Best Albums of the 1990s

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Listed below are the best albums of the 1990s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 58,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 2 hours ago).

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1990s decade summaryThe best artists of the 1990s were Radiohead, Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Neutral Milk Hotel, Oasis, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, My Bloody Valentine, Nick Cave and Björk.

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301.

The First Tindersticks Album

Tindersticks

"I discovered this album at the same time as Cure for Pain from Morphine and Worst Case Scenario from dEUS. These records became my soundtrack of that summer. Stuart Staples has an amazing voice, and on their debut they manage to create a perfect melancholic record. The album lasts 77 minutes, as ..." [+] Reply

- catpower16 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1993

Appears in:

175 charts

Rank Score:

1,023

Rank in 1993:

Rank in 1990s:

301

Overall Rank:

1,656

Average Rating:

79 (191 votes)

Comments:

302.

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

George Michael

"In many ways, this album is better than "faith". Where "faith" was more immediately-grabbing, "vol.1" is more complex and emotionally/musically layered. His covers (including a b-side elton cover) nail those songs' sentiment. G.Michael attempts to show us there's more than a tight @ss behind his ..." [+] Reply

paladisiac | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1990

Appears in:

182 charts

Rank Score:

1,022

Rank in 1990:

Rank in 1990s:

302

Overall Rank:

1,657

Average Rating:

76 (209 votes)

Comments:

303.

The Rhythm Of The Saints

Paul Simon

"I always had trouble with the album falling short of breath quite early on. Until I discovered the actual track sequence Paul Simon had in mind for this (which, when considering the actual sequence on the album as produced is 3-6-4-7-8-1-2-9-5-10). I tried it and only then discovered the masterpi..." [+] Reply

- vdnoorfr | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1990

Appears in:

188 charts

Rank Score:

1,017

Rank in 1990:

Rank in 1990s:

303

Overall Rank:

1,661

Average Rating:

75 (224 votes)

Comments:

304.

Tomorrow The Green Grass

The Jayhawks

"Jayhawks are a band that more people on this site need to hear. The harmonies of Marc Olson and Gary Louris are as good as you will ever find." Reply

Romanelli | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1995

Appears in:

145 charts

Rank Score:

1,015

Rank in 1995:

Rank in 1990s:

304

Overall Rank:

1,665

Average Rating:

77 (147 votes)

Comments:

305.

There Is Nothing Left To Lose

Foo Fighters

"Probably their worst album, but that says more about how great they are than anything else! A great album with a lot of keepers." Reply

lightmyway | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1999

Appears in:

254 charts

Rank Score:

1,014

Rank in 1999:

Rank in 1990s:

305

Overall Rank:

1,667

Average Rating:

76 (453 votes)

Comments:

306.

The White Stripes

"The debut from Jack and Meg is a raw, stripped down, electric guitar and drum, in your face affair that plain kicks ass. And there's 17 tracks of it, none longer than 3:22. So even though the songs mostly have a similar feel to them, the album moves right along and keeps the energy going right th..." [+] Reply

drivebytornado | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1999

Appears in:

236 charts

Rank Score:

1,014

Rank in 1999:

Rank in 1990s:

306

Overall Rank:

1,668

Average Rating:

76 (434 votes)

Comments:

307.

This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours

Manic Street Preachers

"I don't say it's their best album,but it was the first manics album i heard,so i really enjoy this one." Reply

Omid | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

208 charts

Rank Score:

1,013

Rank in 1998:

Rank in 1990s:

307

Overall Rank:

1,669

Average Rating:

73 (293 votes)

Comments:

308.

Crash

Dave Matthews Band

"Like eating vanilla ice cream. Actually, it's more like making ice cream, y'know with the ice and the coffee can and the grinding and general annoyance that's supposed to make you appriciate the end product but then you ended up eating shitty homemade vanilla ice cream and you have to sit there a..." [+] Reply

ShaneSpear | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1996

Appears in:

184 charts

Rank Score:

1,007

Rank in 1996:

Rank in 1990s:

308

Overall Rank:

1,677

Average Rating:

71 (326 votes)

Comments:

309.

Incesticide
Compilation

Nirvana

"The first half sits comfortably next to Nevermind, if somewhat less essential. The second half is weaker than the low points of bleach. Then it finishes with one of their best track." Reply

- australiantibullus | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (6 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1992

Appears in:

205 charts

Rank Score:

1,002

Rank in 1992:

Rank in 1990s:

309

Overall Rank:

1,687

Average Rating:

76 (632 votes)

Comments:

310.

宇宙日本世田谷 [Uchū Nippon Setagaya]

フィッシュマンズ [Fishmans]

"One of the ways the Fishmans online community stokes the fire of their fandom is through the creation of "The Seasonal Report", a fanzine consisting of all things concerning the Japanese outfit. Said volumes contain recent Fishmans-related news, fan retrospectives and even occasional poetry. Howe...""One of the ways the Fishmans online community stokes the fire of their fandom is through the creation of "The Seasonal Report", a fanzine consisting of all things concerning the Japanese outfit. Said volumes contain recent Fishmans-related news, fan retrospectives and even occasional poetry. However, the passion project can only be accessed on 'The Fish Tank' (Fishmans' Discord), issuu.com and archive.org. This narrowness of access is an emblematic reminder of the legacy the band has left in its wake. It's a portrait of veracious artisans whose existence and collected works are shrouded in just as much mystery as truth. This attaches value to excavating deep within cavernous labyrinths to find gold among endless, pedestrian sediment. Some things are meant to be uncovered by happenstance and, due to this, many don't find Fishmans. Fishmans find you. Furthermore, it seems fitting that the closing studio effort was 1997's 'Uchu Nippon Setagaya', an eight-chapter odyssey that saw the band fully harness and deploy the optimal strength of their dream pop powers. See, just as Fishmans was destined to be difficult to discover, they also curated a candle which burned ineffably bright for a finite amount of time. At the risk of inducing melodrama, Fishmans' catalog extends beyond the plane of human achievement and dexterity. To put it plainly, it was the music of the angels. Album seven is the final entry in Fishmans' Wakiki Trilogy, so named for the new studio HQ, "Waikiki Beach", provided by the band's record label (Polydor). The sonic space birthed fruitful products, as they went on to release three of their most acclaimed records in this new auditory ecosystem. The upgrade in capital also aided a transition to a more evocative and mellifluous sound, supplanting their dub roots. The new look artistic temperament is unabashed and unshrouded in the opening track of 'Space Japan Setagaya', entitled 'Pokka Pokka'. The opening melody coos with a delicate, childlike disposition, almost with the intention to softly awaken one from a dream. Kin-Ichi Motegi's patient drum beat gently breaks the serenity to pull you in as Sato's falsetto safely ushers you to the next soundscape. His lyrics craft a vision more mournful than on previous records. He sings, "I wish I could be kind only to someone; I wish I could live without relying on tomorrow." Honzi's violin, which served as a lynchpin for the band's dream pop realignment, softly puts the track to bed and marks another tender moment in an already alluring discography. At the close, it becomes clear that it's a heinous crime that 98 percent of the western world will never experience this music but it also functions as a magnificent anomaly to those who greet its majesty. It's like finding a four-leaf clover or witnessing a double rainbow by accident. Track two advances the dynamism as icy keys give way to a submerged bassline from Yuzuru Kashiwabara, who's always been a phenomenal bass player, but 'Weather Report' is one of his finest hours. Also, the production done by ZAK is another highlight, as the song shares DNA with Joy Division's 'Atmosphere'. The glassy, sweeping walls of sound contrast the throbbing, ever-present bassline. It's a heavier, but no less comely moment for the group. 'うしろ姿'opens with concordant ticking, evoking a hair-triggered clock. The bass again buoys as Sato sings, "Sometimes I walk a little too far, sometimes I go a little crazy." The track evolves into a pleasing cacophony of dueling rhythms and melodies, all while reverbed vocals hover in the distance, watching the sounds perpetually crawl over each other. Next, comes one of the album's more tranquil passages. The tale goes that when Sato provided his mates with a demo tape which would become 'Uchu Nippon Setagaya', most of the demos were nearly complete. The band was reluctant to tamper with the grandeur of the work, especially 'In the Flight'. On the final version, Sato's dove coos are obscured and hauntingly placid. A disciplined, observant drumbeat lingers behind as the song slowly dissipates into the ether. It's squarely doleful, ruminating on Sato's own personal sense of creative and personal unfulfillment after the band's first 10 years. The juxtaposition of beauty and sorrow coagulate to create a hymn with an idiosyncratic, potent aura. These are the sort of triumphs Fishmans make look elementary. 'Magic Love' commences with what sounds like junkyard percussion and stakes its claim as the cheeriest cut on the record. There's a lot brewing here and the bombastic production furnishes the immediacy. Its flamboyance isn't to its detriment as 'Magic Love' is still distinctly Fishmans and, therefore, funkily merry. The band rekindle their trip-hop ethos with 'バックビートにのっかって', a slow-churning sway which steadily unravels to don a new sonic identity. Honzi's polite keyboard strokes give way to a more ethereal tone which elicits violin and a more ominous vocal style. "Anxiety hovers in the air at night, it must be ruining someone's life," Sato croons. It's a patient exercise which precurses the maximalist leanings of the subsequent anthem. For the penultimate effort, the album recedes back into itself during the intro of 'Walking in the Rhythm'. Alternating sets of key strokes frame the outer edges of the track as a harmonious chant begins in lock-step while encouraging the listener to 'Walk in the Rhythm'. Clocking in at nearly 13 minutes, this 'Walk' is the record's most prolonged but possibly most serene. Honzi's violin blots the midpoint, as the strings are purposely manic, sonically abyssal and the reverberation creates an illusion of ricocheted amati lost in a spectral wilderness. Soon after, the song shrinks again as a subdued, elongated coda allows the once triumphant harmonies to be ingested subtly by the Earth. 'Walking in the Rhythm' is a masterstroke of simplicity, intention and cognizant repetition. The LP leaves us with its defining statement. 'Daydream' is a bubbling, dilating, caliginous opus that starts with a modest drumbeat. Sato bellows overtop, "A figure in the sunset, standing with a quiet face; They looked so defenseless; They blankly stood." The track oscillates with progressive whimsy, coalescing into a multi-pronged beast of arpeggio. The weighted wheel of guitar that arrives at the track's latter half conjures the sensation of being kissed by the sun after a brief summer rain storm. 'Daydream' gives in to its own anxiety as fragments begin to decouple in a heavenly fashion before dissolving ahead of its full maturation. It remains the most poignant exhibition amongst a marvelous octet of culminating art. When Shinji Sato presented his decade-long collaborators with his sparkling demo tape for what would become the final record, they were puzzled and questioned their place in an outfit that was rapidly becoming singular. However, Sato's intentions were noble and driven by a pursuit to make music that had the capacity to "change a person's life". In reality, Sato trusted his bandmates to interpret and execute his artistic vision and they too checked their egos in order to produce something wholly momentous. Despite not knowing the full vulnerability of Sato's personal headspace, Kashiwabara and Motegi were aware of the pain he carried as a result of watching his band dissolve in front of his eyes. So, as a reactionary measure, Sato employed loneliness to combat future loneliness. The byproduct was a record marked by solemnity but bathed in a whimsical elixir of creative utopia, a paradise which Sato deeply longed for. His relentless pursuit of perfection was his final undertaking. Sato died in March of 1999, but his bandmates still visit his grave to politely conversate. For theirs is a bond which never can be severed, not even by death. Fishmans still exist, as Sato would've surely wanted, never straying from their desire to plot a path through rain clouds to reach the gleaming sun of ambition and the vivid sky of artistic fulfillment. "I'm filling the holes in my heart, little by little" -Pokka Pokka 1. Daydream 2. Walking in the Rhythm 3. In the Flight 95.3" [+] Reply

DriftingOrpheus | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

108 charts

Rank Score:

999

Rank in 1997:

Rank in 1990s:

310

Overall Rank:

1,692

Average Rating:

81 (146 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 31 of 100

Best Albums of the 1990s composition

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%

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