The best album of the 1990s

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
But so many to choose from, helped by being a teenager for most of the 90's - middle aged, middle class white man too

EDIT - should have ready the whole thread before I posted see Siamese Dream already taken, Star by Belly too which would have been another option. Sticking with my original choice for the best, but adding Carter USM - the Love Album as another option

August and Everything After by Counting Crows. Very little in the way of weak tracks.

Phaseshifter - Redd Kross

jonnysevenFull Member
Phaseshifter – Redd Kross

Brilliant band and album but I prefer the pure power pop of Third Eye, one of my favourite albums of all time.

Saw them live last year playing to a depressingly small crowd in Birmingham.

I think I'm going to plump for Northern Exposure, Sasha & Digweed.

So many good choices. Dubnobass a contender too.

I've got a dubstar album that is almost perfect, Disgraceful.

Oh and leftism

And the often overlooked Shed 7, A maximum high. Tremendous album and a superb gig band

The Boatman's Call and Copper Blue have been offered so I will suggest Different Class by Pulp and, my particular favourite, To Bring You My Love by the amazing, astonishing P J Harvey.

A single album is silly, even single album per genre. Anyway, have a little Americana. Natalie Merchant- Tigerlily, and maybe the best guitarist you’ve never heard of.

Must be the only one here that thinks Ok Computer is a load of self indulgent, dreary bilge. So disappointing after the Bends.

I’m going to go for (What’s the story) Morning Glory?

Can I out-edge you by saying OK Computer was dreary and unengaging, while Morning Glory was just predictable dad rock 😉

Hard to begrudge Creation the success after they'd supported so many truly original and interesting bands though.

No-one said Loveless yet? Still sounds like nothing else

Used to be my go-to answer for best album (1990s or ever), but I've realised that I never actually fancy listening to it any more.

Hence going with Screamadelica - which I think also perfectly sums up the decade for me (and RIP Andrew Weatherall).

I'm going to go for a mix album from the end of the decade - an incredible demonstration of how far dance music had developed in that time.

Sasha - Global Underground, Ibiza. Still sounds futuristic 25 years later.

There's way too many.

If I'm picking one that sticks out to me personally as something of a soundtrack to being a teenager in the 90's it has to be NOFX - Punk in Drublic. For me, that was the album I picked up that changed my musical tastes from metal/alternative to something more fun. See also The Offspring - Smash.

So many good ones have already been mentioned.

I'm going to chuck in Blur's eponymously titled album. I still listen to songs from it to this day. And, You're So Great is one of my favourite songs.

Honourable mentions: Brighten the Corners, Washing Machine and New Adventures in HiFi.

Earth V's the Wild hearts by the Wildhearts. First saw them live in Newcastle in 93. Went out and bought the album. Nothing else like it at the time or since.

Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette should be up there.

A cop-out, i know, but It’s a bit like my kids asking me my favourite food, it depends on my mood when the question is asked.
Lots of superb albums have been listed. Not sure any of the following a worthy of THE best 90’s album, but all these, not yet listed, fall in to my Honourable Mentions category, and my 90’s wouldn’t have been the same without them.

in no particular order…

Orbital - Orbital

Exit Planet Dust - The Chemical Brothers

Homework - Daft Punk

The Good Will Out - Embrace

You’ve Come ALong Way Baby - Fatboy Slim

Pills Thrills and Bellyaches - Happy Mondays

Smokers Delight - Nightmares On Wax

Definitely Maybe - Oasis

Cold Water Music - Aim

Moon Safari - Air

2001 - Dr Dre

Edit to the above: if pushed for an immediate definite answer, I’d say Screamadelica,…probably. 🙂

So many brilliant albums have been overlooked…

Hell Among The Yearlings - Gillian Welch
Odelay - Beck
Spiderland - Slint
Moon Pix - Cat Power
When the pawn… - Fiona Apple
Homogenic - Björk
To Bring You My Love - PJ Harvey
F#A# - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Hippopotamomus - Momus
And She Closed Her Eyes - Stina Nordenstam

To mention but a few.

But I’m going to cheat and select 2: Secular and non-Secular

I give you you:

I See A Darkness - Bonnie “Prince” Billy

And

Kanon Pokajanen - Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (Arvo Pärt). This is my most listened to album in my entire life. Disk 1 gets played several hundred times every year. And has for the last 20 years I’d say…