# Your top fifteen 1990s albums **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 29, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899 "2014-10-29T13:40:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/1 "2014-10-29T13:40:39Z")
In the spirit of [this recent thread on top 10 80s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737896&highlight=albums) albums, what are your favorite fifteen album-length musical works from the 1990s? Mine are: 1. Red Hot Chili Peppers, _Blood Sugar Sex Magik_ 2. Radiohead, _OK Computer_ 3. Café Tacuba, _Re_ 4. R.E.M., _Automatic for the People_ 5. Natalie Merchant, _Tigerlily_ 6. Nirvana, _Unplugged_ 7. R.E.M., _Out of Time_ 8. Pogues, _Hell’s Ditch_ 9. Ricky Martin, _A Medio Vivir_ 10. Beck, _Mellow Gold_ 11. Phish, _Hoist_ 12. Maná, _Cuando los Ángeles Lloran_ 13. Pearl Jam, _Ten_ 14. Various artists, _Putumayo presents Music from the Coffee Lands_ 15. Various artists, _music inspired by the film “Dead Man Walking”_ ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/2 "2014-10-29T14:39:45Z")
The 1990s is the decade where albums went to die, AFAIAC. Inevitably, when I’d buy an album by a new band like the Wallflowers or Third Eye Blind, I’d find that the only songs I really liked were the ones that had already gotten airplay. And by the end of the decade, it started being possible to buy individual tracks online for reasonable prices. Meanwhile, CDs were still typically selling for $16.99, which meant that you were effectively paying more money for the tracks that \*weren’t \*regarded as worthy of airplay than for those that were. I do have a few favorite albums from the decade, despite all that. I’ll come up with a list later. But I probably won’t be able to come up with 10, let alone 15. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/3 "2014-10-29T14:43:40Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > The 1990s is the decade where albums went to die, AFAIAC. Inevitably, when I’d buy an album by a new band like the Wallflowers or Third Eye Blind, I’d find that the only songs I really liked were the ones that had already gotten airplay. > > And by the end of the decade, it started being possible to buy individual tracks online for reasonable prices. Meanwhile, CDs were still typically selling for $16.99, which meant that you were effectively paying more money for the tracks that \*weren’t \*regarded as worthy of airplay than for those that were. > > I do have a few favorite albums from the decade, despite all that. I’ll come up with a list later. But I probably won’t be able to come up with 10, let alone 15. Word. I’ll ponder this for a bit, but right now all I can think of is Neil Young and the Wallflowers. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/4 "2014-10-29T14:44:50Z")
All 15 of mine are also Putamayo compilations. My list of the 14 best albums of 1997-2007 happen to be mostly Starbucks compilations. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/5 "2014-10-29T14:57:01Z")
Nevermind - Nirvana Blood Sugar Sex Magic - Red Hot Chili Peppers Sublime - Sublime Ten - Pearl Jam Odelay - Beck Dummy - Portishead those are the only “best” albums i can think of ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/6 "2014-10-29T14:58:21Z")
Many of those albums are already on my list (or if not favorites, certainly likable). Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik R.E.M., Automatic for the People R.E.M., Out of Time Pearl Jam, Ten Allow me to add: Dr. Dre - The Chronic Beastie Boys - Check Your Head Beastie Boys - Ill Communication Beck - Odelay Green Day - Dookie The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die Pearl Jam - Vs. Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream Sublime - Sublime U2- Achtung Baby ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/7 "2014-10-29T15:01:31Z")
Internet outage ate my post. In short: 1. Tori Amos - Little earthquakes 2. Bryan Ferry - As time goes by 3. Radiohead - The bends 4. Peter Gabriel - Us 5. Porcupine Tree - The sky moves sideways 6. Radiohead - OK computer 7. REM - Automatic for the people 8. Oasis - Morning glory 9. Porcupine Tree - Stupid dream 10. Cranberries - Bury the hatchet ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/8 "2014-10-29T15:04:47Z")
In alphabetical order: Dire Straits: _ **On Every Street** _ _ **House of Pain** _ INXS:\*\*\* X\*\*\* Eric Johnson: _ **Ah! Via Musicom** _ Hal Ketchum: _ **Past the Point of Rescue** _ Annie Lennox:\*\*\* Diva\*\*\* \*\*\*Metallica \*\*\* Offspring: _ **Smash** _ Ozzy Osbourne: _ **No More Tears** _ REM: _ **Monster** _ Rush: _ **Counterparts** _ Santana: _ **Supernatural** _ Scorpions: _ **Crazy World** _ Matthew Sweet: _ **100% Fun** _ U2: Achtung, Baby ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/9 "2014-10-29T15:06:38Z")
Bob Dylan, _Time Out of Mind_ Lucinda Williams, _Car Wheels on a Gravel Road_ Jeff Buckley, _Grace_ Beastie Boys, _Ill Communication_ Lauryn Hill, _The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill_ U2, _Achtung Baby_ Nine Inch Nails, _The Downward Spiral_ Smashing Pumpkins, _Siamese Dream_ Depeche Mode, _Violator_ Massive Attack, _Protection_ Alanis Morrissette, _Jagged Little Pill_ The Breeders,\* Last Splash\* Sinead O’Connor, _I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got_ Billy Bragg & Wilco, _Mermaid Avenue_ Fiona Apple, _Tidal_ ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/10 "2014-10-29T15:10:12Z")
nm- duplicate post ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/11 "2014-10-29T15:18:46Z")
Nirvana - Nevermind Nirvana - In Utero Sepultura - Roots Alice in Chains - Dirt Pearl Jam - Vitalogy Stone Temple Pilots - Purple Pantera - Great Southern Trendkill Alice in Chains - Self-titled/Tripod Nirvana - Unplugged Pearl Jam - Ten Stone Temple Pilots - Core Alice in Chains - Unplugged Soulfly - Soulfly That’s all I can think of now. The best overall album was either Nirvana’s Nevermind or Sepultura’s Roots. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/12 "2014-10-29T15:44:12Z")
Thanks for all your input! Interesting overlaps, and interesting unique choices. I forgot to add my “honorable mention”: Barenaked Ladies, _Stunt_ ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/13 "2014-10-29T15:46:11Z")
Lots of good ones listed above. I don’t have time to add much but I will add a quick one: Weezer - the blue album (hell, I’ll put in Pinkerton too). I think of them because I have been loving their recent release and relistening to their first few lately. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/14 "2014-10-29T15:49:24Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Word. I’ll ponder this for a bit, but right now all I can think of is Neil Young and the Wallflowers. Well, I pondered, and I honestly believe the only two CDs I bought in the 1990s were The Wallflowers, _Bringing Down the Horse_, and Neil Young, _Harvest Moon_. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/15 "2014-10-29T15:51:05Z")
1. Ride - _Nowhere_ 2. My Bloody Valentine - _Loveless_ 3. Sugar - _Copper Blue_ 4. Stereolab - _Emperor Tomato Ketchup_ 5. Belle & Sebastian - _If You’re Feeling Sinister_ 6. Pulp - _Different Class_ 7. R.E.M. - _Automatic for the People_ 8. The Divine Comedy - _Casanova_ 9. Beastie Boys - _Ill Communication_ 10. Yo La Tengo - _I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One_ 11. Sleater-Kinney - _Dig Me Out_ 12. The Magnetic Fields - _69 Love Songs_ 13. Handsome Boy Modeling School - _So…How’s Your Girl?_ 14. The La’s - _The La’s_ 15. The Feelies - _Time for a Witness_ ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/16 "2014-10-29T15:54:00Z")
Sublime - 40 oz. to Freedom Megadeth - Rust in Peace AC/DC - The Razor’s Edge Ween - Chocolate and Cheese Public Enemy - Apocalypse '91… The Enemy Strike Black Clutch - Clutch Beastie Boys - Check Your Head Deee-Lite - Dewdrops in the Garden Black Moon - Enta da Stage Nine - Nine Livez Everything but the Girl - Walking Wounded Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky is Crying Weezer - Pinkerton ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/17 "2014-10-29T16:13:05Z")
I recently was asked to do my top twenty albums (in nor order) and most of them were from the nineties. So here’s the list, with the non-nineties stuff taken out: Nowhere - Ride Souvlaki - Slowdive Loveless - My Bloody Valentine Bandwagonesque - Teenage Fanclub Mobile Safari - The Pastels Moon Safari - Air Screamadelica - Primal Scream The Soft Bulletin - The Flaming Lips Seamonsters - The Wedding Present Stoned and Dethroned - The Jesus and Mary Chain Deserter’s Songs - Mercury Rev Ten Rapid - Mogwai The Fun of Watching Fireworks - The American Analog Set Lazer Guided Melodies - Spritualized Against Perfection - Adorable Which comes to sixteen. I’ve no idea which one to remove. ETA: Scratch that, “The Stone Roses” was released in 1989 and so is out, out, out. ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/18 "2014-10-29T16:27:02Z")
There were a ton of great hip hop albums in the 90s. Nas - Illmatic Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Linx Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang Notorious BIG - Ready to Die Dr Dre - The Chronic A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory Outkast - Aquemini Gang Starr - Hard to Earn Jay Z - Reasonable Doubt Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde The Coup - Steal This Album Goodie Mob - Soul Food Mobb Deep - The Infamous Pete Rock and CL Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother I could probably list another 20-30 before I started reaching. ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/19 "2014-10-29T16:27:06Z")
[ol] [li] **Automatic for the People** - R.E.M.[/li][li] **I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got** - Sinead O’Connor[/li][li] **Nevermind** - Nirvana[/li][li] **Singles Original Soundtrack** - Various Artists[/li][li] **Siamese Dream** - Smashing Pumpkins[/li][li] **Superunknown** - Soundgarden[/li][li] **Violator** - Depeche Mode[/li][li] **The Bends** - Radiohead[/li][li] **American Recordings** - Johnny Cash[/li][li] **Odelay** - Beck[/li][li] **OK Computer** - Radiohead[/li][li] **Grace** - Jeff Buckley[/li][li] **In Utero** - Nirvana[/li][li] **Exile in Guyville** - Liz Phair[/li][li] **Use Your Illusion I** - Guns N’ Roses[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899/20 "2014-10-29T16:42:26Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > Bandwagonesque - Teenage Fanclub > Seamonsters - The Wedding Present > Against Perfection - Adorable > [@davidw](#): > > A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory > Outkast - Aquemini > The Coup - Steal This Album > Pete Rock and CL Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother All albums that could also make my list. In fact, maybe I’ll have to change mine a bit. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-fifteen-1990s-albums/702899.md?page=2)