What’s the best alternative album of each year of the 1990s?
The 1990s were the decade in which alt-rock music truly came into its own. During the ’80s, many of alt-rock’s heroes were mostly relegated to college rock radio save from the occasional breakout song. But early in the ’90s, radio stations flipped to the point to where alternative music was now a more mainstream radio format.
For many acts, it was their first time receiving airplay to a worldwide audience. There no longer seemed to be a barrier to broad commercial success.
As we prepare to dig into this list, we should make some clarifications here…
“Alternative rock,” back in the day, often considered acts that weren’t getting airplay on pop or rock radio. That covered a wide spectrum of music and some alternative subgenres quickly moved to the forefront, including more electronic and new wave leaning acts.
As grunge, pop-punk and nu-metal all had their moments of dominating radio during the decade, we’ll leave those acts for their own respective lists and focus on the acts that truly lived solely under the alternative umbrella.
That could range from the darkly danceable Depeche Mode or Nine Inch Nails to the now universally acceptable college rock graduates such as U2 or R.E.M.
Join us as we see how alt-rock evolved throughout the ’90s as we take a deeper dive into the best alternative album of each year of the 1990s.
Best Alternative Album of Each Year of the 1990s
Alt-rock finally got a mainstream spotlight in the ’90s and these are the albums that made the most of having that broader platform.
1990: Depeche Mode, Violator
The year was 1990 and we were still a year out from radio making the alt-rock format a viable mainstream source of music. But there were certainly signs that bands from the college rock radio era were no longer satisfied to play second fiddle.
One of the biggest commercial breakthroughs of the year was Depeche Mode, whose electro dance-rock sounds that had made them superstars of college rock radio were finally graduating to worldwide commercial recognition thanks to Violator.
The record yielded the vibrant, pulsing nod to obsessive love (“Personal Jesus”), which quickly rose up the charts. Following it up was the hypnotically-engaging, keyboard-centric ballad “Enjoy the Silence” that made Depeche Mode’s next level transition complete.
Songs such as “World in My Eyes” and “Policy of Truth” kept the hit parade going, giving Depeche Mode their first bonafide mainstream breakout that was long overdue.
Other 1990 Recommendations: Sinead O’Connor, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got; Jane’s Addiction, Ritual de lo Habitual; Sonic Youth, Goo; Faith No More, The Real Thing; World Party, Goodbye Jumbo; They Might Be Giants’ Flood; Jellyfish, Bellybutton
1991: U2, Achtung Baby
Watching U2 emerge from working class college rock darlings to the biggest band in the world over the course of the ’80s was quite the journey. And 1991’s Achtung Baby felt like the celebration of the band embracing their fame and fully realizing their maximum potential.
In the live arena, there was no hotter ticket as the Zoo TV tour became the talk of the concert world. But, you have to have the music to back it up and U2 delivered a no-skip masterpiece with 1991’s Achtung Baby. From Bono’s alter-ego gem “The Fly,” the hold-on-for-dear-life” ride of “Even Better Than Real Thing,” the danceable grooves of “Mysterious Ways” and the subtle, soul-touching emotional punch of “One,” U2 delivered a collection of songs that could not be touched in 1991.
It honestly was an amazing year for alternative music, but Achtung Baby seemed like the masterclass that stood above the rest of the pack.
Other 1991 Recommendations: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik; R.E.M., Out of Time, Matthew Sweet, Girlfriend; Pixies, Trompe Le Monde; Material Issue, International Pop Overthrow; Teenage Fanclub, Bandwagonesque; Toad the Wet Sprocket, Fear, Spin Doctors, Pocket Full of Kryptonite
1992: R.E.M., Automatic for the People
Coming off the critical and commercial accolades of 1991’s Out of Time album, R.E.M. delved into the beauty of darkness and the sweet melancholy with Automatic for the People.
The album was mostly devoid of upbeat rockers, save for “Ignoreland,” “Man on the Moon” and “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite.” But leading the way were gorgeous, intimate, occasionally dark moments fleshed out with shimmering string arrangements. The darker “Drive” served as the lead single, though the soul-wrenching “Everybody Hurts” would be the album’s biggest hit.
Meanwhile, songs such as “Nightswimming,” “Find the River” and “Sweetness Follows” tie the record together with impactful emotional depth that make this a top-to-bottom listen.
Other 1992 Recommendations: Beastie Boys, Check Your Head; Peter Gabriel, Us, Faith No More, Angel Dust; Tom Waits, Bone Machine; Gin Blossoms, New Miserable Experience; The Cure, Wish; Sugar, Copper Blue; 10,000 Maniacs, Our Time In Eden
1993: Counting Crows, August and Everything After
A bidding war erupted after their original demo circulated around the record labels and it’s easy to see why. Counting Crows emerged with one of the great lyrical records of the ’90s in August and Everything After.
Adam Duritz’s expressive voice lent heft to some of the more emotionally impactful songs on their debut while finding the whimsy in their breakout hit, “Mr. Jones,” that would start their music arrival in late 1993.
Providing a fresh alternative to the grunge that was dominating the music world at the time, the band leaned into more folksy influences such as The Band and Van Morrison in delivering one of the year’s most critically hailed records.
The album would yield two Grammy nominations and four big singles before the band decided to move on to their next record despite the debut’s continued popularity. August and Everything After peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and went on to surpass seven times platinum status in the U.S.
Other 1993 Recommendations: Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville; Cracker, Kerosene Hat; Sting, Ten Summoner’s Tales; The Cranberries, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We; The Afghan Whigs, Gentlemen; Urge Overkill, Saturation; U2, Zooropa
1994: Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral
Step right up! Nine Inch Nails certainly did with one of the darkest albums you’ll hear from the ’90s and listeners willingly took the gut-wrenching journey along with Trent Reznor.
The darkness was already present on previous releases, but Reznor managed to capture his own despair and present it in such a raw nerve way that listeners couldn’t help but be ensnared by the angst and feeling of this literal downward spiral.
“March of the Pigs” radiates with repulsed angst, “Closer” indulges animalistic desires over an undeniable warped beat and “Hurt” provides arguably one of the most raw moments of vulnerability ever recorded to tape. There might not have been a more brutally honest record in 1994 and listeners certainly seemed to agree.
Other 1994 Recommendations: Oasis, Definitely Maybe; Hootie and the Blowfish, Cracked Rear View, Weezer, Weezer (Blue Album); Live, Throwing Copper, Beastie Boys, Ill Communication; R.E.M., Monster, Jeff Buckley, Grace; Portishead, Dummy; Beck, Mellow Gold
1995: Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill
It’s hard to pick anything else here when Alanis Morissette had the biggest selling rock album of the ’90s. Jagged Little Pill marked a shift in her musical career, as she stepped away from the pop world and began writing more personal material that came with a rock edge that hadn’t been as present prior.
The scorned anthem “You Oughta Know” became one of 1995’s biggest hits, while “Hand in My Pocket,” “You Learn,” “Ironic,” “Head Over Feet” and “All I Really Want” kept her a mainstay dominating alternative radio for the next year and a half.
The album received nine Grammy nominations, including a win for Album of the Year. It was one of the year’s best reviewed records and it’s gone on to become a diamond-selling record in the U.S.
Other 1995 Recommendations: Oasis, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory; Radiohead, The Bends; Foo Fighters, Foo Fighters; Garbage, Garbage; Better Than Ezra, Deluxe; Everclear, Sparkle and Fade; Elastica, Elastica; Matthew Sweet, 100% Fu
1996: Beck, Odelay
After Beck was seemingly bequeathed the “voice of a generation” title after Kurt Cobain’s passing, he decided to throw everything but the kitchen sink at his 1996 Mellow Gold follow-up, Odelay. The result was a more carefree sound that dwelled in a hybrid of folk, rock, blues and hip-hop.
Fittingly, the album came along at a time in which grunge was starting to fade and a wide array of styles were vying to become its successor. So it’s only right that one of the more musically diverse records of the year seemed to capture the imagination of listeners.
Whether it be the funked up “two turntables and a microphone” jam of “Where It’s At,” the soulful, jazzy grooves of “The New Pollution,” the fuzzed out aggression of “Devil’s Haircut” or the folky lament of “Jack-Ass,” there was a little something to satiate all your listening needs. The album also proved to be a precursor to showing how chameleonic Beck could be throughout his career.
Odelay ended up topping many critics lists for the year, yielded an Album of the Year Grammy nomination while settling for the Best Alternative Music Album win and its gone on to be a double platinum certified album.
Other 1996 Recommendations: Sublime, Sublime; Counting Crows, Recovering the Satellites; Failure, Fantastic Planet, R.E.M., New Adventures in Hi-Fi; Gravity Kills, Gravity Kills, Fiona Apple, Tidal, Cracker, The Golden Age; Weezer, Pinkerton
1997: Radiohead, OK Computer
Were Radiohead prophets? The group seemed to have a pretty prescient grasp on what the future might bring with their more experimental, electro-leaning 1997 album, OK Computer.
One of the year’s most critically lauded records explored themes of capitalism, consumerism, social alienation, political malaise and technological angst, all while evolving away from the guitar-heavy sound of their first two albums.
It wasn’t necessarily a big radio album, as “Karma Police,” “Paranoid Android” and “No Surprises” received moderate airplay at alternative radio. But despite being a more challenging record, listeners did embrace the set. It’s been certified double platinum in the U.S. and also earned the band a Best Alternative Music Album Grammy win.
Other 1997 Recommendations: Foo Fighters, The Colour and the Shape, The Verve, Urban Hymns; Spiritualized, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space; Ben Folds Five, Whatever and Ever Amen; Cornershop, When I Was Born for the 7th Time; Blur, Blur; Our Lady Peace, Clumsy; U2, Pop
1998: Goo Goo Dolls, Dizzy Up the Girl
Goo Goo Dolls lead the pack in one of the few years where there wasn’t a clear winner. Having seen their commercial breakthrough on their prior album with the single “Name,” Dizzy Up the Girl saw the Johnny Rzeznik-led band taking a big step forward.
The album had the benefit of a great lead-in with the City of Angels‘ chart-topping soundtrack song “Iris” leading the way. The string-heavy ballad was then followed by a successive run of “Slide,” “Dizzy,” “Black Balloon” and “Broadway,” which kept music from the album hitting the alternative airplay chart for nearly two straight years.
The album peaked at No. 15, but has gone on to become a five-times platinum selling record.
Other 1998 Recommendations: Beastie Boys, Hello Nasty; Placebo, Without You I’m Nothing; Garbage, Version 2.0; Lucinda Williams, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road; Elliot Smith, XO; New Radicals, Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too; Beck, Mutations; Marilyn Manson, Mechanical Animal
1999: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Californication
The story seemingly wrote itself for Red Hot Chili Peppers. After a commercial downturn, the band regained their footing with the return of guitarist John Frusciante.
>Anthony Kiedis’ deeply personal song “Scar Tissue” kicked things off and ended up claiming the Best Rock Song Grammy. “Around the World,” “Otherside” and “Californication” all followed as Top 10 hits, while “Road Trippin'” and “Parallel Universe” also received
The record has gone on to be eight times platinum certified in the U.S.
Other 1999 Recommendations: Foo Fighters, There Is Nothing Left to Lose; Moby, Play; Tom Waits, Mule Variations; Beck, Midnite Vultures; Travis, The Man Who; Beth Orton, Central Reservation; The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin; XTC, Apple Venus, Vol. 1
(Loudwire)
