The 48 Greatest Albums of the 1990s
The 1990s contribute 48 of the music canon's all-time entries, led by Nevermind (1991). Rankings aggregate 9 authoritative lists; every entry links to its full evidence.
1. Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album and major label debut by American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release to feature drummer Dave Grohl. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind features a more polished, radio-friendly sound than the band's prior work.
2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is the debut solo studio album by the American rapper and singer-songwriter Lauryn Hill. It was released on August 19, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. Recorded after Hill's band Fugees went on hiatus, the album is almost entirely written and produced by Hill.
3. OK Computer
OK Computer is the third studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 21 May 1997. With their producer, Nigel Godrich, Radiohead recorded most of OK Computer in their rehearsal space in Oxfordshire and the historic mansion of St Catherine's Court in Bath in 1996 and early 1997.
4. The Chronic
The Chronic is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records along with Interscope Records and distributed by Priority Records.
5. Enter the Wu-Tang(36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Forever is the second studio album by the American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released June 3, 1997, by Wu-Tang Records, Loud Records, RCA Records, and Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) in the United States.
6. Ready to Die
Ready to Die is a 1994 album by The Notorious B.I.G. Ready to Die may also refer to: Ready to Die (The Stooges album), a 2013 album by Iggy and the Stooges "Ready to Die", a song by Iggy and the Stooges from the 2013 album Ready to Die "Ready to Die," a song by The Notorious B.I.G. from the 1994 album Ready to Die "Ready to Die," a song by Andrew W.K.
7. Illmatic
Illmatic is the debut studio album by the American rapper Nas, released on April 19, 1994, through Columbia Records. After signing with the label with the help of MC Serch, Nas recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City.
8. The Low End Theory
The Low End Theory is the second studio album by American hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released on September 24, 1991, by Jive Records. Recording sessions for the album were held mostly at Battery Studios in New York City, from 1990 to 1991.
9. (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
(What's the Story) Morning Glory? is the second studio album by the English rock band Oasis. Released on 2 October 1995 by Creation Records, it was produced by Owen Morris and the group's lead guitarist and chief songwriter Noel Gallagher.
10. Loveless
Loveless is the second studio album by the Irish rock band My Bloody Valentine, released on 4 November 1991 in the United Kingdom by Creation Records and in the United States by Sire Records.
11. Grace
Grace may refer to…
12. Live Through This
Live Through This is the second studio album by the American alternative rock band Hole, released on April 12, 1994, by DGC Records. Recorded in late 1993, it departed from the band's unpolished hardcore aesthetics to more refined melodies and song structure.
13. Dummy
Dummy is the debut studio album by English electronic music band Portishead, released on 22 August 1994 by Go! Beat Records. The album received critical acclaim and won the 1995 Mercury Music Prize.
14. Achtung Baby
Achtung Baby ( AHKH-toong) is the seventh studio album by the Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 18 November 1991 by Island Records.
15. Slanted and Enchanted
Slanted and Enchanted is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on April 20, 1992, by Matador Records. It is the only Pavement album to feature drummer Gary Young. The title Slanted and Enchanted is taken from the title of a cartoon made by the band’s friend David Berman.
16. Jagged Little Pill
Jagged Little Pill is the third studio album by Canadian-American singer Alanis Morissette, released by Maverick on June 13, 1995. Recorded in Hollywood at Westlake with production by Glen Ballard, it was Morissette's first album to be released worldwide. It marks a significant stylistic departure from the dance-pop sound of her first two efforts, Alanis (1991) and Now Is the Time (1992).
17. Fear of a Black Planet
Fear of a Black Planet is the third studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy. It was released on April 10, 1990, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records, and produced by the group's production team The Bomb Squad, who expanded on the sample-layered sound of Public Enemy's previous album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988).
18. In Utero
In Utero is the third and final studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 21, 1993, by DGC Records. After breaking into the mainstream with their previous album, Nevermind (1991), Nirvana hired Steve Albini to record In Utero, seeking a more complex, abrasive sound that was reminiscent of their work prior to Nevermind.
19. Different Class
Different Class (released in Japan as Common People) is the fifth studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 30 October 1995 by Island Records. The album was a critical and commercial success, entering the UK Albums Chart at number one and winning the 1996 Mercury Music Prize.
20. Blue Lines
Blue Lines is the debut studio album by English electronic music group Massive Attack, released on 8 April 1991 by Wild Bunch and Virgin Records. The recording was led by members Grantley "Daddy G" Marshall, Robert "3D" Del Naja, Adrian "Tricky" Thaws, and Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles, with co-writing and co-production by Jonny Dollar.
21. The Bends
The Bends is the second studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 13 March 1995 by Parlophone. It was produced by John Leckie, with extra production by Radiohead, Nigel Godrich and Jim Warren. The Bends combines guitar songs and ballads, with more restrained arrangements and cryptic lyrics than Radiohead's debut album, Pablo Honey (1993).
22. Definitely Maybe
Definitely Maybe is the debut studio album by the English rock band Oasis, released on 29 August 1994 by Creation Records. The album features Noel Gallagher on lead guitar, backing vocals and as chief songwriter, Liam Gallagher on lead vocals, Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs on rhythm guitar, Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan on bass guitar and Tony McCarroll on drums.
23. The Downward Spiral
The Downward Spiral is the second studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, fronted by Trent Reznor. It was released on March 8, 1994, by Nothing Records and Interscope Records in the United States and Island Records in Europe.
24. Exile in Guyville
Exile in Guyville is the debut studio album by the American singer-songwriter Liz Phair, released on June 22, 1993, by Matador Records. It was recorded at Idful Music Corporation in Chicago between 1992 and 1993 and produced by Phair and Brad Wood. Exile in Guyville was certified gold in 1998.
25. Metallica
Metallica (commonly known as The Black Album) is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on August 12, 1991, by Elektra Records. Recording sessions took place at One on One Recording Studios in Los Angeles over an eight-month span that frequently found Metallica at odds with their new producer Bob Rock.
26. Star Time
Star Time is a four-CD box set by American musician James Brown. Released in May 1991 by Polydor Records, its contents span most of the length of his career up to the time of its release, starting in 1956 with his first hit record, "Please, Please, Please", and ending with "Unity", his 1984 collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa.
27. Automatic for the People
Automatic for the People is the eighth studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on October 5, 1992, in the United Kingdom and Europe, and on the following day in the United States, by Warner Bros. Records. R.E.M. began production on the album while their previous album, Out of Time (1991), was still ascending charts and achieving global success.
28. Supa Dupa Fly
Supa Dupa Fly is the debut studio album by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, released on July 15, 1997, by The Goldmind, East West, and Elektra Entertainment Group. The album was recorded and produced solely by Timbaland in October 1996, and features the singles "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)", "Sock It 2 Me", "Hit Em wit da Hee" and "Beep Me 911".
29. Either/Or
Either/Or is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Either/Or was recorded in several locations, mostly in Portland, Oregon – while Smith was still a member of Heatmiser – and was produced by Smith, Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf.
30. Aquemini
Aquemini () is the third studio album by the American hip hop duo Outkast, released on September 29, 1998, by LaFace Records and Arista Records. The title is a portmanteau of the two performers' Zodiac signs: Aquarius (Big Boi) and Gemini (André 3000), which is indicative of the album's recurring theme of the differing personalities of the two members.
31. Ten
Ten, TEN or 10 may refer to…
32. Unplugged
Unplugged may refer to…
33. Ray of Light
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on February 22, 1998, by Maverick Records. A major stylistic and aesthetic departure from her previous work, Bedtime Stories (1994), Ray of Light is an electronica, trip hop, techno-pop, and new-age record that incorporates multiple genres, including ambient, house, rock, and classical.
34. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on June 30, 1998, by Mercury Records. The album was recorded and co-produced by Williams in Nashville, Tennessee and Canoga Park, California, and features guest appearances by Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris.
35. Violator
Violator is the seventh studio album by the English electronic band Depeche Mode, released on 19 March 1990 by Mute Records internationally and by Sire and Reprise Records in the United States. It was produced by the band and Mark Ellis, professionally known as Flood.
36. Rid of Me
Rid of Me is the second studio album by the English singer-songwriter PJ Harvey, released on 26 April 1993 by Island Records, approximately one year after the release of her critically acclaimed debut studio album Dry (1992). It marked a departure from Harvey's previous songwriting, being more raw and aggressive than its predecessor.
37. Reasonable Doubt
Reasonable Doubt is the debut studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on June 25, 1996, by his own record label Roc-A-Fella Records and distributed by Priority Records. The album features production provided by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and also includes guest appearances from Memphis Bleek, Mary J. Blige, Jaz-O, and the Notorious B.I.G., among others.
38. My Life
My Life may refer to…
39. Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the fifth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 24, 1991, by Warner Bros. Records. Produced by Rick Rubin, its musical style differed notably from the band's previous album Mother's Milk (1989), reducing the use of heavy metal guitar riffs and accentuating the melodic songwriting contributions of guitarist John Frusciante.
40. Liquid Swords
Liquid Swords is the second solo studio album by the American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, released on November 7, 1995, by Geffen Records. Recording sessions for the album began midway through 1995 at producer RZA's basement studio in the New York City borough of Staten Island.
41. The Score
The Score is the second and final studio album by American hip-hop group Fugees, released worldwide on February 13, 1996, by Columbia Records. The album features a wide range of samples and instrumentation, with many aspects of alternative hip-hop that would come to dominate the hip-hop music scene in the mid- to late-1990s.
42. Dig Me Out
Dig Me Out is the third studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released on April 8, 1997, on the Kill Rock Stars label. The album was produced by John Goodmanson and recorded from December 1996 to January 1997 at John and Stu's Place in Seattle, Washington. Dig Me Out marked the debut of Janet Weiss, who would become the band's longest-serving drummer.
43. Screamadelica
Screamadelica is the third studio album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream. It was first released on 23 September 1991 in the United Kingdom by Creation Records and on 8 October 1991 in the United States by Sire Records.
44. Parklife
Parklife is the third studio album by the English rock band Blur, released on 25 April 1994, by Food Records. After moderate sales for their previous album Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife returned Blur to prominence in the UK, helped by its four hit singles: "Girls & Boys", "To the End", "Parklife" and "End of a Century".
45. Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is the self-titled debut studio album by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. It was released on November 6, 1992, by Epic Records, four days after the release of the album's first single, "Killing in the Name". The album was based largely on the band's first commercial demo tape of the same name, completed 11 months prior to the album's release.
46. Doggystyle
Doggystyle is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop Doggy Dogg's appearances on Dr.
47. CrazySexyCool
CrazySexyCool is the second studio album by American girl group TLC, released on November 15, 1994, by LaFace and Arista Records. Following the group's record deal, they released their debut album Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip in 1992 to positive reviews and commercial success.
48. The Slim Shady LP
The Slim Shady LP is the second studio album and major-label debut by American rapper Eminem. It was released through Aftermath Entertainment, WEB Entertainment, and Interscope Records on February 23, 1999. Recorded in Ferndale, Michigan, following Eminem's recruitment by Dr.