Revisiting My Favorite Albums of The 1990s (Again)

So one year ago tomorrow, if you recall, I published this. In case you don't recall and don't feel like reading that (which would be perfectly understandable; it's very longwinded) I'll give you the highlights. Basically it said that my tastes in music change and I also hear new stuff all the time blah blah blah I'm republishing my Best Albums of Decades albums list! Yeah!

This time around, though, I'll spare you the color-coordinating and whatnot--and by spare you, I mean spare myself; that took me a long time. I also don't think I'll be writing too many (or any) explanations. The albums can speak for themselves, and, to be honest, I don't think the lists have changed too much. The major difference is that I'm including 102 albums instead of 90. So there.

This specific post is, as you can glean from its title, about the 1990s. The 1990s were this weird decade that happened a long time ago but because the people who were young during it are now young adults who produce the indie movies and write the blogs that we all watch and read, we are inundated with references to it, whether that means flannel shirts, shoegaze, Pete & Pete, etc. The thing is, I am sort of one of these people. I'm a little on the young side--I only saw Pete & Pete in syndication--but I definitely identify with the culture of the '90s. As such, the music of the '90s is some of my favorite. I love trip-hop. I love shoegaze. I love acid house. I love post-rock. I love Nirvana. So here goes: my favorite albums of the 1990s. Again. (A sidenote: in the spirit of the '90s I'm going to see Godspeed You! Black Emperor tonight at The Vic. Woo-hoo!)

102. Air--Moon Safari

101. Massive Attack--Protection

100. The Melvins--Houdini

99. Belle & Sebastian--If You're Feeling Sinister

98. Mouse On Mars--Iaora Tahiti

97. Slowdive--Souvlaki

96. Orbital--Orbital II

95. The Breeders--Last Splash

94. K.M.D.--Mr. Hood

93. Herbert--Around The House

92. De La Soul--De La Soul Is Dead

91. Smashing Pumpkins--Siamese Dream

90. Swans--Soundtracks For The Blind

89. Boredoms--Pop Tatari

88. Jawbox--For Your Own Special Sweetheart

87. Destroyer--City Of Daughters

86. Green Day--Dookie

85. Mogwai--Young Team

84. The Notorious B.I.G.--Ready To Die

83. The Orb--U.F.Orb

82. Primal Scream--Screamadelica

81. Drexciya--Neptune's Lair

80. Sonic Youth--Washing Machine

79. Gas--Konigsforst

78. Robert Wyatt--Shleep

77. Unwound--Repetition

76. The Beta Band--The Three EP's

75. Beastie Boys--Ill Communication

74. Underworld--Dubnobasswithmyheadman

73. TLC--CrazySexyCool

72. Fugazi--Repeater

71. Neutral Milk Hotel--On Avery Island

70. Bjork--Debut

69. Beat Happening--Dreamy

68. Raekwon--Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

67. Squarepusher--Music Is Rotted One Note

66. Elliott Smith--Either/Or

65. Beck--Midnite Vultures

64. A Tribe Called Quest--The Low End Theory

63. The Halo Benders--The Rebels Not In

62. Nine Inch Nails--The Downward Spiral

61. Massive Attack--Mezzanine

60. The Orb--The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld

59. The Jesus Lizard--Liar

58. Jeff Buckley--Grace

57. Pavement--Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

56. Tom Waits--Mule Variations

55. Palace Brothers--Days In The Wake

54. Nas--Illmatic

53. Tortoise--Millions Now Living Will Never Die

52. Sonic Youth--Goo

51. Oval--94 Diskont

50. Company Flow--Funcrusher Plus

49. New Order--Republic

48. Radiohead--The Bends

47. Beat Happening--You Turn Me On

46. Pavement--Wowee Zowee

45. Aphex Twin--Selected Ambient Works Volume II

44. Weezer--Pinkerton

43. Boredoms--Super Ae

42. Jim O'Rourke--Eureka

41. Radiohead--OK Computer

40. Scott Walker--Tilt

39. Beastie Boys--Check Your Head

38. Palace Music--Viva Last Blues

37. Brainiac--Hissing Prigs In Static Couture

36. Built To Spill--Perfect From Now On

35. Guided By Voices--Propeller

34. Godspeed You! Black Emperor--F#A#(Infinity)

33. The Jesus Lizard--Goat

32. Tom Waits--Bone Machine

31. Dr. Octagon--Dr. Octagonecologyst

30. Wu-Tang Clan--Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chamber)

29. Yo La Tengo--Painful

28. Massive Attack--Blue Lines

27. Spiritualized--Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space

26. Fugazi--Red Medicine

25. Bjork--Post

24. Ride--Nowhere

23. Tricky--Maxinquaye

22. Talk Talk--Laughing Stock

21. Pixies--Bossanova

20. Public Enemy--Fear Of A Black Planet

19. Outkast--Aquemini

18. Boards of Canada--Music Has The Right To Children

17. Yo La Tengo--I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One

16. Nirvana--In Utero

15. Bjork--Homogenic

14. Bonnie "Prince" Billy--I See A Darkness

13. Aphex Twin--Richard D. James Album

12. Beck--Odelay

11. Guided By Voices--Bee Thousand

10. Pavement--Slanted & Enchanted

9. Weezer--Weezer

8. Portishead--Dummy

7. DJ Shadow--Endtroducing...

6. Slint--Spiderland

5. Guided By Voices--Alien Lanes

4. Modest Mouse--The Lonesome Crowded West

3. Nirvana--Nevermind

2. Neutral Milk Hotel--In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

1. My Bloody Valentine--Loveless

Fuzzy guitar-oriented rock music certainly wins the '90s for me, despite various strains of electronica trying to vie for the title. That's okay. I'll leave you with an unbelievable live performance of one of the best tracks on this decade's best album. Have a nice day.