The best album of the 1990s

1. Fear of a black planet – Public Enemy

Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works Volume 2.

One of my most vivid memories is the first play of that record, being literally floored by how different it was.

William Orbit’s Strange Cargo – Hinterland.

I’m torn between it and an eponymous debut album from a different genre where every song is cracking. No-one has mentioned it yet. But in keeping with the OP’s earlier direction, I’ll remain off the fence.

(Nevermind would have made my top 3)

Rage Against the Machine

Absolute rager of a timeless album.

Beasty Boys Ill Communication

Rage Against the Machine

Absolute rager of a timeless album

100% this.

Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream

The Offspring – Smash

Faith No More – King for a day, fool for a lifetime

Kruder and Dorfmeister – DJ Kicks

God, so many of those listed already are contenders but ultimately it’s got to be

OK Computer

Dubnobasswithmyheadman

But could be any one of a hundred really

But thinking about it SHOULD be Orb live 93

Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream

The Offspring – Smash

Faith No More – King for a day, fool for a lifetime

Kruder and Dorfmeister – DJ Kicks

The thread’s “best album”. C’mon man, show some backbone and commit!

None of my suggestions. RATM self-titled without a doubt

There’s a duff track on Blue Lines?!

Yeah – Hymn of the big wheel.

So many great tracks on Blue Lines but (IMO) that track prevents it being a great album

Happy to disagree, on account of it being a perfect ending to a sublime album.

I care because you do aphex twin,

Oh and mezzanine. Massive attack

Honestly, so many great albums through the 90’s, some absolutely groundbreaking. I managed 39 gigs just in one year in that decade, and trying to pin down one just isn’t possible, tbh.
These are the bands and albums from the 90’s that made a huge and lasting impact on me.
Massive Attack -Mezzanine,

Portishead – Dummy,

Soundgarden – Superunknown,

Faith No More – Angel Dust,

Belly – Star,

Pixies – Trompe le Monde,

Radiohead – OK Computer,

Screaming Trees – Dust,

Aimee Mann – I’m With Stupid,

Cowboy Junkies – The Caution Horses.

I saw all of them through the decade, apart from Pixies and Radiohead.

@llama This is a surprise why?

No-one said Loveless yet? Still sounds like nothing else (though the only distinct sound is the drumroll at the beginning), best listened to at a volume that makes your house shake, nearly bankrupted Creation records (partly because instead of recording the drum track, Shields sampled O’Ciosaig’s drumming then sequenced it)  and with special guest chinchillas…

Most underrated would have to be Ride the Fader by Chavez, Dust by Screaming Trees (glad it’s not just me @CountZero) or Troublegum, which I managed to get into the student rag Classic Albums column.

Doggystyle and the soundtrack to Friday.

Many of my favourites have already been mentioned so I’m going for Pavement – Slanted and Enchanted

Wowee Zowee was better, you know…

(I also have a copy of Gary Young’s Hospital, which… isn’t)

MHTRTC – BoC

Troublegum.

A particularly good record in the car when you want to rag it’s head off, or at any other time when you want to forget the wife is a massive arsehole.

@hammy7272 has it if your thing is grungy rock.

You guys can remember the 90s?  I( can hardly remember last week!

Hmmm… after the 80s brought you likes of Eddie Van Halen  Randy Rhodes, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteem, Billy Sheehan, Gary Moore, and more into the mainstream,  the 90s were all rather disappointing to me.

I’ll throw a couple more into the mix that were on repeat for a tour of the Former Yugoslavia in ’98.

Korn – Follow The Leader

The Offspring – Americana

Well done on that Aimee Mann album. That was lovely.

Hmmm… after the 80s brought you likes of Eddie Van Halen  Randy Rhodes, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteem, Billy Sheehan, Gary Moore, and more into the mainstream,  the 90s were all rather disappointing to me.

Get wid da yoot, grandad

after the 80s brought you likes of Eddie Van Halen Randy Rhodes, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteem

So people basically **** a guitar, no thanks.

RATM ST and Dust are absolutely classic albums. Paul’s Boutique Vs. Stone Roses is no contest really. The Beasties take that honour purely from the fact the album basically changed hip-hop music production and the way sampling is used to a huge degree.

Edgelords gotta be edgy I guess.

Hard to pick, but to suggest something not spotted in the thread so far…

REM- Automatic For The People

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

I’d also be happy with  already mentioned Fear of a Black Planet or Blue Lines. Or Maxinquaye.

I don’t agree with maccruiskeen that a duff track stops an album from being excellent – for example I love Zep 4, and that has Stairway to **** Heaven on it.

Shouting End of Life

Oysterband

Hard to pick, but to suggest something not spotted in the thread so far…

REM- Automatic For The People

If you like REM and you have Netflix you could do worse than look up the Song Exploder episode about Losing My Religion (it’ll also be on the podcast).

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?

10 pearl jam…

Bush 16 stone?

I was going to suggest “3ft high and rising” but it looks to have been released in 1989, maybe it was a little  later in the uk that they became known.

So for me it would be a tossup between “dummy” and “moon safari” and since dummy was the first ssuggestion on the thread I will go for moon safari.

But there were many great albums in the decade, I could change my mind in 5 mins time and choose something completely different.

A few already posted that would be in my top ten.

I was thinking Elastica or Check Your Head, but if I had to chose a current favourite it would be Urban Hymns by the Verve.

Edgelords gotta be edgy I guess.

Goes for about £150 on Discogs in mint condition.