Best Albums of the 1990s

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1.

OK Computer 

 Radiohead

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"I think making such a big deal about OK Computer only takes away from the great music they made after. This is a great album but unlike a lot of 90s bands Radiohead didn't try to ride this any further. From here on out they became a genre all their own."  Reply

- ProfessorSquid | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +45 votes (45 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:

4,456 charts

Rank Score:

61,931

Rank in 1997:

1

Rank in 1990s:

1

Overall Rank:

1

Average Rating:

 92 (5,671 votes)

Comments:

861

2.

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Nevermind 

 Nirvana

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"'IF this album were to be erased from history tonight, you would find little on what precious darlings of what is called "indie."' No! Nirvana did not invent indie rock, or even so-called alternative music. That would be Black Flag, Husker Du, The Replacements, R.E.M. The Pixies, Sonic Youth, Din...""'IF this album were to be erased from history tonight, you would find little on what precious darlings of what is called "indie."' No! Nirvana did not invent indie rock, or even so-called alternative music. That would be Black Flag, Husker Du, The Replacements, R.E.M. The Pixies, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, and a bunch of other trailblazers that predated Nirvana by 5-10 years. Go read Route 66: On the Road to Nirvana or Our Band Could be Your Life to learn the history. What Nirvana does get credit for though is bringing alternative music into the mainstream. They were the band that kicked open the door, but there were countless bands that laid the foundation for Nirvana's success. As jojoexile wrote two posts down: "Timing is everything" and Nirvana was simply the right band at the right time. "  [+]  Reply

- Mr. Shankly | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +14 votes (15 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:

1991

Appears in:

3,241 charts

Rank Score:

37,022

Rank in 1991:

1

Rank in 1990s:

2

Overall Rank:

13

Average Rating:

 87 (4,361 votes)

Comments:

413

3.

In The Aeroplane Over The Sea 

 Neutral Milk Hotel

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"It's a strange phenomenon that this record has garnered so much critical acclaim. With its simplistic harmonic progressions and expectable cadences, and with its lo-fi production value, and Jeff Magnum's vocals (under normal circumstances, underwhelming), the tracks are not exactly complex in a m...""It's a strange phenomenon that this record has garnered so much critical acclaim. With its simplistic harmonic progressions and expectable cadences, and with its lo-fi production value, and Jeff Magnum's vocals (under normal circumstances, underwhelming), the tracks are not exactly complex in a musical context. But it's these very qualities that In the Aeroplane over the Sea owes its charm. If, on the other hand, we consider the highlights, what we have is a very carefully arranged and structured work with seamless transitions from track to track, and centering around (or influenced by) the birth, experiences, death, and memory of a miss Anne Frank. This can literally be considered an album - or a concept album, if you must need call it that - as opposed to a collection of songs, which has invariably become the norm for developing records. We have beautifully elementary horn arrangements by Robert Schneider and Scott Spillane. What we have are raw, realistic vocals relating stories naturally, sanguinely, and without restraint. What we have is Magnum's lyricism that's vivid in its descriptions. While it might not be impressive in ways normally envisioned by listeners and critics of rock, ItAotS is spirited enough to ameliorate most of the complaints that arise. This piece requires more than five listens to 'get it' - it's not an instant payoff. Allow it to grow on you. "  [+]  Reply

- soundguardian | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +18 votes (23 helpful | 5 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:

2,430 charts

Rank Score:

31,242

Rank in 1998:

1

Rank in 1990s:

3

Overall Rank:

17

Average Rating:

 87 (2,973 votes)

Comments:

432

4.

The Bends 

 Radiohead

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"One of the greatest albums of the 90s and perhaps of all time, Radiohead truly demonstrated it's maturity and ability to create great music with this album. Unlike most Radiohead albums, which generally challenge the listener to delve into their minds( Kid A, Ok Computer, Amnesiac) this album bri...""One of the greatest albums of the 90s and perhaps of all time, Radiohead truly demonstrated it's maturity and ability to create great music with this album. Unlike most Radiohead albums, which generally challenge the listener to delve into their minds( Kid A, Ok Computer, Amnesiac) this album brings the listener to the deepest parts of their souls. An introspective album that captures darkness, beauty, and range of emotions of the human condition. Radiohead may have strayed very far from this sound in their future albums, but that only adds to the gravitas and significance of this emotional journey. Best Tracks: Fake Plastic Trees, Street Spirit Fade Out, High and Dry "  [+]  Reply

- 5432juan | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +16 votes (17 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:

1995

Appears in:

2,685 charts

Rank Score:

28,094

Rank in 1995:

1

Rank in 1990s:

4

Overall Rank:

22

Average Rating:

 87 (3,947 votes)

Comments:

316

5.

Loveless 

 My Bloody Valentine

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"It's funny. If you listen to just the melodies, you're not left with anything too memorable. Song structures are simple. The guitar sounds are pretty amazing, but you wouldn't listen only to that by itself. The lyrics, what you can decipher at least, are nothing to die for either. Somehow everyth...""It's funny. If you listen to just the melodies, you're not left with anything too memorable. Song structures are simple. The guitar sounds are pretty amazing, but you wouldn't listen only to that by itself. The lyrics, what you can decipher at least, are nothing to die for either. Somehow everything thrown together sounds like the most beautiful mess ever, that you never want to stop. I always find myself putting the volume up, because I feel like hearing the melody a bit more clearly. And by doing that the I dive even further into the whole "wall of noise". And I'm listening to the music at an incredible volume without even realizing it. You can't get much closer to a full "3D" experience when it comes to music. It just takes you into its own world. It's messy, it's loud, it's so very beautiful."  [+]  Reply

- 19loveless91 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +21 votes (23 helpful | 2 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:

2,170 charts

Rank Score:

27,688

Rank in 1991:

2

Rank in 1990s:

5

Overall Rank:

24

Average Rating:

 86 (2,492 votes)

Comments:

313

6.

Automatic For The People 

 R.E.M.

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"After years of hearing about Weaver D's--the Athens, Georgia, soul food eatery that spawned the catchphrase that R.E.M. borrowed for the title of this album--I finally had a chance to visit there in 2013, just a few months before they closed their doors for good. I can confirm that their fried ch...""After years of hearing about Weaver D's--the Athens, Georgia, soul food eatery that spawned the catchphrase that R.E.M. borrowed for the title of this album--I finally had a chance to visit there in 2013, just a few months before they closed their doors for good. I can confirm that their fried chicken and black-eyed peas were second to none, and I also can confirm that Dexter Weaver did indeed respond, "Automatic," when he took my order. As for the album that the members of R.E.M. created in honor of this Georgia institution, it's one of the band's best, and that's saying something. It's quite a bit more accessible, more radio friendly, than a lot of their work from the eighties, but still as lyrically oblique as ever. My favorite track, "Find the River," uses the song's namesake river as a metaphor for the kind of artistic seeking that has marked the band's whole career: "I have got to find the river / Bergamot and vetiver / Run through my head and fall away." A great summary of the place R.E.M.'s music has had in my life ever since I first heard them in the mid-eighties."  [+]  Reply

- buzzdainer | 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:

1,844 charts

Rank Score:

19,178

Rank in 1992:

1

Rank in 1990s:

6

Overall Rank:

46

Average Rating:

 84 (2,230 votes)

Comments:

177

7.

Ten 

 Pearl Jam

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"Someone unfamiliar with Pearl Jam might confuse this with a greatest hits album. This is just about as good as debut albums get. Certainly top 5 debut of all time. Very emotional, powerful stuff from these guys. Their best."  Reply

- AAL2014 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (6 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:

1991

Appears in:

1,858 charts

Rank Score:

18,146

Rank in 1991:

3

Rank in 1990s:

7

Overall Rank:

52

Average Rating:

 82 (2,359 votes)

Comments:

181

8.

Grace 

 Jeff Buckley

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"Jeff Buckley isn’t only the most beautiful voice of the century, in my opinion; he’s also the most under-rated artist, with no doubt. Grace is his legacy, the only album he made. 1994’s Grace is outstanding, mysterious and truly sad. The lead song, Mojo Pin, is like a ray of sun almost blocked by...""Jeff Buckley isn’t only the most beautiful voice of the century, in my opinion; he’s also the most under-rated artist, with no doubt. Grace is his legacy, the only album he made. 1994’s Grace is outstanding, mysterious and truly sad. The lead song, Mojo Pin, is like a ray of sun almost blocked by a big tree. The title-song of the album shows Jeff’s vocal skills. He’s not only a great guitar player but also an incredible song writer. In the decade of grunge rock, Grace gives you sadness in a delightful way."  [+]  Reply

- arthurbittencourt | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 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:

1,746 charts

Rank Score:

17,790

Rank in 1994:

1

Rank in 1990s:

8

Overall Rank:

54

Average Rating:

 84 (1,980 votes)

Comments:

172

9.

Siamese Dream 

 The Smashing Pumpkins

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"This album is tremendous. One of the best of the 90s for sure. Standout tracks to me are Mayonaise, Today, and Hummer. blackflag29, great comment. I love the Mayonaise comparison to Loveless."  Reply

- Rounder89 | 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:

1993

Appears in:

1,628 charts

Rank Score:

17,458

Rank in 1993:

1

Rank in 1990s:

9

Overall Rank:

55

Average Rating:

 85 (1,963 votes)

Comments:

152

10.

(What's The Story) Morning Glory? 

 Oasis

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"People (especially hipsters) love to hate on Oasis. I can understand; they got quite arrogant, they wear their influences boldly, and they didn't grow much after this. But this is a cracking album. Gifted melodies, clever hooks - the Gallagher boys know pop-rock. This is good stuff. Shame they ne...""People (especially hipsters) love to hate on Oasis. I can understand; they got quite arrogant, they wear their influences boldly, and they didn't grow much after this. But this is a cracking album. Gifted melodies, clever hooks - the Gallagher boys know pop-rock. This is good stuff. Shame they never matched or topped it..."  [+]  Reply

- junodog4 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +19 votes (20 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:

1995

Appears in:

1,786 charts

Rank Score:

17,313

Rank in 1995:

2

Rank in 1990s:

10

Overall Rank:

56

Average Rating:

 81 (2,491 votes)

Comments:

236

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 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%
Tori Amos	5	1%
Suede	5	1%
Pavement	5	1%
Radiohead	5	1%
Stereolab	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%