Best Albums of the 1990s

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121.

Time Out Of Mind 

 Bob Dylan

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"When time out of mind came out in September 1997, it had been seven years since Bob Dylan had released any original material, and that was the underwhelming, under the red sky. Since that mediocre album, Dylan released two acoustic records, a collection of covers of old blues and folk songs. He a...""When time out of mind came out in September 1997, it had been seven years since Bob Dylan had released any original material, and that was the underwhelming, under the red sky. Since that mediocre album, Dylan released two acoustic records, a collection of covers of old blues and folk songs. He also made an appearance on MTV's successful unplugged series. Dylan's performance though was again a disappointment. Dylan then started to suffer from health problems and was hospitalized for a time in 1996 with a heart problem. He made a successful recovery. So, after all of this it was a pleasant surprise that the new album was a much needed return to form. For the second time in his career, his new record was produced by Daniel Lanois, whose atmospheric soundscapes had made Dylan's, oh mercy, album such a success. He works his magic here too. Time out of mind though was different from other Dylan albums. Dylan was definitely older, maybe wiser, certainty grumpier, but still regained a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. The new record was dark, spooky, it was about loneliness, bitterness, aging, and mortality. The first thing you notice on opener, love sick, is Dylan's voice, it really is wrecked beyond repair, but it suits the material perfectly. He's the first of the rock stars to deal with the sadness and frustration of growing old. There's no better example of this than on the epic closing track, highlands, when Dylan alludes to, 'all the young men with the young women looking so good, well I'd trade places with any of 'em in a minute if i could'. This is coming from Bob Dylan, living legend, and this is the way he feels, he wants to be young again. Mortality, plays it's part in, tryin'to get to heaven, and, not dark yet, surely both inspired by his recent health scares. Everything and everyone is cold, he's standin'in the doorway cryin', he's sick of love, he left his life with someone back there along the line. Bob's not a happy camper. And what's more, he's running low, the party's over, he moans, and there's less and less to say, and everything looks far away, but it's not all doom and gloom, and there is some wonderful black comedy here and there, 'you don't read with binoculars, do you'?. The songs range from the slow burning, love sick, the railroad shuffle of, dirt road blues, the brooding, million miles,to the funeral dirge of, not dark yet, as well as, to make you feel my love, one of Dylan's most beautiful ballads for years, the metallic blues of, cold irons bound, and the midnight burning, can't wait. Time out of mind, is classic Dylan, it's up there with his best, a mortal masterpiece. "  [+]  Reply

- garycottier | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (8 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

440 charts

Rank Score:

2,443

Rank in 1997:

16

Rank in 1990s:

121

Overall Rank:

707

Average Rating:

 79 (626 votes)

Comments:

28

122.

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Doggystyle 

 Snoop Doggy Dogg

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"I'm not a huge fan of rap. I'm a rock, blues, and metal guy, but this album has something about it that just pulled me in. It also helps that I've seen Snoop Dogg live. But seriously, this album is a classic from front to back."  Reply

- Jasonconfused | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1993

Appears in:

409 charts

Rank Score:

2,410

Rank in 1993:

12

Rank in 1990s:

122

Overall Rank:

717

Average Rating:

 78 (511 votes)

Comments:

31

123.

The Infamous 

 Mobb Deep

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"This is hip-hop in it's purest form. It literally feels like a inner city project with no hope, no chance, and no sniff of redemption."  Reply

- jjstraka | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1995

Appears in:

335 charts

Rank Score:

2,408

Rank in 1995:

10

Rank in 1990s:

123

Overall Rank:

719

Average Rating:

 80 (377 votes)

Comments:

20

124.

Electro-Shock Blues 

 Eels

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"This is one of many albums that I pondered over for ages. This is a dark concept album of serene beauty and humility inspired by all sorts of personal tragedies. Arrangements are overwhelmed with violins, woodwinds, keyboards, samplers and turntables. In part the vocals register Nick Drake while ...""This is one of many albums that I pondered over for ages. This is a dark concept album of serene beauty and humility inspired by all sorts of personal tragedies. Arrangements are overwhelmed with violins, woodwinds, keyboards, samplers and turntables. In part the vocals register Nick Drake while at others it resembles Tom Waits whilst musically it at times echoes the demented 'blues' of Beck. But Electro-Shock Blues is no mere imitation, but an original work of substance - a desolate and 'naked' exhortation of the deeper recesses of the human soul. The counterpoint to this programme is the closing track in which a deafening orchestra of violins play to a romantic theme while the protaganist yearns to find meaning in his life. This is not just a mournful requiem, but an uplifting affirmation for life."  [+]  Reply

- hairymarx1 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

383 charts

Rank Score:

2,407

Rank in 1998:

10

Rank in 1990s:

124

Overall Rank:

720

Average Rating:

 79 (481 votes)

Comments:

31

125.

Wowee Zowee 

 Pavement

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"A minority opinion, but I think Pavement got better with each of their first three albums, culminating with this masterpiece. So much to love here, most notably at the beginning and the end. "Father to a Sister to a Thought" is brilliant too. A very '90s record."  Reply

- replacementlevel | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1995

Appears in:

354 charts

Rank Score:

2,359

Rank in 1995:

11

Rank in 1990s:

125

Overall Rank:

735

Average Rating:

 79 (513 votes)

Comments:

22

126.

Wish 

 The Cure

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"This album really flies under the radar for most people, and it deserves way more credit than it gets. Musically, it is brilliant with the group combining both their darker side and their more pop centred side. This leads to a fantastic contrast between the songs which is best displayed by Open a...""This album really flies under the radar for most people, and it deserves way more credit than it gets. Musically, it is brilliant with the group combining both their darker side and their more pop centred side. This leads to a fantastic contrast between the songs which is best displayed by Open and Friday I'm In Love where one is atmospheric and haunting and the latter is happy and upbeat. You get the best of both sides of the Cure on this record and so it has something for everyone. Lyrically, it is a masterpiece, just like every Cure album, with Robert Smith weaving his tales from song to song and forcing us to think deeper on his words. His wordsmanship is on another level and his lyrics demand and deserve attention paid to them and the way he delivers them is brilliant. The lyrics as well as the music is great at making you become introspective as well and the group set up a fantastic atmosphere for us to be able to wallow and dwell in. They maintain this gloomy environment throughout and when they do slip into their more upbeat style it is still tainted with darkness hidden in the music and so songs like Friday I'm In Love and Doing The Unstuck feel like a small and brief candle in a pitch black room. Every song is great on here as well and only add to the suspense of the atmosphere so no song is skippable. The instrumentation is phenomenal throughout and the Cure really have a unique way of performing that always make their music stand out and feel special. Overall, their albums feel special because the group themselves are a one of a kind band we will probably never see the likes of again and this album is amongst the greatest they have ever made and it really deserves to be appreciated more in their discography and in the world of music as a whole. "  [+]  Reply

- Untitled | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1992

Appears in:

391 charts

Rank Score:

2,357

Rank in 1992:

9

Rank in 1990s:

126

Overall Rank:

736

Average Rating:

 78 (540 votes)

Comments:

27

127.

So Tonight That I Might See 

 Mazzy Star

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"HEROIN CHIC Kendra Smith hurled her guitar to the stage. She had had it. The constant, tedious grind of touring. Being worshipped by strangers. All of it. It was too much. She didn’t want it anymore. “Fuck this mousetrap”, she mumbled to herself. ”I’m going to live off the grid.” And you know wha...""HEROIN CHIC Kendra Smith hurled her guitar to the stage. She had had it. The constant, tedious grind of touring. Being worshipped by strangers. All of it. It was too much. She didn’t want it anymore. “Fuck this mousetrap”, she mumbled to herself. ”I’m going to live off the grid.” And you know what? She did! And that was probably the best thing that ever happened to David Roback’s already fairly stellar career. Because he had already found “HER” - discovered her through a friend of a friend playing on a demo tape as part of some unheard of local folk duo that still no one’s heard of (Going Home if you’re really curious. But, they never even released an album! I mean it’s the indie rock equivalent of American Idol). The youngest of 60 some odd siblings, Hope was a pint sized, exotic Mexican beauty with pouty lips to die for. Let’s put it this way. Jimmy Reid - & I know you're reading this, brother - You’re a lucky, lucky man! Quite simply, Hope Sandoval was born to be a rock star. She just had that indefinable IT. And her timing entering the scene was pitch perfect. She was the perfect diva for early 90s grunge. Part of her charm was she really, truly didn’t give a shit. It wasn't some calculated move. She really, truly didn’t give a shit. And she came to epitomize the “it” fashion statement of the day. The fashion look that had the prepubescent, waif looks of the Kate Moss & Jamie King staring down at us from like a hundred million billboards. Heroin chic they called it. And the singing of Hope Sandoval and music of Mazzy Star was its soundtrack. Because Hope sang Rip Van Winkle style - a lazy, laconic cotton mouth drawl as if as if each note was going to be her last before falling a slumber for a hundred years or more. A true sleeping beauty if there ever was one. I can see why Albummaster recommended this to me when I volunteered that I’m a sucker for laconic & hazy albums. (Considering I’m a born manic monkey, a laconic lion is what I strive to be). At any rate she was the missing ingredient. Don’t get me wrong. Opal were good. Damn good. (especially check out their earliest recordings compiled on, you got it it - [i]Early recordings[/i].) And Kendra Smith had one more beguiling solo album in her - the aptly titled[i] Five Ways of Disappearing[/i] - before blithely disappearing into the California woods to organic farm on her country cabin with nothing but her music and her cats. (Yo! Kendra! If you ever want company… well, you know who to call! :wink: ) But Mazzy Star were far better. Hope was just the perfect compliment to Robach’s Doors meets Velvet Underground sound rufied just a bit with that Jesus & Mary Chain’s classic wall of fuzz. We’re talking drugs here boys & girls! Druggy. Laconic, hazey, etc… And Mazzy Star were druggy as hell. And [i]So Tonight That I May See[/i] (rightly) became THE album of the Heroin Chic scene. And just as impressive as the sound they perfected on this album is the sheer scope of it. No two songs sound the same. It was as if Robach was determined to make THE grunge palette on these ten songs. Whether it be Hope channeling her inner Kirsten Hersch on “Into Dust” (my personal fave among an album full of them) or the duo going primal & full on Pub Rock on the positively AC/DCian Wasted. Grade: A. It’s no coincidence that Mazzy Star and Julee Cruise were recommended to me within hours of each other. Just as I was to start binging on Twin Peaks (yet again) to get ready for season 3. Because both are the perfect Lynchian artists. Both would be the perfect band to catch at The Roadhouse on some Saturday night. And [i]So Tonight That I May See[/i] was the epitome of heroin chic. Alice’s In Chain’s Dirt comes damn close, but this is easily the best. Channeling The Velvet Underground’s debut and The Door’s psychedelic lazy debauchery into the grunge aesthetic. No other album quite competes. And make no mistake about it. This is grunge. Classic grunge. One of the essential grunge albums that solidified the scene while expanding its palette as far back as Mazzy Star’s debut [i]She Hangs Brightly[/i] with its feedback laced guitars. Music that fell into itself. Imploding as opposed to exploding. And this album laconically drawls it way oh so sleepily to number 25. "  [+]  Reply

- Repo | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (11 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1993

Appears in:

376 charts

Rank Score:

2,334

Rank in 1993:

13

Rank in 1990s:

127

Overall Rank:

745

Average Rating:

 79 (435 votes)

Comments:

18

128.

Ill Communication 

 Beastie Boys

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"For some odd reason, this album is the only record I've heard that not only tries to separate itself between two very different sets of music (almost two different albums really), but does so extremely well. The first half feels like a mix between Licensed to Ill's energy (but mellower) and Paul'...""For some odd reason, this album is the only record I've heard that not only tries to separate itself between two very different sets of music (almost two different albums really), but does so extremely well. The first half feels like a mix between Licensed to Ill's energy (but mellower) and Paul's Boutique's intelligence (but simpler), and done so extremely well as the first half is an absolute joy to listen to. The second half can turn a lot of people away, but for people that are fans of such things as Boutique's B-Boy Bouillabaise and Abbey Road's second half, it's a hip-hop journey and an incredible listen. The Boys know how to use their instruments, which was proven in Check Your Head, and boy do they ever use them well. Key Cuts: Sure Shot, Root Down, Get It Together"  [+]  Reply

- Yipyapper | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1994

Appears in:

416 charts

Rank Score:

2,319

Rank in 1994:

23

Rank in 1990s:

128

Overall Rank:

748

Average Rating:

 78 (540 votes)

Comments:

24

129.

Car Wheels On A Gravel Road 

 Lucinda Williams

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"Not just one of the best alt-country albums ever made, but one of the best albums of all time. It took Lucinda 6 years to write and record this one, and I'd be more than happy waiting 6 years in between her records if they could be close to this good. I was introduced to this one the same night a..."" Not just one of the best alt-country albums ever made, but one of the best albums of all time. It took Lucinda 6 years to write and record this one, and I'd be more than happy waiting 6 years in between her records if they could be close to this good. I was introduced to this one the same night as Todd Snider - and changed the direction of my music listening forever. Not going to mention songs, as they are all great. About as perfect as an album can be."  [+]  Reply

- drivebytornado | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

392 charts

Rank Score:

2,279

Rank in 1998:

11

Rank in 1990s:

129

Overall Rank:

756

Average Rating:

 78 (362 votes)

Comments:

24

130.

Enema Of The State 

 Blink-182

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"I have a soft spot for early-2000s pop-punk. Its the musical equivalent of American Pie, yeah, its a little puerile and its not going to be picking many awards but its a bit of fun."  Reply

- andy_hunter | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1999

Appears in:

364 charts

Rank Score:

2,256

Rank in 1999:

14

Rank in 1990s:

130

Overall Rank:

762

Average Rating:

 71 (602 votes)

Comments:

40

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 13 of 100

Best Albums of the 1990s composition

Top 1,000 Top 500 Top 250 Top 100

Year	Albums	%
1990	84	8%
1991	85	9%
1992	105	11%
1993	106	11%
1994	127	13%
1995	103	10%
1996	108	11%
1997	98	10%
1998	101	10%
1999	84	8%

Artist	Albums	%
Blur	6	1%
The Flaming Lips	6	1%
The Smashing Pumpkins	5	0%
Aphex Twin	5	0%
Manic Street Preachers	5	0%
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds	5	0%
Beck	5	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	529	53%
	272	27%
	42	4%
	28	3%
	23	2%
	16	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	986	99%
Yes	15	1%

Live?	Albums	%
No	982	98%
Yes	19	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	993	99%
Yes	8	1%