Best Albums of the 1990s

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151.

Trompe Le Monde 

 Pixies

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"While Doolittle and Surfer Rosa get a lot more attention from critics, I place Trompe le Monde right there alongside those two albums in my own Pixies pantheon. Probably the most important difference between Trompe le Monde and the Pixies' earlier work is the reduced role of Kim Deal, making this...""While Doolittle and Surfer Rosa get a lot more attention from critics, I place Trompe le Monde right there alongside those two albums in my own Pixies pantheon. Probably the most important difference between Trompe le Monde and the Pixies' earlier work is the reduced role of Kim Deal, making this record somewhat closer to a Frank Black solo album than any of their previous efforts. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. The high points here are as good as anything else in the Pixies' catalog, especially the loud, indulgent, and bizarre "Space (I Believe In)," with its memorable if ponderous refrain, "Jefrey with one F, Jefrey." "  [+]  Reply

- buzzdainer | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 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:

1991

Appears in:

385 charts

Rank Score:

2,064

Rank in 1991:

15

Rank in 1990s:

151

Overall Rank:

833

Average Rating:

 78 (635 votes)

Comments:

33

152.

New Adventures In Hi-Fi 

 R.E.M.

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"REM's excellent follow up to monster. New adventures in hi-fi, was recorded during the band's world tour of 1995/96, and features songs recorded live, at soundchecks, and in various recording studios. The album opens deceptively with, how the west was won and where it got us, which probably would...""REM's excellent follow up to monster. New adventures in hi-fi, was recorded during the band's world tour of 1995/96, and features songs recorded live, at soundchecks, and in various recording studios. The album opens deceptively with, how the west was won and where it got us, which probably wouldn't have sounded out of place on their next release, up. It's with the second track, wake up bomb, where the album starts to reveal it's true identity, it's a barnstorming rocker, similar to the sound on, monster. Other tracks along these lines are, undertow, Binky the doormat, and the excellent, so fast, so numb. Through this rock'n'roll haze, are some of REM's loveliest moments. Be mine, is good, but, electrolite, and, new test leper, are superb, arguably the best two songs on the album. Other standouts are the epic, leave, and the stoned drone of e-bow,the letter. There are a few throaways, departure, and, low desert, are hardly essential REM, but they're ok. This would be their last album with drummer Bill Berry, and would never quite be the same band again. Still, a brilliant record, one of their best. "  [+]  Reply

- garycottier | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 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:

1996

Appears in:

367 charts

Rank Score:

2,047

Rank in 1996:

15

Rank in 1990s:

152

Overall Rank:

840

Average Rating:

 77 (613 votes)

Comments:

38

153.

Beautiful Freak 

 Eels

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"It's keeping my attention right now. Has a peculier anger, one which is grinding its teeth even at the lines and notes themselves. Someone isn't pleased... the someone isn't me."  Reply

- | 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:

1996

Appears in:

360 charts

Rank Score:

2,009

Rank in 1996:

16

Rank in 1990s:

153

Overall Rank:

851

Average Rating:

 78 (437 votes)

Comments:

27

154.

Dirty 

 Sonic Youth

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"I think I'm in the minority, but I like alt-rock darlings Sonic Youth best when they are at least somewhat accessible, and when they record things that sound at least a little bit like songs. Which is why I prefer Dirty to, say, Daydream Nation. Here Thurston Moore's whirling, swirling guitars la...""I think I'm in the minority, but I like alt-rock darlings Sonic Youth best when they are at least somewhat accessible, and when they record things that sound at least a little bit like songs. Which is why I prefer Dirty to, say, Daydream Nation. Here Thurston Moore's whirling, swirling guitars layered over Steve Shelley's pounding drumming makes most sense to me, since it's all in the context of songs that strain at the seams of conventional song structures, but never quite implode altogether. This is also the album where Kim Gordon's contributions ring most true, as she challenges stereotypes and expectations about women who rock in ways that are both compelling and vaguely threatening. "Wish Fulfillment" is a great song because it depicts alienation and disaffectation in a way that is so messy and distorted that it feels quintessentially human."  [+]  Reply

- buzzdainer | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 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:

400 charts

Rank Score:

1,997

Rank in 1992:

12

Rank in 1990s:

154

Overall Rank:

854

Average Rating:

 78 (568 votes)

Comments:

31

155.

Images And Words 

 Dream Theater

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"Until 1992, I thought there would never be another rock album that would blow me away like Moving Pictures did in 1981. DT came out and absolutely rocked my world. This album was an absolute musical revelation, with complex composition, incredible musicianship, refreshing songwriting, and outstan...""Until 1992, I thought there would never be another rock album that would blow me away like Moving Pictures did in 1981. DT came out and absolutely rocked my world. This album was an absolute musical revelation, with complex composition, incredible musicianship, refreshing songwriting, and outstanding personnel at every position who all somehow still come out better than the sum of their parts. Every last song is not just a keeper, but of the very highest order. No matter how many times I listen to this album, it seems fresh and is always welcome. "  [+]  Reply

- Fischman | 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:

1992

Appears in:

323 charts

Rank Score:

1,993

Rank in 1992:

13

Rank in 1990s:

155

Overall Rank:

856

Average Rating:

 78 (483 votes)

Comments:

23

156.

Selected Ambient Works Volume II 

 Aphex Twin

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"This album is one of the most haunting experiences of my life. It's like listening to a secret, intensely alien conversation between inanimate objects, and being driven mad by the omnipresent vibrations of the universe. "The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human...""This album is one of the most haunting experiences of my life. It's like listening to a secret, intensely alien conversation between inanimate objects, and being driven mad by the omnipresent vibrations of the universe. "The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age." - H.P. Lovecraft"  [+]  Reply

- SquishypuffDave | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +17 votes (17 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:

263 charts

Rank Score:

1,990

Rank in 1994:

25

Rank in 1990s:

156

Overall Rank:

861

Average Rating:

 79 (386 votes)

Comments:

22

157.

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This Is Hardcore 

 Pulp

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"The follow up to the mega successful, different class. This is hardcore, is a darker twin to the more optimistic predecessor, but songwise it's just as good. The title track is amazing, one of Pulp's greatest songs. Other highlights include, the fear, a little soul, and, Sylvia. This is hardcore,...""The follow up to the mega successful, different class. This is hardcore, is a darker twin to the more optimistic predecessor, but songwise it's just as good. The title track is amazing, one of Pulp's greatest songs. Other highlights include, the fear, a little soul, and, Sylvia. This is hardcore, is a fine album, dark with little specks of light shining through. Good stuff. "  [+]  Reply

- garycottier | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 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:

358 charts

Rank Score:

1,981

Rank in 1998:

13

Rank in 1990s:

157

Overall Rank:

863

Average Rating:

 78 (444 votes)

Comments:

18

158.

Black On Both Sides 

 Mos Def

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"Mos Def - Black on Both Sides is an album I' ve always had the impression that it has achieved an "almost classic" status, which is a shame, as I don't think there is anything that separates it from the widely accepted classics. I was browsing through various relevant online articles/lists etc. a...""Mos Def - Black on Both Sides is an album I' ve always had the impression that it has achieved an "almost classic" status, which is a shame, as I don't think there is anything that separates it from the widely accepted classics. I was browsing through various relevant online articles/lists etc. and sadly my suspicion was confirmed for the most part. Maybe it has to do with what babyBlueSedan pointed out, that it's hard to include it in a sub-group inside the hip hop umbrella, maybe it has to do with the course of his career further down the road and his acting shenanigans, or maybe his music is just "too black" to be universally acclaimed. Anyway, not much needs to be said about the defining attributes of this album. The production is top notch, his delivery is practically flawless, but the main function both of these aspects serve is that they allow his lyrics to come through, so that the message can reach the audience loud and clear. Fear Not of Man is an ideal example of this - and of my two favorite moments of the album. It's a case of more speaking than rapping and gives us some of his best -and not only his, to be honest -lyrics. He begins by wondering about the future of hip hop and I really like the way he explains it is closely tied to the future of our civilisation/society and how humans have lost their focus, no matter if they are hip hop artists or regular citizens ("tell em, "You know what's gonna happen with hip-hop? Whatever's happening with us" If we smoked out, hip-hop is gonna be smoked out If we doin' alright, hip-hop is gonna be doin' alright People talk about hip-hop like it's some giant livin' in the hillside Comin' down to visit the townspeople We are hip-hop Me, you, everybody, we are hip-hop So hip-hop is going where we going So the next time you ask yourself where hip-hop is going Ask yourself: where am I going? How am I doing? Till you get a clear idea So if hip-hop is about the people And the hip-hop won't get better until the people get better Then how do people get better? (Hmm) Well, from my understanding people get better When they start to understand that they are valuable And they not valuable because they got a whole lot of money Or 'cause somebody, think they sexy"). Also noteworthy is the use of a sample from Nigerian Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti. Then comes Hip Hop , where he expands on the same theme and further reflects on the duty of the artist to communicate his ideas and raise the political awareness of his audience ("Young man, where you from? Brooklyn number one! Native son, speaking in the native tongue I got my eyes on tomorrow (there it is) While you still tryin to find where it is I'm on the Ave where it lives and dies, violently but silently Shine so vibrantly that eyes squint to catch a glimpse Embrace the bass with my dark ink fingertips"). Love changes the scenery a little bit with a jazzy/bluesy tune and -as expected- stresses the important of love -not only its romantic side, any kind of love. A minor complaint would be that the outro drags unnecessarily. Ms. Fat Booty is another huge track, though I sometimes feel that the tremendously powerful and captivating Aretha Franklin vocal sample overshadows anything else that's going on in this song. By no means does this make it any less enjoyable, I mention it mostly because it's one of the few occasions where the lyrics may remain into the background. Speed Law is a song with a rockier vibe. Lyrics-wise it's not one of my favorites, as it comes dangerously close to becoming one of those typical self-praising songs -but it keeps the balance, as it's more substance than style, while in this kind of songs it's usually the other way around -, plus the outro felt somewhat repetitive. Do It Now features Busta Rhymes, a great guest ("Take the arch rivalry stance up on the podium And give the flavor to niggas but keep it low on sodium Possess shit that got you wondering how we holdin em Things that'll lay you out like a piece of linoleum") and his chemistry with Mos Def is on a very high level. Got is my least favorite song of the album, it gets annoyingly repetitive. Not much to comment on UMI Says, he says it best himself ("Put my heart and soul into this song I hope you feel me From where I am, to wherever you are I mean that sincerely Tomorrow may never come For you and me, life is not promised Tomorrow may never appear You better hold this very moment very close to you Very close to you, so close to you So close to you, don't be afraid, just let it shine"). It's almost impossible not to be moved by his passion. New World Water is a song about water -thank you captain obvious- that can be interpreted in different levels, either directly related to environmental consciousness or to the underlying sociopolitical causes of water pollution and how the transformation of the human nature leads to the deterioration of our natural environment ("Used to have minerals and zinc in it (New World Water) Now they say it got lead and stink in it (New World Water)"). In Rock N Roll I'm not sure if the concept is flawed to begin with , or if it has to do more with the execution. However, the last minute frenzy was great. Know That begins with a Star Wars reference -can't go wrong with one of those. It is one of the funkiest tunes and features Talib Kweli ("Intellectual property I got the title and the deed I pay for rent, with the tears and sweat and what I bleed MCs imitate the way we walk, the way we talk You cats spit lyrical pork with no spiritual thought Plus your flow a little bit off You come across soft Back in the days niggas like that on stage got tossed off Need to get crossed off the guestlist It's like you gotta be disrespected and thrown out the exit To get the message"). Along with the opening track they are my two favorite moments of the album. Considering the competition, that's quite an achievement. Climb might seem weird or even a bit off as a standalone song, but in the context of the album provides a welcome change of pace, relaxing the listener after the highly energetic previous track and makes for a smooth transition to Brooklyn, which also has a chill jazzy atmosphere. Habitat takes another stab at tackling the problem of social injustice and inequality ("Partner, all that's left to want is more While these cats that's less privileged is just more raw Less space cause the projects laced with more flaws Less sleep cause the nights ain't peace, it's more war The can is raw like thirsty, rainy season thunder claps On the block with your old pop pleading number act To the spot with the red top fiends is huddled at To the crib where the little kids spend their summers trapped"). Mr. Nigga is a creative way to show the impact of race based prejudices ("One problem; even with the Os on his check The po-po stop him and show no respect "Is there a problem officer?" Damn straight, it's called race That motivate the jake (woo-woo) to give chase Say they want you successful, but that ain't the case You living large, your skin is dark, they flash a light in your face"). Mathematics is the epitome of classic, full of quotable lines ("The universe expands length The body of my text possess extra strength Power-lift the powerless up out of this towering inferno My ink so hot it burn through the journal I'm blacker than midnight on Broadway and Myrtle Hip-Hop passed all your tall social hurdles Like the nationwide projects-prison-industry complex Working-class poor, better keep your alarm set Streets too loud to ever hear freedom ring Say evacuate your sleep, it's dangerous to dream"). May-December, the closing track, is an instrumental that gives you some room to breathe and try to comprehend what you' ve experienced. To sum it up, nothing short of a classic. (The review got bigger than I'd have liked, but it's mostly because I've quoted so much stuff. His lyrics are phenomenal, I couldn't resist the temptation.)"  [+]  Reply

- kokkinos | 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:

1999

Appears in:

362 charts

Rank Score:

1,968

Rank in 1999:

19

Rank in 1990s:

158

Overall Rank:

870

Average Rating:

 80 (378 votes)

Comments:

15

159.

Temple Of The Dog 

 Temple Of The Dog

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"Can't help but feel this is slightly underrated on this site. Cornell's best album vocally."  Reply

- Daydreamer | 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:

1991

Appears in:

323 charts

Rank Score:

1,965

Rank in 1991:

16

Rank in 1990s:

159

Overall Rank:

872

Average Rating:

 78 (411 votes)

Comments:

20

160.

Third Eye Blind 

 Third Eye Blind

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"It's hard for me to explain just how much I love this album.. For one thing, I think it's incredibly consistent from start to finish, without a really weak song. Also, I find the lyrics to be incredible.. The strange thing is, that I can't really relate to most of them, but I still "feel" them, I...""It's hard for me to explain just how much I love this album.. For one thing, I think it's incredibly consistent from start to finish, without a really weak song. Also, I find the lyrics to be incredible.. The strange thing is, that I can't really relate to most of them, but I still "feel" them, I know what the singer means/is trying to say... It seems to be a completely overlooked album by the critics, but at least it's getting some recognition on this site.."  [+]  Reply

- 19loveless91 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 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:

1997

Appears in:

278 charts

Rank Score:

1,965

Rank in 1997:

18

Rank in 1990s:

160

Overall Rank:

873

Average Rating:

 74 (398 votes)

Comments:

37

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 16 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	102	10%
1993	108	11%
1994	127	13%
1995	104	10%
1996	108	11%
1997	99	10%
1998	99	10%
1999	84	8%

Artist	Albums	%
Blur	6	1%
The Flaming Lips	6	1%
Beck	5	1%
Autechre	5	1%
Tori Amos	5	1%
Suede	5	1%
Pavement	5	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	536	54%
	270	27%
	41	4%
	24	2%
	24	2%
	16	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	986	99%
Yes	14	1%

Live?	Albums	%
No	981	98%
Yes	19	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	992	99%
Yes	8	1%