The most popular Vinyl albums of the ‘90s
Ah the ’90s, when plaid fuelled grunge, met manufactured girl groups, it was an interesting musical decade for sure. What’s even more interesting is the most popular Vinyl albums of the ‘90s and we’ve listed the top ones just for you to admire, and of course, add them to your ever-growing collections.
Now, of course, Nirvana dominated the decade with three of their releases landing on this list, and the overall most popular album was Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)... no real surprise there!
So, let’s jump in with the albums in the yearly order:
1990: Depeche Mode - Violator
Named Violater as a joke by the band this album is a sumptuous blend of synth-pop and alternative rock, straddling the musical genres like an adonis. It is perhaps their most commercially successful offering and it received praise from critics across the board, with some distractors, who were enthralled by the album's ambient charm, cinematic arrangements, and sleek sonic detail.
1991: Nirvana - Nevermind
Nirvana’s foray into more melodic song-making, in fact, Cobain called the process his movement into making pop music, led to an album that defined the sound of a decade and has had a legacy that has influenced countless musicians since its release. One of the funniest aspects of this album was the complete lack of critical reception it received upon release, but singles can sometimes take a life of their own and months after release, once "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had become a phenomena, the media were clambering to cover the Nirvana craze. The combination of Grohl’s backbone drumming, Novoselic’s fattened calf-like bass, and Cobain’s power chords, pop hooks, and dissonant guitar marked a new style of the 90s ‘Grunge’ was born.
1992: Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine
The arrival of the genre-bending styling of RATM was truly a bitch slap to the face of not only the music industry but also the world. The album mashed funk, rap, rock, political dissonance, riot, and anarchic leanings into a juggernaut of an album. Tom Morello and Zack de la Rocha are like two intense white heats and their combination along with Wilks and Commerford created a spark that has outlasted not only its time but will be used by all those people who endeavour to change the issues of the day in the world around them.
1993: Nirvana - In Utero
Seen by many as ‘Neverminds’ inferior sibling with no justification ‘In Utero’ could be categorized, if necessary, as an album with sharper edges. The album seems to show a more natural and visceral sound to the band while showcasing divergent sensibilities of abrasiveness and accessibility. In spite of critical distractions, the album's resonation can not be denied through its influence on the next generation, but also for being the last Nirvana studio album before Cobain’s suicide.
1994: Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York
The influence of Nirvana on the 90s could not be better summed up than looking at this list with three entries for them. Perhaps synonymous with the fact that MTV Unplugged was wholly acoustic, and in true Nirvana style these rules were abandoned by the band as Cobain used an amp and effects pedals for his acoustic guitar. The acoustic sensibilities of the album show that the band could very easily have reimagined folk music as they had rock music.
1995: Oasis - (What’s the story) Morning Glory?
Oasis, well what else can we say, Blur rivalry, Knebworth, global recognition, and countless Beatles analogies. The album which followed ‘Definitely Maybe’ was critically derided and has now become a symbol of the Gallagher brothers indelible mark on British and global music.
1996: Fugees - The Score
While compiling this list RRC found something out, the debut album success of a band, group, collective, or artist is usually met with a sense of uneasiness and it is the second album that sells.
The Fugees “The Score'' is a perfect example, a poorly received debut which led to the record label giving the group total artistic control and allowing them to find themselves. “The Score” is powered by a raft of indelible hooks, and balances intelligence and accessibility with an easy assurance, it is enveloped with exquisite beat production creating an impressively panoramic soundscape.
1997: Radiohead - Ok Computer
Britain’s alternative rock darlings created what can only be described as an experimental and challenging release in the mould of those early concept album pioneers such as The Beach Boys, The Kinks, Marvin Gaye, Frank Zappa, and The Beatles. Critics swooned noting the ‘contrast(...) of mood and style are extreme ... This band has pulled off one of the great art-pop balancing act’, as well as ‘one to take rock forward instead of artfully revamping images and song-structures from an earlier era’.
1998: Massive Attack - Mezzanine
The move away from the jazzy chilled sound of Massive Attack’s first two albums lead them to create a much darker and abstract sound, this more claustrophobic style had been evident as an undercurrent in their previous records but took centre stage on ‘Mezzanine’. Critically the album was universally applauded and its placement as one of the most popular vinyl of the 90s shows it is a stand out album for music lovers.
1999: Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Californication
A new sound, classic line-up, is the best way to describe ‘Californication’. A sun-drenched, introspective, but still funky album for the masses and not the critics. A mature vocal performance for Kiedis', a return of the classic Frusciante guitar licks, Flea’s inimitable bass lines, and Chad’s languid drumming all helped to create an album that was adored by the fans, bought the band new fans, but divided critics.
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