Best Albums of the 90’s: 61 – 70

70. MASSIVE ATTACK- MEZZANINE (1998)

MASSIVE ATTACK_MEZZANINE

BuyMassive Attack - Mezzanine

Buy AmazonMezzanine

The pioneering trip hop group from Bristol’s last album that mattered- perfect for the feeling of paranoia just before the new millennium. “Mezzanine” features great guest vocal performances from Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins as well as Reggae star Horace Andy.





Buy “Teardrop”
Massive Attack - Mezzanine - Teardrop

Buy “Inertia Creeps”
Massive Attack - Mezzanine - Inertia Creeps

 



69. OASIS- DEFINITELY MAYBE (1994)

OASIS_DEFINITELY MAYBE

BuyOasis - Definitely Maybe

Buy AmazonDefinitely Maybe

Snotty, snarling & brash debut from the Gallagher brothers and company. The Brits tend to overrate this album as it often lands in the top ten albums of all time on many of their best of lists. That said “Definitely Maybe” is full of mighty anthems, including first hold-up–your-lighter Brit Pop power ballad “Live Forever”. Oasis would follow this debut with the even better American breakthrough only a year later. Oasis mania was under way!



Buy “Supersonic”
Oasis - Definitely Maybe - Supersonic

Buy “Rock N’ Roll Star”
Oasis - Definitely Maybe - Rock 'N' Roll Star

 

 

 68. MERCURY REV- DESERTER’S SONGS (1998)

MERCURY REV_DESERTER'S SONGS

Buy AmazonDeserter’s Songs

The only band in the world to sound remotely like the Flaming Lips- the veteran Mercury Rev followed a similar path as the Lips: They formed in the mid 80’s, releasing a series of albums combining noise-rock with psychedelic pop and even befriended the Lips in 1990 when the Rev’s guitarist worked as their guitar technician. They moved on to release the beautiful “Deserter’s Songs” one year before the Lips bettered them with “The Soft Bulletin”- indie rock’s own version of The Beatles and The Beach Boys.





“Goddess On A Hiway” (Album & tracks not available on iTunes)

“Holes”

 

 67. R.E.M.- NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI (1996)

R.E.M._NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI

BuyR.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi

Buy AmazonNew Adventures in Hi-Fi

To my ears R.E.M.’s last great album and also their longest and most experimental. Quite a leftfield turn after the more stripped down and grunge influenced “Monster”. This would be R.E.M.’s last album with drummer Bill Berry. Also contains a beautiful duet with Michael Stipe’s hero Patti Smith in “E-Bow the Letter”





Buy “E-Bow the Letter”
R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi - E-Bow the Letter

Buy “Leave”
R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi - Leave

 

 66. THE SMASHING PUMPKINS- GISH (1991)

SMASHING PUMPKINS_GISH

BuySmashing Pumpkins - Gish

Buy AmazonGish

The debut album from one of Chicago’s finest. This arrived a few months before Nirvana’s Nevermind and was only a moderate alternative rock hit. Few could have predicted that the Pumpkins would become one of the biggest bands in the world in a few years time. “Gish” was psychedelic, dreamy & raw compared to their follow up releases which would unveil the Pumpkins biggest influence- 70’s arena rock.



Buy “Snail”
Smashing Pumpkins - Gish - Snail

Buy “Bury Me”
Smashing Pumpkins - Gish - Bury Me


 

 65. BLUR- MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH (1993)

BLUR_MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH

Buyblur - Modern Life Is Rubbish

Buy AmazonModern Life Is Rubbish

The album, along with Suede’s debut, said to be the impetus of 90’s Brit Pop, is Blur’s big leap forward after their debut “Leisure”. It was as big a leap forward as Radiohead took with “The Bends” after “Pablo Honey”. Although “Leisure” contains some great singles, it is ultimately beholden to the shoegaze scene of the late 80’s perfected by Stone Roses and Happy Mondays and beaten to death by Jesus Jones, EMF etc… “Modern Life” showed main man Damon Albarn to be a serious writer of social commentary and Blur a band destined to go places.


Buy “Pop Scene” *(included in American version only)
blur - Midlife: a Beginner's Guide to Blur

 Buy “Chemical World”
blur - Midlife: a Beginner's Guide to Blur - Chemical World

 

 64. THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS- BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAJIK (1991)

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS_BLOOD SUGAR

BuyRed Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (Bonus Track Version)

Buy AmazonBlood Sugar Sex Magik

Overly long and perhaps at least partially responsible for ushering in the annoying area of meat-head rap rock of the late 90’s, time has not been very kind to this album. Back in ’91 & ’92 it was everywhere and was one of the dominating sounds on college campuses. Contains hit after hit- many of which still have recurrent airplay today. Some of the best songs are non-hit album cuts like “I Could Have Lied”, “If You Have to Ask” and “My Lovely Man”. “Blood Sugar” is the Chili’s best album by a long shot. I just wish it wasn’t quite so long.


Buy “Under the Bridge”
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (Bonus Track Version) - Under the Bridge

 Buy “Suck My Kiss”
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Suck My Kiss


 

63. SPIRITUALIZED- LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WE ARE FLOATING IN SPACE (1997)

SPIRITUALIZED_LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

BuySpiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space (Deluxe Version)

Buy AmazonLadies & Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space

“Ladies and Gentlemen” is a totally album by a totally unique band which combines psychedelic and gospel….drugs and God! The result is predictably both f**ked up and beautiful. Jason Pierce (AKA Jason Spaceman) unapologetically seeks redemption and transcendence through chemicals to overcome his experiences of love and loss. The album art itself is designed like a pharmaceutical package!




Buy “Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space”
Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space (Deluxe Version) - Ladies and Gentlemen

 Buy “Come Together”
Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space - Come Together


 

 

62. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE- RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (1992)

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

BuyRage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine

Buy AmazonRage Against the Machine

Rage is another band who unfortunately has much to apologize for only because of all of the inferior bands who came in their wake (including Audioslave by the way which contained ¾ of the band). Rage was the first band to successfully combine rap and metal for a whole full length album. Vocalist Zach de la Rocha ferociously spat his socialist anti- Emperial (American) lyrics while guitarist Tom Morello played every effect under the sun and the rhythm section bashed away behind them. Nothing sounded like Rage when they debuted in ’92. One of the great mosh albums of all time and includes perhaps their signature song “Killing in the Name”.

Buy “Freedom”
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine - Freedom

 Buy “Bullet in the Head”
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine - Bullet In the Head


 

 

61. MISSY ELLIOTT- SUPA DUPA FLY (1997)

MISSY ELLIOTT_SUPA DUPA FLY

BuyMissy Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly

Buy AmazonSupa Dupa Fly

Straight outta Virginia Beach, Va, perhaps the best album by the most important female rapper of all time. “Supa Dupa Fly” is also the debut album of producer Timbaland, one of the two most influential producers in hip hop of the last decade and a half. Missy co-wrote, sung & rapped over every track inviting guest like Busta Rhymes, Da Brat & Lil’ Kim appear alongside her. Missy & Tim, along with fellow Va. Beach producers The Neptunes and Atlanta’s Outkast would be THE most influential artists on Rap/R&B/Pop music in the next decade.


Buy “Sock It 2 Me” (Feat. Da Brat)
Missy Elliott & Da Brat - Supa Dupa Fly - Sock It 2 Me

 Buy “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)”
Missy Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly - The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)


 

 

 



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