NOT a '90s artist!
The list of 1990s bands (mostly alt-rock) that were still out there workin’ for a livin’ was an easy target for bashing—at least for me. When y’all jumped in and turned it into a pile on of alterna-bashing, I started to have second thoughts about this fine group of young musicians that just wanted to let their hair down and fly thier flannel flag (or union jack).
I propose another look at the 1990s.
Let’s create the RTH Top 25 CDs of the 1990s from bands that are considered ’90s bands (as in I would count Jane’s Addiction, although their debut came out in ’88 or ’89 [I had it in high school, so it had to have been out prior to spring 1989]). This is not a place to list REM‘s Automatic For the People or a ’90s Tom Waits record; this is for ’90s bands.
Please consider the following criteria/limitations when posting your thoughts on the matter:
- One record per band, 13 albums per Townsperson (an alternative band number if there ever was one)
- Loose definition of “alternative”: CD would have been played on Alternative Rock Radio (or should have been) or at least college radio.
I’ll start with my own:
Eligible!
- Nirvana – Nevermind
- The Posies – Frosting On The Beater
- Superdrag – Head Trip In Every Key
- Oasis – What’s The Story Morning Glory?
- The Grays – The Grays
- Jellyfish – Spilt Milk
- Urge Overkill – Saturation
- The Jayhawks – Hollywood Town Hall
- Cracker – Kerosene Hat
- The La’s – The La’s
- Beck – Midnight Vultures
- Wilco – Summerteeth
- The Black Crowes – Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (not alternative enough? ok, then Green Day – Dookie)
1. Pulp, Different Class (formed in the late ’70s, but toiled in endless obscurity until the ’90s)
2. Wilco, Summerteeth
3. Blur, Parklife
4. Quasi, Featuring “Birds”
5. Versus, Two Cents Plus Tax
6. Shudder to Think, Pony Express Record
7. Jellyfish, Spilt Milk
8. Supergrass, In it For the Money
9. Sleater-Kinney, Dig Me Out
10. Cotton Mather, Kontiki
11. Old 97’s, Too Far to Care
12. Portishead, Dummy
13. Morphine, Cure for Pain
KLF – White Room
Mr. Bungle – Disco Volante
Primus – Sailing the Seas of Cheese
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
Charlatans UK – Some Friendly
Tricky – Maxinquaye
Nine Inch Nails – Broken
No, you weren’t too harsh.
As one who skipped much of the ’90s, I look forward to reading others’ lists for reminders of albums that would make my Top 13. A few I’ve seen so far were already in my mind, but I’ve already been reminded of some others.
It’s funny to think that the ’90s will be the Decade of the CD.
1. My Bloody Valentine — Loveless
2. Stereolab — Mars Audiac Quintet
3. The High Llamas — Hawaii
4. Nirvana — Nevermind
5. Blake Babies — Sunburn
6. The Cardigans — Life
7. Portishead — Dummy
8. Beck — Odelay
9. Air — Moon Safari
10. The Olivia Tremor Control — Dusk at Cubist Castle (note: this is a placeholder for any of the top Elephant 6 albums)
11. Lush — De-Luxe
12. Heavenly — The Decline and Fall of Heavenly
13. PJ Harvey — Dry
Bear in mind that many of my favorite 90s bands trafficked largely in 7″ and 10″ singles.
Shit. Forgot The Sundays’ Reading Writing and Arithmetic, and for that matter, Suddenly Tammy’s We Get There When We Do.
If Oasis is on your list, that proves you weren’t too harsh on the 90s.
Here’s 13 from me, off the top of my head:
Hole – Live through This
PJ Harvey – Rid Of Me
Muffs – Blonder & Blonder
Push Kings – Push Kings (only this one–everything else they did was crap…but this is the greatest)
Portishead – Dummy
Wilco – Summerteeth (though I like their 2000s albums better)
Yo La Tengo – Electr-o-pura (yeah, I know…but they peaked in the 90s, so to me they’re a 90s band)
Cotton Mather – Kon tiki
Matthew Sweet – 100% Fun
Radiohead – OK computer (no matter what Stewart thinks of it)
Add (N) To X – Avant Hard
Elastica – Elastica
Velvet Crush – Teenage Symphonies to God
I’m sure I forgot something better than most of these. I left the Loud Family out because I still think of them and Game theory as if they are the same, which makes them an 80s band.
These are still the rotation at my house. I’ll leaf through the CD stacks and see what else turns up — but these are top on my top shelf.
1. Whiskeytown — Strangers Almanac
2. Son Volt — Trace
3. Oasis — (What’s the Story) Morning Glory
4. Everything But The Girl – Walking Wounded
5. Hole – Celebrity Skin
6. Liz Phair — Exile in Guyville
7. The Jayhawks — Blue Earth
8. Soul Asylum — Let Your Dim Light Shine
9. Lucinda Williams — Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
10. Kim Richey — Glimmer
Some great one’s here. Matthew Sweet’s 100% Fun is a good call.
Totally see EBTG as an 80s band. Their ’82-’88 work is the key to their legend.
In no particular order (and excluding Matthew Sweet, who kicked around for much of the ’80s and might be considered as qualifying if we were really liberal about this – but we’re not that liberal):
1. The Jayhawks (as liberal as I’m willing to go with the classification of “’90s band”), Tomorrow the Green Grass
2. Wilco, Summerteeth
3. Sleater-Kinney, Dig Me Out
4. Beck, Odelay
5. Apples in Stereo, Tone Soul Evolution
6. PJ Harvey, Rid of Me
7. Sloan, One Chord to Another
8. Teenage Fanclub, Grand Prix
9. Nirvana, In Utero
10. Fountains of Wayne, s/t
11. The Minders, Hooray for Tuesday
12. Blur, The Great Escape, which I don’t own but contains my favorite songs on their Best of…
13. Some band/album I will regret forgetting to include on this list…
Their hairdos alone scream 1980s!
Here’s my big 90s albums (in no order):
1. Pearl Jam-Vs.
2. Weezer-Pinkerton
3. Neutral Milk Hotel-In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
4. Oasis-(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
5. James Iha-Let It Come Down
6. Pavement-Brighten The Corners
7. Beck-Odelay
8. Ben Lee-Something to Remember Me By
9. Ben Folds Five-self-titled
10. Nirvana-Nevermind
11. Teenage Fanclub-Bandwagonesque
12. Liz Phair-Exile in Guyville
13. Radiohead-OK Computer
TB
This is the era I see when I think of them:
http://image.lyricspond.com/image/e/artist-everything-but-the-girl/album-idlewild/cd-cover.jpg
I realize their hair progressed with the times.
Beck-Mellow Gold
Nirvana-Nevermind
Slowdive-Souvlaki
Luna-Penthouse
Stereolab-Dots & Loops
Spiritualized-Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Pulp-Different Class
Blur-Parklife
Guided By Voices-Bee Thousand
Slint-Spiderland
Don Caballero-For Respect
Trans Am Surrender To The Night
Mazzy Star-She Hangs Brightly
Fuck! how did i forget
12. Portishead, Dummy
13. Morphine, Cure for Pain?!?!?
Guided By Voices – Bee Thousand;
Buffalo Tom – Let Me Come Over;
Uncle Tupelo – Anodyne;
Wilco – Being There (disc 1);
Old 97s – Too Far Too Care;
The Jayhawks – Tomorrow the Green Grass;
Teenage Fan Club – Bandwagonesque (although I didn’t hear these guys until a few years ago);
Cracker’s first album;
Matthew Sweet – Girlfriend;
Whiskeytown — Strangers Almanac;
Liz Phair — Exile in Guyville;
Lucinda Williams — Car Wheels on a Gravel Road;
Fountains of Wayne’s first album;
Posies – Frosting on the Beater (just the first 3 songs)
On second thought, take out Supergrass, In it for the Money, and replace it with Teenage Fanclulb, Grand Prix. (Thanks for the reminder, Mr. Mod.)
This was a tough list for me since I left a lot of good albums off the list. (Buffalo Tom, Redd Kross, Suede, Supergrass..etc). The period between 1900 and 1996 produced some outstanding albums.
1.The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses (they are 90’s band)
2. Foutains of Wayne – Utopia Parkway
3. Teenage Fanclub – Grand Prix
4. Oasis – What’s The Story Morning Glory
5. Juliana Hatfield – Become What You Are
6. The Lemonheads – It’s A Shame About Ray
7. Guided By Voices – Bee Thousand
8. Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
9. Sebadoh – Harmacy
10. Beck – Odelay
11. Wilco – Being There
12. Green Day – Warning
13. Urge Overkill – Saturation
Artistic peak — 90s.
Ah, Velvet Crush! A favorite!
Just returning the favor of you having reminded me of my favorite S-K album.
This is just too difficult. I was a college DJ during the early 90’s so listened to a ton. These are 13 of my favorites:
1. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
2. Cibo Matto – Viva La Woman!
3. St. Etienne – Foxbase Alpha
4. Bjork – Debut
5. Sundays – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
6. Tricky – Maxinquaye
7. Trash Can Sinatras – Cake
8. Throwing Muses – The Real Ramona
9. Portishead – Dummy
10. Cardigans – Life
11. Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
12. Swirlies – Blondertongueadiobaton
13. Soul Coughing – Ruby Vroom
I’m reading everyone’s lists and they are making me very nostalgic and dreamy. There are many, many more to have included. Thanks for the reminders, y’all.
It’s nice to have a chance to discuss the bands of the 90’s. I feel that we’ve given them short shrift and by looking at peoples’ lists, we have quite a few overlaps for further pontificating.
Your list is making me want to cry, it’s so good.
Man, I should have included the Charlatans.
Two adds – from the stacks in my living room. That was easy.
11. The Mavericks — Music for All Occasions.
12. Aimee Mann — Whatever — please don’t say she’s 80s because of ‘Til Tuesday.
13. Amy Rigby — Diary of a Mod Housewife.
make that 3.
Buffalo Tom! How could I forget? Still active too.
I totally forgot about Whatever. Now, who can I bump off my list to include it.
The Jesus Lizard – LIAR Ween – Pure Guava Tortoise – TNT Don Caballero – What Burns Never Returns Jeff Buckley – Grace Mr. Bungle – Disco Volante fIREHOSE – Flyin’ the Flannel Fugazi – Steady Diet of Nothing Nation of Ulysses – Plays Pretty for Baby Trans Am – Futureworld The Sea and Cake – The Biz Stereolab – Dots and Loops Mike Watt – Contemplating the Engine Room
Welcome aboard, scottw! Cool selections. I missed that Mike Watt album; his latest is pretty cool. I should go back and check out the one you’ve listed.
It’s really great. Nels Cline is an absolute monster throughout the whole record- Saw him play it at the pontiac! Best show of the decade for me…
Come on, funoka. Aimee Mann’s I’m With Stupid would have made my list for the ’90s…IF SHE DIDN’T HAVE A MAJOR HIT IN THE ’80s. Next thing we know someone’s going to put Johnny Cash on their list;)
1. Flaming Lips – Soft Bulletin
2. Beck – Odelay
3. Massive Attack – Mezzanine
4. Radiohead – The Bends
5. Tortoise – Millions Now Living Will Never Die
6. Nick Cave – Murder Ballads
7. Blur – Blur
8. The Lemonheads – It’s A Shame About Ray
9. Whiskeytown — Stranger’s Almanac
10. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
11. Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works Volume II
12. PJ Harvey – Rid of Me
13. Basic Channel – BCD
I had a hard time coming up with thirteen, even with the benefit of other people’s lists, so I think no, you were not too hard on the 90s.
in no particular order…
1. Sugar — Copper Blue
2. Björk — Post
3. Frank Black — Frank Black
4. Liz Phair — Exile in Guyville
5. Urge Overkill — Saturation
6. Juliana Hatfield — Only Everything
7. Matthew Sweet — Altered Beast
8. Beck — Odelay
9. Radiohead — OK Computer
10. Nine Inch Nails — Pretty Hate Machine (’89 debut)
11. Tool — Undertow
12. Robyn Hitchcock — Moss Elixir
13. Red Hot Chili Peppers — Blood Sugar Sex Magik (debatable “90s” — this ’91 album is where they hit paydirt to my ears)
swapping out sea and cake for Frank Black’s teenager of the year
Chili peppers were a cali skate scene deal in the mid/late 80’s check them in the movie Thrashin’…
01. PJ Harvey – Dry
02. Radiohead – OK Computer
03. Beck – Odelay
04. Slint – Spiderland
05. Yo La Tengo – Fakebook
06. Matthew Sweet – Girlfriend
07. The Jayhawks – Hollywood Town Hall
08. Neutral Milk Hotel – In The Airplane Over The Sea
09. Uncle Tupelo – No Depression
10. Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque
11. Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
12. Liz Phair – Exile In Guyville
13. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Orange
Oh man, “Headache” and the accompanying video are among my favorites of that era, but I could never get into the rest of that album. I still hold onto it, thinking that one day it will click.
Check out ‘Superabound’ it’s one of the coolest songs on the record… TOTY and Double Nickels on the Dime are my top two lawn mowing records 🙂
I love Moon Safari. My magazine (New Age Voice) interviewed them when this came out and I passed along to their bassist that that was the best bass tone I had ever heard on record.
How did I forget Car Wheels? good call
Altered Beast was my #14. Love Sugar. David Barbe was all over Athens when I was playing in bands there and Sugar was a killer band. I almost added Bob Mould’s Black Sheets Of Rain (though it was not a critical or commerical hit, just always liked it)
Ditto…one of the albums I listened to the most from that decade for sure. I guess I don’t really think of her as a 90s artist, but she peaked then, and I used the same excuse for others.
Hard to do without my cds/records in front of me, but here goes:
Freedy Johnson – Never Home
Teenage Fanclub – Songs from Northern Britain
Luna – Penthouse
Elliot Smith – Either/Or
Stereolab – Mars Audiac Quintet
Superchunk – No Pocky for Kitty
Guided By Voices – Bee Thousand
The Minders – Hurray for Tuesday
Yo La Tengo- I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville
Innocence Mission – Glow
Redd Kross – Third Eye
Bell and Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister
Sugar — oh man! I need to dig that out.
13 more ’90s bands that have yet to feel the love:
Built to Spill – There’s Nothing Wrong with Love
Seam – The Problem with Me
Boredoms – Super Ae
Archers of Loaf – Icky Mettle
Polvo – Today’s Active Lifestyles
The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II
A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory
Swans – White Light from the Mouth of Infinity
Swervedriver – Mezcal Head
Laika – Silver Apples of the Moon
Bongwater – The Power of Pussy
King Missile – Mystical Shit
The Tinklers – Saplings
Yep. Aimee and Everything But the Girl both his their artistic peaks (in Mann’s case, Welcome Home and Everything’s Different Now) in the 80s.
Yeah, bruinskip! I especially love those King Missile and Laika albums.
My husband knew Margaret Fiedler from Laika when she was in a band with Moby called Ceili Seoul and they all used to dj together in Port Chester, NY.
And I realized that no one has been loving DeeLite and their first album, World Clique. I should really swap that out for one of mine, such as The Cardigans. I stand corrected.
Crud! I missed that Yo La Tengo album. I’ll bounce Cracker’s first album off my list to make room.
I never thought about the concept of “Lawn Mowing Records” because I just have one tree and 16 feet of sidewalk to tend to but I’m intrigued. What does one look for in a good lawn mowing record?
lots of treble, thin bass, clear vox & that it plays 60 minutes + to accommodate the mow, weed wacking, leaf blowing, furniture moving etc. It also has to come from a group or artist that has a seriously proven work ethic…
cdm, you have GOT to be satisfied with that answer. This may become an RTH Glossary term!
That’s great. So the MC5’s second album would be perfect but for the short running time?
Late to the gathering and it is possible all of these have been named;
Radiohead – OK Computer
Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque
Yo La Tengo – I Can Feel the Heart Beating as One
Mathew Sweet – Girlfriend
Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Freedy Johnson – This Perfect World
Wilco – Being There
Nirvana – Unplugged (really the only one I still listen to)
Jayhawks – Hollywood Town Hall
Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger (that one is new!)
Guided By Voices – Bee Thousand
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen …
Well, cdm, you could get a smaller yard and skip on the weed-whacking on those Saturdays…
I thought about including World Clique. It’s a fine album and the only reason I didn’t list it was because of the “alternative radio” requirement.
Green Day – Insomniac
The Shazam – Godspeed The Shazam
Wilco – Summerteeth
Sloan – One Chord To Another
Matthew Sweet – 100% Fun
Michael Penn – Resigned (unless you consider his 80’s band Doll Congress a disqualifier, which I’ve never even seen an album from, let alone heard)
Cotton Mather – Kon Tiki
The Solipsitics – Whatever Makes You Happy
Cherry Twister – At Home With Cherry Twister
Jason Falkner – Author Unknown
The Cavedogs – Joy Rides For Shut-ins
Fountains Of Wayne – s/t
Ben Folds Five – s/t
I left off Yo La Tengo’s Facebook, because two of my three favorites from them are 80s albums, so I cannot really call them a 90s band. I figured They Might Be Giants had too much going on in the 80s to list Flood, although that is worthy.
Mr. Mod, have you heard M. Sweet’s 80s albums Inside and Earth? They’re all synthy messes, and nothing like the 90s power pop stuff.
I may have to rethink a Freedy Johnston omission, but I guess the good stuff has been mentioned.
Yes, the stuff before Girlfriend is unbelievably messy and unlistenable. I still feel, however, that he should be disqualified for consideration as a “’90s” artist because he was buzzed about as some up-and-comer with a few MAJOR LABEL releases through the second half of the ’80s. Plus, he’d already played with an ’80s “super group,” Golden Palominos. I won’t kick and fuss if you guys keep his albums on your lists, but for the record, can we take a moment to appreciate my impeccable integrity?
Everyone’s played in that band, you can hardly tell the players without a scorecard.
I think the Jane’s Addiction exception stands.
I guess it all depends how big the lawn is… MC5’s a good choice. Smiths ‘Hatful of Hollow’ was always in rotation… Snark goes a long way when the man you’re working for is yourself…!
As long as there’s a Jane’s Addiction exception, I’m taking it!
I can’t put this in any order and I think I could just substitute cdm’s list if I get tired of this one.
Jane’s Addiction – Ritual de lo Habitual
Wilco – AM
Whiskeytown – Stranger’s Almanac
Son Volt – Trace
Nirvana – In Utero
Bikini Kill – Pussy Whipped
Superchunk – No Pocky For Kitty
The Jayhawks – Hollywood Town Hall
Six String Drag – High Hat
The Toadies – Rubberneck
Built to Spill – Perfect From Now On
Ben Folds Five – The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
Sleater – Kinney – Dig Me Out