10 BEST ALBUMS OF THE 1990S

• - Todd Proa -

A lot of people have nostalgia towards the 1990s. Many consider it America’s

“golden age”, when the country seemed invincible, our economy was

booming and everybody seemed happy

Not only that, but there was some great music to come out of that era as well. Here are, in my opinion the

10 best albums of the 1990s

1. TEN (PEARL JAM, 1991)

While Pearl Jam’s debut album wasn’t an immediate success, it

slowly earned its popularity, reaching number two on the

Billboard 200 chart by late 1992

A wild success, Pearl Jam’s debut album was a major force in popularizing alternative rock

into the mainstream

To this day, it remains Pearl Jam’s most commercially successful album

2. SIAMESE DREAM (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, 1993)

If you believe that the best art is something that you bleed into, then look no further than this

album by the Smashing Pumpkins.

Despite delayed recording sessions characterized by extreme tension,

“Siamese Dream” was a smash hit, selling millions of copies and establishing the Smashing Pumpkins as a major band.

3. IN UTERO (NIRVANA, 1993)

While 1991’s “Nevermind” was what shot Nirvana to stardom, most fans

consider their third (and final) album, “In Utero”, to be their best work

Feeling that the sound of “Nevermind” was too polished for their liking, Nirvana decided to record their new album with

a more abrasive and natural sound

To accomplish this, they hired noise-rock legend Steve Albini as the album’s producer

The result was a raw, honest and hard-rocking masterpiece

4. DOOKIE (GREEN DAY, 1994)

While punk rock was nothing new in the 1990s, it had yet to achieve mainstream popularity

However, the release of “Dookie” help jump-start the pop-punk craze that, in the later half of the decade,

became a major phenomenon

Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool were able to create airtight, three-minute masterpieces that just beg to be

listened to over and over again

5. READY TO DIE (THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G., 1994)

“Ready to Die” is considered by many to be one of the most iconic hip hop albums of all time, and the

very best of the Brooklyn-based Notorious B.I.G.

In the years before the release of “Ready to Die”, the media almost exclusively paid

attention to West Coast hip hop, yet this album was a complete game-changer,

proving to music fans and the media alike that the East Coast hip hop scene was a

force to be reckoned with

Sadly, this was the only one of Biggie’s albums to be released during his

lifetime, as he was killed four years later as part of the East Coast/West

Coast hip hop feud of the 1990s

6. JAGGED LITTLE PILL (ALANIS MORISSETTE, 1995)

After a three-year hiatus following her break with her original record company, Alanis

released this album, filled to the brim with instant classics such as “Ironic”, “You

Oughta Know” and “Hand in my Pocket”

7. (WHAT’S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? (OASIS, 1995)

Even though critics weren’t big fans of this British band’s second album, it was a major success, capturing the attention of

listeners from the UK and beyond

The album’s tracks, characterized by elaborate choruses, varied instrumentation

and string arrangements, were wildly popular and made Oasis a worldwide phenomenon

8. SUBLIME (SUBLIME, 1996)

Two months before the release of this album, the band’s lead singer/guitarist

Bradley Nowell died of a drug overdose

Despite the fact that the album had no live band to back it up, the

album became a major success

Even when talking about such topics as drug addiction and riots, the

album retains a friendly, laid-back California vibe to it that just begs to

be enjoyed over and over again

9. TOO FAR TO CARE (OLD 97’S, 1997)

Over the course of their 20+ year career, the alt-country band Old 97’s have never achieved mainstream success, yet they’ve

developed an extremely loyal cult following, especially in their native Texas

Fans and critics both agree that their best album is their third album, “Too Far to Care”, a tour-

de-force that never stops for a moment and takes the best parts of rock music, alternative and country to create something truly amazing

10. IN THE AEROPLANE OVER THE SEA (NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL, 1998)

Inspired by the story of Anne Frank, this indie-rock instant classic is considered by

many to be a musical landmark

The songs are just as catchy as they are dark, a dangerous combination indeed

Since the release of the album, the band hasn’t released any new albums (with

the exception of an 8-track EP in 2011)

- Thank You -