My Favorite Albums of the '90s

[tortoise]

Yes, it seems a bit odd to be "revisiting" the '90s already; could a "That '90s Show" be far behind? Oh well, indulge me.

First, I'm going to list them chronologically, just because:

• The Chills - Submarine Bells (1990)
• My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
• Slint - Spiderland (1991)
• Talk Talk - Laughing Stock (1991)
• Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)
• Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted (1992)
• Beastie Boys - Check Your Head (1992)
• Tom Waits - Bone Machine (1992)
• Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand (1994)
• Portishead - Dummy (1994)
• Beck - Odelay (1996)
• DJ Shadow - Endtroducing... (1996)
• Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)
• Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997)
• Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)
• Tortoise - TNT (1998)
• Calexico - The Black Light (1998)
• Godspeed You Black Emperor - F# A# Infinity (1998)
• The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin (1999)
• Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - I See A Darkness (1999)

(1991 and 1998 were two kick-ass music years, apparently)

I'll post them in "favoritest" order later. Feel free to post your own, or snicker at mine, or whatever the hell you want. It's a free country.

 

[Guest]

 

[medjay]

I was starting to think I was the only one up on Slint.

 

[sexy-girl]

when these albums came out they all blew me away ... the 90's were my sort of growing up years and getting into music

radiohead - bends

blur - parklife

stereophonics - word gets around

oasis - morning glory

the verve - urban hymms

 

[Ask For More]

Michael Jackson - Dangerous (1991)
Oasis....the album with Wonderwall etc forgot the name
Boyz II Men - II (1994)
TLC - CrazySexyCool (1994?)
2Pac - All Eyez on Me (1995)
Notorious B.I.G - Life After Death (1997)
Maxwell - Urban Hang Suite (1997?)
D'Angelo - Brown Sugar (1995)
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1997)

 

[Parklife]

I like the Portishead, Pavement, Radiohead on your list and would add as personal favorites:


*Bjork - Debut
*Saint Ettienne - Foxbase Alpha
*Underworld - Beaucoup Fish
*Daft Punk - Homework
*Stone Roses - Turns into Stone (ok so it's mainly just a rehash of their 1989 release but it came out in the 90's)
*Cake - Motorcare of Generosity (For "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle" alone)
*My Life for the Thrill Kill Kult - Sexplosion
*Blur - Great Escape
*Oasis - Definitely Maybe (their first ablum was by far the best music they ever put out)

 

[Guest]

 

[Akito01]

I've come to start calling the 90s as 'the last best decade'. It started off with an amazing explosion of new sounds and cultural movements that it could only be compared to the 60s in that catagory.


Skinny Puppy - Too Dark Park (1990)
The Orb - Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld (1991)
Doubting Thomas - The Infidel (1991)
Frontline Assembly - Tactical Neural Implant (1992)
Cabaret Voltaire - The Conversation (1994)
Future Sound Of London - Lifeforms (1994)
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (1994)
Aphex Twin - I Care Because You Do... (1995)
Finitribe - Sheigra (1995)
Download - The Eyes Of Stanley Pain (1996)
Future Sound Of London - Dead Cities (1996)
Atari Teenage Riot - Burn Berlin Burn (1997)
Kinder Atom - Super Nice Hippy Pants (1997)
Pigface - A New High And Low (1997)
VNV Nation - Praise The Fallen 2012 (1999)

 

[Dionysus2003]

These are my candidates... Sure there are more, but these albums came first when thinking of best of the 90s. No specific order...

U2 - Achtung Baby
Oasis - What's The Story
Madrugada - Industrial Silence
Motorpsycho - Demon Box
Motorpsycho - Angels And Daemons At Play
Motorpsycho - Trust Us
David Bowie - 1.Outside
Radiohead - OK Computer
Alanis Morrisette - Jagged Little Pill
Suede - Coming Up
The Three Tenors - Live In Roma
Pink Floyd - Pulse
Depeche Mode - Ultra
Depeche Mode - Violator

 

[medjay]

What the hell . . . I'll make a list too.

De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead (the best album ever made; don't even try to argue)
Bjork - Post
Nirvana - Nevermind and In Utero
Cibo Matto - Viva La Woman
Dr. Octagon - Octogynocologist
Outkast - Aquemini
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood, Sugar . . .
Digable Planets - Blowout Comb
Beck - Odelay
The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
Radiohead - Okay Computer
Beastie Boys - The In Sound From Way Out
Common Sense - Resurrection
Black Sheep - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
Prince Paul - A Prince Among Theives


These are the albums that continue to get regular rotation around my house. Classics all.

 

[tortoise]

Some very interesting lists so far. Several listed just barely missed my top 20 (especially Bjork, if I could ever choose between Post and Homogenic), and many more are in my top 50.

I slept on De La Soul is Dead when it first came out, medjay. I just picked it up a few years ago, and it definitely grows on me with each listen.

Oh, and I absolutely love The In Sound From Way Out, but they totally stole the idea from me. Right after Ill Communication came out, I made several copies of a mix tape containing all the instrumental tracks from that and Check Your Head. I still have a copy of it around here somewhere. I wonder if I can carbon date it and sue their asses?

man, I was making Beastie Boys instrumental mixes when you were sucking your mother's DICK!

Heh. Sometimes I miss Angry Yauch, as much as I dig the new spiritually enlightened Bhoditsava Yauch.

 

[Bent]

Originally posted by Ask For More

Notorious B.I.G - Life After Death (1997)

Biggie, Biggie, Biggie, can't you see, sometimes you hypnotize me....

LOVE IT!

 

[tortoise]

I was starting to think I was the only one up on Slint.

I was virtually obsessed with Spiderland for a long, strange period during the early '90s. That's one album that can still creep the fuck out of me today.

From behind the edge of the windowsill,
There appeared the delicate hand of a child.
His face was flush and timid.
He stared at the captain through frightened eyes.

<shiver>

 

[celiaKitten]

Gordon - Barenaked Ladies

 

[medjay]

I was virtually obsessed with Spiderland for a long, strange period during the early '90s. That's one album that can still creep the fuck out of me today.

I don't even need to get high to listen to that one. It trips me out all on its own.

 

[tortoise]

Definitely a mood altering album.

A good pair of headphones are a must, to handle the insane dynamics.

 

[medjay]

Definitely a mood altering album.

I'm listening to it right now. I can say my mood is definitely altered.

 

[Minkey Boodle]

This sort of thing would take me for-e-ver...

I can't ever agree, decide or favoritize.

 

[medjay]

This sort of thing would take me for-e-ver...

I can't ever agree, decide or favoritize.

Just start with that Oaktown .357 album I know you love so much . . .

 

[Minkey Boodle]

Just start with that Oaktown .357 album I know you love so much . . .

Straight at you!

That would mean rifling through my entire MC Hammer collection and trying to pick one favorite. Impossible.

 

[Liontamr]

Two of my all time favorite 90's albums are actually all self titled works by Collective Soul and Rage Against The Machine.

 

[medjay]

Somehow I forgot to add A Book of Human Language by Aceyalone.

I love concept albums and this is one of the best. The whole album is constructed like a book with each song being a chapter telling one continuous story concerning -- you guessed it -- the meaning of life. The songs all blend together, summarizing the ones preceeding and introducing the ones following. The execution is flawless. Too bad no one bought it.

 

[tortoise]

Here's my list again, roughly in order of preference:

1. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
2. Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)
3. Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted (1992)
4. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)
5. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand (1994)
6. Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997)
7. The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin (1999)
8. Slint - Spiderland (1991)
9. Beck - Odelay (1996)
10. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing... (1996)
11. Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)
12. Talk Talk - Laughing Stock (1991)
13. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - I See A Darkness (1999)
14. Portishead - Dummy (1994)
15. Beastie Boys - Check Your Head (1992)
16. The Chills - Submarine Bells (1990)
17. Tortoise - TNT (1998)
18. Calexico - The Black Light (1998)
19. Godspeed You Black Emperor - F# A# Infinity (1998)
20. Tom Waits - Bone Machine (1992)

 

[VSE]

Ministry of Sound- The Annual II


Underworld

Chem Bros -Exit planet dust



And others


Fuck off

And there was me thinking you hated all things British. Tho to be honest I had you pegged as someone who just listened to the Cure's killing an arab on a loop.

 

[killallhippies]

First, I'm going to list them chronologically, just because:

• Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)
• Beastie Boys - Check Your Head (1992)
• Tom Waits - Bone Machine (1992)
• Portishead - Dummy (1994)
• Beck - Odelay (1996)
• Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)
• Tortoise - TNT (1998)
• Godspeed You Black Emperor - F# A# Infinity (1998)
• Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - I See A Darkness (1999)

(1991 and 1998 were two kick-ass music years, apparently)

all good choices, but where's the love for fugazi?

oh, on a personal note, i'd like to add nation of ullysses plays pretty for baby. i love that album.