With guitarists Richard Lloyd (of Television), Robert Quine and Lloyd Cole, Girlfriend, which was written following Sweet’s divorce, is loaded with pop rock gems and fine playing. The title track is a real gem, but there’s enough here to make the whole album enjoyable.
Girlfriend is special starting with the beautiful cover shot of Tuesday Weld from the late 50’s on down. “Divine Intervention” is a terrific song, as is “Winona” (written about Winona Ryder). Unfortunately, Sweet didn’t follow the path he was on at the time: his next album went for a heavier sound which had the effect of burying his songwriting skills. Nothing wrong with trying new things, which Sweet has done often, but the downside is that he’s never repeated the success he had here. Even with a few flaws, Girlfriend is the best of what Sweet has to offer. One of the true bright spots from 1991, for sure. [First added to this chart: 09/24/2024]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
630
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 02/22/2012]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
716
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1991-CAPITOL
Produced By MITCHELL FROOM & NEIL FINN
1. Chocolate Cake
2. It's Only Natural
3. Fall At Your Feet
4. Tall Trees
5. Weather With You
6. Whispers And Moans
7. Four Seasons In One Day
8. There Goes God
9. Fame Is
10. All I Ask
11. As Sure As I Am
12. Italian Plastic
13. She Goes On
14. How Will You Go
Some records are hard to rate...not this one. Tim Finn joins his brother Neil, and Crowded House, already a hugely underrated band, turns in one of the best albums of post Beatles pop rock ever made. Woodface is overflowing with great songs and amazing harmonies from the very beginning. If you're not hooked on this album by the end of "It's Only Natural", then I'm not sure what can be done for you. Woodface is not only the definitive Crowded House album, but it would be the masterpiece for almost every other band in existence. This is a classic, and this should be in every collection.
The Finn's have recorded together since, but they're still trying to match what they did here. Listen to this, then buy it. No need to thank me...I just try to steer y'all in the right direction. [First added to this chart: 12/04/2011]
Produced By MITCHELL FROOM & NEIL FINN
1. Chocolate Cake
2. It's Only Natural
3. Fall At Your Feet
4. Tall Trees
5. Weather With You
6. Whispers And Moans
7. Four Seasons In One Day
8. There Goes God
9. Fame Is
10. All I Ask
11. As Sure As I Am
12. Italian Plastic
13. She Goes On
14. How Will You Go
Some records are hard to rate...not this one. Tim Finn joins his brother Neil, and Crowded House, already a hugely underrated band, turns in one of the best albums of post Beatles pop rock ever made. Woodface is overflowing with great songs and amazing harmonies from the very beginning. If you're not hooked on this album by the end of "It's Only Natural", then I'm not sure what can be done for you. Woodface is not only the definitive Crowded House album, but it would be the masterpiece for almost every other band in existence. This is a classic, and this should be in every collection.
The Finn's have recorded together since, but they're still trying to match what they did here. Listen to this, then buy it. No need to thank me...I just try to steer y'all in the right direction. [First added to this chart: 12/04/2011]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,730
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 10/05/2019]
Total albums: 10. 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% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Uncle Tupelo | 4 | 4% | |
| Nirvana | 3 | 3% | |
| Pearl Jam | 3 | 3% | |
| The Lemonheads | 2 | 2% | |
| A Tribe Called Quest | 2 | 2% | |
| Yo La Tengo | 2 | 2% | |
| Radiohead | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
79 | 79% | |
 |
11 | 11% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 7 from 66th to 59th Foolish by Superchunk |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 59th to 60th Get A Grip by Aerosmith |
| Down 1 from 60th to 61st Core by Stone Temple Pilots |
| Down 1 from 61st to 62nd I Am The Cosmos by Chris Bell |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s similar charts
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s |  Brandon8 | 1990s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s | Finky | 1990s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 83 Music Albums of the 1990s | maverick470 | 1990s decade chart | 2015 |  |
| 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 | 2025 | |
| My Overall Chart: 201-300 | Romanelli | Custom chart | 2025 | |
| 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)
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| Top 7 Music Albums of the 2020s | Romanelli | 2020s decade chart | 2025 | |
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| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s | Romanelli | 1990s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s | Romanelli | 1980s decade chart | 2025 | |
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| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960s | Romanelli | 1960s decade chart | 2025 | |
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s ratings
87/100 (from 45 votes)
where:
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 50/100  | 02/09/2023 22:04 |  pedro1976 | | 85/100 |
| 65/100 | 02/06/2023 02:26 | jonatascv1990 | | 78/100 |
| 100/100 | 02/10/2022 00:40 |  Larcx13 | | 86/100 |
| 90/100 | 06/26/2021 23:01 |  zwiebel | | 86/100 |
| 100/100 | 05/03/2021 09:53 |  jnfbn | | 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.
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s favourites
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s comments
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65/100
From jonatascv1990 02/06/2023 02:27
Good chart!
#293622 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Larcx13 02/10/2022 00:44
Larcx13 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)
95/100
From henrygreen0203 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 
seb7 05/03/2021 18:04
seb7 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)
90/100
From Johnnyo 05/03/2021 09:28
Great chart
#269302 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
ExTeaSea 01/18/2020 16:05
ExTeaSea 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)
85/100
From 
ForegroundNoise 05/30/2019 07:36
ForegroundNoise 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)
90/100
From 
RoundTheBend 05/30/2019 02:57
RoundTheBend 05/30/2019 02:57
23 albums in common. Solid other picks!
#236900 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From edubs 05/29/2019 20:20
awesome chart!
#236889 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
HoldenM 10/01/2017 05:52
HoldenM 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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