Top 20 Albums Of 1995

For this week's Ranked!, we ranked our favorite albums of 1995. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

20. Poe, Hello

I'm not gonna lie, I really loved this album when it came out, starting with the song "Angry Johnny" because I had just been in a stupid college break-up and, well, angry chick song. It's an eclectic mix of electronic, hip hop, and a little bit of a jazzy rhythm and had all kinds of geeky references. I'm actually bummed she's only ever released two albums because she had a lot of potential for some interesting stuff.--Archphoenix

19. Foo Fighters, Foo Fighters

Dave Grohl gets it. Perhaps alone among his peers of musicians that emerged in the '90s, Dave Grohl seems to know he has an effortless grasp of the essence of rock and roll. How else to explain the emergence of the Foo Fighters from the long shadow of Nirvana to become of the greatest rock bands of the last 20 years. I was skeptical of their debut album when it came out--he was just a drummer, wasn't he?--but damn if Foo Fighters didn't hit that perfect balance of raging guitars, killer hooks, and middle-finger-in-the-air attitude. While other bands wrung their hands with teenage angst or sweated to prove they were "alternative," Foo Fighters seemed to want to crowd-surf and drink beers backstage like the rest of us. Isn't that what rock is all about?--CroutonBoy

18. Ani DiFranco, Not A Pretty Girl

Angry girl with guitar, scathing wit, and musical talent? Sold. The big song on this one is, of course, "32 Flavors," but her song "Shy" is pretty fantastic, especially live.--Archphoenix

17. Joan Osbourne, Relish

I love love LOVE Joan Osborne's voice. It's smoky sexy folksy and delicious. The big song, "One of Us," got a ton of airplay at the time, but for my money I love "Spider Web," "St. Theresa," "Ladder," and her cover of Bob Dylan's "Man In The Long Black Coat" isn't half bad.--Archphoenix

16. Green Day, Insomniac

Not as funny as its predecessor, Dookie, Insomniac was still a great album by the Berkley trio. Still to this day, I crank the radio extra loud when "Brain Stew" bleeds into the chaotic "Jaded."--Chris

Top 20 Albums Of 1994

For this week's Ranked!, we ranked our favorite albums of 1994. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

20. Bad Religion, Stranger Than Fiction

Stranger Than Fiction takes off from "Incomplete" and doesn't stop to breathe until ten songs later. That it was Bad Religion's first major label album is almost an afterthought, so well does it fit in with the rest of their work. The title track shows their knack for packing entire paragraphs of lyrics into an incredibly catchy two or three minute song. Great lines fly by at steady clip. "Life is the crummiest book I ever read." "You're clear as a heavy lead curtain." They blend fierce intelligence with melodic sensibility and serious guitar. "Slumber" is another highlight, the rise and fall of its melody matching the gentle urgency of the lyrics. Just the thing to listen to when nothing is going well. Then there is the eerily accurate "21st Century Digital Boy," declaring "I don't know how to read but I got a lot of toys." Even if things are a bit too strange, Bad Religion can always see through it.--Amanda

19. Daniel Johnston, Fun

There is something so utterly naive and laid-bare-on-the-floor pathetically genuine about Daniel Johnston's music, the way he sings with his unaffected vocal tremble as if any moment he might break down and cry. Within the childlike simplicity of lyrics like, "I've got to really try/try so hard to get by/and where am I going to?" we discover a universal and profoundly heartbreaking sense of truth. It reminds me of this one quote from a David Foster Wallace short story called "Oblivion:" "What goes on inside is just too fast and huge and all interconnected for words to do more than barely sketch the outlines of at most one tiny little part of it at any given instant." And somehow Daniel Johnston seems capable of doing this, of gathering together the infinite weight of the world and delivering it back to us in the simplest of melodies. In Fun, however, we see less the tortured soul he exhibited in earlier albums/uneven homemade cassette tapes and more the kind of Daniel Johnston that likes to have fun. His first major-label moment (while sounding very un-major label), Fun is one of Johnston's most upbeat albums. Don't let this shift in mood fool you, however. Fun is definitely a Daniel Johnston at his best.--Jacqueline

18. Liz Phair, Whip-Smart

Exile In Guyville gets all the accolades, but Whip-Smart was more fun. "Supernova" kicked in the mainstream door (or at least the alterna-mainstream) and introduced Phair to a larger audience. Favorite tracks: "Dogs of L.A.," "Cinco De Mayo," and the title track with its strange music video.--Chris

17. Portishead, Dummy

If I were to have blindingly passionate mind-altering sex, it would probably be to this album. The sultry hue of Beth Gibbon's voice, Adrian Utley's masterful guitar work, and Geoff Barrow's heart-dropping beats pull me in to a world where all sensory experience becomes feverish and synesthetic. Choice songs to be played under the sheets include: "Mysterons," "Sour Times," "Roads," and "Glory Box."--Jacqueline

16. Various Artists, Reality Bites Soundtrack

This is another one of those albums that I strongly associate with college. You'd walk through the dorms and would inevitably hear someone blasting "My Sharona." Ben Stiller's film perfectly captured the twentysomethings of the day and set it to a killer soundtrack.--Archphoenix

Top 20 Albums Of 1993

For this week's Ranked!, we ranked our favorite albums of 1993. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

20. Goo Goo Dolls, Superstar Car Wash

Goo still plays a song or two from this live, as a surprise to the diehard fans. One of my best friends and I totally freaked at a concert when they launched into their more hardcore songs from this album, and the performance was awesome. This was such a cool album for fans, because the guys were still pretty hardcore rockers, but brought on some more understandable lyrical work. Their evolution musically has been so cool, growing with fans and somehow maintaining their roots, and I think this was a pivotal point in that long career. There are few albums I write up on for these lists that I immediately want to go back and listen to at that moment, but trust me, on this one I'm heading right for the CD player.--J-Hawke

19. Flaming Lips, Transmissions From The Satellite Heart

The Flaming Lips have always been a strange and fearless band with demented lyrics and genuinely original ideas. Sometimes that mix would result in a misfire, other times it would blend together beautifully, creating powerful musical stew. This album (their SIXTH!) was the one that sold me on the band and made me a lifelong disciple of Wayne Coyne and company. It contained the radio friendly "She Don't Use Jelly" which, when you think about it, should have been on a censor's hit list, and a lovely cover of Ed Rush's "Plastic Jesus." It's the go-to record I recommend for anyone looking to take a first listen to the band before dragging them dressed as a gargantuan white bunny to one of their concerts.--Dufmanno

18. Sarah McLachlan, Fumbling Toward Ecstasy

This is one of those albums that I wore out on my 5-disc CD changer back in college. I think my favorite track, because it's gorgeous, is the first song, "Posession," partly because it's misunderstood. I remember at the time gals at school were talking about it being a nice love song but sorry drunk college girls, it's sung from the point of view of a guy stalking Sarah, based on her experiences with a kind of crazed fan. In fact, she got SUED by a stalker because he claimed she used his crazy letters as the basis for the song. The legal case went nowhere because the stalker killed himself. True story.--Archphoenix

17. Mariah Carey, Music Box

I got into Mariah Carey because my older cousin, who I thought was sooo cool, was a big fan. When I started buying CDs, I tried to complete a whole catalog of her music (I still haven't, sadly). However, I did manage to secure Music Box, her 1993 release. The two singles that stand out in particular to me are "Dreamlover" and "Hero," though I know there were two more ("Without You/Never Forget You" and "Anytime You Need a Friend"). "Dreamlover" was fun though, and "Hero" was inspiring. I remember the resurgence of the song during 9/11, and that is just a song that is forever lovely. The album, as a whole, is seen as among her most mellow work, but I have to say that I love this side of Mariah. She's classy here, and shows people a lyrical side of her as opposed to just a beauty with an incredible vocal range. There's a real, respectable young lady there and Music Box really took her to a different place in her career.--J-Hawke

16. New Order, Republic

New Order's Republic is largely known for its in-fighting during the recording sessions—hence its widely mixed reviews—but readers should be reminded of the fact that Fleetwood Mac's brilliant and inspired album Rumours was riddled with backstage conflict, as well as The Beatles' Let It Be (which also garnered varied opinions, but eventually received recognition as #392 in Rolling Stone's 2012 list of "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time"). It is perhaps during these moments of turmoil that brilliant artists are able to channel that negative energy and leave us with something deeply human and frighteningly relatable. Republic's first single "Regret" appears, on the surface, to lack the tenebrous mark of many previous New Order songs. Rather, it has a carefree John Hughes-like quality—Hook's bass ever present, Sumner's voice lighter and livelier—though not without that muted color palate, which suggests a tone of concession and (appropriately) regret. It's not often you'll find a band continue to evolve after ten years of major success (not including their many years as Joy Division). Too often we see aged musicians idle in their artistic output, producing the same album over and over, eventually staling on stage and falling out from the public eye, not because of backstage turmoil but because of a refusal or an inability to grow. In Republic, New Order rises to the occasion. Songs like "World" and "Young Offender" introduce us to a more modern danceable version of their previous work, and others like "Special" and "Everyone Everywhere" continue to give us the stronger yet more subtle qualities of Sumner's voice that we've all come to love. It's not hard to understand why Republic is one of our Top 20 Albums of '93. It is, in fact, one of New Order's best.--Jacqueline

Top 20 Albums Of 1992

We've done the '80s, so we're turning our attention to the '90s!

For this week's Ranked!, we decided to rank our twenty favorite albums released in 1992. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments.

20. Stone Temple Pilots, Core

Stone Temple Pilots are the Rodney Dangerfield of grunge. Despite the fact that the band had five Top 40 hits and won a Grammy, an AMA, and a VMA, Stone Temple Pilots never received the respect that bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden did. This is the album that introduced them to the world and boasted greatest-hit worthy tracks like "Sex Type Thing," "Wicked Garden," "Creep," and "Plush." Personally, I'd rather listen to STP than Pearl Jam.--Chris

19. Nirvana, Incesticide

In the aftermath of Nevermind, all things from Seattle seemed perfect and cool (except my beloved Seahawks, of course). You could sense the music industry dumping the last of the detritus onto the market as it desperately groomed Nirvana soundalikes like Sponge and Bush. In that brief period, Nirvana reminded everyone why they were relevant in the first place with Incesticide, a collection of demos and other songs previously only available in the fan community. Releases like that are usually crappy cash-ins, but this album is as visceral and stunning as the rest of Nirvana's catalog. As far as I'm concerned, some of Nirvana's very best songs are here, particularly the magnificent "Sliver" and "Aneurysm." It's an essential document of the early years of grunge, and rocks so hard it will make your ears bleed.--CroutonBoy

18. Erasure, Abba-esque

It's the ultimate in cheese--Erasure covering ABBA--and I freaking love it. The whole album is on my housecleaning playlist because you can't NOT dance to the thing. It even makes mopping the floors fun.--Archphoenix

17. Alice In Chains, Dirt

1991 saw the birth of grunge, and 1992 brought it to the mainstream. And one band that wasn't technically "grunge" but still benefited from the return-to-rock movement was Alice In Chains. Led by guitarist and Jerry Cantrell and the haunting vocals of Layne Staley, Dirt was Alice In Chains' biggest-selling album and brought us songs like "Them Bones," "Rooster," and "Would?," which can also be found on the Singles soundtrack (which shows up a little later on this list).--Chris

16. Various Artists, The Bodyguard Sountrack

Every girl between the ages of 8 and 28 had this album when it came out. It's literally the best-selling soundtrack ever and went 17 times platinum. It made Whitney the first ever to sell a million copies of an album in a single week. EVER. And that Dolly Parton cover is amazing. Admit it, you belted it out in the shower. It's ok, we all did.--Archphoenix

Top 20 Albums Of 1991

We've done the '80s, so we're turning our attention to the '90s!

For this week's Ranked!, we decided to rank our twenty favorite albums released in 1991. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments.

20. Gloria Estefan, Into The Light

I remember vaguely being a really big Gloria fan when I was younger. Now, while I can't necessarily remember all of her songs, I do remember consistently feeling happy whenever they came on. This particular album resonates even later on because of the emotion she managed to put into it. Her famous and tragic accident during the Get On Your Feet Tour prompted the theme of this album: coming back from the darkness of a disaster. "Coming Out Of The Dark" is the obvious big one from it, and throughout she still stays very proud and strong in her roots of Latin music. This is a strong woman, who of course has only managed to get more admirable with time.--J-Hawke

19. KLF, The White Room

The White Room is a pretty terrific album. It was a kind of the introduction to the '90s electronic music subculture. It's part new wave, part punk rock, and all kinds of electronic party rave. It was a crazy artistic political statement album and it's pure stadium anthem sound. We still listen to this album regularly at my house.--Archphoenix

18. Teenage Fanclub, Bandwagonesque

Back in '91, I was a DJ at a small college radio station. One of the albums that received heavy play from me that year was Bandwagonesque and, in particular, "What You Do To Me," a song so awesome and Big Starish you really expect to see Alex Chilton behind the mic in the video. I loved this album so much it eventually led to the CD receiving a big "CHRIS CAN NOT PLAY THIS" sticker on the jewel case from my tiny and bossy station manager.--Chris

17. Temple Of The Dog, Temple Of The Dog

How huge was grunge in '91? So huge that a tribute album, a genre generally sent directly to the used section of the CD store, became a massive hit. Temple Of the Dog definitely benefited from its pedigree, a supergroup stitched together from Soundgarden and Pearl Jam honoring a member of Mother Love Bone. But it also had a killer tracklist easily on par with any Soundgarden or Pearl Jam album. In some ways it holds up better than the early albums of those bands, having never suffered the degree of overexposure they did (with the possible exception of "Hunger Strike"). Listening to it today can conjure up nostalgia for the glory days of grunge while still delivering the energy and raw power those bands could unleash back in the day, and rests comfortably in the Seattle pantheon next to Nevermind, Ten, and Badmotorfinger.--CroutonBoy

16. Public Enemy, Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black

Public Enemy in the late '80s and early '90s was unstoppable. Their assault was relentless, their lyrics were raw and unapologetic, and their music and rhythm had a depth that few (if any) rap groups could approach. Apocalypse '91: The Enemy Strikes Back continued and combined the aggressive thrust of their previous two efforts, It Takes A Nation Of Millions and Fear Of A Black Planet, and further refined it for their suddenly huge, multi-colored audience. Public Enemy was a force of nature by 1991, and hard-charging songs like "Shut 'Em Down," "Can't Truss It," and "I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Nigga" showed they were still angry and unwilling to back down from what they saw and believed. Add to that the brilliant crossover "Bring Tha Noize" featuring Anthrax, which showed that the frustration and disillusionment of urban black youth and suburban white youth had the same roots, and you've get one of the greatest rap albums of all time.--CroutonBoy

Top 20 Albums Of 1990

We've done the '80s, so we're turning our attention to the '90s!

For this week's Ranked!, we decided to rank our twenty favorite albums released in 1990. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments.

20. The London Quireboys, A Bit Of What You Fancy

A Bit Of What You Fancy was the debut album from The Quireboys, or The London Quireboys as they were known in the U.S. It was a dozen hard-rockin' tunes that came out during the last dying days of hair metal. The Quireboys had a bluesy feel to them, not unlike Cinderella, but sounding closer at times to Faces. Some of the best songs on the album were "7 O'Clock," "Sweet Mary Ann," "Hey You," and "I Don't Love You Anymore," a ballad that still kicks ass.--Chris

19. Various Artists, Pretty Woman Soundtrack

My mom was pretty strict about me being the right age to see movies so when Pretty Woman came out with its hookers and R rating, my mom firmly said no. Then I went to visit a good friend who'd moved to Omaha and HER mom said, "Shh, don't tell your mom." And then kinda regretted that during the sex on the piano scene. Every girl I knew ran to grab that soundtrack. With the title song and an epic Roxette song, it was in pretty heavy rotation at my house for a good long time.--Archphoenix

18. Warrant, Cherry Pie

If you were doing a term paper on hair metal (shut up, it could happen) and were looking to find a video that truly represented the genre, you'd be hard pressed to find a better example than the video to Warrant's "Cherry Pie." The video, starring Bobbie Brown (who has been in numerous hair band videos), showed the band acting goofy, dressed in the uniform of the day: spandex, leather, and bandannas. Bot the video and song were blatantly sexual unapologetically dumb. And freaking awesome. R.I.P. Jani Lane. R.I.P. hair metal.--Chris

17. Wilson Phillips, Wilson Phillips

This is one of those albums that people are ashamed to admit they like but you know what? You shouldn't be ashamed. This album made Wilson Phillips the best-selling female group of all time. It spawned three #1 songs. And it had three talented young women who were the daughters of some pretty amazing musicians (Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and John & Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas). They had the pedigree, the vocal talent, and I still think Chynna's short hair is one of the cutest hair cuts ever. This album rocks, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.--Archphoenix

16. Green Day, 39/Smooth

You can almost hear the highway rumbling overhead in the background of 39/Smooth, Green Day’s quickly recorded debut album. But you can also hear something special in the works. Songs like "Rest" and "Going To Pasalaqua" display a melodic sensibility quite advanced for a bunch of high school kids. "I Was There" is so much fun to sing that it will never leave your head, while "16" holds up a mirror to teenage life and makes the crazy things it finds there better. When you start out that well, it’s not hard to imagine selling out stadiums later.--Amanda