Seminal ‘90s Albums

The ‘90s, to me, was a fantastic time for music with everything from sugar pop, SKA, and grunge to soul, hip hop, and rock. But it was also a time when those perplexing CDs replaced my beloved LPs. Sure, they took up less space and could be played in your car and outside in portable players. But they never sounded quite the same as vinyl back when records were written and recorded to be total album experiences vs. individual tracks that happened to be grouped together in the same place.

A flood in my mom’s basement warped all of my albums, but my husband still has his and a turntable. I think it’s fantastic that vinyl has been “back” for years, with trendy stores like Urban Outfitters seeming to sell more albums than clothes. CDs seem also to have made a huge comeback, with sales increasing dramatically for the first time in 17 years.

Meanwhile, there also seems to be a huge resurgence of old-school flip phones, as well as digital and disposable cameras. The experts say we are seeing them as a way of being more connected to everyone and everything around us versus our being glued to our smartphones 24/7. Love that!

But whether you spin them on a turntable, pop a CD into a player, or stream them on your favorite service, I hope you’ll enjoy some of these terrific ‘90s albums. Trust me; it was tough to choose so few. Like Sarah, I am addicted to music. I drove my amazing website designer (and myself) crazy compiling this list. So, I’ll probably revisit this topic to ensure I’ve covered everything.

And be sure to read my blog post no. 4 Tasty ‘90s Tunes, for my personalized playlist of some of my favorite ‘90s tracks. Happy listening, and feel free to message me on my contact form with your fave ‘90s albums. I’d love to know what they are and will compile an updated list of your picks in a future post.

Pictures of You by The Cure (1990)
Shake Your Money Maker by The Black Crowes (1990)
Seal by Seal (1991)
Achtung Baby by U2 (1991)
Nevermind by Nirvana (1991)
Automatic for the People by REM (1992)
Diva by Annie Lennox (1992)
No Doubt by No Doubt (1992)
Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins (1993)
Super Unknown by Sound Garden (1994)
Jar of Flies by Alice in Chains (1994)
(What’s the Story) Morning Glory by Oasis (1995)
Spice by the Spice Girls (1996)
Secrets by Toni Braxton (1996)
Back Street Boys by Back Street Boys (1996)
Supa Dupa Fly by Missy Elliot (1997)
Ray of Light by Madonna (1998)
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill (1998)
Baby One More Time by Britney Spears (1999)