What are your top ten favorite albums from the 90s?

---

By: Justin C.
• 10. Countdown To Extinction by Megadeth
  This album was one of the best selling releases of the 90's for its scene. Rolling Stone wrote that had this album been released before Metallica's self-titled(Black) album, the two band's fame levels would have been reversed.
• 9. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by Smashing Pumpkins
  What is there to say about this album or this band? Never a disappointment.
• 8. The Sky Moves Sideways by Porcupine Tree
  A very overlooked band fronted by Steven Wilson, an absolutely brilliant musician, writer and producer.
• 7. Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails
  Music had to go somewhere after the death of grunge, and unlike many distorted alternative acts that rose up, Nine Inch Nails came bearing their own variation of rock music with new wave synths.
• 6. Alice In Chains by Alice In Chains
  The self-titled 1995 release by the heavy hitting grunge act was most famous for the three-legged dog on the cover that got it the fan name tripod. This album was to me the most passionate of the groups albums, that I attribute to Layne Staley's ongoing fight with addiction and the toll it had taken by this point.
• 5. Superunkown by Soundgarden
  It's hard to not add an album by Soundgarden to a 90's list. If you lived in the same world I did, Chris Cornell's voice will forever be a symbol of the 90's.
• 4. Enter The Wu-Tang by Wu-Tang Clan
  Who can forget Wu-Tang clan? The group's debut album. Pure energy from start to stop.
• 3. Sublime by Sublime
  The most alternative of Sublime's albums, I believe this qualifies it most for the list, as I believe Alternative music is the biggest symbol of the 90's you'll find. The only surviving relic of the decade... Besides Bill Clinton.
• 2. Third Eye Blind by Third Eye Blind
  The band's debut album. Who'll ever forget Semi-Charmed Life and Jumper. "I wish you would step back from that ledge, my friend." is a line engrained in any child of the 90's mind.
• 1. Ten by Pearl Jam
  Pearl Jam, not only is the best selling band of the 90's but their debut album, though slow to sell at first has gone Platinum 14 times since its release and all four singles that came from the album still survive and are played at events to this day.

To me the 90's were a time of narcolepsy. The youth bounced around like a Barenaked Ladies music video, upbeat sounds with lyrical undertones of sadness and confusion. Prozac and Ritalin swept the nation and much of the great musical talent never got the recognition they deserved due to a society that was allowed to stop caring.

---

By: Grungist
• 10. Mellon collie and the infinite sadness by Smashing pumpkins
  I think this was their last good album before billy corgan sold out (and that he did) but this was a great cd "zero" and "bullet with butterfly wings" are the reigning champs for best songs on this stellar album.
• 9. In Utero by Nirvana
  I personally feel nirvana was highly overrated, especially their "best album nevermind" (even kurt cobain hated it) but I feel this album showed what kurt Dave and kris were all about, since I'm not a huge nirvana fan my favorite song from this album is their most popular song from the album "heart shaped box"
• 8. Aniema by Tool
  I'm actually not a big tool fan, always preferred a perfect circle but this is a very good album and Maynard James Keenan proves he deserves to be recognized as one of the best rock singers of the last 25 years.
• 7. Core by Stone temple pilots
  I always hated the name of the band that I find myself often reffering to them as "STP" as opposed to stone temple pilots, but as stupid as I think the name of the band is the music they produce is the exact opposite, Scott weiland may be referred to by some as a "vedder clone" but I feel Scott's vocals blow eddies out of the water "sex type thing" proves it.
• 6. Slim Shady LP by Eminem
  Yeah I like rap a little bit, I never got into 2pac or biggie to give them props in a top 10 but I happened to like eminem back in the day, this being my personal favorite, as well as my favorite rap album from the 90s
• 5. Above by Mad Season
  Another album people easily forget, more of a bluesy, super rock band, fronted by layne staley, and members of other grunge bands, they put out some of the most emotional/beautiful songs I've ever heard, something that people truly should not forget
• 4. Mother Love Bone by Mother Love Bone
  It's a shame this was the only album they put out, with the unfortunate death of talented singer Andrew wood, it makes me upset because if he didn't die pearl jam wouldn't exist (good thing in my book)
• 3. Vulgar Display of Power by Pantera
  I feel they didn't get enough love on here, but seriously you can't deny dime bag as well as the intense vocals delivered by Phil anselmo, you want to rock out to something before a fight or a hockey game give "live in a hole" a spin.
• 2. Superunknown by Soundgarden
  Honestly i would have put an alice in chains album here but I didn't want to flood the top 5 with albums from the same artist, but that doesn't degrade superunknown from being a work of art, most people only like to talk about "black hole sun" as the best song on the album, but my personal favorites are "fell on black days" "mailman" and "spoon man" great album Cornell is without a doubt the 2nd best singer ever (behind Layne Staley) in my opinion.
• 1. Dirt by Alice in Chains
  I shouldn't have to explain this one, this album changed my life and is to me the most influential albums of the 90s, Layne was not only the best rock singer ever, but also one of the most powerful, emotional and best singers of all time. Favorite songs include "Angry Chair" "Dirt" "Would?" And "Rain when I die".

If I had my way I would put as my top 5 in order: Dirt, Self-titled, jar of flies, facelift, and sap. Yes they are all Alice In Chains albums but what can I say that's my favorite band and I feel the most underrated band of the last 25 years. Pearl jam gets dishonorable mention for being front runners (just trying to fit in with other Seattle bands, look it up) and the album nevermind fits in the overrated category along with rage against the machine, it's funny I've noticed a lot of "huge" nirvana fans only name their hit singles (smells like teen spirit, come as you are, lithium, heart shaped box) when asked their favorite nirvana songs and these are the people who claim nirvana as the best band of the 90s, ha, 3-7 songs don't make a band great, I can every song from every AiC album in order because there's only maybe 2 songs I don't like by them (nothing song, swing on this) everything else ranges from a 7.5 out of 10 to a 10 out of 10. Layne was a far better singer than kurt, kurt even admitted that in an interview. I hate British bands that came after 1980 so oasis and radiohead get no love from this guy.
Previous List

Would You Like To Add Something We Missed?

Please use the submission page to submit information to be used on this page.