# List of 1990s albums considered the best

This is a list of 1990s music albums that multiple music journalists, magazines, and professional music review websites have considered to be among the best of the 1990s and of all time, separated into the years of each album's release. The albums listed here are included on at least four separate "best/greatest of the 1990s/all time" lists from different professional publications (inclusive of all genres and nationalities) as chosen by their editorial staffs or by a sample size of an entire publication's audience, and/or hall of fame awards and historical preservation measures.

## List
### 1990

| Release Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) | Label | Notes | Accolades |
| 15 January 1990 | Reading, Writing And Arithmetic | The Sundays | Dream pop indie pop | Rough Trade DGC | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #277 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #134 Melody Maker's "All Time Top 100 Albums": #60 Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #32 |
| January 1990 | Flood | They Might Be Giants | Alternative rock | Elektra | | Pitchfork's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s" (1999): #25 Strange Currencies' Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: #80 Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s" #95 33 1/3 #88 (ISBN 978-1-62356-915-0) |
| 5 February 1990 | Chill Out | The KLF | Ambient ambient house sound collage | KLF Communications | Ambient-styled concept album featuring an extensive selection of samples, portraying a mythical night-time journey throughout the U.S. Gulf Coast states, beginning in Texas and ending in Louisiana. | Paste's "The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time": #286 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #206 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #76 Laut's List of Milestone Albums Groove Magazine's Best Electronic Albums 1988-2013: #35 |
| 19 March 1990 (1990-03-19) | Violator | Depeche Mode | Synth-pop electropop alternative rock dance gothic rock | Mute | | Reception |
| 10 April 1990 | People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm | A Tribe Called Quest | East Coast hip hop alternative hip hop progressive rap jazz rap | Jive | | Accolades |
| 10 April 1990 | Fear Of A Black Planet | Public Enemy | East Coast hip hop hardcore hip hop political rap progressive rap sampledelia | Def Jam Columbia | Contributed significantly to the popularity of Afrocentric and political subject matter in hip hop, and the genre's mainstream resurgence at the time. | Appraisal |
| 19 April 1990 (1990-4-19) | Repeater | Fugazi | Post-hardcore | Dischord | | Accolades |
| 18 May 1990 | AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted | Ice Cube | West Coast hip hop gangsta rap political hip hop hardcore hip hop | Priority | | Accolades |
| 17 September 1990 | Heaven Or Las Vegas | Cocteau Twins | Dream pop ambient pop | 4AD | | Critical reception and legacy |
| 24 September 1990 (1990-9-24) | Rust In Peace | Megadeth | Thrash metal | Capitol | Regarded as one of the best thrash metal records of all time. | Legacy and influence |
| 15 October 1990 | Nowhere | Ride | Shoegaze neo-psychedelia noise pop | Creation | Acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of the shoegaze genre. | Critical reception |
| 26 June 1990 | Goo | Sonic Youth | Alternative rock noise rock | DGC | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #426 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #257 Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #148 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #88 |
| 27 July 1990 | Bellybutton | Jellyfish | Power pop | Charisma | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #72 Classic Rock's Greatest Albums of the 90's: #36 Pause & Play's "The 90s Top 100 Essential Albums" Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums: #557 |
| 1 October 1990 | The La's | The La's | Alternative rock jangle pop skiffle | Polydor Go! London | Widely considered to be a precursor to the Britpop phenomenon of the mid-1990s. | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #153 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #41 Treble's "Top 100 Albums of the 90s" Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |
| 10 September 1990 (1990-9-10) | Ragged Glory | Neil Young & Crazy Horse | Garage rock grunge | Reprise | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #34 Rolling Stone's "100 Best Albums of the '90s": #77 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Tom Moon's 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. |
| 17 September 1990 | Canción Animal | Soda Stereo | Alternative rock | Sony Music Columbia | Considered one of the best and most influential albums in the history of Latin American rock music, with many calling it the best album to ever come out of South America. | Al Borde's Top 250 albums of Ibero-American Rock: #2 Rolling Stone Argentina's "The 100 Greatest Albums of National Rock": #9 Indiehoy's 50 Best Albums of the 90s: #28 Billboard's "The 50 Greatest Latin Albums of the Past 50 Years" |
| 22 October 1990 (1990-10-22) | Behaviour | Pet Shop Boys | Synth-pop dance-pop | Parlophone | | Critical reception NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #234 |

### 1991

| Release Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) | Label | Notes | Accolades |
| 27 March 1991 (1991-3-27) | Spiderland | Slint | Post-rock post-hardcore math rock | Touch and Go | Widely regarded as foundational to the 1990s post-rock and math rock movements. | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #314 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #19 Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #273 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #83 |
| 2 April 1991 | The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld | The Orb | Electronic ambient house dance chill-out ambient dub | | Credited with popularizing the ambient house movement. | Reception Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #254 |
| 8 April 1991 (1991-04-08) | Blue Lines | Massive Attack | Trip hop British hip hop electropop | Wild Bunch Virgin | Generally regarded as the first "trip hop" album. | Reception |
| 22 April 1991 | Peggy Suicide | Julian Cope | Art rock psychedelic rock | Island | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #50 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Select's Best Albums Of The 90s: #87 Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #100 |
| 14 May 1991 | Yerself Is Steam | Mercury Rev | Neo-psychedelia psychedelic rock art pop art punk shoegaze | Mint Films/Jungle Records Columbia | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #334 Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #8 Select's Best Albums Of The 90s: #62 Rockdelux's Best 150 Albums of the 90s: #28 |
| 27 August 1991 (1991-08-27) | Ten | Pearl Jam | Grunge alternative rock hard rock | Epic | Considered to have been instrumental in the rise and dominance of alternative rock throughout the decade. | Legacy |
| 16 September 1991 | Laughing Stock | Talk Talk | Post-rock art rock ambient | Verve Polydor | Cited as a watershed entry for the at-the-time budding post-rock genre. | Legacy |
| 23 September 1991 (1991-09-23) | Screamadelica | Primal Scream | Alternative rock alternative dance neo-psychedelia Madchester dance-rock acid house | Creation (UK) Sire/Warner Bros. (US) | | Critical reception and legacy |
| 23 September 1991 | Trompe Le Monde | Pixies | Alternative rock | 4AD | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #383 Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (2003): #83 Treble's Top 100 Albums of the ’90s Classic Rock and Metal Hammer's 200 Greatest Albums of the 90s |
| 24 September 1991 (1991-9-24) | Nevermind | Nirvana | Grunge alternative rock | DGC | Brought grunge and alternative rock to a mainstream audience, and is regarded as having initiated a resurgence of interest in punk culture among teenagers and young adults of Generation X, becoming seminal to the counterculture of the decade. | Legacy |
| 24 September 1991 | The Low End Theory | A Tribe Called Quest | East Coast hip hop alternative hip hop jazz rap | Jive | Garnered recognition from music critics and writers as a milestone in alternative hip hop, and for Q-Tip's production, which advanced the development and exposure of jazz rap. | Accolades |
| 24 September 1991 (1991-09-24) | Blood Sugar Sex Magik | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Funk rock alternative rock funk metal rap rock | Warner Bros. | | Accolades |
| 4 November 1991 | Bandwagonesque | Teenage Fanclub | Alternative rock power pop jangle pop noise pop | Creation Records DGC | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #115 Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums: #386 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #13 Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #187 |
| 4 November 1991 (1991-11-4) | Loveless | My Bloody Valentine | Shoegaze noise pop dream pop neo-psychedelia avant-rock noise rock | Creation | Widely praised by critics for its sonic innovations and session leader Kevin Shields' "virtual reinvention of the guitar". | Accolades |
| 18 November 1991 (1991-11-18) | Achtung Baby | U2 | Alternative rock | Island | | Legacy |

### 1992

| Release Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) | Label | Notes | Accolades |
| 6 January 1992 | Little Earthquakes | Tori Amos | Singer-songwriter | Atlantic (US) East West (Europe) | Regarded as having shaped the female singer/songwriter movement of the '90s. | Legacy |
| 10 February 1992 | Generation Terrorists | Manic Street Preachers | Glam rock hard rock punk rock glam punk glam metal alternative rock | Columbia | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #461 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #64 Q's "In Our Lifetime: Q's 100 Best Albums 1986–94": #77 Classic Rock's Greatest Albums of the 90's: #36 |
| 25 February 1992 (1992-2-25) | Vulgar Display Of Power | Pantera | Groove metal | Atco | | Legacy and accolades |
| 9 March 1992 | Going Blank Again | Ride | Shoegaze psychedelic rock | Creation/Sire | Considered "predictive" of later genres of indie rock. | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #407 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #147 Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #108 Pitchfork's 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time |
| 30 March 1992 | Lazer Guided Melodies | Spiritualized | Dream pop space rock shoegaze | Dedicated | Regarded as having anticipated dream pop. | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #342 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #108 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #23 |
| 30 March 1992 (1992-3-30) | Dry | PJ Harvey | Alternative rock indie rock blues rock post-punk | Too Pure | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #151 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #208 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Treble's Top 100 Albums of the ’90s |
| 20 April 1992 | Slanted And Enchanted | Pavement | Indie rock lo-fi noise pop | Matador | | Accolades |
| 21 April 1992 (1992-4-21) | Check Your Head | Beastie Boys | Alternative rock rap rock hip hop progressive rap | Grand Royal Capitol | | Critical reception |
| 21 April 1992 | Wish | The Cure | Alternative rock gothic rock jangle pop shoegaze | Fiction | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #97 Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums: #646 Q's "In Our Lifetime: Q's 100 Best Albums 1986–94" Classic Rock and Metal Hammer's 200 Greatest Albums of the 90s |
| 12 May 1992 | The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion | The Black Crowes | Blues rock | Def American | | Classic Rock's Greatest Albums of the 90's: #10 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #114 Rock Hard magazine's The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time: #477 Guitar World magazine's Greatest 100 Guitar Albums of All Time: #100 |
| 2 June 1992 | It's A Shame About Ray | The Lemonheads | Grunge alternative rock jangle rock | Atlantic | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #308 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #58 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Pause & Play's "The 90s Top 100 Essential Albums": #11 |
| 8 June 1992 | Angel Dust | Faith No More | Alternative metal avant-garde metal | Slash Reprise | | Critical reception and legacy |
| 7 July 1992 (1992-7-7) | Images And Words | Dream Theater | Progressive metal | ATCO | | Accolades |
| 4 September 1992 | Copper Blue | Sugar | Alternative rock power pop | Rykodisc/Creation | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #357 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #75 Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #286 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |
| 8 September 1992 | Bone Machine | Tom Waits | Experimental rock | Island | Often noted for its rough, stripped-down, percussion-heavy style, as well as its dark lyrical themes revolving around death and decay. | Critical reception Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album |
| 29 September 1992 (1992-9-29) | Dirt | Alice In Chains | Grunge alternative metal | Columbia | Often considered as one of the most influential albums to the sludge metal subgenre. | Reception and legacy |
| 5 October 1992 (1992-10-05) | Automatic For The People | R.E.M. | Alternative rock baroque pop folk rock chamber pop | Warner Bros. | | Critical reception |
| 26 October 1992 (1992-10-26) | Love Deluxe | Sade | R&B ambient cool jazz art pop trip hop chill-out | Epic | | Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time": #247 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #116 Tom Moon's 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die Pause & Play's "The 90s Top 100 Essential Albums": #11 |
| 3 November 1992 | Rage Against The Machine | Rage Against The Machine | Rap metal funk metal alternative metal rap rock | Epic | | Critical reception |
| 9 November 1992 (1992-11-09) | Selected Ambient Works 85–92 | Aphex Twin | Ambient techno IDM electronica ambient | Apollo R&S | Considered a classic, defining work of electronica and ambient techno. | Reception and legacy |
| 24 November 1992 | Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde | The Pharcyde | Alternative hip hop jazz rap boom bap | Delicious Vinyl EastWest | One of the first alternative rap acts on the West Coast to have wide appeal. | Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time": #482 Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #194 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #114 Slant's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #99 |
| 15 December 1992 (1992-12-15) | The Chronic | Dr. Dre | West Coast hip hop gangsta rap G-funk | Death Row Interscope Priority | Popularized the G-funk subgenre within gangsta rap, and is widely regarded as an album that re-defined West Coast hip hop. | Accolades |

### 1993

| Release Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) | Label | Notes | Accolades |
| 1 March 1993 (1993-3-1) | Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? | The Cranberries | Alternative rock indie pop Irish folk jangle pop post-punk dream pop | Island | | Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #113 Pause & Play's "The 90s Top 100 Essential Albums": #11 Laut's List of Milestones Musikexpress's Best Albums of the 90s: #38 |
| 29 March 1993 | Suede | Suede | Britpop alternative rock glam rock | Nude | Often cited as one of the first Britpop records. | Accolades |
| 26 April 1993 (1993-4-26) | Rid Of Me | PJ Harvey | Alternative rock indie rock punk blues punk rock grunge | Island | | Accolades |
| 24 May 1993 | Orbital | Orbital | Techno dance | Internal FFRR | | Accolades |
| 24 May 1993 | Red House Painters | Red House Painters | Slowcore dream pop folk rock | 4AD | Praised extensively for its melancholic instrumentation and emotional depth. | Alternative Press's "The 90 Greatest Albums of the 90s": #20 Stylus's Top 200 Albums of All Time: #191 NME's 101 Albums to Hear Before You Die The Guardian's List of Favourite Albums |
| 1 June 1993 (1993-06-01) | Souvlaki | Slowdive | Shoegaze dream pop | Creation | | Legacy |
| 22 June 1993 | Exile In Guyville | Liz Phair | Indie rock lo-fi | Matador | Regarded as exceptional for its lo-fi sound and the emotional honesty of Phair's lyrics, inspiring several imitators. | Accolades |
| 5 July 1993 | Debut | Björk | Alternative dance art pop electropop house | One Little Indian Elektra | Credited as one of the first albums to introduce electronic music into mainstream pop. | Accolades |
| 27 July 1993 | Siamese Dream | The Smashing Pumpkins | Alternative rock grunge alternative metal psychedelic rock indie rock Shoegaze hard rock | Virgin | Regarded as one of the greatest alternative rock albums for its diverse musical influences and lyrical material considered unique relative to other contemporary releases. | Release, reception and legacy |
| 10 August 1993 (1993-08-10) | Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements | Stereolab | Experimental rock indie pop post-rock krautrock | Duophonic/Elektra | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #81 Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #85 Tom Moon's 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die Pitchfork's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s" (1999): #67 |
| 30 August 1993 | Last Splash | The Breeders | Alternative rock experimental indie rock noise pop pop rock surf rock grunge | 4AD/Elektra Records | Regarded as a significant album for alternative rock's crossover into the mainstream. | Accolades |
| 6 September 1993 | Wild Wood | Paul Weller | Rock | Go! Discs | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #252 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die The Guardian's 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die Sounds by Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums from the 90s |
| 21 September 1993 (1993-9-21) | In Utero | Nirvana | Grunge noise rock alternative rock punk rock | DGC | | Reappraisal |
| 27 September 1993 (1993-9-27) | Very | Pet Shop Boys | Synth-pop dance-pop techno | Parlophone | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #105 Slant's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #99 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #65 |
| 5 October 1993 | Gentlemen | The Afghan Whigs | Alternative rock post-punk hard rock R&B soul grunge | Elektra | Critically considered to be among the best-written breakup albums. | Gentlemen (album)#Reception and legacy Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #272 Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #141 |
| 11 October 1993 (1993-10-11) | Tindersticks | Tindersticks | Chamber pop | This Way Up | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #432 Rolling Stone Germany's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time": #107 Melody Maker's "All Time Top 100 Albums": #35 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #90 |
| 19 October 1993 (1993-10-19) | Vs. | Pearl Jam | Grunge hard rock alternative rock | Epic | | Accolades |
| 9 November 1993 (1993-11-9) | Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | Wu-Tang Clan | East Coast hip hop hardcore hip hop | Loud RCA | Served as a landmark release in the era of hip-hop known as the East Coast Renaissance. | Retrospect |
| 9 November 1993 (1993-11-9) | Midnight Marauders | A Tribe Called Quest | East Coast hip hop alternative hip hop jazz rap psychedelic rap | Jive | Frequently credited as a contributor to a "second golden age" of hip hop in the mid-1990s, as well as the pinnacle of the Native Tongues movement. | Accolades |
| 23 November 1993 | Doggystyle | Snoop Dogg | West Coast hip hop gangsta rap G-funk | Death Row Interscope Atlantic | Regarded as having helped introduce the hip-hop subgenre of G-funk to a mainstream audience, bringing forward West Coast hip-hop as a dominant force in the early-mid 1990s. Praised for the lyrical "realism" that Snoop Dogg delivers on the album and for his distinctive vocal flow. | Accolades |
| 29 November 1993 (1993-11-29) | Incunabula | Autechre | Techno ambient techno IDM | Warp | | Fact's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #11 DJ Magazine's "The Top 50 Most Influential Dance Albums Ever": #34 Mixmag's "The 50 Most Influential Dance Music Albums of All Time" Ondarock's Rock Milestones |

### 1994

| Release Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) | Label | Notes | Accolades |
| 24 January 1994 (1994-01-24) | Dubnobasswithmyheadman | Underworld | Acid house dub techno | Junior Boy's Own | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #66 Slant's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #87 Q's "90 Best Albums of the 1990s" Pitchfork's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s" (1999): #93 |
| 1 February 1994 (1994-2-1) | Dookie | Green Day | Punk rock pop-punk skate punk | Reprise | Considered pivotal in solidifying punk rock and pop-punk's mainstream popularity. | Accolades |
| 14 February 1994 | Hex | Bark Psychosis | Post-rock ambient | Circa | The term "post-rock" was coined by music journalist Simon Reynolds in his review of the album for Mojo magazine. | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #60 Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #66 Porcys' "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #62 Ondarock's Rock Milestones |
| 14 February 1994 | Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain | Pavement | Indie rock alternative rock folk rock psychedelic rock | Matador | | Legacy |
| 18 February 1994 (1994-02-18) | I Could Live In Hope | Low | Slowcore dream pop | Vernon Yard | Helped to birth the genre known as slowcore due to its "unprecedent pace". | Legacy Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #122 |
| 28 February 1994 | D. I. Go Pop | Disco Inferno | Post-rock experimental rock sampledelia | Rough Trade | Highly influential for its innovative production approach that incorporated found sound elements through extensive use of digital samplers and its advancement of post-rock as a genre, alongside five EPs released by the band also during the 90s. | Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #5 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #476 Fast 'n' Bulbous' "The 500 Best Albums Since 1965": #103 Rockdelux's Best 150 Albums of the 90s: #101 |
| 7 March 1994 (1994-3-7) | Selected Ambient Works Volume II | Aphex Twin | Ambient dark ambient electronic drone minimalism | Warp | Was "a very early example of a record being anticipated, experienced, and, ultimately, analyzed in minute detail through online communication." | Paste's "The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time": #95 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #362 Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #146 Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (2003): #83 Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #109 |
| 8 March 1994 (1994-3-8) | The Downward Spiral | Nine Inch Nails | Industrial rock alternative rock industrial metal | Nothing/Interscope | Regarded as one of the most important albums of the 1990s in part due to its abrasive and eclectic nature and dark themes. | Accolades |
| 8 March 1994 (1994-3-8) | Superunknown | Soundgarden | Grunge alternative metal heavy metal hard rock | A&M | | Accolades |
| 14 March 1994 | Vauxhall And I | Morrissey | Alternative rock | Parlophone (UK) Sire/Reprise (US) | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #375 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #227 Q's "100 Greatest Albums Ever": #89 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |
| 12 April 1994 (1994-04-12) | Live Through This | Hole | Alternative rock grunge punk rock | DGC | | Reappraisal |
| 18 April 1994 | Let Love In | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Post-punk gothic rock | Mute | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #165 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #83 Select's Best Albums Of The 90s: #56 Laut's List of Milestone Albums |
| 18 April 1994 | His 'N' Hers | Pulp | Britpop | Island | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #282 Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #119 Q's "100 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #74 The Guardian's List of Favourite Albums |
| 19 April 1994 | Illmatic | Nas | East Coast hip hop hardcore hip hop alternative hip hop jazz rap | Columbia | Regarded as a landmark album in East Coast hip hop, as one of the greatest and most influential hip hop albums of all time, and having significantly contributed to the revival of the New York City rap scene. | Accolades Impact and legacy of Illmatic |
| 25 April 1994 | Parklife | Blur | Britpop | Food | | Accolades |
| 26 April 1994 | Yank Crime | Drive Like Jehu | Post-hardcore math rock noise rock post-punk emo | Interscope Headhunter Swami | Regarded as a catalyst for the eclectic San Diego music scene and the emerging national emo scene of the 1990s. | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #197 Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s" #77 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die LostatSea's "90 Albums of the 90s": #57 |
| 26 April 1994 | American Recordings | Johnny Cash | Folk country | American | | Critical reception Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #27 |
| 10 May 1994 (1994-5-10) | Diary | Sunny Day Real Estate | Emo post-hardcore indie rock grunge | Sub Pop | Considered by many to be a defining emo album of the second wave, and key in the development of its subgenre, Midwest emo. | Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #155 Pitchfork's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s" (1999): #76 Paste's "The 90 Best Albums of the 1990s": #58 Exclaim!'s "100 Records That Rocked 100 Issues of Exclaim!" |
| 10 May 1994 (1994-5-10) | Weezer (Blue Album) | Weezer | Power pop geek rock pop-punk alternative rock indie rock emo | DGC | Regarded as a formative influence on "melodic emo". | Accolades |
| 20 May 1994 (1994-5-20) | Teenager Of The Year | Frank Black | Alternative rock | 4AD Elektra | | Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (2003): #94 Sounds by Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums from the 90s Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Strange Currencies' Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: #29 |
| 31 May 1994 (1994-5-31) | Ill Communication | Beastie Boys | Hip hop NYHC jazz funk | Grand Royal Capitol | | Critical reception |
| 1 June 1994 | 76:14 | Global Communication | Ambient electronica chillout ambient house downtempo | Dedicated | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #171 The Guardian's 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die DJ Magazine's "The Top 50 Most Influential Dance Albums Ever": #22 Porcys' "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #94 |
| 6 June 1994 | Blade Runner | Vangelis | Electronic new-age ambient | East West (Europe) / Atlantic (USA) | Soundtrack for Ridley Scott's 1982 science-fiction noir film Blade Runner. Acclaimed as an influential work in the history of electronic music and as one of the greatest film soundtracks of all time. | Legacy |
| 7 June 1994 (1994-6-7) | Purple | Stone Temple Pilots | Grunge hard rock alternative rock psychedelic rock | Atlantic | | Legacy |
| 21 June 1994 (1994-06-21) | Bee Thousand | Guided By Voices | Indie rock lo-fi avant-pop progressive pop | Scat | Hallmark album in the "lo-fi" genre. | Accolades |
| 4 July 1994 (1994-7-4) | Music For The Jilted Generation | The Prodigy | Techno breakbeat hardcore hardcore techno rave | XL Mute | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #155 Spin's "90 Greatest Albums of the '90s": #60 Melody Maker's "All Time Top 100 Albums": #36 Q's "100 Greatest Albums of the 1990s" |
| 15 August 1994 (1994-08-15) | Grace | Jeff Buckley | Alternative rock folk rock jazz-rock | Columbia | | Accolades |
| 22 August 1994 | Dummy | Portishead | Trip hop | Go! Beat/London | | Accolades |
| 29 August 1994 (1994-8-29) | Definitely Maybe | Oasis | Britpop rock | Creation | Regarded as a cornerstone of the Britpop genre, and significant in revitalizing British pop/rock music in the 1990s. | Legacy |
| 30 August 1994 | The Holy Bible | Manic Street Preachers | Alternative rock post-punk hard rock punk rock gothic rock glam punk | Epic | Considered to be among the darkest albums due to its lyrical contents written by Richey Edwards as he was struggling with severe depression, alcohol abuse, self-harm and anorexia nervosa. | Legacy |
| 13 September 1994 (1994-9-13) | Ready To Die | The Notorious B.I.G. | Hip hop East Coast hip hop | Bad Boy Arista | Significant for revitalizing the East Coast hip hop scene. | Accolades |
| 10 October 1994 | Dog Man Star | Suede | Art rock glam rock alternative rock Britpop | Nude | | Accolades |
| 24 October 1994 (1994-10-24) | At Action Park | Shellac | Post-hardcore math rock noise rock | Touch and Go | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #464 Fact's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #18 Ondarock's Rock Milestones Visions' "The 100 Most Important Albums of the 90s": #66 |
| 1 November 1994 (1994-11-1) | MTV Unplugged In New York | Nirvana | Alternative rock acoustic rock folk rock | DGC | Live album. | Retrospective |
| 1 November 1994 (1994-11-01) | Wildflowers | Tom Petty | Heartland rock folk rock blues rock | Warner Bros. | | Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time": #214 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #157 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #129 Ultimate Classic Rock's Top 90s Rock Albums |
| 15 November 1994 (1994-11-15) | CrazySexyCool | TLC | R&B hip hop soul | LaFace Arista | | Accolades |

### 1995

| Release Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) | Label | Notes | Accolades |
| 30 January 1995 (1995-01-30) | Leftism | Leftfield | Progressive house | Columbia | Praised as one of the first major album-length works of dance music. | Legacy Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #141 |
| 20 February 1995 (1995-2-20) | Maxinquaye | Tricky | Trip hop experimental electronic R&B post-rock British hip hop | 4th & B'way | Regarded as a significant influence on electronica, underground hip hop and British hip hop, and a key release of the burgeoning trip hop genre. | Critical reception and legacy |
| 27 February 1995 (1995-2-27) | To Bring You My Love | PJ Harvey | Alternative rock punk blues blues rock | Island | | Accolades |
| 13 March 1995 (1995-03-13) | The Bends | Radiohead | Alternative rock indie rock Britpop | Parlophone Capitol | | Accolades |
| March 1995 | Elastica | Elastica | Britpop post-punk | Deceptive (UK) DGC (US) | | Legacy |
| 4 April 1995 | Alien Lanes | Guided By Voices | Indie rock lo-fi power pop | Matador | | Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (2003): #27 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #374 Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #126 Strange Currencies' Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: #36 |
| 11 April 1995 | Wowee Zowee | Pavement | Indie rock experimental rock | Matador | | Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time": #265 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #106 Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #153 Treble’s Best Albums of the ’90s |
| 25 April 1995 | The Infamous | Mobb Deep | East Coast hip hop gangsta rap hardcore hip hop | BMG RCA Loud | Credited with helping to redefine the sound of hardcore hip hop, using its production style, which incorporated eerie piano loops, distorted synthesizers, eighth-note hi-hats, and sparse filtered basslines. | Accolades Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #205 |
| 15 May 1995 | I Should Coco | Supergrass | Punk rock Britpop alternative rock pop-punk | Parlophone (UK) Capitol (US) Echo/BMG (2018 reissue) | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #159 Q's "100 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #19 Strange Currencies' Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: #42 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |
| 29 May 1995 (1995-05-29) | Grand Prix | Teenage Fanclub | Power pop jangle pop Britpop folk rock country rock | Creation DGC | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #282 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #84 Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums: #624 Select's Best Albums Of The 90s: #48 |
| 7 June 1995 (1995-6-7) | Post | Björk | Art pop avant-pop experimental pop | One Little Indian Elektra Mother Polydor | Considered an important exponent of art pop, and praised by critics for its ambition and timelessness. | Accolades |
| 13 June 1995 | Jagged Little Pill | Alanis Morissette | Alternative rock post-grunge | Maverick Reprise | Credited with leading to the introduction of several female singers such as Fiona Apple, Shakira, Tracy Bonham, Meredith Brooks, and in the early 2000s, Pink, Michelle Branch, and Avril Lavigne. | Impact and legacy |
| 1 August 1995 | Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... | Raekwon | East Coast hip hop mafioso rap | Loud/RCA | Widely regarded as a pioneer of the mafioso rap subgenre. | Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time": #219 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #377 Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #154 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #41 |
| 7 August 1995 (1995-8-7) | Timeless | Goldie | Jungle drum and bass | FFRR | Widely regarded as a groundbreaking release in the history of drum and bass music. | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #220 Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s" #138 Fact's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #35 Visions' "The 100 Most Important Albums of the 90s": #53 |
| 15 August 1995 (1995-8-15) | Garbage | Garbage | Alternative rock dance-rock power pop | Almo | Highly regarded for its unique production incorporating several genres of rock and electronic music together. | Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #121 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die The Guardian's 100 Best Albums Ever: #71 Musikexpress's Best Albums of the 90s: #43 |
| 26 September 1995 | Wrecking Ball | Emmylou Harris | Alternative country Americana country rock dream pop | Asylum/Elektra | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #28 Paste's "The 90 Best Albums of the 1990s": #31 Classic Rock's Greatest Albums of the 90's: #83 1996 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording |
| 2 October 1995 (1995-10-2) | (What's The Story) Morning Glory? | Oasis | Britpop rock | Creation | | Legacy |
| 24 October 1995 (1995-10-24) | Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness | The Smashing Pumpkins | Alternative rock grunge alternative metal art rock heavy metal | Virgin | Widely lauded for its 28-song scope and wide array of musical styles. | Accolades |
| 30 October 1995 | Different Class | Pulp | Britpop art rock pop | Island | | Accolades |
| 6 November 1995 (1995-11-06) | Tri Repetae | Autechre | Electronic IDM ambient | Warp | | Stylus's Top 200 Albums of All Time: #121 Mixmag's "The 50 Most Influential Dance Music Albums of All Time" Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s": #136 Musikexpress's Best Albums of the 90s: #49 |
| 7 November 1995 (1995-11-07) | Liquid Swords | GZA/Genius | East Coast hip hop hardcore hip hop | Geffen | Highly regarded for its complex lyricism. | Accolades |
| 1995 | 94diskont. | Oval | Glitch ambient | Mille Plateaux/Thrill Jockey | Praised for its glitch music styling methods involving literally deconstructing music and digital audio by using exacto knives, paint, and tape to damage the surfaces of compact discs to stitch back together. | Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #132 Fact's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #21 Porcys' "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #50 Groove's "The 100 Best Electronic Albums of the past 25 Years" #96 |

### 1996

| Release Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) | Label | Notes | Accolades |
| 30 January 1996 (1996-01-30) | Millions Now Living Will Never Die | Tortoise | Post-rock jazz fusion | Thrill Jockey | Renowned as a groundbreaking album for the post-rock genre. | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #70 Fact's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #28 LostatSea's "90 Albums of the 90s": #54 Visions' "The 100 Most Important Albums of the 90s": #54 |
| 5 February 1996 | Murder Ballads | Nick Cave | Alternative rock Singer-songwriter | Mute | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #235 Rolling Stone Australia's "200 Greatest Australian Albums of All Time": #13 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 33 1/3 #151 (978-1-5013-5514-1) |
| 13 February 1996 (1996-02-13) | All Eyez On Me | 2Pac | West Coast hip hop gangsta rap G-funk | Death Row/Interscope | The first ever double-full-length hip-hop solo studio album released for mass consumption globally. | Accolades |
| 13 February 1996 (1996-2-13) | The Score | Fugees | East Coast hip hop alternative hip hop progressive rap | Ruffhouse/Columbia | | Accolades |
| 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | Second Toughest In The Infants | Underworld | Electronic techno progressive house breakbeat ambient downtempo experimental | Junior Boy's Own | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #109 Visions' "The 100 Most Important Albums of the 90s": #76 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Q's "100 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #38 |
| 18 March 1996 (1996-03-18) | Emperor Tomato Ketchup | Stereolab | Experimental pop post-rock | Duophonic Elektra | | Critical reception and legacy |
| 29 April 1996 | In Sides | Orbital | Ambient techno | Internal/FFRR | | Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #217 Musikexpress's Best Albums of the 90s: #47 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #461 Q's "90 Best Albums of the 1990s" |
| 20 May 1996 | Everything Must Go | Manic Street Preachers | Rock Britpop hard rock | Epic | | Legacy |
| 18 June 1996 (1996-06-18) | Odelay | Beck | Alternative rock sampledelia alternative hip hop experimental rock folk rock neo-psychedelia | DGC Bong Load | | Legacy |
| 25 June 1996 | Reasonable Doubt | Jay-Z | East Coast hip hop mafioso rap | Roc-A-Fella/Priority | Regarded as one of the greatest albums of New York's hip-hop renaissance of the '90s", and instrumental in transfiguring gangsta rap into mafioso rap. | Legacy and influence |
| 6 August 1996 (1996-08-06) | Music From The Unrealized Film Script: Dusk At Cubist Castle | The Olivia Tremor Control | Indie pop neo-psychedelia psychedelic pop | Flydaddy | 74 minute double album comprising 27 songs. | Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (2003): #39 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #87 Fact's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #98 Strange Currencies' Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: #25 |
| 13 August 1996 | Beautiful Freak | Eels | Alternative rock | DreamWorks | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #344 Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums: #666 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Rolling Stone's "The 100 Best Albums of the 90s": #44 |
| 27 August 1996 | ATLiens | OutKast | Southern hip hop alternative hip hop | LaFace/Arista | | Legacy |
| 9 September 1996 (1996-9-9) | New Adventures In Hi-Fi | R.E.M. | Folk rock jangle pop | Warner Bros. | | Awards Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #330 |
| 16 September 1996 (1996-09-16) | Endtroducing..... | DJ Shadow | Instrumental hip hop trip hop plunderphonics sampledelia | Mo' Wax | Considered a landmark recording in the development of instrumental hip hop. Cited by Guinness World Records as the first album created entirely from samples. | Legacy |
| 17 September 1996 (1996-9-17) | Ænima | Tool | Alternative metal progressive metal | Zoo Volcano | | Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s" #107 Kerrang!'s "50 Most Influential Albums Of All Time": #6 Rolling Stone's "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time": #18 Classic Rock and Metal Hammer's 200 Greatest Albums of the 90s |
| 24 September 1996 (1996-9-24) | Pinkerton | Weezer | Alternative rock emo power pop pop-punk indie rock | DGC | | Accolades |
| 22 October 1996 | Soundtracks For The Blind | Swans | Experimental post-rock drone | Young God | | Critical reception Paste's "The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time": #175 |
| 25 October 1996 (1996-10-25) | Long Season | Fishmans | Indie rock Dream pop Ambient pop Neo-psychedelia | Polydor | Consists of a single 35-minute composition based on the band's earlier single "Season". Regarded as a landmark of Japanese rock music. | Paste's "The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time": #4 Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s" #131 Strange Currencies' Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: #20 Music Magazine (Japan)'s "The 100 Best Japanese Albums of the 90s" |
| 29 October 1996 | Being There | Wilco | Alt-country country rock | Reprise | | Reception |
| 4 November 1996 (1996-11-4) | Richard D. James Album | Aphex Twin | IDM drill 'n' bass electronica jungle experimental pop | Warp | Highly regarded for its production, incorporating fast breakbeats and intricate drum programming, lush string arrangements, ambient melodies, modulated vocals, and unstable time signatures. | Critical reception Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #246 |
| 18 November 1996 | If You're Feeling Sinister | Belle And Sebastian | Chamber pop chamber folk indie rock indie pop twee pop | Jeepster | | Critical reception |

### 1997

| Release Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) | Label | Notes | Accolades |
| 28 January 1997 (1997-1-28) | Perfect From Now On | Built To Spill | Indie rock psychedelic rock art rock post-rock Midwest emo alternative rock | Warner Bros. | Stylistically, the album was marked by its experimentation with longer song structures and philosophical lyrics. | Paste's "The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time": #202 Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (2003): #22 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #125 Strange Currencies' Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: #74 |
| 10 February 1997 (1997-2-10) | Blur | Blur | Indie rock lo-fi alternative rock art rock experimental rock | Food | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #137 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Classic Rock and Metal Hammer's 200 Greatest Albums of the 90s Treble’s Best Albums of the ’90s |
| 11 February 1997 | Baduizm | Erykah Badu | R&B neo soul jazz hip hop | Kedar Universal | Credited with contributing to the commercial visibility of neo-soul. | Accolades |
| 25 February 1997 (1997-2-25) | Either/Or | Elliott Smith | Indie folk indie rock lo-fi Americana | Kill Rock Stars | | Legacy |
| 3 March 1997 | The Boatman's Call | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Singer-songwriter | Mute/Reprise | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #257 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #51 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 100 Best Australian Albums: #26 |
| 18 March 1997 | Whatever And Ever Amen | Ben Folds Five | Alternative rock | 550 Caroline Epic | | Australia Broadcasing Company's Top 100: #91 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #418 Paste's "The 90 Best Albums of the 1990s": #44 Musikexpress's Best Albums of the 90s: #44 |
| 7 April 1997 (1997-4-7) | Dig Your Own Hole | The Chemical Brothers | Big beat electronica breakbeat psychedelic rock | Freestyle Dust/Virgin (UK) | | Critical reception and legacy |
| 8 April 1997 | Dig Me Out | Sleater-Kinney | Punk rock | Kill Rock Stars | Acclaimed for its energy and feminist lyrics. | Legacy |
| 22 April 1997 | I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One | Yo La Tengo | Indie rock indie pop noise pop | Matador | | Legacy |
| 21 May 1997 (1997-05-21) | OK Computer | Radiohead | Alternative rock art rock | Parlophone Capitol | Cited as one of the greatest albums of all time for its anticipation of the mood of 21st-century life's rampant consumerism, capitalism, social alienation, paranoia, and political malaise and its influence in pushing British rock from Britpop towards melancholic, atmospheric alternative rock. | Accolades |
| 16 June 1997 | Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space | Spiritualized | Space rock neo-psychedelia shoegaze gospel | Dedicated | | Legacy |
| 30 June 1997 (1997-06-30) | The Fat Of The Land | The Prodigy | Big beat electropunk electronic rock techno electronica dance-rock | XL Maverick | | Reception |
| 14 August 1997 (CD Version: June 8, 1998) | F♯ A♯ ∞ | Godspeed You! Black Emperor | Post-rock | Constellation Kranky | Notable for being devoid of traditional lyrics and is mostly instrumental, featuring lengthy songs segmented into movements. | Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #85 Exclaim!'s "100 Records That Rocked 100 Issues of Exclaim!" Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s" #32 Strange Currencies' Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: #56 |
| 16 September 1997 | Buena Vista Social Club | Buena Vista Social Club | Son cubano bolero descarga danzón guajira criolla jazz | World Circuit Nonesuch | Recognized by the Guinness World Records as the best-selling world music album. | Reception |
| 22 September 1997 (1997-09-22) | Dots And Loops | Stereolab | Art pop experimental pop post-rock lounge easy listening | Duophonic/Elektra | Praised for its blend of accessible bossa nova and 1960s pop music-inspired music with experimental and avant-garde sounds, and for being one of the first albums produced with a digital audio workstation. | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #119 Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s" #59 Pitchfork's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s" (1999): #90 LostatSea's "90 Albums of the 90s": #69 |
| 22 September 1997 (1997-09-22) | Homogenic | Björk | Electronica trip hop art pop experimental | One Little Indian Elektra Mother Polydor | Regarded as one of the most groundbreaking albums of all-time, and is often credited for connecting art pop to electronic dance music. | Accolades |
| 29 September 1997 (1997-9-29) | Urban Hymns | The Verve | Britpop indie rock orchestral rock psychedelia post-Britpop | Hut | | Accolades and legacy |
| 30 September 1997 (1997-9-30) | Time Out Of Mind | Bob Dylan | Blues rock country blues rockabilly | Columbia | | Aftermath and legacy |
| 7 October 1997 (1997-10-7) | The Velvet Rope | Janet Jackson | R&B pop | Virgin | Regarded as a template for pop artists transitioning to a darker or rebellious sound and as a precursor to the development of alternative R&B. | Accolades |
| 21 October 1997 (1997-10-21) | Mogwai Young Team | Mogwai | Post-rock noise rock instrumental rock | Chemikal Underground | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #177 Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #7 Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (2003): #97 Ondarock's Rock Milestones |
| 18 November 1997 | The Lonesome Crowded West | Modest Mouse | Indie rock | Up | | Critical reception Paste's "The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time": #300 |

### 1998

| Release Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) | Label | Notes | Accolades |
| 16 January 1998 (1998-01-16) | Moon Safari | Air | Space pop electronica lounge chill-out downtempo dream pop psychedelia | Source Virgin | Credited with helping to establish the stage for the budding downtempo music style. | Accolades |
| 26 January 1998 | Mark Hollis | Mark Hollis | Post-rock art rock folk baroque pop jazz | Polydor | Noted for being extremely sparse and minimal in its sound; AllMusic called it "quite possibly the most quiet and intimate record ever made". | Rolling Stone (Germany)'s "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time": #234 Weiner's 100 Best Records of the Century: #99 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #96 Ned Raggett's Top Albums of the 90s: #131 |
| 10 February 1998 | In The Aeroplane Over The Sea | Neutral Milk Hotel | Indie rock psychedelic folk lo-fi | Merge | Highly regarded for its hard-to-categorize mix of genres, use of less conventional instruments like the singing saw and uilleann pipes, its lo-fi production, and its surrealistic and opaque lyrics inspired by Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl. Notable for developing a substantial cult following. | Critical reevaluation and sales |
| 22 February 1998 (1998-02-22) | Ray Of Light | Madonna | Electronica trip hop techno-pop new-age | Maverick Warner Bros. | Credited for bringing electronica music into global pop culture. | Accolades |
| 10 March 1998 | TNT | Tortoise | Post-rock jazz-rock dub minimal krautrock exotica | Thrill Jockey | Critically acclaimed for its postmodern sound using hard disk technology in a "forward-then-back" approach, with members individually adding parts to tracks at different stages until the tracks were completed. | Critical reception Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #139 |
| 30 March 1998 | This Is Hardcore | Pulp | Art rock glam rock Britpop | Island | | Reception and legacy Diariocrítico's The 100 Best Albums of the 90s: #69 |
| 20 April 1998 (1998-04-20) | Music Has The Right To Children | Boards Of Canada | Electronic downtempo ambient IDM trip hop psychedelia | Warp Skam music70 Matador | Noted as a major influence on the electronic music genre, using vintage synthesisers, degraded analogue production, found sounds and samples, and hip hop-inspired rhythms in its production. | Legacy and influence NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #181 |
| 20 April 1998 (1998-4-20) | Mezzanine | Massive Attack | Trip hop electronica | Virgin Circa | Praised for its darker aesthetic and more atmospheric style influenced by British post-punk, industrial music, hip hop and dub music. | Reception |
| 23 June 1998 (1998-06-23) | Mermaid Avenue | Billy Bragg & Wilco | Alt-country folk rock | Elektra | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #350 Paste's "The 90 Best Albums of the 1990s": #40 Strange Currencies' Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: #57 Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |
| 30 June 1998 | Car Wheels On A Gravel Road | Lucinda Williams | Americana alternative country country rock | Mercury | Credited with popularizing Americana music. | Critical reception and legacy |
| 19 August 1998 | The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill | Lauryn Hill | Neo soul R&B hip hop hip hop soul reggae progressive rap | Ruffhouse Columbia | Contributed to bringing hip hop and neo soul to the forefront of popular music, and regarded as among the best hip-hop albums of all time. | Accolades |
| 25 August 1998 (1998-08-25) | XO | Elliott Smith | Alternative rock art pop baroque pop chamber pop indie folk indie rock | DreamWorks | | Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #133 Strange Currencies' Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: #43 Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (2003): #68 33 1/3 #63 (ISBN 978-0-8264-2900-1) |
| 21 September 1998 | Electro-Shock Blues | Eels | Indie rock | DreamWorks | Acclaimed for its representation of frontman Mark Oliver "E" Everett's personal losses and coming to terms with suddenly becoming the only living member of his family. | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #418 Diariocrítico's The 100 Best Albums of the 90s: #91 The Guardian's List of Favourite Albums Ondarock's Rock Milestones |
| 28 September 1998 (1998-9-28) | The Three E.P.'s | The Beta Band | Folk rock post-rock experimental pop | Regal | Compilation album. | Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (2003): #23 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #124 Paste's "The 90 Best Albums of the 1990s": #56 Exclaim!'s "100 Records That Rocked 100 Issues of Exclaim!" |
| 29 September 1998 | Deserter's Songs | Mercury Rev | Chamber pop Americana | V2 | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #152 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #53 Exclaim!'s "100 Records That Rocked 100 Issues of Exclaim!" Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |
| 29 September 1998 (1998-9-29) | Aquemini | Outkast | Hip hop alternative hip hop G-funk | LaFace/Arista | Praised for being one of the most creative rap albums for its musicality, eclectic sound, and unique lyrical themes. | Accolades |
| 29 September 1998 | Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star | Black Star | East Coast hip hop alternative hip hop conscious rap underground hip hop progressive rap | Rawkus Priority EMI MCA Universal | | Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #178 Tom Moon's 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. The Guardian's List of Favourite Albums Treble’s Best Albums of the ’90s |
| September 1996 | Horse Stories | Dirty Three | Post-rock folk rock | Touch and Go | | The Australian's Best 52 Albums Magnet magazine's Top 60 Albums 1993-2003: #18 Fast 'n' Bulbous' "The Best Albums Since 1965": #779 Exclaim!'s "100 Records That Rocked 100 Issues of Exclaim!" |
| 12 October 1998 (1998-10-12) | Without You I'm Nothing | Placebo | Alternative rock glam rock | Hut | | Reception |
| 20 October 1998 | American Water | Silver Jews | Indie rock country rock | Drag City | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #128 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #21 Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s" #77 The Guardian's 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die |
| 27 October 1998 (1998-10-27) | The Shape Of Punk To Come | Refused | Hardcore punk post-hardcore | Burning Heart | Incorporated experimental combinations of post-hardcore, post-punk, techno, and jazz sounds into its punk framework. | Kerrang!'s "50 Most Influential Albums Of All Time": #13 Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s" #99 Visions' "The 100 Most Important Albums of the 90s": #29 Rock Hard magazine's The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time: #428 |

### 1999

| Release Date | Album | Artist | Genre(s) | Label | Notes | Accolades |
| 19 January 1999 (1999-01-19) | I See A Darkness | Bonnie 'Prince' Billy | Indie folk gothic folk country folk | Palace/Domino | | Paste's "The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time": #287 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #151 Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s" #101 Strange Currencies' Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: #83 |
| 2 February 1999 | Keep It Like A Secret | Built To Spill | Indie rock alternative rock dream pop | Up Warner Bros. | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #413 Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #119 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #101 LostatSea's "90 Albums of the 90s": #24 |
| 23 February 1999 (1999-2-23) | Things Fall Apart | The Roots | East Coast hip hop alternative hip hop jazz rap progressive rap | MCA | | Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time": #416 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #77 Slant's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #32 Paste's "The 90 Best Albums of the 1990s": #45 |
| 23 February 1999 | The Slim Shady LP | Eminem | Hip hop horrorcore comedy hip hop | Aftermath WEB Interscope | Praised for its unique lyrical style, dark humor lyrics involving cartoonish depictions of violence and heavy use of profanity, and unusual personality. | Accolades |
| 9 March 1999 | Summerteeth | Wilco | Alt-country chamber pop orchestral pop pop rock power pop psychedelic pop | Reprise | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #118 Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)": #193 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #102 Tom Moon's 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. |
| 15 March 1999 | 13 | Blur | Art rock experimental rock alternative rock | Food Parlophone | | Accolades |
| 16 April 1999 (1999-04-16) | Mule Variations | Tom Waits | Experimental rock blues | ANTI- | | Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003): #416 Pitchfork's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s" (1999): #57 Mojo's "The 100 Greatest Albums of Our Lifetime": #21 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 42nd Grammy Awards |
| 17 May 1999 | The Soft Bulletin | The Flaming Lips | Neo-psychedelia psychedelic rock symphonic pop symphonic rock art rock alternative rock dream pop | Warner Bros. | | NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time": #102 Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #37 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #99 Slant's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #66 |
| 17 May 1999 (1999-05-17) | Play | Moby | Electronica downtempo techno ambient breakbeat roots blues electropop | Mute V2 | | Critical reception |
| 24 May 1999 | The Man Who | Travis | Post-Britpop | Independiente | | Legacy Best Album at the 2000 Brit Awards Q's "100 Greatest Albums Ever": #89 |
| 8 June 1999 (1999-06-08) | Californication | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Alternative rock funk rock | Warner Bros. | | Retrospective commentary Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #224 |
| 12 June 1999 (1999-06-12) | Ágætis Byrjun | Sigur Rós | Post-rock dream pop ambient chamber pop | Fat Cat Smekkleysa | Highly regarded for its "cosmic", "other-worldly" and "timeless" nature due to the unique sound of the band's music. | Reception |
| 28 June 1999 | Bocanada | Gustavo Cerati | Art pop trip hop downtempo neo-psychedelia | BMG International | Regarded as one of the greatest Argentine and Latin-American rock albums of all time. | Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s" #147 Rolling Stone's "The 50 Best Latin-American Rock Albums": #2 The 600 from Latin America: #67 Latin Times' "Top 35 Latin American Alternative Albums Of All Time": #1 |
| 14 September 1999 (1999-09-14) | 69 Love Songs | The Magnetic Fields | Indie pop indie folk synth-pop chamber pop | Merge | A three-volume concept album composed of 69 love songs. | Critical reception |
| 14 September 1999 (1999-9-14) | American Football | American Football | Midwest emo indie rock math rock post-rock | Polyvinyl | Considered one of the most important math rock and Midwest emo records of the 1990s. | Paste's "The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time": #206 Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #138 Treble's "Top 150 Albums of the 90s" #48 Rolling Stone's 40 Greatest Emo Albums of All Time: #6 |
| 21 September 1999 (1999-9-21) | The Fragile | Nine Inch Nails | Industrial rock art rock alternative rock | Nothing Interscope | Acclaimed for its ambition and composition incorporating vast influences and genres. | Slant's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #90 Rock Hard magazine's The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time: #341 Classic Rock and Metal Hammer's 200 Greatest Albums of the 90s Visions' "300 Albums for Eternity": #64 |
| 12 October 1999 | Black On Both Sides | Mos Def | East Coast hip hop | Rawkus/Priority | | Pitchfork's "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s": #30 Slant's "The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s": #60 Tom Moon's 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. Laut's List of Milestone Albums |
| 19 October 1999 | Operation: Doomsday | MF DOOM | Underground hip hop alternative hip hop lo-fi hip hop | Fondle 'Em | Regarded as one of the most influential albums in independent and underground hip-hop history. | Accolades |
| 26 October 1999 | Emergency & I | The Dismemberment Plan | Indie rock art punk post-punk pop | DeSoto Barsuk (2011 reissue) | Regarded as a landmark indie rock album and influential to its development. | Accolades and retrospective reviews |
| 2 November 1999 (1999-11-2) | The Battle Of Los Angeles | Rage Against The Machine | Rap metal funk metal nu metal | Epic | | Critical reception |
| 9 November 1999 | When The Pawn... | Fiona Apple | Alternative pop | Epic Clean Slate | | When the Pawn... |
| 10 December 1999 (1999-12-10) | Vision Creation Newsun | Boredoms | Space rock krautrock neo-psychedelia | Birdman/WEA Japan | | Uncut's "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s": #333 Strange Currencies' Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: #65 Pitchfork's List of the 200 Best Albums of the 2000s: #39 The Guardian's 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die |