The Greatest Album of the 1990’s

I think it's probably OK Computer on a joint music and technical basis but might be Nevermind.

For me favourite would be Different Class, although sometimes it's Dummy

Nevermind.

The Downward Spiral

Violator.

All good options that I couldn’t argue with.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

Nevermind is the obvious choice.

Dookie would be my personal choice.

My answer would no doubt be different tomorrow, lot of my favourite music from that decade, but I'll say REM's Out Of Time.

Bought a lot of their older albums based on how much I played it to death.

Although Shiny Happy People can jump in the sea, got sick of hearing that yippy skippy tune far too often on MTV.

White Room KLF

For me favourite would be Different Class

Nah, His and hers is better.

For me, probably Music for the jilted generation.

that tape my mate did for me.

That's easy

Really hard one for me this one. House / EDM was my thing by the 90s and my memories are a bit vague from this era. Its not really in albums but DJ sets and playlists and they all kept changing names as well
Dimitri From Paris? but I think his best work went into 2000
Groove armada?
I think I'll go with Dreadzone second light

90s is tough as being a teenager into early 20s through the decade saw listening to a lot of different music types (metal, grunge, indie, hip,hop, house, dnb).

Used to love Levelling the Land but it’s never a critics choice so I’ll shortlist;

Nevermind

Music for the Jilted Generation

Enter the 36 Chambers

Gonna change my mind Nitin Sawney displacing the priest

Let's try that again.

Electronic-Raise the Pressure

SuperUnkown, no hang on, Ten!

Just like the 80’s, far too many great albums from new emerging artists, as well as existing, like Talk Talk - Portishead, Massive Attack, Goldfrapp, for example, and all three from Bristol, source of plenty of artists who often weren’t as well known, like Blue Aeroplanes, who now own The Fleece. Then there’s Tricky, with ‘Maxinquay’.

Yeah, ‘Laughing Stock’, Dummy’, ‘Blue Lines’ and ‘Felt Mountain’ - impossible to pick one out of just those four.
Then there’s Screaming Trees, ‘Dust’, or ‘Sweet Oblivion’,

OK Computer - absolutely, I’d put that with those above, and possibly the best, but again, difficult call.

Way too hard. Needs one for each genre I think...

Off the top of my head though.

Fear of a Black Planet - Public Enemy
Trailer Park - Beth Orton
OK Computer - R-head
Dummy - P-head
Bring it On - Gomez
Modern Day Jazz Stories - Courtney Pine
Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters

Oh, it's a futile exercise, this could go on forever.

Massive Attack - Mezzanine

Honourable mention to:
Leftfield - Leftism

Teenage Fanclub ‘Bandwagonesque’

Way too many to choose from, but:

The Cranberries - Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we?

I was dreading this thread. After the 80’s one when I was just getting into music, the nineties saw me discover so many more styles and move towards DJing and rave.

My first thought was Nevermind, but a decade where Foo Fighters and Nirvana existed at the same time is awesome. Prodigy’s Music for the Jilted Generation introduced a world of new music to me and, to this day I still love it, but the same could be said for The Second Coming by The Stone Roses and Ill Communication by the Beasties. Dammit! There’s also the black album by Metallica,

I’m going to go with Nevermind though. It truly was groundbreaking.

The soundtrack to my 90s was Screamadelica.

Wow so much choice.

Portishead "Dummy"
Chemical Bros "Exit Planet Dust"
Kosheen "Resist"
Daft Punk "Homework"
LTJ Bukem "Logical Progression"
Air "Moon Safari
DJ Shadow "Entroducing"

The 3 eps, The Beta Band.

Welcome to the cruel world by Ben Harper

Nevermind.
Still hear singles from it on the radio and see teeshrts worn by people who hadn't been born when it came out.
My OH hates Nirvana but begrudgingly agrees some of it's pretty good

The 80s thread was an impossible task, there was no one greatest album, on this one the answer is easy peasy, it's a double album in fact:

Definitely Maybe, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis

The Bends by Radiohead or Dummy by Portishead.

Definitely Maybe, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis

Jesus Christ, shoot me now!

Hang on, ground rules, are we including 1990 as within the 90s?

I can't make my mind up between The Mighty Mighty Bosstones 'Lets face it' or 'Talk on Corners' by the beautiful Corrs

Ride the Fader, by Chavez is awesome if obscure.

Or Loveless.

Making me feel old, Young Team came out in 1997.

I see your Laughingstock, acknowledge it, and raise it with Mark Hollis by Mark Hollis.

OK Computer

Endtrouducing

Parklife

Rid of Me

Post and/or Homogenic

Those are the ones the come to mind at 7:30 on a Monday morning at least.

Maxinquaye- Tricky

Rage against the Machine.
Can't believe it hasn't had a mention yet.

Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space - spiritualised.
Honourable mentions for Peggy suicide and st Julian by cope, and radiator by the super furries.

Was wondering when this thread would appear.
I traditionally flip between massive attack’s blue lines and st etienne’s fox base alpha, with occasional thoughts of portishead and dummy.

But actually it is blue lines. A perfect album

Jesus Christ, shoot me now!

Who was that by? Can't find it in the best sellers:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_albums_of_the_1990s_in_the_United_Kingdom

However Oasis are number one. 😉 🙂

Way too difficult for a teenager of the 90's like me. If I could only listen to one then probably OK Computer. Remember seeing it live at Glastonbury with the mud and fireworks, it was awesome.

But some great albums from the likes of REM, Prodigy, Portishead, Leftfield, Air, Daft Punk, Stone Roses, DJ Shadow and lots more.

Dumb & Dumber soundtrack.

Weirdly as I am really a rock/metal guy, the albums that really stick in my mind from the 90s and take me back are

Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill
Air, Moon Safari
Sarah McLachlan, Surfacing

Albums that influenced my musical taste most
Metalica, Metalica
Smashing Pumpkin, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
Nirvana, Nevermind
Depeche Mode, Violator

The mix of electronic and rock attitude meant, when I heard Music for the Jilted Generation I was hooked.

So, so, so much good music.

This was the time I was really discovering music as a (just) teenager. Most albums already mentioned - Jilted, Dummy, Nevermind, Endtroducing, Leftism, Homework.

One that changed my outlook on music - Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 89-92, I had never heard sounds like it.

But overall the album I still listen to the most from the 90's, still sounds amazing and works as an album 'journey' has to be Radiohead - Ok Computer. It's just fantastic. It brought together everything I loved at the time (Aphex was a big influence on Radiohead for OK). I'd been growing up with radiohead since Pablo Honey. I love the fact they are still making fantastic, interesting music. (Anybody been listening to The Smile?)

Also, honourable metion to Pearl Jam - Ten. I was obessed with this album, it got me into grunge in a big way.

Never before or since seen a whole pub burst into dance like it did when the KLF was played.
Honorable mention Sunday 8pm Faithless.

The 90s are a blur to me as I lived abroad and had kids. Not sure a dad can comment on greatest albums can they?

Anyway, hardly iconic as it echoed the sounds of maybe a couple of decades before it, I’d go for Ragged Glory.

Impossible task, but this is near the top for me.

Love many of the albums already listed, and will add

blood sugar sex magic

travelling without moving

Rage against the Machine.
Can’t believe it hasn’t had a mention yet.

This, and...

blood sugar sex magic

... this. 🙂 /endthread

So many great albums. This one kicked the decade off to a suitably hedonistic start

Who was that by? Can’t find it in the best sellers:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_albums_of_the_1990s_in_the_United_Kingdom

However Oasis are number one. 😉 🙂

I’m not sure that list should be allowed to count - it’s got Robson and Jerome on it!!!

No way I can list one album, my list (which will grow as I spend the morning thinking about this):
Nevermind
Logical Progressions
Dummy
OK Computer
Leftism
Maxinquaye
The colour and the shape
Aphrodite
Cream Live
Renaissance

I'd like to add to my vote for Music for the jilted generation, as it's just too difficult to actually have a best album of any time as theres too many variables. Mood being the biggest.

I was 14 in 1990 left school in 1992, started seeing my now wife in 1993, went travelling in 1998. The 90's was where I grew up.

I agree with loads of previous ones. Nevermind, Blue Lines, Definitely Maybe, Blood, Suger Sex Magik, Pills thrills and belly aches ect...even, from that wiki list up there, ABBA Gold!. But want to add The Bluetones, Expecting to Fly, one of favourite albums of all time.

The soundtrack to my 90s was Screamadelica.

A close second for me after the very obvious winner...

I think it was Pitchfork agreed with me (for the first time ever) when they did a list of the best albums from the '90s.

Many other fine records listed above, many of which I'd casually listen to in preference to Loveless, but I think a case can be made that it's both objectively and subjectively the greatest. It was just so original, so accomplished and sounded so incredible.

Screamadelica may cover more bases as one of the best dance music albums ever, by one of it's greatest producers (RIP), and having an indie band peripherally involved.

Both released in 1991. There must have been something in the water 😀

Garbage - Version 2.0

Temple of the dog for all the grunge lovers.
I think it was a 90s album.

I'll throw in RATM and Cypress Hill - Black Sunday

EDIT: not sure this has been mentioned but Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger

If we put grunge to one side!... 🙂

I'll go with [b]George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1[/b]

But as with all these things it's the association with a time and place - the year I got married and we moved into our first home.

This is pretty interesting.
1991 - 44 days

Goldie - Timeless
Roni Size & Reprazent - New Forms
Prodigy - The Fat Of The Land

Jilted was a good shout also but for me the energy and quality of the production in FOTL were just

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It's a long time since Tomorrow's Harvest - I'm fearing that the Warp 30 stuff was the last we'll hear from them.

Boards of Canada - YES. Or Plaid's Not For Threes.

But it always was, and will always be (somewhat inevitably) Cardiacs Sing To God.

Massive Attack - Protection. Still on my Spotify. Still sounds so so good!
The Verve - Urban Hymns
Logical Progression - LTJ Bukem.

Lot's more, but these 3 are still played regularly.

Leftfield - Leftism

Could name a long, long list but I'll just keep it to one.

By far, the best decade for music in my lifetime.

Lots of great albums mentioned already. I don't think anybody's mentioned Nick Cave yet, love Murder Ballads and Boatman's Call. My favourite albums from that period though are Southern Harmony and Musical Companion and Amorica, both by The Black Crowes. I know a lot of people will call it derivative but I can listen to them anytime, any mood. They headlined Glastonbury in 1993 after SHAMC came out and we're on just before Oasis in 1995. I think I heard that Oasis watched them from the sidelines and were blown away and pretty nervous about following them. The bands later toured together on the Brotherly Love tour.

The decade of my teenage years too, remember having a cassette with Dookie on one side and Nevermind on the other.

I'll forever be a indie/rock kid, but one of the stand out albums for me, which just sneaks into the 90's by a month is 2001 by Dr Dre.

Seamonsters by The Wedding Present is the one for me.

Post Lunchtime Dog walk pondering I came to the conclusion the greatest albums of the 90s For <span style="text-decoration: underline;">ME</span> (aged 12-22 during the 90s..):

Tragic Kingdom - No Doubt

Metallica - Metallica

Nevermind - Nirvana

Ten - Pearl Jam

Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine

Significant Other  - Limp Bizkit

Use Your Illusion (I don't care what anyone says it's a single album) - Guns and Roses

...And out come the wolves - Rancid

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - Wu-Tang Clan

Korn - Korn

Vulgar Display of Power - Pantera

There is a great Podcast "60 Songs that Explain the 90s" on Spotify (and only Spotify apparently) that does exactly that...

Way too hard - such a strong decade.
Lots of time for everything mentioned above, but two others i remember listening to a lot at the time:
Stereo MCs - connected
The Shamen - Boss Drum

The best of Jive Bunny.

Scrolling through, I don't see Underworld's Dubnobasswithmyheadman. Surely worth an honourable mention?

Maybe, just maybe, Massive Attack's Blue Lines pips this and other excellent suggestions above.

Holy Bible or Everything Must Go.

Being 42 and living my teenage years in the 90s, sooooo many good ones that have shaped my love of music.
Oasis - Definitely Maybe & Whats The Story - yes its cool to hate them now (and I'm not that keen anymore) but those two albums are undeniably two of the (my) greatest musical influences
Stone Roses - Second Coming and if we're allowing it, The Complete Stone Roses - as above, two more albums that shaped my love of music.
Toadies - Rubberneck- most famous for Possum Kingdom, theres some absolute rippers on this album like Tyler even though I reckon they get better with age (and this was their only 90s album). One of my favourite ever bands.
Bluetones - Expecting To Fly - words don't do justice to how good this album is
Metallica - Metallica - seen it mentioned already but worth mentioning again
AC/DC - Ballbreaker - with Toadies, another of my favourite bands ever and Ballbreaker is quality. Anything with The Furor and Hail Caesar on it can't not be in this list...

yes its cool to hate them now

One of the nice things of living in France is being able to pick an acoustic guitar and rattle off some Oasis songs without anyone taking the piss. If there are any Brits present I start with Wonderwall just to see if they dare to take the piss and risk the wrath of the locals. I played it to some Germans and they joined in.

My teenage years! Lots of good music, chronologically:

MBV - Loveless (probably the best)
PJ Harvey - Rid of Me
Earth 2
Pavement - crooked rain crooked rain
Nick Cave - Let love in
Godspeed you! Black emperor - F# A# infinity
Plastikman - consumed
Yo la tengo - I can hear the heart beating as one
Flaming Lips - Soft bulletin

Edit forgot Sleater Kinney - Dig me out

For me it was probably Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works. Never heard anything like it before or since, it almost re-invented music.

If it was by The Prodigy then Experience was the one. I think they went a bit downhill from there but I realise that's not a common/popular view on them.

Definitely Maybe was a great album. I can't decide whether it was truly 'great' or just the pub jukebox music of my era but either way, for me Oasis put out some of the greatest songs of the 90s.

I think the general answer might be Nevermind, it had more impact than pretty much anything else at the time or later in the decade. It left me completely unaffected, maybe I just wasn't angry enough at that age. It wasn't metal enough for my tastes either. But if I listen to it in more recent years it's amazing.

Great threads - working my way a few of the nominations that I hadn't heard before.

That *Dookie* keeps being mentioned intrigued me enough to put it on... I've never listened to it before... not sold on it yet all... can't see how it holds a candle to many of the other suggestions. Might retreat into some of the old favourites mentioned before through to the end of the album... Metallica, SAW, Violator, Loveless, Nervermind, OKC, Leftism, Dubnobasswithmyheadman, Jilted, Screamadelica, Mezzanine, Music Has the Right... all amazing and "complete" albums.

1997 was a bit of a belter;

Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space - Spiritualised (can't believe that's only had one mention)
OK Computer
Urban Hymns

Its not really in albums but DJ sets and playlists

In that area, since it was a mix album - maybe Northern Exposure.

Enjoying Laughing Stock. Can see why I missed it or wouldn't have given it time in the early 90s but it's timeless.

Oh, only a day has passed, buy I've already REALLY like to change my original nomination... but that's the thing... everyone's "one choice" probably changes all the time... anyway, right now, today... Electronic by Electronic. Original 90s version, the orange one... not the re-release with an extra track (but no tacky badge) in a silver sleeve and the Wim Crouwel inspired design watered down to bland nothingness. Record companies suck.

On Oasis... I can listen to one or two songs off any of their albums and enjoy them... but they have never released a whole album that's worth repeated listens, for me. Couldn't pick one to recommend anyone listens to all the way through.

I see your Laughingstock, acknowledge it, and raise it with Mark Hollis by Mark Hollis.

@Waderider - it's lovely... some of the stuff probably as good or better than that on Laughing Stock... but it isn't a "complete album" like Laughing Stock... something that absolutely demands listening to in its entirely, without skips or breaks.

maybe Northern Exposure

If we're going down that route... to introduce any young person to "the Ninetees"... it has to be Renaissance...

https://www.discogs.com/release/349449-Sasha-John-Digweed-Renaissance-The-Mix-Collection