The Top 50 Albums of 1990

I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors that I may have committed upon writing the short album blurbs, it's nearly 3:30 a.m. at the time that I am writing this.

I hope you enjoy this list and hopefully discover some new music! I know I certainly did while diving into 1990. What a weird year. I was only two!

Without fuhrer ado...

50. Digital Underground – Sex Packets



Hip Hop

This album is an indebted to p-funk as it is to hip hop, which makes it one of the funkiest hip hop albums you can get your hands on (thanks Captain Obvious!). Shock-G raps as both himself and his alter ego, Humpty Hump, and it's quite entertaining to hear him use both personalities on one song. The concept of sex packets is that in the future, sex packets are created, which are legal, but are distributed like drugs. A sex packet makes the user black out and experience an orgasm without actually having sex. This album is as original as it is ridiculous. Who needs multi-syllable rhymes and tasteful beats when you can have this much fun?



49. Deicide – Deicide



Death Metal

There's a reason why this album sounds like every death metal album you've heard. It set the blueprint. Some would argue that that honor would go to Death, but Death were always more progressive (and honestly more talented) than most death metal bands. Deicide really set the standard for what death metal would be for a solid ten years.



48. GWAR – Scumdogs of the Universe


Hardcore Punk

Carrying over a late-'80s hardcore/metal hybrid aesthetic, GWAR injected it with a bizarre sense of humor and theatricality which makes Scumdogs of the Universe standout from what is often an overly serious genre.



47. Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet


Hip Hop

Fear of a Black Planet is where Public Enemy scaled back their extreme nature, but that doesn't mean this album hits any less harder. Flavor Flav may show up a bit too much, but the production is ace and Chuck D is as great as he always is.



46. Neil Young – Ragged Glory



Hard Rock

Ragged Glory showcases the return of Crazy Horse in fine form. Where Neil Young was often a perfectionist when it came to his other records with Crazy Horse, producer David Briggs did not allow Neil to hear the material until it was completed. The result is raw and sloppy, but incredible in the way that only Crazy Horse can pull off.



45. Skinny Puppy – Too Dark Park



Industrial

While Trent Reznor was busy trying to push industrial into the mainstream, Skinny Puppy were just fine staying in the shadows. There's a noticeable funk element here which gives Too Dark Park some tasteful beats underneath the inhuman abrasiveness.



44. Codeine – Frigid Stars



Slowcore

An endless sea of blackened stars dots the cover of Codeine's debut LP. Frigid Stars is slow and vast - a difficult listen for newcomers to slowcore. It doesn't truly reveal itself until after a couple of listens, and then it slowly unfurls and you have no choice but to fall into its emptiness. The distorted guitars punctuate in a way that makes it impossible for this album to ever become boring.



43. Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted



Gangsta Rap

If anyone defined hardcore hip hop in the early '90s, it was definitely Ice Cube. It's weird looking back from 2013 and growing up with the controversy that has surrounded Eminem and recently Tyler, the Creator because this early gem is way more abrasive with a better sense of humor than anything by Eminem or Tyler. It's also better. You can make all the jokes you want about his acting career, but this shit is raw.



42. Mazzy Star – She Hangs Brightly



Psychedelic Rock

She Hangs Brightly isn't as focused as their other albums, but Mazzy Star's debut shows they already had a penchant for bluesy psychedelia and a beautiful, hazy atmosphere.



41. Sun Dial – Other Way Out



Psychedelic Rock

"Blue Jay Way" took the brown acid. This is an absolute monster that sounds more like the late '60s/early '70s than September of 1990, but fortunately it is retro in a way that doesn't ape the era that it is influenced by.

40. Primus – Frizzle Fry



Alternative Metal

The majority of funk metal bands lack the most important part of funk - the groove. Frizzly Fry is as head bangin' as it is booty shakin' and can appeal to fans of both funk and alternative metal.  Frizzle Fry is a bit warmer than latter day Primus; it showcases a band that has their sound down without being shackled by it like they were on the albums released after Frizzle Fry.



39. Trouble - Trouble



Heavy Metal

While metal was getting faster and more dangerous, Trouble was looking backwards to Black Sabbath and Budgie. Eric Wagner's vocals are stronger than ever before and the twin guitars of Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell meld Tony Iommi's monster riffage with Judas Priest's attack.



38. George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1



Pop

This album is where George Michael abandoned his teen pop label and became a craftsmen for soul inflected pop music. His attempt to create more serious music paid off with more introspective lyrics and a sound that is quite diverse for a pop album, even twenty years later.



37. Brand Nubian – One for All



Hip Hop

One for All can be seen as an exercise in pure technique. While in others genre, such as the unfortunate existence of neo-classical metal, these kind of exercises are often plodding and unlistenable. Fortunately, this type of hip hop is all about mic skills and Lord Jamar, Sadat X, and particularly Grand Puba succeed in grand fashion. One for All is a little more abstract than most early '90s hip hop albums, which actually has made it stand out even more over time.



36. Neurosis – The Word as Law



Hardcore Punk

Before they defined (or re-defined) a whole genre, Neurosis were a sludgy, hardcore punk band. This is still blatantly Neurosis, but the epic and atmospheric nature of their defining work is not here. What is left is blistering hardcore punk that is diverse enough to remain interesting over the course of an hour. Quite a feat for an album that is as unrelenting as this.

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35. Dwight Yoakam – If There Was a Way



Country

While Garth Brooks was dragging country to the big stage, and also tarnishing its reputation in the process, Dwight Yoakam was making tasteful albums of simple songwriting such as If There Was a Way. Easily one of country's most talented vocalists, Yoakam can break your heart on tracks like "Since I Started Drinkin' Again" and get your feet tapping on tracks like "Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose". Country music has always been a niche genre, but this album has crossover appeal - not that same kind that Garth Brooks was chasing - that can reach out to fans of artists like Bob Dylan and Wilco.



34. The KLF – Chill Out



Ambient

This ambient house album is peppered with field recordings which may be considered pretentious if Chill Out wasn't executed so brilliantly.

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33. A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm



Jazz Rap

Not quite as revered as their next two albums but arguably more bangin'. While a lot of hip hop in 1990 was political or conscious, this album was just straight up feel good hip hop. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg are entertaining as hell and never get too heavy handed. Sit back and relax.



32. LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out



Hip Hop

The title track is one of the most explosive songs to come out of the '90s. This is energetic, no-frills hip hop that doesn't lose its energy even on the slower cuts.



31. Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass – Passages



Classical

It's a shame these two brilliant men never did any more work together after this, but thank the musical gods we at least have Passages. Shankar and Glass sound excellent on this collaboration, and it's hard to tell where Shanker's influence ends and Glass's begins.  Shankar's smooth sitar playing blends seamlessly into Glass's minimalist compositions.

30. Sonic Youth – Goo



Alternative Rock

What could they really do after Daydream Nation? Sonic Youth decided to play it cool and didn't go for anything grand or ambitious. They tightened up their sound and delivered eleven tracks of scorching alternative music. They've taken their noisy no-wave tendencies and moulded them into excellent pop hooks, showcased best on single "Kool Thing". Goo is where Sonic Youth had sex appeal.



29. Pixies – Bossanova



Indie Rock

Bossanova isn't as radical or as loud as Surfer Rosa or Doolittle, even though "Rock Music" certainly makes a good argument against that statement, but their songwriting chops are still intact. Surf rock influences crop up on Bossanova more than ever which does wonders for the softer sound. This is as close to pop music as the Pixies ever got.



28. Uncle Tupelo – No Depression



Alt-Country

This is an iconic record for alt-country. Uncle Tupelo's brand of hillbilly music is more Neil Young than say, Merle Haggard, and No Depression manages to out-grunge nearly everything that came before Nevermind. Jeff Tweedy's voice is nearly unrecognizable here, but his early compositions still bear the craftsmanship he later took to Wilco.



27. The Flaming Lips - In a Priest-Driven Ambulance



Noise Rock

The Flaming Lips have always been a loud band. Even The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi... come roaring out of the speakers. In a Priest-Driven Ambulance is the first important Flaming Lips album with better hooks and less pointless freakout sessions. The weirdness remains however, and the weirdness is really what the Flaming Lips are defined by. An essential listen, even if it is just to hear Nathan Roberts smash the shit out them drums.



26. They Might Be Giants – Flood



Alternative Rock

Flood tones down the angst and amps up the oddball humor but still remains as entertaining as the previous albums from They Might Be Giants. John Linnell deserves to recognized as one of the finest songwriters and lyricists in alternative rock.



25. The La's – The La's



Jangle Pop

"There She Goes", which was released as a single two years before the La's self-titled debut, is one of the finest pop songs ever crafted. The other twelve tracks don't quite reach the same heights, but they are still some really great pieces of jangle pop that have a lot of depth. Hell, even if those songs sucked, this album would still show up on this list just because of "There She Goes". After this album, the perfectionist tendencies of Lee Mavers would implode the band - let's all take a moment to be thankful that this album was released before that happened.



24. The Breeders – Pod



Alternative Rock

Pod falls directly in the middle of pop and grunge and proves that Kim Deal was just as important to the Pixies as Frank Black. Like the Pixies' Bossanova, Pod is scaled back from the weirdness and noise that defines the sound of the Pixies. Instead, Pod is a meaty slice of chaotic pop that is as catchy as it is totally rockin'.



23. Fugazi – Repeater



Post-Hardcore

Punk was never dumb music, but in the late '80s it got lost in a wasteland of metal riffs and a jock attitude. Repeater is where punk let its hair grow back in and started going to the local library a couple times a week. Fugazi is often said to play "thinking man's punk", but vicious cuts like "Shut the Door" can be enjoyed even without such clumsy expectations.



22. Killing Joke - Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions



Post-Punk

After a series of spotty albums, Killing Joke go back to the industrial pounding of their debut with newly found brutality. Geordie's guitar work is as creative as ever, but the star of this album is really Jaz Coleman. The updated production techniques allow his roar to soar - see "Money Is Not Our God" for definitive proof of his talents.



21. Paul Simon – The Rhythm of the Saints



Singer/Songwriter

The Rhythm of the Saints is yet another Paul Simon album that shows he's one of the best songwriters of all time. The world music influences are integrated on here better than they were on Graceland and they no longer sound like an experiment. This is arguably his finest hour, and in a career that's spanned five decades that's saying something.

20. Carlton - The Call Is Strong



Contemporary R&B

Looking back, The Call is Strong is far ahead of its time. Soaring r&b vocals over dense, downtempo beats. Given modern r&b's infatuation with electronic music perhaps this album will be re-evaluated by the masses and get the attention it deserves.

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19. Sun City Girls – Torch of the Mystics



Experimental Rock

Sun City Girls are Animal Collective's older brothers.  Torch of the Mystics is a slice of improvised psych-folk. Well, I don't know if it's improvised or not, but it sure sounds like it. It's loose and weirder than anything else that came out in 1990, but the musicianship is astounding. Sometimes creating weird music for the sake of weird music works, and if you don't believe that look no further than Torch of the Mystics to change your mind.

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18. Ride – Nowhere



Shoegaze

When discussing great shoegaze albums, My Bloody Valentine's Loveless is always mentioned first. Yet, there's always that contrarian that will proclaim Nowhere the better album. With it's shimmering, gorgeous guitar work and cool, psychedelic atmosphere that claim is certainly warranted. Rather than redefining how to play guitar like Kevin Sheilds did on Loveless, Ride stick to tried-and-true tricks they learned from the Beatles and the Byrds layered in the production which hits the ears like Thor's hammer. In reality, it's pointless to debate whether Loveless or Nowhere is better - they both are incredible in their own way.



17. Gang Starr – Step in the Arena



Jazz Rap

Step in the Arena is one of the best produced hip hop albums of all time. DJ Premier melded jazz influences over hard-hitting beats, resulting in a jazz rap album that is more bumpin' than the usual relaxed jazz rap sound. Guru isn't technical at first glance, but his cadence is so smooth and tasteful it's hard not to proclaim him an amazing rapper.



16. The Sundays - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic



Indie Pop

Some may accuse The Sundays of aping the Smiths, but instead of Morrissey's signature mope the listener is treated to the subdued vocals of Harriet Wheeler. This album is neither as artsy fartsy or as bitter as the Smiths. This gives it a light, bouncy feel that feels more twee than anything. Add a strong backing beat and you have one of the most engaging and enjoyable indie pop albums of the '90s.



15. Galaxie 500 – This Is Our Music



Dream Pop

Galaxie 500's swan song is simply gorgeous, even if the understated beauty that made Today and On Fire some of the best records of the late '80s is largely absent. This Is Our Music is performed with bombast to the point where some of these songs could be considered anthems, but they never fall victim to pomposity.



14. Paris – The Devil Made Me Do It



Hardcore Hip Hop

Imagine if Public Enemy stripped down their sonic assault to the bare essentials - just rhymes and rhythms - and you'll have some idea how The Devil Made Me Do It sounds. Paris isn't the most technical rapper, but his voice is perfectly saddled on top of these dark beats. Paris's lyrics are unflinchingly political, and at points could even be misconstrued as racist, but even though this album can be uncomfortable it is also real. I'd be more scared of fucking with Paris than fucking with Wu-Tang.



13. Rosanne Cash – Interiors



Country

Roseanne Cash will forever live in her father's shadow, but that doesn't mean she isn't a brilliant songwriter in her own right. This album is barely country in sound, but completely on point in its subject matter. Cash sings of broken hearts, drunk lovers, and even slight hints of redemption in aching honesty.  The lyrics are ecidedly simple, which may bother those who aren't accustomed to country music's simplified emotions. However, Cash sings them with such passion that any attempt at poetry would diminish the impact these songs have. Interiors can only be described as brutally honest.



12. Lustmord – Heresy



Dark Ambient

This album can make the hairs on your neck stand up even in broad daylight. Even though some of its technique is rather obvious, Heresy's cavernous drones are effectively terrifying.

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11. Sinéad O'Connor – I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got



Art Pop

Despite this album veering too close to melodrama at points, Sinéad O'Connor has such a gorgeous voice that she sells it. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got definitely deserves the genre tag of "art" pop. Some might argue that she's much too blatant, but what the hell do you expect from the crazy bald lady who ripped up the Pope on television?

10. Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas



Dream Pop

Elizabeth Fraser might just be alternative rock's finest instrument. Heaven or Las Vegas's album cover is very telling - where previous albums were bathed in dark colors, Heaven or Las Vegas is given an ethereal swirl of bright red.  This reflects the progression of sound in the Twins' music. The music is more direct and accessible, but also more subtle. There's nothing here that is as anthemic as "Lorelei", and their newly found clarity allows their pop sensibilities to really shine - and "shine" is not to be taken lightly. The title track has an eponymous chorus that really sneaks up on you but immediately transports you to the stratosphere. This is the kind of album that you can fall in love to.



9. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Wanted: Dead or Alive



Hardcore Hip Hop

Kool G Rap is easily one the most skilled MCs in all of hip hop. The album wastes no time with intros or skits and Kool G Rap is spitting literally five seconds in. This album is in very much the spirit of early '90s hardcore hip hop but doesn't sound dated in the slightest. You can easily hear where a lot of great rappers, like Nas for example, got the idea on how to rap. DJ POLO is really only here in name, as he should be. Kool G Rap is an absolute monster on the mic and this album should be considered a classic that isn't confined to the underground.

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8. Obituary – Cause of Death



Death Metal

Apart from Death, Obituary were the most creative early death metal band. While metal as a whole was placing more emphasis on tight technicality and instrumental virtuosity, Obituary were playing bare-bones death metal with absolutely no bells or whistles. What Cause of Death becomes then is an album that is more brutal than anything by Napalm Death or Deeds of Flesh but is listenable. The production lends the riffs a razor-sharp edge while giving emphasis to John Tardy's terrifying vocal attack. The songs never outstay their welcome and aren't bogged down by a need to include flashy instrumental passages. This is death metal in its most primal form, as it should be.



7. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – The Good Son



Gothic Rock

From From Her to Eternity up through Tender Prey, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were playing more controlled, but no less vicious, music that was a natural progression from his days with the Birthday Party. The Good Son changed the game. Playing what can only be described as gothic gospel music, Cave wrenched out emotive ballads that explored new aspects of his voice, especially on closer "Lucy".  The music is still evocative and dramatic, but instead of starting fires The Good Son gazes plaintively at the smouldering ashes.



6. Jane's Addiction – Ritual de lo Habitual



Alternative Rock

Love 'em or hate 'em, it's hard to deny just how forward-thinking Jane's Addiction's second studio album is. Scorching rockers like "Stop!" and "Ain't No Right" get your blood pumping only for the epic ride that composes the latter half of the album. The first half is more akin to skydiving while the second half is more like floating into the ether. While they later traded in their adventurousness for straight-forward hard rock, Ritual de lo Habitual proves that hard rock post-Zeppelin can be artful while melting your face off.



5. Angelo Badalamenti – Soundtrack from Twin Peaks



Chamber Jazz

Would it be total hyperbole to say this soundtrack redefines the word "sublime"? Probably, but listen to it and try to then try to come up with a counterargument.  Part of the reason I frequently watch the show is to see the opening theme and the opening images combined.  Surprisingly cohesive for an album, let alone a soundtrack, the Twin Peaks soundtrack is much like the show - you often feel like it has come from another dimension; it is a dimension that you cannot interact with but you are allowed to observe it.



4. Daniel Johnston – 1990



Singer/Songwriter

Daniel Johnston has a legion of devoted fans, and this is really the album that demonstrates why that is.  The boombox recordings and Johnston's trademark piano are absent, which makes 1990 a make or break album for the enigmatic singer/songwriter. Fortunately, the clearer recordings show Johnston as the incredible songwriter and lyricist he is. Despite the childlike nature that permeates 1990, it's also incredibly disturbing. "Don't Play Cards With Satan" is titled like a dumb '80s college punk rock tune, but Johnston plays it straight. Later in his career, Johnston was offered a contract by Elektra Records, but refused to join the label because Metallica, who Johnston believed was possessed by Satan, was signed to Elektra. Everything Johnston sings on 1990 he means, which makes the album as bone-chilling as it playful. Also, the best recording available of "True Love Will Find You in the End" is on here, so there's that.



3. Peter Jefferies - The Last Great Challenge in a Dull World



Singer/Songwriter

This unfairly forgotten gem is the quintessential lo-fi release. Guided by Voices would later champion the lo-fi aesthetic with pop hooks that pushed through the hiss and the noise. This album is the opposite of that. Hooky melodies float atop a maelstrom of fierce post-punk noise. This album isn't out to make your ears bleed, evident in the absolutely beautiful "On an Unknown Beach" which features Jefferies drawing all the emotion he can from his detached baritone over a solo piano. The noise simply acts as a doorman, inviting the listener inside with what can either be construed as a smile or a grimace. The title might give the listener a hint as to how Jefferies felt about the state of music when writing this album.



2. Lou Reed & John Cale - Songs for Drella



Art Rock

Songs for Drella is even more of an achievement when you realize that this is the first time Reed and Cale have performed together in twenty-something years.  The two rekindled a musical romance at Andy Warhol's funeral. Both Reed and Cale aged gloriously as songwriters and vocalists, and each sticks to what they do best; Cale plays the role of the arty baroque while Reed is weird and effortlessly cool. As masterful as this music is, it's only slightly far-reaching to think Andy Warhol sacrificed himself so this album could happen.



1. Depeche Mode – Violator



Synth Pop

Depeche Mode are probably the only straight-faced synth pop band that escaped from the '80s with their dignity intact. That being said, can we really fault them for not being able to make another album on the same level as Violator? There's hardly a danceable number to be found here, but Depeche Mode didn't lose any ground in the memorable hooks department. The atmosphere is so consistent on this album that it may take you a couple listens to figure out which songs Martin L. Gore sings and which songs Dave Gahan sings. Violator is as gorgeously produced as it is sinister, but it is not overly so in either way. This is serious music that should be taken as such.

Bonus Lists

The Bottom 10 Albums of 1990
1. Artillery - By Inheritance
2. Living Colour - Time's Up
3. M.C. Hammer - Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em
4. Wilson Phillips - Wilson Phillips
5. Pet Shop Boys - Behaviour
6. The Sisters of Mercy - Vision Thing
7. Mariah Carey - Mariah Carey
8. The Shamen - En-Tact
9. Thunder - Back Street Symphony
10. The Squirrels - What Gives?

The Top 10 Esoteric Albums of 1990
(Albums that have less than 500 ratings on RateYourMusic)
1. Peter Jefferies – The Last Great Challenge in a Dull World
2. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Wanted: Dead or Alive
3. Roseanne Cash – Interiors
4. Paris – The Devil Made Me Do It
5. Carlton – The Call is Strong
6. Killing Joke - Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions
7. Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass – Passages
8. Dwight Yoakam – If There Was a Way
9. Neurosis – The Word as Law
10. Sun Dial – Other Way Out

The Top 10 Underrated Albums of 1990
(Albums that have below a 3.50 average rating on RateYourMusic)
1. Carlton – The Call is Strong
2. Neurosis – The Word as Law
3. GWAR – Scumdogs of the Universe
4. Green Day – Slappy E.P.
5. Deee-Lite – World Clique
6. Richard Youngs – Advent
7. The Afghan Whigs – Up In It
8. James – Gold Mother
9. Garth Brooks – No Fences
10. Royal Trux – Twin Infinitives

The Top 40 Singles of 1990 (Playlist on Page)

my birth year! ride's nowhere has been my favorite from 1990 for a while. thanks for posting. cool to see what was being released in my birth year. some albums that i like i never really associated with 1990 like cocteau twins and codeine.

Great lists, Joe. You really didn't dig The Shamen's 'En-Tact'? It's a dance classic!

Unfortunately no. I'm sure it was great for it's day but now I just can't get into it. I think if they would have removed all the vocals and left the instrumentals I would have liked it considerably more.

Fantastic stuff, Joe.