Best Albums of the 1990s

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171.

Songs Of Faith And Devotion 

 Depeche Mode

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"Though it's not Violator by any means, it's a damn good album with great songs! Very interesting how the Mode branched out to natural instruments and took influences from other genres"  Reply

- F1Aaron | 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:

1993

Appears in:

324 charts

Rank Score:

1,904

Rank in 1993:

17

Rank in 1990s:

171

Overall Rank:

922

Average Rating:

 77 (454 votes)

Comments:

17

172.

Mule Variations 

 Tom Waits

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"Yeah, I really love this record. From start to finish I find it to be really engaging and interesting and really effective at all the moods and styles it tries to take on. The slow numbers are just really sad and romantic. And the louder and more abrasive numbers are equal parts funny and disturb...""Yeah, I really love this record. From start to finish I find it to be really engaging and interesting and really effective at all the moods and styles it tries to take on. The slow numbers are just really sad and romantic. And the louder and more abrasive numbers are equal parts funny and disturbing. Lyrically he is great here as well. I feel the lyrics on "Take It With Me" are stunning because they really carry the whole song as the musical accompaniment is very minimal, and the mood is very hushed and intimate. To me that song feels like a quiet conversation with Tom or whatever character he is playing, about his life and the love he's had and lost and his philosophy and his adentures. It's breathtaking! The opening lines of "The phone's off the hook. No one knows where we are. It's a long time since I drank champagne. The ocean is blue, as blue as your eyes." Just sets up the whole track beautifully. And this album has similar tender successes with the simple, blues style lyrics of "Picture In A frame" and the rambling songwriting gem "Hold On". As for the more wild and raucous side, everything from the opener "Big In Japan", and "Chocolate Jesus", "Eyeball Kid" (HAIL HAIL! THE EYEBALL KID!/... He doesn't have a body! Not even a brow!") and "Filipino Box Spring Hog" all work and are funny and enjoyable. There's also other aspects to this album. There's a whole folk side to it. But it's not a simple guitar and vocal rendition of folk and roots, it's a down and dirty rendition. Waits really knows how to get to the essence and spirit of old time music - folk, blues, work songs, etc. but he does it with his own stamp or style all over it. Great examples of this on this album are standouts like "Get Behind The mule", "Georgia Lee", "Cold Water" (especially love this song to its core) and the old time preacher gospel of "Come On Up To The house" which also happens to be a PERFECT and super uplifting closer to this master work. In closing, this thing just features almost everything I love about Mr. Waits. He's such a musical genius and such an important artist in my life. And I feel this is his best album and most well rounded and consistent, bar none. I think it's got a better sound and production than "Rain Dogs" and some of his earlier albums and it balances songs with experiments better here than on some of his other modern (last 30 years) classics. Yeah, this is honestly the best album of his. But there are so few bad ones it's wild. This album is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! If you love this, also check out "Alice" and "Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers an Bastards". He really hasn't released a whole lot of less than great stuff in the last, oh, 40+ years."  [+]  Reply

- Mercury | 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:

1,880

Rank in 1999:

21

Rank in 1990s:

172

Overall Rank:

932

Average Rating:

 79 (406 votes)

Comments:

18

173.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... 

 Raekwon

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"Much like GZA's Liquid Swords, this record is an almost cinematic detail of criminal life, but this one is more decadent and unapologetic. Some of the production on this album is just spooky."  Reply

- jjstraka | 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:

1995

Appears in:

330 charts

Rank Score:

1,860

Rank in 1995:

15

Rank in 1990s:

173

Overall Rank:

936

Average Rating:

 80 (356 votes)

Comments:

24

174.

Pablo Honey 

 Radiohead

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"Can anyone say 'underrated?' No, no, I get it; critics were not a huge fan of it when it first came out, labeling Radiohead a 'one-hit wonder' for the megahit "Creep," but is that even the best song on the album? I do not think there is really a bad song on this album. No, it is not my favourite ...""Can anyone say 'underrated?' No, no, I get it; critics were not a huge fan of it when it first came out, labeling Radiohead a 'one-hit wonder' for the megahit "Creep," but is that even the best song on the album? I do not think there is really a bad song on this album. No, it is not my favourite Radiohead album by a long shot (if anyone is curious, for me it goes Kid A, In Rainbows, OK Computer, The Bends, Amnesiac, Hail To The Thief, Pablo Honey, and King Of Limbs), but there really are some great songs on here. In particular, I really like "You," "Creep," "Stop Whispering," "Anyone Can Play Guitar," "Ripcord," "I Can't," "Lurgee," and "Blowout." But, hey! That's 8 of the 13 tracks. Now, I understand. You guys are going to be reading this and thinking to yourself, "This dude just really likes Radiohead and wishes that their debut were great for psychological closure, but it is all just hegemony." I know, because that is EXACTLY what I used to think. I promise, give this album a serious listen or two and, if you are anything like me, you will see that this is really an underrated gem."  [+]  Reply

- kryptos006 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +11 votes (11 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:

506 charts

Rank Score:

1,858

Rank in 1993:

18

Rank in 1990s:

174

Overall Rank:

937

Average Rating:

 68 (1,746 votes)

Comments:

129

175.

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Love Deluxe 

 Sade

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"25 years later, this record is still so magical. Going into my decade and greatest chart at some point. Killer stuff Sade."  Reply

- Luigii | 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:

1992

Appears in:

192 charts

Rank Score:

1,841

Rank in 1992:

17

Rank in 1990s:

175

Overall Rank:

947

Average Rating:

 79 (208 votes)

Comments:

6

176.

Check Your Head 

 Beastie Boys

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"Most of my memories of this album are of college, dancing in some hot, sweaty basement with a sticky, beer-soaked floor. You'd think those wouldn't be fond memories, but they are, kind of. Check Your Head was, for me, the bridge between rock, funk, and rap that gave me a fuller understanding of w...""Most of my memories of this album are of college, dancing in some hot, sweaty basement with a sticky, beer-soaked floor. You'd think those wouldn't be fond memories, but they are, kind of. Check Your Head was, for me, the bridge between rock, funk, and rap that gave me a fuller understanding of where hip hop came from and why anyone would listen to it (because it's frigging great to dance to). I liked the Beastie Boys before Check Your Head, but this was the album where you could really begin to appreciate their musicianship and creativity in ways that seemed less mature on previous recordings. My only complaint is that some of the tracks, such as the incredibly funny and funky "Professor Booty," feel like fragments that leave me longing for what might have been if they had somehow been fully fleshed out. At the same time, it is the fragmentary nature of Check Your Head that makes much of it so rewarding."  [+]  Reply

- buzzdainer | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (3 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:

1992

Appears in:

340 charts

Rank Score:

1,837

Rank in 1992:

18

Rank in 1990s:

176

Overall Rank:

949

Average Rating:

 78 (461 votes)

Comments:

24

177.

The Slim Shady LP 

 Eminem

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"This is rap's Sex Pistols moment. Rap was getting stale, trapped in the overproduced cliched shit of the late 90s. How many artists followed the rags to riches/drugs/parties/hos and bitches/outsmart cops/guns/bling formula? Eminem was a breath of fresh air. A strong lyricist with underrated flow,...""This is rap's Sex Pistols moment. Rap was getting stale, trapped in the overproduced cliched shit of the late 90s. How many artists followed the rags to riches/drugs/parties/hos and bitches/outsmart cops/guns/bling formula? Eminem was a breath of fresh air. A strong lyricist with underrated flow, he took rap in a snarky new direction. He also benefited from Dre's best work. Despite this, like the Sex Pistols, the influence and impact of this music overshadows the fact that it's actually quite average. Eminem's best work came later."  [+]  Reply

- junodog4 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 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:

435 charts

Rank Score:

1,833

Rank in 1999:

22

Rank in 1990s:

177

Overall Rank:

951

Average Rating:

 77 (773 votes)

Comments:

25

178.

2001 

 Dr. Dre

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""Dude, I wasn't out of inspiration, I was watching." Whatever, it's fun. Dr. Dre comes back with an overproduced set of tracks of which the best thing you could say is that they're catchy. All the while keeping up appearences that he's still the mf OG of rap. Sure Dre, as long as you keep them be..."""Dude, I wasn't out of inspiration, I was watching." Whatever, it's fun. Dr. Dre comes back with an overproduced set of tracks of which the best thing you could say is that they're catchy. All the while keeping up appearences that he's still the mf OG of rap. Sure Dre, as long as you keep them beats coming. I think this guy's career could've been much greater (than it already is) if he had let go of his perfectionism."  [+]  Reply

- Boltzmann | 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:

1999

Appears in:

336 charts

Rank Score:

1,831

Rank in 1999:

23

Rank in 1990s:

178

Overall Rank:

952

Average Rating:

 77 (481 votes)

Comments:

21

179.

Yerself Is Steam 

 Mercury Rev

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"Beware! Anyone familiar with "Deserter's Songs", this is NOT chamber pop, but beautiful noise pop. If you like noise, this is the place to go. Blew my mind first time I heard it!"  Reply

- CellarDoor | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 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:

236 charts

Rank Score:

1,811

Rank in 1991:

18

Rank in 1990s:

179

Overall Rank:

961

Average Rating:

 78 (313 votes)

Comments:

20

180.

Reading, Writing And Arithmetic 

 The Sundays

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"This is a stunning debut that has done nothing but grow in influence since its release. Its simple guitar-driven approach matched with Harriet Wheeler's distinctively sweet voice were a great rebuttal to the overproduced garbage of late 80's glam metal, rap and pop (the same could be said of musi...""This is a stunning debut that has done nothing but grow in influence since its release. Its simple guitar-driven approach matched with Harriet Wheeler's distinctively sweet voice were a great rebuttal to the overproduced garbage of late 80's glam metal, rap and pop (the same could be said of music now, perhaps more so). The album achieved some measure of buzz at the time, mostly due to the amazing singles "Here's Where the Story Ends" and "You're Not the Only One I Know". Both are true gems with catchy guitar hooks, smart lyrics and of course Harriet. The former however sounds conspicuously like The Smiths "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side". In fact, The Sundays sound a whole lot like The Smiths in general. The guitars are clearly Marr-inspired. The bass and drums are well played and willingly take a back seat to the guitar and dominating vocals much like Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce did. Harriet could well be Brit Pop's female answer to Morrissey with her literate lyrics and smooth & unique though somewhat overbearing voice. I love the way both vocalists sound but there are people who find both incredibly annoying over time since they are so unique and often overwhelm the music to such a complete extent. Still I want to give this album its due. It is excellent and there are few if any weak tracks. Aside from those mentioned above, "I Won", "I Kicked a Boy" and "Joy" are standouts. You may only know the band from their cover of The Stones "Wild Horses" that was used in a commercial."  [+]  Reply

- vesander | 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:

1990

Appears in:

283 charts

Rank Score:

1,800

Rank in 1990:

12

Rank in 1990s:

180

Overall Rank:

968

Average Rating:

 77 (296 votes)

Comments:

21

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 18 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	105	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%
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds	5	1%
Beck	5	1%
Tori Amos	5	1%
Pavement	5	1%
Suede	5	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	529	53%
	271	27%
	42	4%
	28	3%
	23	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%