It is obvious that the nineties is one of the best decades of music in existence. For that reason, any list of this sort is inevitably relegated to being (at best) only the tip of one of its many icebergs.
That being said, the selections below are the opinion of one individual, and may or may not correspond to the albums you would have chosen. Knowing that, you may assume an IMO wherever you like, but I will omit them for the sake of brevity and non-repetition.
For me personally, the most important aspects of music (those that draw me to listen and relisten to certain works) are melody, harmony, and I guess what I would call rhythmic texture [the way the mathematico-temporal quality of the individual parts in a piece (be they instrumental or vocal) creates a confluent soundscape].
Melodies can have a life all their own, and be compelling by themselves (think of Behind the Wall by Tracy Chapman); but when voices harmonize, and when instruments harmonize with themselves (via chords) and those chords with the notes & chords of other voices and instruments, what can occur is essentially a sequence of breathtaking harmonic progressions. Songs that create such an effect never get old. So... if − while reading this list − you wonder "Why on Earth did he pick that?!" then it was likely for the melody, harmony, and/or rhythmic texture.
Also note that the lyrical content has no bearing on these selections, because lyrics - for me - are always secondary to the melody they carry & the harmony they facilitate.
The order is chronological by release date & so does not indicate a ranking...
This album is an absolute work of art. Even Buck and Mills have said that it's the best R.E.M. record. ~ More so than on any of their other albums, the songs on this one seem to be atmospherically unified, each one adding another somber beautiful dimension to the work as a whole.
Favorite segment: tracks 6 − 9
Favorite tracks: Sweetness Follows, Ignoreland
This is the quintessential grunge album, with songwriting as good as or better than Ten & the intensity turned up a notch. Vs. is interlaced with the energy of punk and the heaviness of metal, and is their first album with the best drummer they ever had, Dave Abbruzzese. Even Ament has said, "I wish our first record sounded like this."
Favorite segment: tracks 8 − 11
Favorite tracks: Dissident, Leash
Some may view CTD as a novelty band, but they're actually extremely talented musicians with a great sense of humor; not to mention Roberts' striking baritone vocals as they meld with Reid's frequent angelic harmonizations. If you listen closely, the precision and creativity of the rhythm section might surprise you as well. Roberts' brother Dan writes spot-on basslines (often with melodies of their own) & Dorge's drumming always expertly compliments the songs while achieving a perfect fusion with the basslines. ~ Severely underrated, this album exhibits a cleverness and coherence that stands the test of time.
Favorite segment: tracks 1 − 6
Favorite track: In the Days of the Caveman
I think in 1994 I probably listened to this album more than any other. It frequently oscillates between calmness and intensity (being basically the pinnacle of the quiet-verse-loud-chorus paradigm), has many epic moments, and is packed with compelling melodies and dynamic bridges. ~ Iris and Top are without a doubt my favorite Līve songs, which is funny because in the tracklist they are literally surrounded by "hits."
Favorite segment: tracks 8 − 11
Favorite tracks: Iris, Top
With Līve's Throwing Copper, a pattern starts to emerge in this list, because the two albums that preceded it − Pearl Jam's Vs. and Crash Test Dummies' God Shuffled His Feet − are not only the best albums from those bands, but are also their second albums. ~ This is a pattern that will (unintentionally) continue to be prominent; and it may be the case that one of the most annoying epithets used by music critics ("sophomore effort") in actuality refers to many a bands' magnum opi.
The way I feel about this album is similar to how I feel about Automatic for the People. An incredibly talented band, at the height of their powers, not overthinking or forcing anything, just being themselves and playing together in a strikingly cohesive way, creating a unified atmosphere among the songs that is more somber and serious than usual, but which is nevertheless mesmerizing; and as with R.E.M.'s masterpiece, Dulcinea exhibits a beautiful dreamlike quality that is so strong it is like a world unto itself.
Favorite segment: tracks 1 − 5
Favorite tracks: Crowing, Inside
I am hesitant to call this a grunge album, because to me it sounds very little like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, or Nirvana. Of course music critics falsely accused STP of copying the sound of those others [music critics didn't like Master of Reality either, so what do they know?]; anyway, Weiland, the DeLeo brothers, & Kretz to me always wrote music/lyrics that were more along the strange/poetic lines rather than angered/tormented. ~ On Purple, STP are a well-oiled rock machine spewing forth some of the finest harmonies & rhythmic textures possible atop a foundation of distorted guitars & melodic basslines.
Favorite segment: tracks 7 − 10
Favorite track: Silvergun Superman
(the fourth second album that is the artist's best)
Although I avoided ranking these albums because they're all so good, I believe I can say with certainty that this second album by The Verve Pipe is probably my favorite album of the 1990s. The reason I believe that is because of all of these albums, this is the one I relisten to the most. ~ Interestingly, the biggest "hit" is its worst track (I skip it every time); the other weak song is actually the titular track. ~ Despite the odd fact that there are two weak tracks on here, the rest of it is utterly phenomenal. Passionate, heavy, quiet, beautiful, strange, moving ... these are some of the terms that come to mind when I try to describe it. Of the three most important musical aspects, Villains is a treasure trove. All I can say is: make a playlist of its songs minus tracks 3 & 7, put on some headphones, and experience the apex of nineties alternative rock.
Favorite segment: tracks 4 − 9 (minus 7)
Favorite tracks: Myself, Ominous Man
(the fifth second album that is the artist's best)
While their self-titled debut is obviously awesome, for me Evil Empire has greater intensity, tighter playing, and feels heavier and more brutal (in the satisfying way that metal is brutal) as a result. ~ Every member of the band contributes equally to the impressive rhythmic textures created: stopping and starting on a dime for every tiny detail, incorporating syncopation and hesitation, and listening to each other well so their parts end up being interwoven rather than separate. ~ It is definitely a work of art to feast your mind upon.
Favorite segment: tracks 3 − 8
Favorite tracks: Vietnow, Without a Face
(the sixth second album that is the artist's best)
One of the most interesting bands to come out of the nineties, Soul Coughing created a completely unique sound by fusing alternative rock, jazz, hip hop, & electronic; and although I'm usually not concerned with lyrics, Mike Doughty writes some of the most entertaining around.
Beyond their unusual fusion, a lot of the uniqueness in their sound comes from their very specific talents & choices of instrument(s): Yuval Gabay's drumming is a hypnotic jazzy precision mixed with bouncy hip hop [beat] machinery; Sebastian Steinberg's upright bass playing is thumpy & melodic (perfectly complimenting Gabay's drumming); Mark Degli Antoni's keyboarding & sampling adds an extremely captivatingly weird atmosphere to the music [with choices that are unpredictable but always fitting]; lastly, Doughty is a chill guitar player & skilled melodist with a penchant for stream-of-consciousness poetry [bordering on spoken word at times].
Favorite segment: tracks 2 − 6
Favorite tracks: Soft Serve, Soundtrack to Mary
(the seventh second album that is the artist's best)
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If you like this album, definitely check out their other two
There is a clever simplicity to the material on Fountains of Wayne's debut album. The melodies are straightforward and strong, the lyrics are hilarious, and the choruses are big and catchy (catchy in the infectious way, not the annoying way).
Favorite segment: tracks 1 − 6
Favorite tracks: Survival Car, Leave the Biker
Counting Crows' second album is lighter in mood but heavier in sound than their debut. The drumming style of Ben Mize is more energetic with more symbol work than their original drummer, which gives the album a more opened-up feel (less choppy). ~ Unlike the highly-effective sadness of August and Everything After, there is a pervasive hopefulness to the songs of Recovering the Satellites: minor chords mingling with strange notes more often than just with other sad [t]ones.
Favorite segment: tracks 4 − 6
Favorite tracks: Children in Bloom, Miller's Angels
(the eighth second album that is the artist's best)
This album rocks! Chock-full of awesome melodies, harmonies, guitar riffs, & an overall great energy, it is without a doubt superior to its predecessor. ~ I revisit this one almost as often as I do The Verve Pipe's Villains.
Favorite segment: tracks 10 − 13
Favorite tracks: Don't Make Me Prove It, One Last Time
(the ninth second album that is the artist's best)
You'll hear a lot about this album being their sell-out hi-fi album after the so-called "classic" line-up left, but don't believe the negative hype. As far as I'm concerned there is only one member in the classic line-up: Robert Pollard himself; and this is the first album he made with lead guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Doug Gillard!
The tracks on here range from the wonderfully odd (The Old Grunt, Are You Faster?, Hollow Cheek) to arena rockers (I Am a Tree, Not Behind the Fighter Jet, Little Lines) to the sad and beautiful (Learning to Hunt, Now To War).
Favorite segment: tracks 16 − 18
Favorite tracks: Learning to Hunt, Jane of the Waking Universe
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...and if you needmore songs after Mag Earwhig! be sure to check out the Guide to Guided By Voices
Before Incubus morphed and became unlistenable to me [albeit more popular], they dropped one of the heaviest & wildest albums in existence.
S.C.I.E.N.C.E. somehow successfully fuses metal, funk, & rap (a fusion that sounds potentially atrocious in theory, but in their highly skilled hands ends up working perfectly) [not only that, amidst the impressive technicality, compelling melodies & harmonies abound].
Lastly I'll say this: if you think you know what it will sound like because you've heard Drive or Are you in?, think again...
Favorite segment: tracks 1 − 5
Favorite tracks: Nebula, Calgone
(the tenth second album that is the artist's best)
The debut full-length album in the discography of probably the most mesmerizing musical body of work to ever exist, this one must be heard to be misunderstood, & seen with the mind's eye to be disbelieved.
Imagine slowed-down recordings of hypnotic chords, reversed atop infectious beats & transmitted through wormholes into television tubes, emanating visible echoes of a future past across lightyears of spacetime...
"...until we - ah, look at me. I'm ramblin' again."
Favorite segment: tracks 8 − 13
Favorite tracks: Kaini Industries, Bocuma, Olson
This album seamlessly fuses many genres and epitomizes the late-90s vibe. ~ Pure joy for the ears & mind, it will satisfy your cravings for alternative rock, funk, hip/trip hop, indie pop, jazz, lounge, etc.
Put sci-fi wasabi on your cosmic stromboli!
(no ravioli, or aioli)
Favorite segment: tracks 4 − 7
Favorite tracks: Sci-Fi Wasabi, Clouds
(the eleventh second album that is the artist's best)
This was an extremely difficult list to make due to the sheer awesomeness of 90s music in general.
Here are some artists that were reluctantly excluded but that are definitely worth checking out if you haven't heard them before: Beck, Beth Orton, Bush, Collective Soul, Filter, Gin Blossoms, Green Day, Ivy, Jill Sobule, Letters to Cleo, Liz Phair, Luscious Jackson, Lush, Paula Cole, Phish, Robert Pollard, Seal, Self, Sheryl Crow, Stereolab, Supergrass, The Corrs, The Cranberries, Tracy Bonham, Vanessa Daou.
And for the record: even though Vs. is my favorite grunge album, my favorite grunge song is not from that album, or even by Pearl Jam. It is in fact Drown by Smashing Pumpkins. Listen to that if you need your brain reset.
Also for the record: sometimes The Verve Pipe's Villains is considered to be their third − not second − album; but in order for that to work you have to consider I've Suffered a Head Injury to be an actual album (which originally it supposedly was), when what it has been widely released as is an 8-song EP. ~ Either way, I believe they hit their 2nd-album stride on Villains, not Pop Smear.
Finally, speaking of the aforementioned 2nd-album stride, eleven out of the sixteen albums in the list are second albums [that's 68.75% of them]. My hypothesis on this unexpected phenomenon is that many (if not most) bands/artists reach the state of knowing what they're doing yet not overthinking it on their second album.
Obviously this isn't true for all artists. Some reach that point much later (R.E.M., Toad the Wet Sprocket) & for some their debut is their best (Doves, Fountains of Wayne, Metric, Tracy Bonham).
* * *
Need more music? Check out Best Albums of the 2000s
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