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List by @riffiter

Best albums of the 1990s

The 20 essential albums of the 1990s: grunge, golden-age hip-hop, britpop, trip-hop and electronica, in chronological order.

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  1. 1Nevermind coverNevermindNirvana · 19911991 · the underground breaks the mainstream
  2. 2Loveless coverLovelessMy Bloody Valentine · 19911991 · guitars dissolved into pure texture
  3. 3The Low End Theory coverThe Low End TheoryA Tribe Called Quest · 19911991 · jazz and rap lock together
  4. 4The Chronic coverThe ChronicDr. Dre · 19921992 · G-funk takes over the radio
  5. 5Rage Against the Machine coverRage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine · 19921992 · riffs as protest
  6. 6Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers coverEnter the Wu-Tang: 36 ChambersWu-Tang Clan · 19931993 · nine MCs, one grimy mythology
  7. 7Illmatic coverIllmaticNas · 19941994 · the lyrical benchmark
  8. 8Grace coverGraceJeff Buckley · 19941994 · a voice that became a legend
  9. 9Dummy coverDummyPortishead · 19941994 · trip-hop's noir blueprint
  10. 10Definitely Maybe coverDefinitely MaybeOasis · 19941994 · britpop's swaggering arrival
  11. 11Ready to Die coverReady to DieThe Notorious B.I.G. · 19941994 · East Coast storytelling at its peak
  12. 12Endtroducing..... coverEndtroducing.....DJ Shadow · 19961996 · an album built entirely from samples
  13. 13Odelay coverOdelayBeck · 19961996 · genre collage as pop art
  14. 14OK Computer coverOK ComputerRadiohead · 19971997 · pre-millennium dread, perfectly produced
  15. 15Homogenic coverHomogenicBjörk · 19971997 · strings and beats as volcanic landscape
  16. 16Homework coverHomeworkDaft Punk · 19971997 · French house goes worldwide
  17. 17Mezzanine coverMezzanineMassive Attack · 19981998 · paranoia in slow motion
  18. 18The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill coverThe Miseducation of Lauryn HillLauryn Hill · 19981998 · hip-hop, soul and gospel in one voice
  19. 19In the Aeroplane Over the Sea coverIn the Aeroplane Over the SeaNeutral Milk Hotel · 19981998 · lo-fi's most beloved enigma
  20. 20The Soft Bulletin coverThe Soft BulletinThe Flaming Lips · 19991999 · psychedelia learns orchestration