Best albums of the 90s
September 30, 2008 7:48 PM Subscribe
I guess these are the best albums of the 1990's.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster, flag thyself. -- cortex
I gueeeesss.
posted by Dr-Baa at 7:52 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Dr-Baa at 7:52 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
yeah...in 2003.
posted by lester the unlikely at 7:55 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by lester the unlikely at 7:55 PM on September 30, 2008
What, no Spin Doctors?!
Seriously, this would be the best albums on college radio of the 1990's.
posted by Drainage! at 7:56 PM on September 30, 2008
Seriously, this would be the best albums on college radio of the 1990's.
posted by Drainage! at 7:56 PM on September 30, 2008
Well, at least they included both Liar and Goat by the Jesus Lizard. Would have been nice to see some Melvins, Sleep and Kyuss but heavy music is always poorly represented in these things.
posted by The Straightener at 7:59 PM on September 30, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by The Straightener at 7:59 PM on September 30, 2008 [2 favorites]
Wow, no Autechre whatsoever (no Tri Repetae? that's a classic), and they put the Richard D. James disc on there, which, while decent, was by no means better than SAW II or any Aphex Twin/AFX release that followed. Hell, Hangable Auto Bulb did more for d'n'b-flavored IDM to influenced the Madonnas to do their imitation, in turn. That's a pretty godawful list, but, hey, that's Pitchforkmedia. Just my opinion, of course.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:00 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:00 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
Your favorite decade of music sucks?
posted by Joey Michaels at 8:01 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by Joey Michaels at 8:01 PM on September 30, 2008
Flagging myself. Bad swift.
In the meantime, check out the history of ragtime, favorite genre of the 1890's.
posted by swift at 8:02 PM on September 30, 2008 [3 favorites]
In the meantime, check out the history of ragtime, favorite genre of the 1890's.
posted by swift at 8:02 PM on September 30, 2008 [3 favorites]
Neither the Monkees nor the Banana Splits appear on this list.
posted by An Infinity Of Monkeys at 8:04 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by An Infinity Of Monkeys at 8:04 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
DJ Shadow's Entroducing was not even a top ten album the year it came out. Good, but kind of a disappointment given the singles leading up to it.
Public Enemy's Fear Of A Black Planet at #17 is the top rap album on the list? Pitchfork's league of experts must be mostly (dare I say it) white people.
Glad to see Loveless up there though.
posted by philip-random at 8:06 PM on September 30, 2008
Public Enemy's Fear Of A Black Planet at #17 is the top rap album on the list? Pitchfork's league of experts must be mostly (dare I say it) white people.
Glad to see Loveless up there though.
posted by philip-random at 8:06 PM on September 30, 2008
Usually Top 100 lists are pretty dodgy, but I must say that I own(ed) about 80 of these albums. I don't know if these are the "best" albums, but they are 100 *representative* albums from the 90s. Just looking at the album/cd covers really took me back. Interesting find.
posted by KokuRyu at 8:07 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by KokuRyu at 8:07 PM on September 30, 2008
If the 1980's was about one hit wonders, the 1990's was about one-album wonders (i.e., the Hootie and the Blowfish Syndrome) [insert your own smart-assed remark here].
As for the list, I guess Annie Lennox's Medusa and Morphine's Like Swimming don't count.
It's kind of shallow -- reminds me of why I wasn't into music as much in the 1990's as I was in 1980's and the 2000's.
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 8:07 PM on September 30, 2008
As for the list, I guess Annie Lennox's Medusa and Morphine's Like Swimming don't count.
It's kind of shallow -- reminds me of why I wasn't into music as much in the 1990's as I was in 1980's and the 2000's.
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 8:07 PM on September 30, 2008
Two Pavement albums in the top 10. That pretty much says it all.
posted by Lokisbane at 8:09 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Lokisbane at 8:09 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
Wu Tang's 36 Chambers at #36. Shows they gave a lot of thought to the ranking.
posted by o0o0o at 8:13 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by o0o0o at 8:13 PM on September 30, 2008
Umm, this sucks. I'm actually one of the few people around here that thinks PFM is a quality publication, but this still sucks the sweat from a dead monkey's left testicle.
posted by bardic at 8:13 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by bardic at 8:13 PM on September 30, 2008
Who cares what people thought about in 2003? Those who ignore the lessons of the past can blithely ignore the dated music. Or something.
posted by bpm140 at 8:18 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by bpm140 at 8:18 PM on September 30, 2008
Allow me to add to the chorus of complains: There is a serious lack of Britpop on this list.
posted by boubelium at 8:18 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by boubelium at 8:18 PM on September 30, 2008
This is very slanted against a lot of the genres that actually flourished in the '90s (presumably they were trying to make a statement by excluding most of the biggest '90s rock bands?), and in favor of Pitchfork Media style indie rock.
If you make a list of 100 '90s albums that leaves out Superunknown, Blood Sugar Sex Magic, and Ten, then I'm sorry, but you're just doing it wrong. (I love both of the Breeders' albums on the list, but they could have easily left off Pod to make room for something else.)
Could someone please explain to me why Neutral Milk Hotel is supposed to be good? I'm waiting for the day when I can go into a cafe and not be bombarded by Neutral Milk Hotel.
posted by Jaltcoh at 8:19 PM on September 30, 2008
If you make a list of 100 '90s albums that leaves out Superunknown, Blood Sugar Sex Magic, and Ten, then I'm sorry, but you're just doing it wrong. (I love both of the Breeders' albums on the list, but they could have easily left off Pod to make room for something else.)
Could someone please explain to me why Neutral Milk Hotel is supposed to be good? I'm waiting for the day when I can go into a cafe and not be bombarded by Neutral Milk Hotel.
posted by Jaltcoh at 8:19 PM on September 30, 2008
Um, no Google Dolls, Hootie & the Blowfish, or Gin Blossoms?
These three bands basically defined that era of music.
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 8:19 PM on September 30, 2008
These three bands basically defined that era of music.
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 8:19 PM on September 30, 2008
Sigh, once again, I've never heard of at least of these bands. I give up.
posted by octothorpe at 8:21 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by octothorpe at 8:21 PM on September 30, 2008
Evidently I'm more of a #51-100 kind of guy than I am 1-50ish.
posted by aubilenon at 8:21 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by aubilenon at 8:21 PM on September 30, 2008
I demand a refund!
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:27 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:27 PM on September 30, 2008
Could someone please explain to me why Neutral Milk Hotel is supposed to be good?
No.
Having had this discussion many times over the years, I've come to accept that your question is akin to a straight man asking a queer man to talk him in to enjoying cock. Maybe if I really wanted a project. But I don't. So no.
posted by regicide is good for you at 8:28 PM on September 30, 2008
No.
Having had this discussion many times over the years, I've come to accept that your question is akin to a straight man asking a queer man to talk him in to enjoying cock. Maybe if I really wanted a project. But I don't. So no.
posted by regicide is good for you at 8:28 PM on September 30, 2008
If you make a list of 100 '90s albums that leaves out Superunknown, Blood Sugar Sex Magic, and Ten, then I'm sorry, but you're just doing it wrong.
Hmmm.
I have to say I have almost the exact opposite feeling.
posted by brevator at 8:32 PM on September 30, 2008
Hmmm.
I have to say I have almost the exact opposite feeling.
posted by brevator at 8:32 PM on September 30, 2008
I hereby declare all "best of" music lists that do not include Ass Ponys, Aprils Motel Room, and Atom and His Package to be inherently wrong.
posted by Bernt Pancreas at 8:34 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Bernt Pancreas at 8:34 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
This list seems to have only the Completely Obvious Picks, the Selection from the Obscurity Store, and some rap thrown just to prove that they're not too white, or something. I own some of the albums on this list, and instead of making me feel cool by association, I just end up feeling meh about it.
Total derail: Just when I thought Pitchfork couldn't get any more wrapped up in its own little indie rock cred world, they went and "hid" all of their old reviews. "Oh noes, someone spidered our site and found out we're predictable! Hide the evidence!" It's like the Abu Ghirab thing all over - as long as there's no cameras, there's no crime.
Note to Pitchfork: we can still find your stuff via Google. You've just made it harder to like you ... like you've progressively done every six months since I've noticed the site.
I now pray for the day when they go full Glass Bead Game and wall off their own site to publish reviews of their own reviews and disappear up their own self-referential indiesnob bungs.
*goes and takes a ride in the Death Car, for twenty-five dollars*
posted by adipocere at 8:36 PM on September 30, 2008
Total derail: Just when I thought Pitchfork couldn't get any more wrapped up in its own little indie rock cred world, they went and "hid" all of their old reviews. "Oh noes, someone spidered our site and found out we're predictable! Hide the evidence!" It's like the Abu Ghirab thing all over - as long as there's no cameras, there's no crime.
Note to Pitchfork: we can still find your stuff via Google. You've just made it harder to like you ... like you've progressively done every six months since I've noticed the site.
I now pray for the day when they go full Glass Bead Game and wall off their own site to publish reviews of their own reviews and disappear up their own self-referential indiesnob bungs.
*goes and takes a ride in the Death Car, for twenty-five dollars*
posted by adipocere at 8:36 PM on September 30, 2008
This list reads like it was complied by all the people I tried to avoid in the 90's.
posted by Cyrano at 8:38 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by Cyrano at 8:38 PM on September 30, 2008
Impossible. Nowhere on this list were any of Riders in the Sky's 1990s albums. No Cowboys in Love, no Always Drink Upstream From the Herd, no Public Cowboy #1: The Music of Gene Autry...? The Pitchfork critics are demonstrating their utter irrelevance, and not for the first time.
posted by Guy Smiley at 8:40 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by Guy Smiley at 8:40 PM on September 30, 2008
Those are 2003 rankings. The best band of the 90s is now GWAR.
posted by spork at 8:41 PM on September 30, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by spork at 8:41 PM on September 30, 2008 [3 favorites]
What, no Pre-Millennium Tension? Heretics!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:42 PM on September 30, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:42 PM on September 30, 2008 [2 favorites]
I remember my youth spent listening to "Fear of a Black Planet," mowing the lawn in my white, surburban neighborhood and hoping we'd get enough rain so we could set off fireworks in that undeveloped cul-de-sac down the street, playing Nintendo during the day and going walking on the train tracks at night. Sometimes we'd wear camo and have pretend recon missions in the woods. But we were home in time for Andy's mom's Ro-Tel chicken soup and a few games on his Sega, no fear.
Yeah. I heard what Chuck was saying that summer.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:44 PM on September 30, 2008
Yeah. I heard what Chuck was saying that summer.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:44 PM on September 30, 2008
Radiohead at #1, I actually agree with Pitchfork for once, they must be losing their edge.
posted by doctor_negative at 8:45 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by doctor_negative at 8:45 PM on September 30, 2008
Hey! I remember the 90s!
Me too! It was a blandest decade I ever lived in!
There. I got that off my chest...
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 8:48 PM on September 30, 2008
Me too! It was a blandest decade I ever lived in!
There. I got that off my chest...
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 8:48 PM on September 30, 2008
Heh, I remember reading the original thread about this list from way back in 2003... I'm getting MeFi old.
posted by Kattullus at 8:49 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by Kattullus at 8:49 PM on September 30, 2008
And here I was ready to come in here and piss all over this list for the exclusion of The The's Mind Bomb, then I saw it was released in '89. So carry on. Leaving Dusk off is not only excusable, but advisable.
That said, the list seems divided into thirds, music I loved, music I hated and music I wasn't cool enough to know about. I believe for you youngsters reading the term was "alternative". The term indie rock hadn't been invented by Arcade Fire yet.
posted by Keith Talent at 8:50 PM on September 30, 2008
That said, the list seems divided into thirds, music I loved, music I hated and music I wasn't cool enough to know about. I believe for you youngsters reading the term was "alternative". The term indie rock hadn't been invented by Arcade Fire yet.
posted by Keith Talent at 8:50 PM on September 30, 2008
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