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: 7 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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31.

Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins

"If you could put a dream on a CD. This is it."
-

mayonaise93 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1990

Appears in:

849 charts

Rank Score:

9,652

Rank in 1990:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

142

Average Rating:

84 (870 votes)

Comments:

32.

The Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails

"The textures on this album still shock me. There is a vision to this cd that I wonder if anyone else 'gets' the way I do. And each time I think of it, I feel like I must be a pompous ass. However, the awe remains and yet when discuss the record I rarely hear people digging to the heart of the alb...""The textures on this album still shock me. There is a vision to this cd that I wonder if anyone else 'gets' the way I do. And each time I think of it, I feel like I must be a pompous ass. However, the awe remains and yet when discuss the record I rarely hear people digging to the heart of the album. David Bowie's Low is often quoted as a reference point...and er, i suppose, but the larger point of the Eno era, late 70s Bowie as a whole I do observed as being a source of inspiration for Reznor as well has Brian Eno himself. This record is so full of paradox and conflict. Because Reznor's lyrical themes haven't changed in 20 years, he is often made fun of about them. "There goes Reznor again, hurt because his Young Life group rejected him. However, here on TDS Reznor melded pieces together that are opposites; lust, emptiness, yearning, hope, overwhelm & pride (both the constructive variety a/w/a destructive) but most especially the organic with the mechanical. He loves to write patterns associated with industrial using natural organic sounds. Truthfully, the intangibles on display here leave me in a place where at least 'my words' feel insufficient, so I'll merely highlight a section of this record that properly illustrates its power. The transition between A Warm Place & Eraser is notable for several reasons. First, A Warm Place is the first occasion Reznor gives for any kind of a break, replacing the intense frustration, fear and self-loathing to this point with mere meloncholy. A Warm Place is bittersweet, beautiful and above all, brief. However the way the listener is overcome again is utterly terrifying. Reznor starts subtly with the blowing through a reed. Not a 'reed instrument' but literally a blade of rivergrass (again, organic), or at least it sounds like it. This blowing pattern starts quietly but as it gets louder dread begins to creep again within the listener. Bees begin to buzz beneath the surface and then rise to add swarm to the swell. Finally, these thundering toms oppressively crash down on you as hard as anything you'd expect from John Bonham until finally the rest of the song kicks in. The Downward Spiral doesn't give you another break until the character in Reznor's story is has completed the descent detailed in the narrative. When taken in for all its power, TDS is among the most uncompromising discs I've heard. That it enjoyed the chart success it did still baffles me. However, if only taken for its surface level of hooks & adolescent-friendly narcisistic nihilism, much of this power is missed." [More]
- seraphlaim | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +13 votes (14 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1994

Appears in:

983 charts

Rank Score:

9,141

Rank in 1994:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

152

Average Rating:

82 (1,252 votes)

Comments:

33.

Endtroducing.....

DJ Shadow

"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 ..." [More]
- | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1996

Appears in:

991 charts

Rank Score:

9,068

Rank in 1996:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

156

Average Rating:

84 (1,126 votes)

Comments:

34.

MTV Unplugged In New York
Live

Nirvana

"The greatest live album ever. There were a lot of good MTV Unpluggeds but this is surely one of everyone's favorites. Very raw and real set. Introduced me to the Meat Puppets."
-

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

Year of Release:

1994

Appears in:

1,075 charts

Rank Score:

8,980

Rank in 1994:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

35.

Pulp

"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..." [More]
- seraphlaim | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (7 helpful | 2 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1995

Appears in:

943 charts

Rank Score:

8,541

Rank in 1995:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

170

Average Rating:

82 (1,062 votes)

Comments:

36.

Laughing Stock

Talk Talk

"Well, this comment previously had a link to the Red Krayola song 'Listen to This', but I removed it, as I don't think Mayo Thompson's way of saying the sentence sounds like he's refering to anything else but the sound that comes afterwards. My intention was of course to get Mayo Thompson to tell ..." [More]
- | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1991

Appears in:

781 charts

Rank Score:

8,489

Rank in 1991:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

172

Average Rating:

83 (907 votes)

Comments:

37.

Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Pavement

"I've had Gold Soundz stuck in my head for the last three days "because it's secret-cret cret cret cret cret cret cret cret right now!" This album was quite an eye (ear) opener when I first heard it."
-

Mr. Shankly | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1994

Appears in:

939 charts

Rank Score:

8,442

Rank in 1994:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

173

Average Rating:

83 (1,159 votes)

Comments:

38.

Superunknown

Soundgarden

"It's not "grunge". Don't expect your usual short songs, boring repetitive pop hooks in 4/4 time we've come to expect from the indie genre. The musicianship is fantastic. You can really tell everyone's actually listening to each other. And fabulous sound textures without the use of electronic inst..." [More]
-

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

Year of Release:

1994

Appears in:

964 charts

Rank Score:

8,406

Rank in 1994:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

176

Average Rating:

81 (1,230 votes)

Comments:

39.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers

"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."
- marginwalker | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1991

Appears in:

1,116 charts

Rank Score:

8,174

Rank in 1991:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

181

Average Rating:

79 (1,767 votes)

Comments:

100

40.

The Lonesome Crowded West

Modest Mouse

"I don't come across "perfect" albums very often. Much better than The Moon and Antarctica."
-

NubbinBased | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

729 charts

Rank Score:

7,631

Rank in 1997:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

199

Average Rating:

84 (971 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 4 of 100

Best Albums of the 1990s composition

Year	Albums	%

1990	84	8%
1991	85	9%
1992	103	10%
1993	107	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%
Pavement	5	1%
Suede	5	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	536	54%
	269	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	991	99%
Yes	9	1%

« View best albums of the 1980sView best albums of the 2000s »

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