Top 10 albums of the 1990's (1 Viewer)

[Thomas_Berg]

i dont know if this has already been discussed/argued, but i was flipping through my CDs tonight and decided to compile a list:
10. Eminem - The Slim Shady LP -- controversial, yes, but he is, IMO, the most talented rapper to date. this is his first major studio album, and being that, it is true to who he really is. this was recorded before everyone could comment on his lyrics and before he could feed off the media's infatuation with him, which angered his tone a little and caused a declination in his work.
9. Pearl Jam - Ten -- a great CD that everyone loves. they, along with Nirvana, helped usher in the era of grunge.
8. Metallica - S&M -- although others have tried, none sounded better with a live orchestra than Metallica. the 2-discs in this set are extraordinary works of art! Metallica is one of the best bands in the past 30 years, and their hits never sounded better on this live masterpiece. i highly recommend picking up the concert on DVD-- it's absolutely breathtaking!
7. Rage Against the Machine (self-titled) -- another music-shifting album that paved the way for alot of the popular rap-metal bands today. Rage were pioneers of rock, as well as completely fundamentalist liberals. they sang and played about stuff they truly believed in, and they very much deserve the #7 spot.
6. Dave Matthews Band - Before These Crowded Streets -- raw talent in its most refined state. it's hard not to love this band!
5. Radiohead - OK Computer -- hailed as the band's best work by many, i believe it provided a great transition from the more grungy The Bends to their newer work. an excellent album...after you listen to it a few times.
4. Nirvana - Nevermind -- Nirvana brought about one of the largest changes in music history with this album. long-haired alcoholic acts like Guns 'n Roses were on the way out as a new era of grunge was brought to the mainstream.
3. Live - Throwing Copper -- i can still listen to this CD start to finish a hundred times and still love it. many dont own it or dont listen to it all the way through: go buy it or pull it back out of your collection and give it a listen twice through. you'll understand why it's #3.
2. Dave Matthews Band - Crash -- Dave is the man. plain and simple: these guys have the most talent of any group i have ever heard. (i'm a huge Zeppelin fan and i actually think Dave's band has more overall talent). they cannot categorized (until their new CD Everyday came out, which is VERY un-Dave and a total sellout disc). Crash is by far their best, most soul-filled work, and was barely edged out for the #1 spot by the next band.
...and my favorite album of the '90s:
1. Radiohead - The Bends -- what can i say that hasnt already been said? they rule! this CD is a complete work of art that takes a few listens to truly appreciate. play it twice, wait a few days, then play it again and you will be utterly amazed at how brilliant these guys are.
Other noteworthy:
Green Day - Dookie
Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table and Dreaming
After Five - Within the Walls (an truly good local band!)
Metallica - Metallica (The Black Album)
Stone Temple Pilots - Core
Limp Bizkit - Significant Other
R.E.M. - Automatic for the People
Weezer - Weezer
Beck - Odelay
these are, of course, all MY opinions and are MINE alone. i am really interested in hearing others' input on this, so please feel free to comment. as i said, i dont know if this has already been discussed, but it's late at night and i had this on my mind, so here's a good 30 minutes' worth of my opinion. thanks for reading this far and for your responses!!

 

[TheoGB]

Okay, here's mine, bearing in mind I don't allow the same band in more than once:
10. Moon Safari (Air): I don't know why Air sound so good on this album. It's ultra-cheesy and shouldn't work...But it does. Really really nice!
9. Smash (Offspring): I bought it on the strength of one single and wasn't disappointed. It's damn short but really energetic.
8. Pulp (This is Hardcore): Never a big fan of the early Pulp sound, when my mate played me this album I loved the darkness of it.
7. Elastica (Elastica): A bit of a 'sly' one. I wouldn't normally try to rate the album except that it does just get a lot of plays...And it does sound great, dammit!
6. Odelay (Beck): I saw him at Glastonbury and was blown away. It's a fantastic album and I never heard it enough down clubs.
5. Supergrass (I Should Co-Co): Great collection of pop gems.
4. Blur (Blur): I like all their album's basically but this is definitely their best work. Beetlebum and Song 2 are such good openers.
3. Entroducing... (DJ Shadow): Instrumental hip-hop - totally fantastic and should be in everyone's collection.
2. In Utero (Nirvana): Now I guess it should really be Nevermind - I love them both, but the stylistic depth to In Utero makes it a better album for me...Just. Tomorrow it'll probably be the other way around again!
1. OK Computer (Radiohead): A fantastic album. Though the songs individually do not sound as a strong as a lot of The Bends the effect of OKC as an album is really fantastic. Truly the greatest album in my collection.

 

[Thomas_Berg]

I don't allow the same band in more than once:

well i feel Dave and Radiohead are exceptional bands, so i made exceptions in the 'rules'. they are the two best bands of the 90's.
thanks for the response Theo; there's some interesting bands there that i'll have to listen to when i get the time.

 

[Rick Deschaine]

Well let me take a stab at this,

10. Tidal - Fiona Apple. A stellar debut from a wonderful songwriter and a beautiful voice.

9. Deadicated - Various artists. Didn't think I would list a tribute CD, but this is one of the best I've ever heard. Lyle Lovett's rendition of 'Friend of the Devil' is pure bliss!

8. Bloodletting - Concrete Blonde. The best album from a somewhat underappreciated band. O, how I wish I had gotten to see them Live!

7. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road - Lucinda Williams. The album that turned me on to the whole roots rock/alt country genre. Can't help but sing along with this one everytime I listen.

6. Costello & Nieve - Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve. A limited edition collection of Ep's released from Elvis' 96' tour, only about 30,000 to 35,000 copies were made.

5. Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black - Public Enemy. The best Rap/Hip-Hop album I've ever heard. I know that the two previous Public Enemy albums are more widely appreciated and acclaimed, but I really like this one.

4. Live Through This - Hole. Excuse me for saying this, but I liked this one a lot more than Nevermind. Blasphemy right? Sorry, but I thought this one was more consistent than that other CD and actually rocked more IMHO.

3. Grace - Jeff Buckley. Talk about someone passing before their time. What a voice this man had, he will truly be missed.

2. Siamese Dream - Smashing Pumpkins. Possibly the greatest American band of the 90's. Wish I had a buck for evrytime I've listened to it.

1. OK Computer - Radiohead. Not a real original choice, but it's been a while since an album has influenced my ears like this one has. Remarkable album.

I enjoyed listing this music. Am looking forward to reading all the other choices.

Later everyone,

Rick

 

[MikeH1]

Your all going to be shaking your heads after reading my list. This was thought up not in regards to what the bands did for music, but what they did for me. My personal favs and thats all.
10. Midnight Oil-Earth and Sun and Moon. 1993. A great disc to listen to when out in the mountains. Political but thought provoking.
9. Inxs-Elegently Wasted. 1997. Ok another Aussie band but my personal favorite. The first album I actually truly enjoyed after Kick that had been released 10 years earlier. And then he had to commit suicide *sigh*
8. The Orb-Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld 1991. I bought this after reading a review about it in a magazine. Took a chance and picked it up. Probably some of the most unusual music I have ever owned. Just can't get bored of it. And now, Club DJs tell me it is the Nevermind of rave music. Cool!
7. Type O Negative-Bloody Kisses. 1993. Goth at its finest. A crazy landscape of time changes with a dark guitar and a voice that used to creep out my ex girlfriend. It just doesn't get any better
6. Nine Inch Nails-Downward Spiral. 1994. When I first listened to this disc upon its release in March 1994 I knew the gates had been opened for Trent and Co. The disc is great and it absolutley amazes me how Closer is the club hit it still is. Must be that one line in it...
5. Faith No More-Angel Dust. 1992. This is my personal Nevermind. Great in your face, loud, and then so organized at times. The boys wanted to say something but they were just 12 months too late.
4. Rage Against the Machine-Self Titled. 1992. All the wonder rap-metal groups today are just so uninspired. They take the beauty of Faith No More and add Rage's sheer power and come out wearing those gas masks. I'm still shaking my head on this one
3. Madonna-Ray Of Light. 1998. I was going through a personal thing at the time and the one track The Power Of Goodbye sums it all. Well maintained electronic music that I just never get fatigued of. And the lows...
2. Yes-Union. 1991. Unlike many people I'm a big 90s Yes fan. This album just does it for me. The many sounds, time changes and vocals. Loved it right from the first track, since day 1.
1. REM-Out Of Time. 1991. Just read the other thread: 1991: Losing My Religion and Smells Like Teen Spirit

 

[TheoGB]

I wasn't suggesting there were any rules to a top 10 album's listing, Tom. I only stated that because otherwise I'd have had The Bends, Nevermind, and Modern Life is Rubbish in there too, I imagine!
Also, I didn't put in any stuff from 2000 that might conceivable have got a look in as 90's, eg Soulwax, Doves, Trail of Dead...

 

[Sean Cauley]

Okay, I'm not going in any order here (aside from fairly chronological), because trying to rank these would kill me (although I have to say the U2 would be my number one, probably):
U2 - Achtung Baby On New Year's Eve, 1989, U2 told a Dublin crowd they were going to go away and "dream it all up again." Boy, did they. The drastic departure from the band's style of the late '80's was one of the early volleys in a turn to alternative tastes by the mainstream audience; since U2 was already huge, it is forgotten what a huge gamble this record really was for them.
Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend I liked it okay back then, but I absolutely love it now. It's ten or eleven years old, but I still spin this disc every couple of weeks or so. Great pop-rock-punk-alt-who knows.
REM - Automatic for the People After Green and Out of Time brought the college-rock poster-boys to the masses, this album cemented their genius. "Everybody Hurts" is still a song that everybody knows, and I still get chills when I hear "Nightswimming."
Singles - Music from the Motion Picture Okay, so this is kind of a cheat, my way to encapsulate the early-nineties "grunge" (for lack of a better word) movement without giving up too many slots. All of the Seattle biggies are here, except Nirvana (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, Mother Love Bone), and there are good tracks from Smashing Pumpkins and Paul Westerburg. From here, infer that I would also recommend Ten, Vs, Vitalogy, Siamese Dream, Superunknown, Dirt and more.
Dr. Dre - The Chronic I know there's not a lot of pro-rap sentiment around here, but for hip-hop in the nineties, this is the one. It changed the sound (the P-Funk samples and live instrumentation would be around for several years after) and the content (while Dre's NWA output put "gangsta" on the map, this made it almost the only way to sell records) of hip-hop for years to come. Honorable mention also to Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle, which was a sequel of sorts, and had as much to do with this music's dominance as Dre's album did.
Counting Crows - August and Everything After The success of this album proved that, amid the explosions of grunge and gangsta rap, fairly straight roots rock (with a mildly alternative, coffeehouse flair) could survive. Plus, the accordion finally gets a fair shake on this one.
Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View I know, I know. I used to hate this one, too. But there's a reason they sold about fifteen million copies of this thing: it was four good musicians playing straight-up barroom rock 'n' roll and ballads to an audience who had been grunged out for a little too long. Plus, I have to include Hootie because they give good concert, and that's worth a lot.
Radiohead - The Bends Sure, OK Computer was more adventurous, more epic, and more of a critical darling, but this was one damn fine album.
Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite Maxwell (and D'Angelo, as well) brought soul music back to its roots. Finally, a funky, sexy alternative to the R. Kelly/Jodeci school of slow jams. This album wraps you up in satin sheets and serves you a champagne cocktail, all in preparation of a long, hot night.
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road Just great. I bought this, not having heard a single song, based solely on reviews and an article about Lucinda. I was not disappointed, and have been in love with this album for the past three years. If you've never heard it, hear it. That's an order.

 

[Tony Mirra]

Will probably change in 10 minutes, but here's a pretty comprehensive list of my favorite albums from the 1990s:

10. Pixies "Trompe Le Monde" (their last album showed less of Kim Deal, but rocks harder than anything they'd done up to that point)

9. Smashing Pumpkins "Siamese Dream" -1993 (Possibly the best produced album of the decade; "Geek USA" and "Silverfuck" still give me goosebumps)

8. Belle and Sebastian "The Boy with the Arab Strap" -1998 (a glorious sample of all that understated Brit-pop can be; wonderfully arranged pop songs from start to finish)

7. Mogwai "Come on Die Young" -1999 (Post-rock masterpiece, and STILL well ahead of its time)

6. REM "Automatic for the People" -1992 (Haunting and emotional. Tied with "Dog Man Star" by Suede for most depressing album of the decade)

5. Nirvana "In Utero" -1993 (Brutal. Nevermind "Siamese Dream"; THIS was the best-produced album of the decade. You can't get more agressive than "Scentless Apprentice". "All Apologies" is a fitting closing track)

4. Tori Amos "Under the Pink" -1994 (Her most consistent work. Holds up well over time, as well. "Yes, Anastasia" might be the best song in her catalog)

3. Catherine Wheel "Chrome" -1993 (Stunner follow-up to their debut LP. Wall-of-sound production and space-age vocals make this from Track 1 to close one of the best albums of the decade)

2. Radiohead "OK Computer" -1999 (What can be said. A masterpiece and classic to be sure, albeit an overplayed and over-talked about one)

1. Sunny Day Real Estate "How It Feels To Be Something On" -1998 (Under-appreciated post-punk pioneers. Sunny Day Real Estate reformed in 1997 after 2 legendary indie-rock masterpieces in the early 90s. This LP surpasses them both in content and production and owes more to the Beatles than it does to Fugazi. Soaring vocals and killer drum work make this my favorite LP from the 1990s)

Alternate selections (ie, any of these could probably be substituted for any of the above):

-Neutral Milk Hotel "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"

-Suede "Dog Man Star"

-Matthew Sweet "Girlfriend"

-A Tribe Called Quest "Midnight Marauders"

-Beastie Boys "Check Your Head"

-Liz Phair "Exile in Guyville"

-Sonic Youth "Dirty"

-the Breeders "Last Splash"

-Guided by Voices "Bee Thousand"

-Weezer "Blue Album"

-Jeremy Enigk "Return of the Frog Queen"

 

[JerryE]

I concur with most of these posts as far as what defined 90's music...
Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual Only 3 albums and they're still one of my favorite bands. Stephen Perkins = my favorite drummer. Dave Navarro ain't half bad either
Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger I actually preferred these guys to Pearl Jam & Nirvana. Chris Cornell is just an amazing vocalist.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik Take away Under The Bridge and this album is the shit from start to finish.
Nirvana - In Utero Not the ground-breaker that Nevermind was, but IMO a truer sense of who Nirvana was (and some of Dave Grohl's best work).
Rage Against The Machine 9:30 Club in April of 1992, still the best live show I've seen - by far. Like nothing else at the time, but unfortunately like too much these days.
Green Day - Dookie Bands like Rancid and Trusty may have been the real deal at the time, but Green Day vaulted this genre into the mainstream. Ain't it amazing how knowing 3 chords can make you rich? Blink 182, Sum 41, SR-71 et al should be paying royalties to these guys.
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream Played non-stop for quite a while after picking it up right when it first came out. Billy Corgan may be an asshole, but I think he's one of the best songwriters of my generation.
Counting Crows - August And Everything After Didn't like this one at first based on the singles that were being released, but after an spin of the entire CD I realized this was some good shit.
Dave Matthews Band - Under The Table And Dreaming The one that put them on the map still remains my most listened to DMB release, but there are quite a few nights when I can fill my CD changer up 2 times with the other DMB CDs and be a happy camper for hours.
U2 - Achtung Baby Must have been issued to incoming freshman when I went to college. Genius if for nothing more than the fact that they reinvent their sound and put out what may be their best work.
And a few lesser known albums:
Ned's Atomic Dustbin - God Fodder Their live show got me into this one. A non-stop power pop frenzy.
Sugar - Copper Blue I wish Bob Mould would have stuck with this project a little longer, but his solo stuff ain't too shabby either
The Stone Roses - Second Coming Maybe not quite as much of a masterpiece as their eponymous debut, but showed they may have had a future if they weren't more into smoking weed and playing soccer.
Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville Brilliant song writing that I never get tired of listening to. You gotta love any female songwriter that can write a song like Flower.
Poole - Alaska Days Power pop at it's best.
Superchunk - On The Mouth OK so this one could have been substituted for any one of their releases or even could have been replaced by Archers Of Loaf or Small 23. These NC bands are what got me into indy music in the early 90's.
Of my 650+ CDs I'd bet that 90% are from the 90's so I'm sure I could go on and on....

 

[Ryan Spaight]

Wow, that's a toughie. Here's ten of my faves, in alphabetical order:

Bob Dylan - Time Out Of Mind

Elastica - Elastica

Marillion - Afraid of Sunlight

Radiohead - OK Computer

REM - Automatic for the People

Suede - Suede

Sugar - File Under Easy Listening

Matthew Sweet - 100% Fun

U2 - Achtung Baby

Urge Overkill - Saturation

Honorables:

Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend

Sugar - Copper Blue

The Band - Jericho (first half only)

Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Johnny Cash - Unchained

Social Distortion - Live At The Roxy

Fish - Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors

Neil Young - Sleeps With Angels

REM - New Adventures in Hi-Fi

Nirvana - Nevermind

Tom Petty - She's The One

Ryan

 

[Philip Hamm]

I'm surprised no-one's yet mentioned Wesley Willis's amazing major label debut "Fabian Road Warrior" yet. Definitely one of the best of the decade.

 

[GARY C]

I tried, but I couldn't limit myself to 10.
13. Sarah McLachlan – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (1994)
- the best relaxtion CD around both it and Dave Matthews Under the Table... (it would rank 14).
12. No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom (1995)
- Somthing about this CD I like alot. Just great beats.
11. Our Lady Peace – Naveed (1995)
- While Clumsy could easily be here also, this just had more edge than most of thier follow-up stuff
10. Watchmen – Mclaren Furnace Room (1993)
- Like most bands I like I wish they would have stayed more raw like the first CD. This CD was great to listen to in a pissed of mood.
9. Stone Temple Pilots – Purple (1994)
- Core was good, but Purple they had it all together. It was thier sound from this album on.
8. Tragically Hip – Fully Completely (1993)
- I could easily put Day For Night or Road Apples here, but this CD has so many great songs.
7. Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991)
- After the poor OU812 (IMO) they came back strong with this one.
6. Pearl Jam – Ten (1991)
- Now don't get me wrong, I like Nirvana, but only a few songs here or there. Ten just had great song after great song.
5. Live – Throwing Copper (1994)
- Just about the only CD I own that is front to back amazing tunes.
4. I Mother Earth – Scenery And Fish (1996)
- I nearly killed my CD player listening to this one so much. 'Used to be Alright' is one of my top 5 songs of all time.
3. Ozzy Osbourne – No More Tears (1991)
- It's Ozzy, wall to wall great tunes.
2. Metallica – Black (1991)
- First CD I owned by them. Made me go out and buy all there previous stuff. Opened a door for metal on the radio.
1. Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction (1992)
- IMO the best CD of all time. Dave's voice was made for metal. I get a adrenyline rush just listening to it. I like Rust in Peace also, but Countdown is the best.
Gotta love the choices tho' of the 90's.
I remeber walking out of a HMV once with a Megadeth (Countdown) CD and a Phil Collins (Serious Hits Live) CD and the girl at the counter looked at me like I was on drugs.

 

[Peter Mazur]

Wow, this is really hard to do. The 90's might have sucked for general radio airplay but there were a lot of great albums released.

My top ten:

10)Seal - Seal (91)

09)Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness

08)Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

07)Suede - Dog Man Star

06)R.E.M. - Automatic For The People

05)Pendragon - The Window Of Life

04)Arena - Songs From The Lions Cage

03)Marillion - Afraid Of Sunlight

02)Blur - The Great Escape

01)IQ - Ever

Also outstanding are:

IQ - Subterranea

Pearl Jam - Ten, Vs.

Queensryche - Promised Land

Tool - Aenima

U2 - Achtung Baby

Blur - Parklife, Moddern Life Is Rubbish

Supergrass - In It For The Money

Pulp - Different Class

Nirvana - Nevermind, In Utero

Stone Temple Pilots - All of them

Discipline - Unfolded Like Staircase

Spock's Beard - The Light

Kings's X - Dogman, King's X, Ear Candy

Many, many more...

 

[Matt Birchall]

Not in order, just my favorite albums of the 90's:

• Wilco "Being There"
• R.E.M. "Automatic for the People"
• Liz Phair "Exile in Guyville"
• Smashing Pumpkins "Siamese Dream"
• Radiohead "O.K. Computer"
• Beastie Boys "Ill Communication"
• P.J. Harvey "To Bring You My Love"
• Beck "Odelay"
• Nirvana "Nevermind"
• U2 "Achtung Baby"

Honorable mention:

• Guns N' Roses "Use Your Illusion I and II"
• Pearl Jam "Vitalogy"

-mwb-

 

[Mike Broadman]

This is off the top of my head, so I'm probably missing some and they are in no particular order:

Dream Theater- Awake: Perfect album

Rush- Test for Echo: One of their best

King Crimson- Thrak: Crimson will be on any list I ever make, if applicable

Black Crowes- Southern Harmony and Musical Companion: Remember rock 'n' roll? They sure did.

King's X- King's X: cool stuff

Pearl Jam- Ten: classic

Spock's Beard- Kindness of Strangers: simply beautiful

Opeth- My Arms, Your Hearse: Amazing, though the stuff they made after is even better

Death- Sound of Perseverance: Hardcore and brilliant

Flower Kings- Stardust We Are: lovely

Honorable mentions:

Fates Warning- Pleasant Shade of Grey

Megadeth- Rust In Peace

Slayer- Diabolus in Musica

Soundgarden- Superunknown

Alice in Chains- Dirt

Radiohead- OK Computer

Marillion- Brave

Peter Gabriel- Us

Godsmack- Godsmack

Tool- Aenima

Blues Traveler- Travelers and Thiefs

Dave Matthews Band- Under the Table and Dreaming

 

[Thomas_Berg]

dang it! i completely forgot about Soundgarden and Alice in Chains: two of my favorites from my favorite era of music. how could i?!

Mike- Godsmack's debut is also an excellent album and deserves to be on my 'honorable mention' list. thanks for throwing that out there too.

well guys this is getting interesting, and my 'to listen to' music list is growing. keep 'em coming!

 

[KrisM]

Since all my favorite grunge type albums have been covered I'll kick in a few little known gems that are my favorites.

William Clarke - The Hard Way- An amazing blues harmonica disc.

Uncle Tupelo - anything - My favorite is March 16-20,1992.

Kelly Joe Phelps - Roll Away The Stone - Acoustic blues at its finest.

Alvin Youngblood Hart - Big Mama's Door - same as above.

The Four Horsemen - Nobody Said It Would Be Easy - Not exactly a critcs choice but a great rock n roll disc from start to finish. Kinda like what AC/DC would sound like if they were American, and still put out good albums.

The Black Crowes - Southern Harmony - My favorite disc from my favorite band.

I'd also throw in the soundtrack to Singles. This movie is where I first heard John Coltrane and I've been hooked ever since. Kinda strange that it would take movie with mostly grunge music to turn me onto jazz.

KrisM

 

[muskie]

Poole - Alaska Days Power pop at it's best.

I can't believe this album resurfaces. I bought it on mail order knowing nothing of the Band based on it's name. It's an alright album I guess, what ever happened to these guys? The best song is Ovaltine, that's the only one I remember specifically well Stones in my Pocket/two lips or whatever it's been maybe 5 years since I listened to that CD.

I'll try to come up with a list, I've been thinking of doing this for a long time. But I want to pick one from each year for the decade, that was my vision of the project. Maybe next weekend or something I'll do it.

Muskie

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Talk about a tough task. Ten from the decade. Let's see...
Guided By Voices Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes: It's almost impossible for me to pick one over the other. Brilliant rock opuses often in two minutes or less. Probably the band's best work, which is saying something. Representative of the indie scene, yet not at all.
U2 Achtung Baby: An obvious selection. A rare case of synchronicity in which a truly great album sells untold amounts. The word classic gets thrown around carelessly, but it applies to this album.
Son Volt Trace: Wilco has been more consistent (and I probably like them more), but Trace is a perfect distillation of the aesthetic and just great fun to listen to over and over. If you only buy one "alt-country" album, I'd be tempted to say this is the one.
Jeff Buckley Grace: I saw the video for "Last Goodbye" on 120 Minutes and was blown away by the song. Bought the CD and couldn't believe what I was hearing. Incredible stuff that ripples with so much emotion that it puts almost everything else to shame. A devastating loss with his untimely death.
Freedy Johnston This Perfect World: I'm putting this on the list because I listened to it a lot and repeat it many times whenever I put it on now. Not groundbreaking or even all that popular, but it's a beautiful, literate, sad set of songs.
Radiohead OK Computer: They haven't made a mistake yet, but this is the ultimate synthesis of what they have done up to this point. It's a transitional record, but what a change! The Bends rocks more, but this is the one I return to more often.
Elliott Smith Either/Or: the breakthrough for this singer-songwriter (assuming you don't count the Good Will Hunting soundtrack). Gorgeous melodies whispered as if they were late night bedroom confessions.
Matthew Sweet Girlfriend: power pop at its best.
Kelly Willis Fading Fast EP and What I Deserve: okay, I couldn't leave her out of this list. One of my favorites. The EP was ridiculously hard to get at the time (and still is if you don't want to spend an arm and a leg on eBay), but it was worth tracking down. A pivotal transition in her career (and essentially the only "new" stuff for six years), Fading Fast signalled a huge creative leap brought to fruition on What I Deserve.
That's a good starting point. Of course, my opinion may change by the time I hit submit.

 

[Alan K]

10. that Dog-(self-title); Always a proponent of the underdog (pun highly intended) I loved this the first time I heard it. Grungy guitar+harmonizing females+violin=surprisingly good album. Plus they were pals with Weezer. Unfortunately their following albums were a disappointment. Oh yeah, that's not a typo on their name, that's how it was always printed.

9. Phish-Rift; A great album from a good band. Released at the moment the band became refined in their recordings.

8. Cocteau Twins-Heaven or Las Vegas; Perhaps an aquired taste, this album always makes me feel like I could walk on air. Also one of the best, most painstakingly produced bands/albums.

7. Beastie Boys-Hello Nasty; My second favorite from the B-Boys(Paul's Boutique was released in 1989). Well rounded, beautifully produced.

6. Sonic Youth-Experimental Jet Set, Trash, and No Star; My first Sonic Youth album. I've been into them ever since. Ridculously simple and texturely complicated at the same time.

5. Pixies-Trompe le Monde; Easily one of my top 5 favorite bands. A great album but only on this list because Doolittle was released in 1989, and Surfer Rosa in 1988.

4. David Bowie-Earthling; This ?-teenth reinvention of himself is easily his best work since the early eighties. How many fifty+ year olds can pull of electronica beats, and this well?

3. Radiohead-The Bends; Bought this after I was into OK Computer, wish I was familiar with this first.

2. Weezer-(self-title); I was in my car and heard "Undone-the Sweater Song" on KROQ. Within ten minutes I was in the record store buying it. I listened to it. Within ten minutes I was on the phone telling my friends all over the western US about it. This album defined a genre and let kids know it's ok to be a geek.

1. Radiohead-OK Computer; I think enough has been said already on this thread.

Honorable mentions-

Lush-Split

NOFX-White Trash, Two Heebs, And a Bean

Medicine-Sounds of Medicine EP

PJ Harvey-Is This Desire? or any of her albums, for that matter

Public Enemy-Fear of a Black Planet