Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s
by 
Robert Anton Wilson 
Haven't given much thought to the proper ordering here. Doing this list, I realize that the 90s was an era of faithfulness for me. After the 80s when i really didn't care about new releases and new acts because most of it was crap even among the "guaranteed" artists" (Eric Clapton was doing music for TV commercials!!!), the 90s lit up the spark again for me and I discovered new sounds and new music acts that impressed me. The 90s marked the advent of Nirvana, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, The Tragically Hip, Offspring, PJ Harvey, The Gathering, etc ... And as opposed to the 80s, when the dinosaurs of earlier eras made albums, they were back in full form. Vintage acts such as Bob Dylan, Peter Hammill, Tom Waits, King Crimson, etc ... reinvented themselves and became relevant again. Even Queen quit the disco scene and managed to come back to the fore with a dying singer. Yes, in the 90s that spark of true creativity that had burned so brightly from 65-75 was rekindled. There were so many acts, new and old, at the top of their form that I did not have much time left to dig or diverge. This is why even though the 90s are my 2nd favorite music decade, I still have difficulty coming up with a top 100.
- Chart updated: 04/25/2026 22:45
- (Created: 12/15/2011 23:42).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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[First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
36,226
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Average Rating:
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[First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
60,001
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Average Rating:
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[First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1993
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,165
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Average Rating:
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[First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1996
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,558
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[First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,609
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[First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,727
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[First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
981
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[First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1999
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,172
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[First added to this chart: 01/04/2012]
[First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1991 | 13 | 13% | |
| 1992 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1993 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1994 | 18 | 18% | |
| 1995 | 5 | 5% | |
| 1996 | 15 | 15% | |
| 1997 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1998 | 6 | 6% | |
| 1999 | 7 | 7% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Tragically Hip | 5 | 5% | |
| Pearl Jam | 4 | 4% | |
| The Gathering (NL) | 3 | 3% | |
| Visible Wind | 3 | 3% | |
| Nirvana | 3 | 3% | |
| Tool | 2 | 2% | |
| King Crimson | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
43 | 43% | |
| |
24 | 24% | |
 |
19 | 19% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 67 from 87th to 20thThrak by King Crimson |
| Up 59 from 74th to 15thL'intégrale by Corbeau |
| Up 45 from 75th to 30thKettle Whistle by Jane's Addiction |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 47 from 42nd to 89thThe Week Never Starts Round Here by Arab Strap |
| Down 42 from 46th to 88thDummy by Portishead |
| Down 42 from 52nd to 94thBruford Levin Upper Extremities by Bruford Levin Upper Extremities |
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Other decade charts by Robert Anton Wilson
Robert Anton Wilson has shared 6 more decade charts with the community. Browse them all here.| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 81 Music Albums of the 2020s | Robert Anton Wilson | 2020s decade chart | 2026 | |
| Top 93 Music Albums of the 2010s | Robert Anton Wilson | 2010s decade chart | 2021 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | Robert Anton Wilson | 2000s decade chart | 2026 | |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
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N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing all 4 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 08/07/2016 17:42 |  buzzdainer | 664 | 90/100 |
| ! | 03/03/2016 09:54 |  sssvnnn | 2,875 | 83/100 |
| ! | 10/19/2015 22:33 |  LedZep | 1,101 | 84/100 |
| ! | 04/30/2013 00:07 | KILLALLHIPPIES | 38 | 87/100 |
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s comments
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From
buzzdainer 08/07/2016 17:44 | #172463
buzzdainer 08/07/2016 17:44 | #172463
Terrific nineties chart! I love OK Computer (doesn't everyone?), Nevermind, Dummy, and Buena Vista Social Club, among many of your other selections (even though technically we only have six in common). I like Pearl Jam's Vs. as a top ten selection, as I think it has a lot of their best material. Great work on this chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
LedZep 10/19/2015 22:33 | #151731
LedZep 10/19/2015 22:33 | #151731
Wouldn't really call Showbiz one of the (or THE) best Muse album. VS as well for PJ. Interesting and original choices.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
greatson 04/29/2014 16:09 | #110346
greatson 04/29/2014 16:09 | #110346
Looks great!
Too many unknown artists to rate!
I think I have to come back again.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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