Some Great Albums of the 90s

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Keith Porteous, Reporter and Editor

As we enter a new decade, the auto-tuned fustercluck mess of a music industry continues to deliver us mostly soulless music, and good old times like the 90s may appear like a distant dream. From Nirvana’s classic, ‘Nevermind’ to Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream, the 90s brought us some of the very best albums ever to see the light of day. If you’re looking to widen your musical horizon, the following albums are sure to help you out.

Radiohead made it big with their single ‘Creep’ from their first studio album and the two albums that came out in the 90s proved the band to be far more than simply a one-hit wonder. ‘The Bends’ (1995), and ‘OK Computer’ (1997) are albums that deserve the full listening experience and offer some of the greatest songs ever written. There aren’t many albums that can encapsulate the listener from start to finish like Radiohead’s albums have always done and continue to do today. ‘OK Computer’ especially, took the music world by force. Thom Yorke’s songwriting began pushing boundaries by stepping away from the commercial sound and leaping into the realm of Art Rock.

Weezer is a band that loves to confuse its fans and a big reason for that is the events that took place during the 90s. Songwriter, Rivers Cuomo, took it hard when his very personal songs from their second album, ‘Pinkerton’ (1996), didn’t do well commercially. While that album now holds a position on Rolling Stones’ Top Albums of All Times, the five years it took for fans and critics alike to understand the album. Rivers never has felt as secure with his songwriting since. Though ‘Pinkerton’ has made the Rolling Stones big boy list, their debut self-titled album also known as ‘The Blue Album’ (1994), is equally as important, and many hardcore fans agree that no follow up album has ever met the heights of Blue. Many wonder what would have happened if Weezer ever finished their cursed masterpiece, ‘Songs From the Black Hole’, that we’ve only ever heard demos of. This project remains a mystery, and we will never know what would have come of it, if it were to have been finished.

The 90s gave birth to many great songs and luckily a few of them are backed by even better albums. Even if you’re not someone who’s into the album approach of listening to music, the 90s offer some of the best tunes around. Maybe next time you’re alone with your Spotify account, it’s time to take a trip to the past.