# The Very Best Rock Album Of The 1990's **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478 "2017-10-21T21:13:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/1 "2017-10-21T21:13:03Z")
I would like your opinions. Generally speaking, a great album is usually listenable from beginning to end without much, if any skipping of songs. You can put it on at a party and just let it go and people will love it. Pink Floyd used to be this way with their albums where they were “set and forget”. That said, my nominee that not only encompasses the 1990’s, but was also great music and an awesome CD that holds up to this day is The Red Hot Chili Peppers “Blood Sugar Sex Magick”. I think it’s their best release, produced by Rubin, funk for days, Flea bass like a boss, but hooks and great melodies throughout. Any challengers to this recording? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/2 "2017-10-21T21:28:08Z")
Off the top of my head, I’d go with Green Day’s Dookie album. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/3 "2017-10-21T21:29:22Z")
The best rock album yet recorded is 1998’s [_The Shape Of Punk To Come_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHhe6ziuo3k). [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shape_of_Punk_to_Come). [All Music](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-shape-of-punk-to-come-mw0000043978) ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/4 "2017-10-21T21:30:54Z")
That’s definitely up there. I am thinking in a general sense as to the “soundtrack of the 1990’s”, but am furthering it with the quantifier about a “play and forget” album. I don’t think “Dookie” makes that cut, despite having some great and memorable songs. Pearl Jam “Ten”? Nirvana? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/5 "2017-10-21T21:31:57Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > The best rock album yet recorded is 1998’s [_The Shape Of Punk To Come_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHhe6ziuo3k). > > [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shape_of_Punk_to_Come). > > [All Music](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-shape-of-punk-to-come-mw0000043978) You’ve got to be kidding…think mainsream. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/6 "2017-10-21T21:45:36Z")
> **[Exile in Guyville](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exile_in_Guyville)** > > Exile in Guyville is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Liz Phair, released on June 22, 1993, by Matador Records. It was recorded at Idful Music Corporation in Chicago between 1992 and 1993 and produced by Phair and Brad Wood. The album received critical acclaim and in 2020, it was ranked No. 56 by Rolling Stone in its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. It was certified gold in 1998 and as of July 2010 it had sold 491,000 copies. > In the summer of 1991, Phair wrote and recorded so... I don’t even think it’s close. 18 songs without a dud, first time out. But I have no affection for grunge, metal, or nu anything. One thing that happened in the 90s was that Nirvana made it big, and a lot of underground musicians were summoned to have their major label record made and released to try and get “traction”. This included almost everyone on the scene, like Sonic Youth, the Meat Puppets and on and on. If you took all these records by the great and small, you would have one of the worst collections ever. Nobody seemed to be able to get up to the plate and rock the people with a great melody, with their one chance. (Yo La Tengo had the best: Painful with the single “Double Dare”) Competent and OK was all I saw back then. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/7 "2017-10-21T21:48:39Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > [Exile in Guyville - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exile_in_Guyville) > > I don’t even think it’s close. 18 songs without a dud, first time out. > > But I have no affection for grunge, metal, or nu anything. > > One thing that happened in the 90s was that Nirvana made it big, and a lot of underground musicians were summoned to have their major label record made and released to try and get “traction”. This included almost everyone on the scene, like Sonic Youth, the Meat Puppets and on and on. If you took all these records by the great and small, you would have one of the worst collections ever. Nobody seemed to be able to get up to the plate and rock the people with a great melody, with their one chance. (Yo La Tengo had the best: Painful with the single “Double Dare”) Competent and OK was all I saw back then. You’ve got to be kidding with this obscure shit. YOU don’t get to define the genre, record sales, playability or band duration. I stand by my decision. The Chilis were better then than almost any band musically and writing hit songs. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/8 "2017-10-21T21:59:05Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > [Exile in Guyville - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exile_in_Guyville) > > I don’t even think it’s close. 18 songs without a dud, first time out. > > But I have no affection for grunge, metal, or nu anything. > > One thing that happened in the 90s was that Nirvana made it big, and a lot of underground musicians were summoned to have their major label record made and released to try and get “traction”. This included almost everyone on the scene, like Sonic Youth, the Meat Puppets and on and on. If you took all these records by the great and small, you would have one of the worst collections ever. Nobody seemed to be able to get up to the plate and rock the people with a great melody, with their one chance. (Yo La Tengo had the best: Painful with the single “Double Dare”) Competent and OK was all I saw back then. > [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > You’ve got to be kidding with this obscure shit. YOU don’t get to define the genre, record sales, playability or band duration. I stand by my decision. The Chilis were better then than almost any band musically and writing hit songs. His is a perfectly valid choice, and not ‘obscure’ just because you don’t know it. It would be at least in my top 20 for the 90s, but I’d have OK Computer at the top. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/9 "2017-10-21T21:59:48Z")
_Temple of the Dog_ was the best album of the 90’s. Thread done. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/10 "2017-10-21T22:00:35Z")
Liz Phair is “obscure shit”? Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/11 "2017-10-21T22:08:19Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > You’ve got to be kidding with this obscure shit. YOU don’t get to define the genre, record sales, playability or band duration. I stand by my decision. The Chilis were better then than almost any band musically and writing hit songs. OK sorry. I’ll try again: > **[69 Love Songs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/69_Love_Songs)** > > 69 Love Songs is the sixth studio album by American indie pop band the Magnetic Fields, released on September 7, 1999, by Merge Records. As its title indicates, 69 Love Songs is a three-volume concept album composed of 69 love songs, all written by Magnetic Fields frontman Stephin Merritt. > The album was originally conceived as a music revue. Stephin Merritt was sitting in a gay piano bar in Manhattan, listening to the pianist's interpretations of Stephen Sondheim songs, when he decided he ough... ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/12 "2017-10-21T22:17:07Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > _Temple of the Dog_ was the best album of the 90’s. > > Thread done. That was a great album, and considering it’s formative consequences, is certainly in the running. But it was TWO hit songs, “Say Hello to Heaven” and “Gone Hungry”. I sill argue that the Chilis “Blood Sugar” made a greater impact. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/13 "2017-10-21T22:27:16Z")
My favorite might be Tool’s Aenima, but I’d have to think about it some more. I think Ten or Nevermind are good picks too. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/14 "2017-10-21T22:35:19Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > OK sorry. I’ll try again: > > [69 Love Songs - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/69_Love_Songs) I dunno, man, “Luckiest Guy” makes me want to either throw a brick through a wondow, or listen to Tiny Tim. Or both. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/15 "2017-10-21T22:40:28Z")
> [@Anamorphic](#): > > Liz Phair is “obscure shit”? Jesus. Did Liz Phair make a greater impact than Nirvana, Chilis, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, etc? I don’t think so. Therefore, she is obscure compared to them and the grunge movement that rocked the early 1990’s. Fuck, Courtney Love was more influential than Liz. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/16 "2017-10-21T22:41:57Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Did Liz Phair make a greater impact than Nirvana, Chilis, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, etc? > > I don’t think so. Therefore, she is obscure compared to them and the grunge movement that rocked the early 1990’s. Fuck, Courtney Love was more influential than Liz. How many bands are allowed be to influential per decade? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/17 "2017-10-21T22:42:47Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > OK sorry. I’ll try again: > > [69 Love Songs - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/69_Love_Songs) That’s your entry? A concept album written at the very end of the decade comprised of love songs? Look, personal opinion matters, but shaping the genre of rock and record sales matter more. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/18 "2017-10-21T22:43:49Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > How many bands are allowed be to influential per decade? > > :rolleyes: Wait…influential: infinite But the very best albums of the 1990’s??? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/19 "2017-10-21T22:45:34Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Did Liz Phair make a greater impact than Nirvana, Chilis, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, etc? > > I don’t think so. Therefore, she is obscure compared to them and the grunge movement that rocked the early 1990’s. Fuck, Courtney Love was more influential than Liz. I’m pretty sure grunge and funk rock are dead, but singer-songwriters are all the rage now. Also, you misspelled the name of the RHCP album. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478/20 "2017-10-21T22:45:48Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Did Liz Phair make a greater impact than Nirvana, Chilis, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, etc? > > I don’t think so. Therefore, she is obscure compared to them and the grunge movement that rocked the early 1990’s. Fuck, Courtney Love was more influential than Liz. A) Your original post asked for opinions on the very best rock albums of the 1990s, not the ones with the “greatest impact”. Liz Phair’s record was very well received at the time, and got a ton of play on college-type radio stations. B) I find it amusing that you started off your original post with “I would like your opinions”, and you have gone on to make it very clear with your responses again and again that, no, you don’t want anyone’s opinion. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-very-best-rock-album-of-the-1990s/799478.md?page=2)