12 of the Best… 90’s Albums

Those of a certain age, like myself, will realise wistfully in 2020 that the music we loved the most is now half a lifetime away, and an entire generation behind us. This list celebrates the CDs we cherished and played till they broke, long before MP3 and Spotify was even a thing. Back then, you put the disc in, pressed play and let it run – no playlists, or single tracks, the whole damn thing!

As always, no definitive rundown, and no suggestion these are the only ones still worth listening to. I wasn’t a heavy rocker, or into hip-hop, or anything too niche, so the 12 here very much reflect my tastes for good tunes; and still reflects the albums I am most likely to want to listen to today, all the way through from start to finish! No need to say why… if you lived the 90s then you know why. Ah, nostalgia… it isn’t what it used to be!

Listed chronologically, with my personal 3 favourite tracks, and the one most likely to skip (which tends to be the biggest hit that was too overplayed) Scroll to the end to see an honourable mention list of the next 12 that didn’t quite make it. Limited to one album per band / artist for the sake of variety.

**Sinéad O’Connor**
**I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got**
**1990**

Best tracks: Three Babies; Black Boys on Mopeds; The Last Day of Our Aquaintence. Most likely to skip: Nothing Compares 2 U.

**REM**
**Automatic For the People**
**1992**

Best tracks: The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight; Sweetness Follows; Man on the Moon. Most likely to skip: Everybody Hurts.

**Counting Crows**
**August and Everything After**
**1993**

Best tracks: Mr Jones; Anna Begins; Raining in Baltimore. Most likely to skip: Time and Time Again.

Best tracks: Last Goodbye; Hallelujah; Lover, You Should Have Come Over. Most likely to skip: Eternal Life.

Best tracks: Shakermaker; Live Forever; Cigarettes and Alcohol. Most likely to skip: Bring it on Down.

**Nirvana**
**Unplugged in New York**
**1994**

Best tracks: Come As You Are; Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For a Sunbeam; All Apologies. Most likely to skip: On a Plain.

**Alanis Morissette**
**Jagged Little Pill**
**1995**

Best tracks: You Oughta Know; Hand in My Pocket; Forgiven. Most likely to skip: Ironic.

Best tracks: Army of Me; Hyperballad; Isobel. Most likely to skip: It’s Oh So Quiet.

Best tracks: Devil’s Haircut; The New Pollution, Where it’s At. Most likely to skip: Novacane.

Best tracks: Airbag; Subterranean Homesick Alien; No Surprises. Most likely to skip: Climbing Up the Walls.

Best tracks: Bittersweet Symphony; Sonnet; Space and Time. Most likely to skip: Catching the Butterfly.

Best tracks: La Femme D’argent; All I Need; You Make it Easy. Most likely to skip: Sexy Boy.

The ones that got away: Albums that I loved, that either haven’t aged quite as well, or had too many weaker tracks. Although, on another day, another mood, they are certainly worth a listen.

The Sundays, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, 1990
George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, 1990
Paul Weller – Wild Wood, 1993
Blur – Parklife, 1994
Portishead – Dummy, 1994
Johnny Cash – American Recordings, 1994
Bruce Sprigsteen – The Ghost of Tom Joad, 1995
Pulp – Different Class, 1995
Fiona Apple – Tidal, 1996
Elliott Smith – Either/Or, 1997
Massive Attack – Mezzanine, 1998
Madonna – Ray of Light, 1998

I hope you enjoyed this list. If you did, please share, like and comment. Thank you for supporting The Wasteland. Keep watching for more great lists coming soon… Shantih Kx