[Closed] Best Album of the 90's

Hmmmmm. Earth Vs The Wildhearts or Troublegum or Chaos AD or August and Everything After or Post Historic Monsters or Fear Of A Black Planet or 30 Something or maybe Further Down The Spiral or Done And... Dusted or Pinkerton or Flood.

Soundgarden - Superunknown
Screaming Trees - Dust
Jurassic 5 - ST
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow

It would be one of those for me.

Screamadelica.

Different Class

Dummy

Space Ritual, best album of all the decades.

I Care Because You Do.
+1 for Fear of a Black Planet.
I don't usually do these best music things because I don't really believe it's the way to appreciate music, but the above is what springs to mind as a couple of my favourites. don't see them as the best tho. that's just stupid 😉
and forgotten most of it. had loads of mix tapes i listened too constantly. my poor parents!

Okay, I really lost interest in music in the 1990s, but I am pretty knowledgeable about music in general, and can probably do pretty well in a game of 1970s and 80s music trivia. But how come I almost never recognise a single album on STW?

Do you lot deliberately play ‘choose the most obscure band/album’ game without ever revealing the rules, or even admitting to us and each other that you’re playing?

Predictably, it'll end up a scrap between 'nevermind' and 'ok computer'.

This still sounds fresh:

Nevermind
What’s the Story
Music for a jilted generation
Still listen to all of them.

Ah, I forgot Jilted, good shout

Leftism for me

Sonic Youth - Dirty & Murray Street
Faith no More - Angel Dust
Pavement - Crooked Rain, crooked rain
Alice in Chains - Dirt
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream & Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Silverchair - Neon Ballroom
Live - Throwing Copper

To name a few, the 90s was a great time for alternative rock.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/gjngFgdd8BH9X5mGzwQrRq/your-ultimate-90s-album-vote

See if that works.

I personally rank The Bends over OK Computer, but what do I know..

Must admit that Alanis Morissette was my go to album bitd.

Beta Band - 3 ep's.

Ah, there’s a list to choose from - the link was broken earlier. Urban Hymns then.

Done even need to look at the list, I can’t even choose between those listed in the thread!
Some fantastic albums, many of which I still listen to.

Saw that article yesterday and expected a thread to appear here, nearly did it myself.

I'm so torn, bought a number of those listed albums around release, some of which I've not played from start to finish for years but they were hammered at the time.

I'll be amazed if Oasis don't come out top on their poll, they could walk on water back when What's The Story came out and were touted as the modern day Beatles.

But for me, it's not so straight forward, I've got ~6 albums from that list. The article made me listen to Drive for the first time in years and reminded me instantly of how often I played Automatic For The People during that decade.

Not so much a 'curates egg', but more like a sampler in its variety...

Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space for Me, but loads to choose from, boy with the Arab strap, Peggy suicide, 3 EPs, dog man star....

Good shoutvon the Wildhearts

Bush 16stone

Pearl jam 10

But ask me in an hour and I'll have changed my mind

Thanks for the reminder greatbeardedone!

The 90s is an easy choice.

If I had to pick one and it was the only one I could ever listen to again it wouldn't actually be difficult. It would be Automatic For The People.

Lots of good albums with lots of great songs but that's the one that means more than just a collection of great songs. In the end it's not about which is the best album it's about the one that brings back the strongest emotions.

Do you lot deliberately play ‘choose the most obscure band/album’ game without ever revealing the rules, or even admitting to us and each other that you’re playing?

What, Fear of a Black Planet, Different Class, Screamadelica??? Hardly obscure albums! (Although Public Enemy isn't on the list, but should be...)

Anyway, from the list I'd go with "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill", "You've Come A Long Way, Baby", and "Different Class". Although there are some other great albums there. Gives me something to listen to today 🙂

Altern8 full on mask hysteria.only just discovered it from a charity shop cd sale.1992.very rare and amazing rave album.the 90s music was amazing for both rave and indie.glad it was my era and I went to loads of raves and gigs.lush and the charlatans had great albums too

When you look at the albums on the BBC list you realise how good the 90's were for great music (although some disagree above) and how many of those albums have stood the test of time.

So glad I lived my yoof through those years.

I couldnt choose, my favourite ones are about the time in my life. Maybe Never Loved Elvis by The Wonder Stuff or Coldcuts Journeys by DJ, or or...I don't know.

Trying to be more subjective Nirvana's Nevermind or REM Automatic for People are good shouts ( was out of time in 90's or 80's, prefer that I think...just nothing by that shit Beetles cover act....

I’m going to have to go with Dummy by Portishead, closely followed by Radiohead’s The Bends.

DJ Shadow Entroducing

Goldie Timeless

Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Off that list Bjork Debut

Does everyone reckon that their 20s was the best time for music?!

Does everyone reckon that their 20s was the best time for music?!

No, but it was the sound track to some ****ing good times!!!

Garbage - Version2.0 is a particular favourite of mine.

When you look at the albums on the BBC list you realise how good the 90’s were for great music (although some disagree above) and how many of those albums have stood the test of time.
So glad I lived my yoof through those years.

I don't disagree, but anyone living their yoof in preceding or subsequent decades would say exactly the same thing.

In terms of cultural smack in the teeth, the answer is probably Nevermind.

and, FWIW, Definitely Maybe is miles better than What's The Story

It’s Copper Blue. EVERYONE knows that duh! 🙄

Ahhh, the 90`s. The last decade of music, before it all went to shite and albums didn't really exist anymore and rock n roll died and everything was commercial and instantly forgettable.

Trouble with these lists is most people throw in their favourite albums. Its never a subjective list of which album contains the best song writing, musicianship, production, art work, etc etc.

and on that note some of my favourite albums from the 90`s

Gomez - Bring it on
Morcheeba - Who Can You Trust
Air - Moon Safari
Stereophonics - Word gets around

In terms of cultural smack in the teeth, the answer is probably Nevermind.

I agree

Does everyone reckon that their 20s was the best time for music?!

Yeah, heard a theory (probably on here) that the music you like when you're about 25 or so will always sound fresh and modern, in a way that music from other decades never will.

How have we got to almost 40 posts with no mention of what is clearly the correct answer?

Although there is also a very strong case for Screamadelica.

Ahhh, the 90`s. The last decade of music, before it all went to shite and albums didn’t really exist anymore and rock n roll died and everything was commercial and instantly forgettable.

See my previous comment, because this

Yeah, heard a theory (probably on here) that the music you like when you’re about 25 or so will always sound fresh and modern, in a way that music from other decades never will.

Lots of great suggestions so far

But this is the correct answer

If you disagree then you got a Bullet in your ****in head

The correct answer is Radiohead - The Bends.

Notable mentions to:

Nirvana - Unplugged
Prodigy - Music for a Jilted Generation

I would chuck in Suede the album or even Dog Man Star , never took to Oasis much preferred Blur

Jings, that radio 2 list is pisspoor. No:

Wu Tang - 36 Chambers
Nas - Illmatic
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Pearl Jam - 10
Dre - The Chronic
RATM - RATM
Leftfield - Leftism
Metallica - Metallica

etc etc

I'm just amazed they never put The Corrs on their list

Difficult to pick just one. My favourites incude:

Different Class by Pulp

To Bring You My Love by P J Harvey

Copper Blue by Sugar

The Boatman's Call by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

I mark the 90s as a great decade for pop music and electronic music. Also discovered a lot of other good 90s stuff many years later (thanks to broadband). To be even-handed there was also of a LOT of overblown vapid pap/pop that was essentially recycled snippets of sixties music, except now with a repetitive backbeat and hook 🕺

But then again - there were some absolute pearlers

Julian Cope - Peggy Suicide
Underworld - dubnobasswithmyheadman
Pulp - His n Hers
Cardiacs - Sing To God
Leftfield - Leftism
Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
Beck - Odelay
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
Stereolab - Dots and Loops
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads
Björk - Debut
Roni Size/Reprazent - New Forms
Underworld - Second Toughest In The Infants
Campag Velocet - Bon Chic Bon Genre
Killing Joke - Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions

And some relatively obscure classics wot still live in me ears:

Old Lady Drivers - Formula
Boredoms - Super Ae
Monsoon Bassoon - I Dig Your Voodoo
FFWD - FFWD
Coil - Musick to Play In The Dark
Gas - Königsforst
Gas - Zauberberg

Forgot about my bloody valentine.love it.

Yep, it may have been my formative years for musical taste (cusp of the 80s/90s rather), but it was clearly a period of huge creativity, lowering barriers to entry and merging of genres (e.g. Screamadelica again).

It was also the decade that music seemed to become much more niche-y, with an explosion of sub-genres within which bands or producers would become well known and successful without ever troubling Top of the Pops.

Pros and cons there, especially in the club scene, but it was a great time to be music fan anyway. I'm not sure Ticketmaster even existed and you could generally get tickets fairly easily for most of the acts mentioned in this thread.

Even though it came out in 89; Doolittle.
And we can't forget Homework.

Yep, it may have been my formative years for musical taste (cusp of the 80s/90s rather), but it was clearly a period of huge creativity, lowering barriers to entry and merging of genres (e.g. Screamadelica again).

Again, you could say that of pretty much any decade - even the latest ones.

Just looked at that list and it’s a rather piss poor representation of 10 years worth of music. A lot of great hip-hop and rock from that decade. Can’t believe there’s not even a Beck album on there.

I just picked up a random [url=singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/whats-adorning-your-home-office-walls-lets-see-a-couple/#post-11193770]CD from the shelf directly in front of me[/url] and it was Endtroducing, so that'll do.

Y'all forgotten about..
Stone Roses - Second Coming

Again, you could say that of pretty much any decade – even the latest ones.

Putting aside the arbitrary calendar decades, I'd actually pick out the decade from 1986 to 1995 as more significant.

Electronic music and rock music both changing rapidly and both moving away from the traditional music industry model a bit.

By the later '90s "indie" was being watered down and repackaged as "Britpop" and dance music was falling into genericism a bit (D&B aside perhaps).

Does everyone reckon that their 20s was the best time for music?!

No way, the best time is ALWAYS now. There's all the good stuff from the old days you can listen to, and there's still tons of good music. Don't you still get that thrill when you hear something new?

A great era for music. So many absolute classics. I can't believe this one hasn't come up yet. Dark, brooding genius which really reflected the times towards the end of the decade when a lot of us were on a bit of a come-down from the ecstacy-fuelled euphoria with which it began

This has a similar post-ecstacy feel, though falls just outside the (arbritary) remit as it was released in March 2000

The list looks like a collection of albums on sale in Tesco's, or an average Radio 2 playlist. Surprised David Gray wasn't included. From the list I'd probably pick Dummy. My favourite is Southern Harmony by The Black Crowes.

And this is why Best Of lists are utterly pointless. And yet again, gets us posting, so maybe that's actually the point...

1997 was a pretty special year, 3 albums that are all probably in my all time top 5, and Spiritualized probably being my all time no. 1;

Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentle Men we are Floating in Space
Radiohead - OK Computer
The Verve - Urban Hymns

Makes for an entertaining Friday morning discussion, and inspires today's Spotify options. Good enough 🙂

Dezzy Baby.... you know that these things exist so that we can all sniffily demonstrate our superior musical tastes and denounce everybody elses as Coldplay-esque Radio 2 nonsense.

Give it another page and people will be insisting that the best album of the decade was by a band that nobody has heard of, existed for a few months between April - July 1995, played 2 gigs and the album sold 84 copies 😉

sniffily demonstrate our superior musical tastes

Amusing that the only person to outwardly express this is a Black Crowes fan 😆

1997 was a pretty special year

1991 was very formative for me

U2 - Achtung Baby
Nirvana - Nevermind
REM - Out of Time
GnR - Use Your Illusion
Metallica - Metallica
Pearl Jam - 10
RHCP - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Primal Scream - Screamadelica
Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
Blur - Leisure
Massive Attack - Blue Lines

I'm not being sniffy about anyone elses tastes. I do wonder how many people are still listening to Travis, Shania Twain, Moby, Alanis Morisette etc all multi million shifting radio friendly units now gathering dust in charity shops. If you still love one of those albums, that's great, now more than ever we need the comfort of the music we love.

Give it another page and people will be insisting that the best album of the decade was by a band that nobody has heard of, existed for a few months between April – July 1995, played 2 gigs and the album sold 84 copies

Bet the bass-player of that band agrees 🤣😂

Seriously tho tbf - personal ‘best’ lists are best kept subjective? For instance my current ‘best’ lunch is Prince’s full-fat salmon-spread, some low-fat mayonnaise with small-diced raw onion and some cheap hot-sauce on some soft bread. I very much doubt that anyone else’s favourite lunch is the same, yet that doesn’t mean I like my lunch for some ‘snobby/edgy/obscurante’ elitist‘ reasons! If I instead lied and listed ‘Bombay Bad Boy Pot Noodle* or ‘Egg-mayo and bacon on malted bread’ would that make me a better person? What if my best lunch was something with a foreign name, wrapped in a type of seaweed? Watch out, out come the populist’s pitchforks! 🤣😂

* Chicken and Mush PN is better, yet still craptastic pap. I ‘like‘ it approx twice a year and even then I know I’m lying to my taste-buds! (Same goes for miso soup)

*Edit (Disclaimer) I can only speak for myself. Dez’s or Binner’s etc reasons for liking/disliking whatever music are your business and I have no idea!

I went with REM as it was a constant presence in the car cd changer (get me) when the kids arrived and they grew up. Find the River reduces me to mush as a result.

Imagine trying to do a best of the 2010s ... I buy something like 2 albums a week, so it just would be impossible! Some of them I only listen to a couple of times.... and most people stream, so wouldn't know an album if it flew across the room and smacked them in the eye (I did that to a girlfriend once) 😀

I’m not being sniffy about anyone elses tastes

Reverse-sniffing sucks. It’s the reverse-racism of the nowties. Right up there with pre-emptive femsplaining 👍🏼

Rage against the muh-meme!

That Petrol Emotion - Chemicrazy.

Here's some more, most of which I don't think have been mentioned.

Supergrass
R.L. Burnside: A Ass Pocket of Whisky
PJ Harvey: To Bring You My Love
The Charlatans
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: The Boatman's Call
Black Grape: It's Great When You're Straight
Come on Feel The Lemonheads
Whiskeytown: Strangers Almanac
Teenage Fanclub: Grand Prix
Mercury Rev: Deserters Songs
Lightening Seeds: Jollification

how many people are still listening to Travis, Shania Twain, Moby, Alanis Morisette etc

You put some effort into finding the crappy list then? Looks like a different 90s to the one I experienced! 😂

Definitely Maybe - anyone that hasn’t mentioned that album needs to give their heads a swivel...

Siamese Dreams. Every song good in its own right and the whole album plays well together rather than some which are just a collection of good songs. Part of my musical (and possibly hormonal) awakening as I grew up so has a fair bit of meaning to me.

Got to be either

Angel dust by Faith no more
Or
Urban hymns
Or
Copper blue
Or
Leftism

I as just think nobody had mentioned RHCP – Blood Sugar Sex Magik, then right towards to bottom stevenmenmuir does!

Only things I can think of that have not been mentioned are.
Kyuss-WTSV or ATCLT
Fu Manchu-Action is Go
Chemical brothers
Beck, Loser or Odelay

DezB I'm just picking out some of the ones on the original link, even somebody that was wasted throughout the 90's should be able to manage that. Shame you're being such a tool as I quite like your suggestion.
Siamese Dream is a good shout.

It’s difficult to pick a favourite, but feels like cheating to name several.
So I would vote for best album of the 90’s to be:

Tricky, Maxinquaye

*Refuses to add albums, in the mistaken belief that I'm not old enough or dull enough for Radio 2*

90's Album that had the most effect on me at the time:

Blood Sugar Sex Magic

90's Album that still gets played the most:

Second Coming

90's Album that was the most overated:

OK Computer

90's album(s) that was(were) absolute shite and never deserved to see the light of day:

All the Oasis output

My guilty secret best album of the 90's

Ray of Light