Best Albums of the 1990s

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31.

Pinkerton 

 Weezer

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"I think the reason why Pinkerton was panned when it was released was because the feelings it evokes are almost the exact opposite of those on the Blue Album. Even some of the darker songs from the Blue Album, like "The World Has Turned", were still fun to just sing along to, and you could play it...""I think the reason why Pinkerton was panned when it was released was because the feelings it evokes are almost the exact opposite of those on the Blue Album. Even some of the darker songs from the Blue Album, like "The World Has Turned", were still fun to just sing along to, and you could play it whenever you wanted. Pinkerton, on the other hand, is supposed to be shocking; Rivers licking a fan's envelope and imagining her masturbate to him is a lot weirder than his younger self pretending to have sex with his ex in bed. With that said, people also didn't like Rivers' reactions to the rock life style. Many people would pay for all the sex he says he's tired of. They don't see why he's trying to get in his relationships, and their opinions are made even lower by the fact that he can't keep them. Of course, their's the aforementioned fan mail licking. What probably makes people's opinions of Pinkerton so low, though, is that Rivers, or at least the narrator of each song, has no confidence. Nobody likes someone who lacks confidence, and to most people it comes to no surprise that Rivers has all these failures in relationships. One could argue the mood of the album changes entirely once "The Good Life" starts playing. Yes, Rivers still has his girl troubles, but he approaches relationships with much more confidence than before; the pain he might get from a bad or broken relationship doesn't faze him. He then finally gets the girl in "Falling For You", but loses her just as quick as he got her in "Butterfly". All he can say is that he's sorry for being this guy who wants a girl's love but can't give it back, for being selfish. This song sums up the message of the album: If you're looking for true love, you can't just fantasize about it; you have to go out, find it, and give it to someone. The songs reflect the character of each half of the album. The first half is noticeably more dark than the second and the tracks are harder to get into. Even long=time listeners may not be at ease when those songs are playing. Still, this half of the album is great because Rivers managed to pull off this unsettling mood perfectly. The second half takes its character from Rivers' new found confidence, and thus it makes perfect sense that all the singles are on this side. People who listen to Pinkerton for the first time will, almost certainly, connect with this half better than the first. Personally, I'd argue this stretch of songs is the best that Rivers has ever written. I think what makes Pinkerton so amazing is that it does so many different things so well. It catches the listener off guard and talks about the keys to finding love while still having those great hooks and riffs that Weezer is known for. You can't go wrong with the pure fun of "El Scorcho", one of the best rock choruses ever in "The Good Life", the epic finale of "Falling for You", the acoustic beauty of "Butterfly", the sheer despair of "Across the Sea", the pure pop of "Why Bother?", along with whatever else these tracks have to offer. On a final note, after listening to Pinkerton I can understand why Rivers doesn't make music as good as he used to: he doesn't want to make another album about him being unable to deal with fame. You can tell by just reading his lyrics that making this album was emotionally taxing. He just wants to make his album and tour, then go back to his family. As long as I have the Blue Album, Pinkerton, and the occasional good Weezer song like "Pork and Beans", I'm okay with that."  [+]  Reply

- Happy | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +23 votes (23 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:

1,097 charts

Rank Score:

9,520

Rank in 1996:

2

Rank in 1990s:

31

Overall Rank:

143

Average Rating:

 83 (1,591 votes)

Comments:

148

32.

Endtroducing..... 

 DJ Shadow

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"One of the definitive albums of the 90's, a genius work of hip hop/electronic music. It samples jazz,hip hop,electronic,funk, etc and sounds like all of them and nothing like those genres. One of those records that sounds like nothing before it and nothing since. "Midnight in a Perfect World" is ...""One of the definitive albums of the 90's, a genius work of hip hop/electronic music. It samples jazz,hip hop,electronic,funk, etc and sounds like all of them and nothing like those genres. One of those records that sounds like nothing before it and nothing since. "Midnight in a Perfect World" is truly haunting and beautiful and "Why Hip Hop Sucks in 96" is actually pretty funny. "  [+]  Reply

- | 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:

992 charts

Rank Score:

9,131

Rank in 1996:

3

Rank in 1990s:

32

Overall Rank:

152

Average Rating:

 84 (1,131 votes)

Comments:

67

33.

The Downward Spiral 

 Nine Inch Nails

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"If someone told me even 5 years ago that I would ever profess to being a Nine Inch Nails fan, I would have called them a bald-faced liar. Even more so if they had said I would put one of their albums in my personal top ten. Yet, here we are, with The Downward Spiral claiming a position on my list...""If someone told me even 5 years ago that I would ever profess to being a Nine Inch Nails fan, I would have called them a bald-faced liar. Even more so if they had said I would put one of their albums in my personal top ten. Yet, here we are, with The Downward Spiral claiming a position on my list. My perceptions about what NIN was were proved to be wrong after my first listen through this album, and my appreciation of Reznor's unique musical genius grows with each listen. The emotion on this album is honest and real, and the instrumentation is truly unique. No one else sounds quite like Reznor. His control of the studio gives him the ability to create textures that express whatever he wishes. In this case, he creates a story of a man's descent towards suicide, covering the mosaic of emotions which are encountered along the way. The album closes on one of the most touching songs ever in "Hurt", an incredible wrap up to what is a bold and powerful album throughout. No other album so honestly expresses anger as The Downward Spiral, both in its music and in it's lyrics. A tour-de-force from Reznor, and one of my persnonal favourites."  [+]  Reply

- souplipton | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +16 votes (16 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:

988 charts

Rank Score:

8,972

Rank in 1994:

6

Rank in 1990s:

33

Overall Rank:

157

Average Rating:

 82 (1,254 votes)

Comments:

88

34.

MTV Unplugged In New York 
Live

 Nirvana

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"Fantastic release that shows a very different side of Nirvana that I wish they would have been able to explore more on record. I'm glad Cobain stuck to his guns and played mostly covers and album tracks because it makes this Unplugged far more interesting than most of them. I also love that they ...""Fantastic release that shows a very different side of Nirvana that I wish they would have been able to explore more on record. I'm glad Cobain stuck to his guns and played mostly covers and album tracks because it makes this Unplugged far more interesting than most of them. I also love that they left the in between track banter on the album because it shows that they were just a bunch of dudes having fun and being loose. This album is making me reconsider my rule of no live albums on my charts."  [+]  Reply

- | 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:

1994

Appears in:

1,077 charts

Rank Score:

8,885

Rank in 1994:

7

Rank in 1990s:

34

Overall Rank:

159

Average Rating:

 86 (1,946 votes)

Comments:

102

35.

Different Class 

 Pulp

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"In representing 90s brit-pop one can chose Blur's Parklife, this album or either of their first two Oasis records according to preference. For me it isn't close. Jarvis is the most British of the bunch capturing Albarn's campiness and the Galleghar brothers bravado in one fail swoop. Lust licenti...""In representing 90s brit-pop one can chose Blur's Parklife, this album or either of their first two Oasis records according to preference. For me it isn't close. Jarvis is the most British of the bunch capturing Albarn's campiness and the Galleghar brothers bravado in one fail swoop. Lust & licentiousness, class warfare & social mischief its all here and its a hell of a lot of fun while also expertly crafted."  [+]  Reply

- seraphlaim | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (7 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:

1995

Appears in:

946 charts

Rank Score:

8,535

Rank in 1995:

4

Rank in 1990s:

35

Overall Rank:

169

Average Rating:

 82 (1,064 votes)

Comments:

68

36.

Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain 

 Pavement

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"I really don't see how Sonic Youth going into a punctuation mark can be compared to the song Cut Your Hair."  Reply

- | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +14 votes (14 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:

939 charts

Rank Score:

8,434

Rank in 1994:

8

Rank in 1990s:

36

Overall Rank:

173

Average Rating:

 83 (1,161 votes)

Comments:

88

37.

Laughing Stock 

 Talk Talk

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"Though their shared 6-track, 40-or-so minute format results in Slint's Spiderland often being lumped together with this album under the umbrella label of 'post-rock', a quick venture into its opening 17 seconds of amplifier hiss tells you you're a million miles away from the bustling carnival of ...""Though their shared 6-track, 40-or-so minute format results in Slint's Spiderland often being lumped together with this album under the umbrella label of 'post-rock', a quick venture into its opening 17 seconds of amplifier hiss tells you you're a million miles away from the bustling carnival of Breadcrumb Trail. Right from the offset, the idea that the two albums are opposite sides of the same coin is clear: where Slint's guitars screech, Talk Talk's lull; where McMahan's voice screams, Hollis' quivers. Spirit Of Eden is considered by many to be the culmination of Talk Talk's transformation from the new wave sound they first emerged with, and there's no denying the quality in tracks like Eden and I Believe In You. But for me, their swansong Laughing Stock captures the manic brilliance of the band right at the moment of their dissolution. Take opening track Myrrhman for example: Hollis' obscure and muted lyrics punctuated by dissonant and shapeless instrumentation might seem baffling, or even over-indulgent at first; I certainly used to think so. But by the end of its delicate and pained string section it becomes clear that the reason Talk Talk disorientated you was just so they could pick you apart all the more easily. Most of this is copied from the description of the album in my overall chart, do check it out if you have the time!!"  [+]  Reply

- ForegroundNoise | 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:

782 charts

Rank Score:

8,413

Rank in 1991:

7

Rank in 1990s:

37

Overall Rank:

175

Average Rating:

 83 (915 votes)

Comments:

81

38.

Superunknown 

 Soundgarden

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"The peak of Soundgarden's recording career. A brilliant masterpiece, one of the nineties great records. Black hole Sun, is obviously a standout, but there are a wealth of great songs here. My wave, spoonman, and, fell on black days, are all excellent. An album destined to be a classic."  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:

1994

Appears in:

968 charts

Rank Score:

8,352

Rank in 1994:

9

Rank in 1990s:

38

Overall Rank:

178

Average Rating:

 81 (1,231 votes)

Comments:

85

39.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik 

 Red Hot Chili Peppers

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"This is my all-time favorite album. The bass and guitar intertwine in such a way that makes butter feel out of place on bread. This is funk at its most energetic, ballads at their most beautiful, and a body of music at its sexiest."  Reply

- marginwalker | 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:

1991

Appears in:

1,119 charts

Rank Score:

8,111

Rank in 1991:

8

Rank in 1990s:

39

Overall Rank:

183

Average Rating:

 79 (1,769 votes)

Comments:

100

40.

The Lonesome Crowded West 

 Modest Mouse

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"On this album, Isaac Brock manages to sound more pissed off than any punk or metal singer could ever dream of. He's sick of seeing patches of forest being destroyed to build yet another subdivision, sick of seeing Walmart after Walmart putting mom and pop stores out of business, sick of all the p...""On this album, Isaac Brock manages to sound more pissed off than any punk or metal singer could ever dream of. He's sick of seeing patches of forest being destroyed to build yet another subdivision, sick of seeing Walmart after Walmart putting mom and pop stores out of business, sick of all the pointless urbanization eating the heart out of many of America's small towns. In the midst of all of this anger, Brock also displays a lot of vulnerability, particularly in Trailer Trash, which seems to be about nostalgia for a childhood that, in all honesty, really wasn't that great. Even in Cowboy Dan, a song that for the most part seems to have the speaker trying to keep his barely-contained rage from boiling over, there's a piece in the middle where a hazy childhood memory temporarily distracts the speaker from his ranting. The entire album is loose and all over the place but still manages to be incredibly consistent, with nearly every song being excellent, the other songs being good enough to hold you until a better one comes along. This album is definitely one of my favorites, I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys alternative/indie rock."  [+]  Reply

- | 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:

1997

Appears in:

726 charts

Rank Score:

7,539

Rank in 1997:

4

Rank in 1990s:

40

Overall Rank:

201

Average Rating:

 84 (971 votes)

Comments:

65

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 4 of 100

Best Albums of the 1990s composition

Top 1,000 Top 500 Top 250 Top 100

Year	Albums	%
1990	86	9%
1991	85	9%
1992	106	11%
1993	107	11%
1994	126	13%
1995	103	10%
1996	108	11%
1997	99	10%
1998	101	10%
1999	87	9%

Artist	Albums	%
Blur	6	1%
The Flaming Lips	6	1%
Pavement	5	0%
Yo La Tengo	5	0%
Radiohead	5	0%
Sonic Youth	5	0%
Stereolab	5	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	532	53%
	272	27%
	42	4%
	30	3%
	25	2%
	15	1%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	990	98%
Yes	18	2%

Live?	Albums	%
No	989	98%
Yes	19	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	999	99%
Yes	9	1%