Best AlbumS of the 90'S

[Alex]

Lets just put a stop to the inevtiable Best of 1991 and 1997 thread, and the discussion in the 96 thread about how this or that year was better, and throw it all here.

[zombie]

We did this here (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=31420&highlight=best+albums) too.

01 Elliott Smith, Either/Or
02 Massive Attack, Mezzanine
03 Pavement, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
04 Faith No More, Angel Dust
05 Dr. Octagon, Octagonecologyst
06 Jawbox, For Your Own Special Sweetheart
07 Portishead, Dummy
08 Aphex Twin, Richard D. James Album
09 DJ Shadow, ...Endtroducing
10 Sunny Day Real Estate, Diary

Not sure what I'd change.

[Alex]

We did this here (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=31420&highlight=best+albums) too.

01 Elliott Smith, Either/Or
02 Massive Attack, Mezzanine
03 Pavement, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
04 Faith No More, Angel Dust
05 Dr. Octagon, Octagonecologyst
06 Jawbox, For Your Own Special Sweetheart
07 Portishead, Dummy
08 Aphex Twin, Richard D. James Album
09 DJ Shadow, ...Endtroducing
10 Sunny Day Real Estate, Diary

Not sure what I'd change.

Wow, i put two elliot smith albums on my original one.
...this is what i get for not doing a search.

[MicBK]

my personal favorites:

1. Tom Waits - Mule Variations
2. Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
3. Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
4. Radiohead - OK Computer
5. Slint - Spiderland
6. A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
7. Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus
8. Pavement - Brighten the Corners
9. Mogwai - Young Team
10.The Roots - Do You Want More?

obviously, i like Pavement alot.

[KenK]

Nas-Illmatic
Wu-Tang Clan-Enter the 36 Chambers
Sneaker Pimps-Becoming X

I know there are more, can't think of them right now.

[leonaozaki]

1. Lisa Germano: On the Way Down From the Moon Palace, Happiness (both versions), Geek the Girl, Excerpts from a Love Circus, Slide.
2. Bob Dylan: World Gone Wrong, Time out of Mind, Live 1966.
3. David Bowie: Outside, Earthling
4. Elvis Costello: Brutal Youth
5. Elvis Costello and the Attractions: All this Useless Beauty
6. The Breeders: Last Splash
7. The Amps: Pacer
8. Mazzy Star: So Tonight That I Might See
9. Neil Young and Crazy Horse: Ragged Glory, Sleeps with Angels
10. Matthew Sweet: Girlfriend, 100% Fun
11. The Levellers: Levelling the Land, Zeitgeist
12. Peter Gabriel: Us
13. Nirvana: Nevermind
14. Dash Rip Rock: Get You Some of Me
15. Mojo Nixon: Whereabouts Unknown
16. Liz Phair: Exile in Guyville, Whip-Smart, Whitechocolatespaceegg
17. R.E.M.: Out of Time, Automatic for the People
18. Warren Zevon: Learning to Flinch, Mutineer
19. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Into the Great Wide Open, Echo
20. Tom Petty: Wildflowers
21. Johnny Cash: American Recordings, Unchained
22. Sugar: Copper Blue, Beaster
23. Throwing Muses, Red Heaven
24. Kristen Hersh, Hips and Makers
25. Midnight Oil, Blue Sky Mine, Earth and Sun and Moon
26. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Let's Face It
27. Shonen Knife, Let's Knife
28. Red Hot Chili Peppers, One Hot Minute, Californication
29. U2, Achtung Baby
30. The Flaming Lips, Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, Clouds Taste Metallic, The Soft Bulletin
31. P.M. Dawn, The Bliss Album...?
32. Ice-T, O.G. Original Gangster
33. Neutral Milk Hotel, In the Aeroplane over the Sea
34. Billy Bragg and Wilco, Mermaid Avenue
35. Oasis: Definitely Maybe
36. Blur: Parklife
37. The Boo Radleys: Wake up Boo!
38. Lou Reed: Magic and Loss, Set the Twilight Reeling
39. Lou Reed and John Cale: Songs for Drella
40. Too Much Joy: Cereal Killers, Mutiny
41. TMBG: Flood, Apollo 18
42. Natalie Merchant: Tigerlily
43. Counting Crows: Recovering the Satellites
44. Metallica: Metallica, Load
45. Bjork: Post
46. Screaming Trees: Sweet Oblivion
47. Elastica: Elastica
48. Bettie Serveert: Palomine, Dust Bunnies
49. Foo Fighters: The Colour and the Shape
50. Chris Whitley, Living with the Law
51. Beck, Mutations and Odelay

[DDM]

Superstition, Siouxsie & the Banshees (1991)
Actung, Baby, U2 (1991)
Nevermind, Nirvana (1991)
Last of the Independents, The Pretenders (1994)
Isle of View, The Pretenders (1995)
Garbage, Garbage (1995)
Anima Animus, The Creatures (1999)
Eraser Cut, The Creatures (1998)
Very, The Pet Shop Boys (1993)
Debut, Bjork (1993)
Post, Bjork (1995)
Hormonally Yours, Shakespeare's Sister (1992)
Little Earthquakes, Tori Amos (1991)
Under The Pink, Tori Amos (1994)
From The Choirgirl Hotel, Tori Amos (1997)
Shooting Straight in the Dark, Mary Chapin Carpenter (1990)
Come On, Come On, Mary Chapin Carpenter (1992)
Stones in the Road, Mary Chapin Carpenter (1994)
Our Time In Eden, 10,000 Maniacs (1992)
MTV Unplugged, 10,000 Maniacs (1993)
Divinyls, Divinyls (1991)
Underworld, Divinyls (1994)
Violator, Depeche Mode (1990)
Bloodletting, Concrete Blonde (1990)
Mexican Moon, Concrete Blonde (1993)

[Hiromi]

Painkiller - Judas Priest (1990)

[Punchy]

Off the top of my head and in no particular order:

"Crazy People Music" Branford Marsalis
"Music from Mo' Better Blues" Branford Marsalis
"Art of the Trio vol III" Brad Meldhau Trio
"Art of the Trio vol IV: Back at the Vangaurd" Brad Meldhau Trio
"Black Codes From the Underground" Wynton Marsalis
"Number Two Express" Christian McBride
"Testifyin': Live from the Village Vangaurd" Benny Green
"Don't Git Sassy" The Ray Brown Trio
"Panamonk" Danilo Perez
"This Time It's Love" Kurt Elling
"South Delta Space Age" The Third Rail
"Ruby Vroom" Soul Coughing
"Facelift" Alice in Chains
"Nevermind" Nirvana
"Check Your Head" The Beastie Boys
"AEnima" Tool
"Enter the 36 Chambers" Wu-Tang Clan
"The Low End Theory" Tribe Called Quest
"Evil Empire" Rage Against the Machine
"Frizzle Fry" Primus
"Recovering the Satellites" Counting Crows
"The Southern Harmony and Music Companion" The Black Crows
"Whatever and Ever Amen" Ben Folds Five
"There is Nothing Left to Lose" Foo Fighters

[Slam_Bradley]

I'll be the first person to admit that I've listened to VERY little music from the 90's. So if I bought an album from the 90's it's because I thought it was DAMN good.

Joe Henderson put out 5 albums on Verve in the 90's and every one of them is simply excellent. "Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn," "Big Band," So Near, So Far: Musing For Miles," Double Rainbow: The Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim," and "Porgy and Bess."

Johnny Cash - "American Recordings" and "Unchained."

Merle Haggard - "1996."

Allison Krauss and Union Station - "So Long, So Wrong"

Del McCoury - "Blue Side of Town" and "Deeper Shade of Blue."

Ralph Stanley - "Saturday Night" and "Songs My Mother Taught Me..."

Emmylou Harris - "Wrecking Ball"

Gillian Welch - "Revival"

[MicBK]

i had to do some honorable mentions:

Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
Radiohead - The Bends
Pavement - Wowee Zowee
ATCQ - Midnight Marauders
De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate
Tom Waits - Bone Machine
Sublime - 40 Oz. to Freedom
Nas - Illmatic
Common Sense - Ressurection
Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beat as One
MF Doom - Operation Doomsday
Smoke - Another Reason to Fast and Heaven on a Popsicle Stick
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
De La Soul - Is Dead
Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die
The Roots - Things Fall Apart
Mogwai - Come On Die Young
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
The Alkaholiks - 21 and Over
Wu Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers
Black Moon - Enta da Stage
The Cure - Wish
SuperCat - Don Dada and the Struggle Continues
Bjork - Homogenic
The Sea and Cake - The Fawn
Aceyalone - A Book of Human Language
Hieroglyphics - 3rd Eye Vision
Del the Funkee Homosapien - No Need For Alarm
The 6ths - Wasps Nest
Saafir - Boxcar Sessions
Black Sheep - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante
Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet and Apocalypse 91
Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother
Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
Digable Planets - Blowout Comb
Buju Banton - Til Shiloh
Aceyalone - All Balls Don't Bounce
The Fugees - The Score
Beck - Odelay

phew

[Dennis K]

Let's see here, how about:

Warren Zevon: Life'll Kill Ya & My Ride's Here
Oasis: Definitely Maybe & (What's The Story?) Morning Glory
Nirvana: Nevermind & Unplugged In New York
Pearl Jam: Ten
The Black Crowes: Shake Your Money Maker & Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
Buddy Guy: Damn Right I've Got The Blues

I'm sure I'll think of more later.

[leonaozaki]

Let's see here, how about:

Warren Zevon: Life'll Kill Ya & My Ride's Here


LIFE'LL KILL YA (2000).
MY RIDE'S HERE (2002).

rob

[Grant]

I posted this last time.

1. Modest Mouse "Lonesome Crowded West" (1997)
2. Built to Spill "Perfect From Now On" (1997), "Keep it Like a Secret" (1999)
3. Sleater-Kinney "Hot Rock" (1999), Dig Me Out (1997)
4. Every Pavement record (1992-1999)
5. Flaming Lips "Clouds Taste Metalic" (1995), "Soft Bulletin" (1999), "Transmission from The Satellite Heart" (1993)
6. Radiohead "OK Computer" (1997) the Bends (1995)
7. PJ Harvey "To bring You My Love" (1994), "Rid of Me" (1993)
8. Sonic Youth "Washing Machine" (1994)
9. R.E.M. "Automatic for the People" (1992)
10. My Bloody Valentine "Loveless" (1991)
11. Yo La Tengo "Painful" (1993), "I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One" (1997)
12. Bjork "Post" (1995)
13. Beck "Odelay" (1996), "Mutations" (1998)

[Eliot Johnson]

1. Movin' On - Playa Fly
2. OK Computer - Radiohead
3. Real Dealizm - Young Lo
4. Just Gettin' It On - Playa Fly
5. Fly Shit - Playa Fly
6. Da Game Owe Me - Playa Fly
7. I Am Da Gangsta - Gangsta Blac
8. The Bends - Radiohead
9. 2 Wild For The World - Tom Skeemask
10. Out Da Darkness of Da Kut - Lil' Fly
11. 23 Hourz - V-Dog
12. 28 Gramz: Pure Dope - Taylor Boyz
13. On A Mission - DJ Squeeky
14. On The Run - Tommy Wright III
15. Can It Be? - Gangsta Blac
16. Taylor Made - Taylor Boyz
17. It Gets Greater Later - T-Tee
18. Feel Me Before They Kill Me - Tommy Wright III
19. Breakin' Da Law - Gangsta Blac

[ZombieHavoc]

elastica- s/t

[TomGun13]

In no particular order:

Jeff Buckley- Grace
Oasis- Definitely Maybe
Afghan Whigs- Black Love
Matthew Sweet- Girfriend and Altered Beast
U2- Achtung Baby

[Scubbily]

Personally, I though that TuPac's albums were the greatest. Unlike the crap for rap that we have now, TuPac actually put effort into his music. People like JaRule trying to get into the rap game when he never lived in a damn ghetto, he was middle class. Some could say the same thing about Notorious BIG but he actually sold crack for a living when he was younger. Nowadays, all the rap is about parties and shit and nothing of substance. That's why TuPac's Greatest Hits album and his "All Eyes On Me" album were the best of the 90's.

[Eliot Johnson]

Personally, I though that TuPac's albums were the greatest. Unlike the crap for rap that we have now, TuPac actually put effort into his music. People like JaRule trying to get into the rap game when he never lived in a damn ghetto, he was middle class. Some could say the same thing about Notorious BIG but he actually sold crack for a living when he was younger. Nowadays, all the rap is about parties and shit and nothing of substance. That's why TuPac's Greatest Hits album and his "All Eyes On Me" album were the best of the 90's.

So, only people from the ghetto can make good rap? Besides, my friend told me that Pac grew up middle class...he just hung in the hood. I agree with you that rap is too much about parties, though.

[Scubbily]

Yes that's what I'm trying to say. With rap back then they actually had songs about stuff that happened to them. The only rappers I will listen to today are old school rappers like DMX, Dr. Dre, and the only rapper I like from today is Eminem because he has songs that tell a story from his life, and sometimes 50 Cent.

[Eliot Johnson]

Yes that's what I'm trying to say. With rap back then they actually had songs about stuff that happened to them. The only rappers I will listen to today are old school rappers like DMX, Dr. Dre, and the only rapper I like from today is Eminem because he has songs that tell a story from his life, and sometimes 50 Cent.

Rap as a musical form has enough power that it can, if done well, be about anything. It doesn't have to be about someone growing up in the hood or their life in the hood.

If someone's claiming that shit when they didn't actually go through it, then that's lame. But rap as a form of music goes way beyond "the ghetto."

But, if you do like rap about that subject matter (and I do, too), definitely check out Playa Fly, particularly his song "Ghetto Eyes." Fly paints an incredibly realistic, thoughtful, and moving picture of growing up poor and black in the south, but he extends his subject matter far beyond that too (social commentary to religious philosophy). Which is why he is a great rapper. Any rapper that raps about just one thing is not a good rapper. Period.

So, basically, what I'm saying is that "only people from the hood can make good rap about the hood," but that "only people from the hood make good rap" is incredibly wrong.

[TJEscobar]

Nas Illmatoc
Wu Tang Enter the 36
Biggie Ready TO Die
Dre Chronic
AZ Doe or Die
Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt
Raekwon Only Built for Cuban Linx
Ghostface Ironman
Nas It was Written
DMX Its Dark and Hell is Hot
2Pac All Eyez
Biggie Life after Death
Roots Illadelph Halflife

[Ilash]

Not exactly my period of expertise but I do have some albums that I really like from this decade. In no order:

1. Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind (Solid throughout and at its best it's up there with Dylan's best.)

2. Elvis Costello - All This Useless Beauty (One of Elvis' most underrated albums. Soem gems on here - especially the title track and The Other End of the Telescope)

3. Radiohead - The Bends (My favourite Radiohead from what I've heard. Granted I like it mainly for the ballads but man, are those ballads are great.)

4. Radiohead - OK Computer (Also very good. More consistent than the Bends but I enjoy the better songs on the Bends more than anything on this)

5. Tom Petty - Wildflowers (Really nice album. My favourite of the five albums of his that I've heard. Um, that's it really.)

6. Tom Petty - In The Great Wide Open (Nice album but worse than Wildflowers that's for sure)

7. Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin (I really do quite like this even if, as I sit here listening to the Beach Boys' Sunflower/Surfs Up CD, I have come to the realization that maybe the Lips truly are mainly there to bring Beach Boys-esque music into the 90s)

8. REM - Automatic For The People. (I do only listen to this once in a blue moon but I really do like some of the stuff on here)

[I Must Break U]

Nevermind - Nirvanva
Dookie - Green day
DoggyStyle - Snoop Doggy Dogg
Frogstomp - Silverchair
Murder Was the Case soundtrack - Various artist
Above the rim soundtrack - Various artist
All eyes on me - 2pac
CrazySexyCool - TLC
Creepin on the come up - Bone thugs-n-Harmony
East 1999 - Bone thugs-n-Harmony
Incubus - Make Yourself
Dogg Pound - Dogg Food
Lost boyz - Legal drug Money
Kris Kross - totally crossed out
Da Brat - Funkdafied
Eminem - The slim shady lp
The Chronic - Dr. Dre
Life after death - The Notorious BIG

[Scubbily]

Nas Illmatoc
Wu Tang Enter the 36
Biggie Ready TO Die
Dre Chronic
AZ Doe or Die
Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt
Raekwon Only Built for Cuban Linx
Ghostface Ironman
Nas It was Written
DMX Its Dark and Hell is Hot
2Pac All Eyez
Biggie Life after Death
Roots Illadelph Halflife

Dude I had DMX's "It's Darkand Hell is Hot" but I dropped it and it skips too much to be played now. I hate that since it is an awesome album.

[Rachel Grey]

Shame on all of you.

Dehumanizer - Black Sabbath. 1992.

[abbas.khan]

nirvana - nevermind
bjork - homogenic
garbage - version 2.0
u2 - zooropa
u2 - achtung baby
the corrs - unplugged

[zombie]

Ignore this, for it is late and I made a mistake.

[jesse_custer]

Exile in Guyville, Liz Phair
Aenima, Tool
Dirt, Alice in Chains
OK Computer, Radiohead
Me Against the World, Tupac

[Infra-Man]

Don't know about the best, but here's my personal top ten

1. Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
2. OK Computer - Radiohead
3. Embergency and I - The Dismemberment Plan
4. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain - Pavement
5. Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
6. Either/Or - Elliott Smith
7. Siamese Dream - Smashing Pumpkins
8. Violator - Depeche Mode
9. Being There - Wilco
10. Girlfriend - Matthew Sweet

[Outsider]

Soundgarden - Superunknown

[Schuimend Mormel]

I have madly enjoyed 'Stain' by Living Colour.

[Jazzy Jay]

Nas- Illmatic
The Notorious B.I.G.- Ready to Die
Jay-Z- Reasonable Doubt
Mobb Deep- The Infamous
Wu-Tang Clan- Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and for that matter, pretty much any of the first generation Wu solo albums.
Nirvana- MTV Unplugged in New York
Pavement- Slanted and Enchanted and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. I don't even like Pavement that much, but they were pretty consistent.
Liz Phair- Exile in Guyville
Radiohead- OK Computer
The Verve- Urban Hymns
Weezer- Weezer (The Blue Album)

[PanzerMega]

Alice in Chains - Dirt
Stone Temple Pilots - Purple
Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction
Pearl Jam - Ten
In Flames - The Jester Race
Carcass - Heartwork
Soundgarden - Superunknown

[rick]

I don't know if it was the best, but my favorite album from the 90's is Urban Hymns by the Verve.

[Christopher Cross Is God]

Depeche Mode "Violator" (1990)
Pet Shop Boys "Very" (1993)
Delerium "Semantic Spaces" (1994)
Erasure "Chorus" (1991)
Erasure "Abba-Esque" (1993)
Iris "Disconnect" (1999)
Mesh "Fragmente" (1998)
Neuropa "New Faith" (1997)
Anything Box "Worth" (1994)
VNV Nation "Praise the Fallen"

[Jerkmeister]

Few albums ever top this one:
1. Nirvana Nevermind

Now, here's the rest of my top ten:

2. U2 Achtung Baby
3. Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory
4. Guns 'n Roses Use Your Illusion 1&2
5. Nirvana MTV Unplugged in New York
6. The Verve Urban Hymns
7. R.E.M Autmatic for the People
8. Smashing Pumpkins Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
9. Pear Jam Ten
10. Foo Fighters The Color and the Shape

[Gary Joyce]

My favourite albums of the 90s

Pantera - A vulgar Display of Power
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Alice In Chains - Dirt
Faith No More - Angel Dust
Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
Guns And Roses - Use Your Illusion II
R.E.M - Automatic For The People
Nirvana - Nevermind
Eminem - The Slim Shady LP
Rage Against The Machine -Rage Against The Machine
NIN - The Downward Spiral
EMF - Cha Cha Cha
Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
Bio-Hazard - Urban Disipline
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
Offspring - Smash

[Chiasm]

The 90's are my favorite decade for music:

In no particular order:

Pearl Jam - Ten
Nirvana - Nevermind
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Nine Inch Nails - Broken
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
U2 - Achtung Baby
Radiohead - The Bends
Radiohead - Ok Computer
Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
Garbage - Garbage
Tool - AEnima

So many more I could list.

[Christopher Cross Is God]

The 90's are my favorite decade for music:

In no particular order:

Pearl Jam - Ten
Nirvana - Nevermind
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Nine Inch Nails - Broken
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
US - Achtung Baby
Radiohead - The Bends
Radiohead - Ok Computer
Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
Garbage - Garbage
Tool - AEnima

So many more I could list.

I would've included "Pretty Hate Machine" as well, but it's from 1989. Missed the 90's by 1 year ;)

[Chiasm]

I would've included "Pretty Hate Machine" as well, but it's from 1989. Missed the 90's by 1 year ;)

I knew it was close but wasn't quite sure. I'd never heard of NIN before going to college which was 89-90 but I didn't know exactly when I first heard of them.

[Pepsigirl]

1. Daft Punk - Homework
2. Les Savy Fav - The Cat and the Cobra
3. Fly Pan Am - Fly Pan Am
4. Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
5. Pulp - Different Class
6. Spoon - A Series of Sneaks
7. Blur - Parklife
8. Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Wainwright
9. Of Montreal - Cherry Peel
10. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

[Paul McEnery]

A Cabaret Voltaire album (one of the three comeback and finish albums; the last of the three, perhaps?)
Something by The Swans (Soundtracks for the Blind, maybe?)
The Cecil Taylor box set from Berlin -- that's a sitter.
Definitely something by Aphex
Richard Thompson must have put one in the back of the net.
Somebody from the Waterson-Carthy family, too.
One of the New Order best ofs?
Ooh -- Laswell and Zorn's Painkiller
The Ohm Guide to early electronica
Portishead or Tricky? Portishead or Tricky? Hmm.

I'm sure I must have missed out something. :D

[Liberty Belle Fan]

My top 3 favorite albums from the 90's....

Oasis - What's the Story Morning Glory
Weezer - The Blue Album
Green Day - Dookie