My 100 Favorite Albums of the 1990s

For me, the Nineties were all about changing professions. When I graduated from Ball State in 1985, I had a degree in Biology, with the Microbiology option. Instead of going to graduate school, medical school, dental school or work, I opted for an internship in a little-known profession known at the time as medical technology. For nine years (one as an intern/student and eight as a full-blown med tech), I was a round peg trying to pound himself into a square hole. For the last three years of my clinical laboratory career, I went to back to Ball State to obtain my teaching license in biology/chemistry/general science for grades 5 through 12 while working full-time. It was a crazy time or my life arriving at work at 4 AM, leaving around 8 AM for a couple of classes, only to come back to work around 2 PM and finish my day around 6 PM. Then, I would race home to catch the ending of my boys’ activities.

Well, I became a teacher, my days now lasted from 5 AM to 8 PM when my teams’ practices were finished. Then, in the summer of 1999, while training to run the Chicago Marathon in order to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I discovered that the lumbar region of my spine was a mess. Not only did I have a bulging disc and spinal stenosis, I also had a Parrs defect and a broken vertebra from injuries to my back while playing neighborhood and high school sports. From that summer onward, I began my chronic pain and back spasms journey. My teaching career ended in 2012, after only 17 years, at the tender age of 49, retired due to a disability.

But, the Nineties were noteworthy since I associate the music of the decade with the growth and development of my boys. So, much of the music has memories not of my school days or tastes, instead this music is something that I shared with my family. So, music actually went to a whole new level in my life which still resonates today.

With that all said, let’s do the countdown.

100. Janet Jackson – janet. (1993)

99. PJ Harvey – Rid of Me (1993)

98. Beck – Odelay (1996)

97. Erykah Badu – Baduizm (1997)

96. Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville (1993)

95. Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle (1993)

94. Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (1996)

93. Wilco – Being There (1996)

92. Phish – A Live One (1995)

91. Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters (1995)

90. The Verve – Urban Hymns (1997)

89. Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral (1994)

88. Blink-182 – Enema of the State (1999)

87. Madonna – Ray of Light (1998)

86. Hole – Live Through This (1994)

85. Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach – Painted from Memory (1998)

84. Foo Fighters – The Colour and the Shape (1997)

83. Fugees – The Score (1996)

82. Santana – Supernatural (1999)

81. The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death (1997)

80. R.E.M. – New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996)

79. Hootie & the Blowfish – Cracked Rear View (1994)

78. Fountains of Wayne – Utopia Parkway (1999)

77. Daft Punk – Homework (1997)

76. Nas – Illmatic (1994)

75. A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders (1993)

74. The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die (1994)

73. The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker (1990)

72. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Let’s Face It (1997)

71. D’Angelo – Brown Sugar (1995)

70. R.E.M. – Monster (1994)

69. Ice Cube – AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990)

68. Counting Crows – August and Everything (1993)

67. Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire (1996)

66. Bruce Springsteen – The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)

65. Jane’s Addiction – Ritual De Lo Habitual (1990)

64. TLC – CrazySexyLove (1994)

63. Beastie Boys – Check Your Head (1992)

62. Soundgarden – Superunknown (1994)

61. LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)

60. Pearl Jam – Vs. (1993)

59. Daryl Hall & John Oates – Change of Seasons (1990)

58. En Vogue – Funky Divas (1992)

57. The Velvet Crush – Teenage Symphonies to God (1994)

56. The Lemonheads – It’s a Shame About Ray (1992)

55. Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory (1995)

54. Sheryl Crow – Tuesday Night Music Club (1993)

53. U2 – Zooropa (1993)

52. Pulp – Different Class (1995)

51. Material Issue – International Pop Overthrow (1991)

50. Neil Young – Harvest Moon (1992)

49. Michael Jackson – Dangerous (1991)

48. Paul Weller – Stanley Road (1995)

47. Prince & the New Power Generation – (The Love Symbol) (1992)

46. Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty (1998)

45. Various Artists – Singles [The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (1992)

44. Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream (1993)

43. Sheryl Crow – Sheryl Crow (1996)

42. Prince – Emancipation (1996)

41. Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion II (1991)

40. Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion I (1991)

39. Nirvana – In Utero (1993)

38. Primal Scream – Screamadelica (1991)

37. Hole – Celebration Skin (1998)

36. Sleater-Kinney – Dig Me Out (1997)

35. Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine (1992)

34. Tom Petty – Wildflowers (1994)

33. Paul Weller – Wild Wood (1993)

32. Gin Blossoms – New Miserable Experience (1992)

31. Beastie Boys – Ill Communication (1994)

30. A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory (1991)

29. Nirvana – MTV Unplugged in New York (1994)

28. Sugar – Copper Blue (1992)

27. R.E.M. – Out of Town (1991)

26. Sinead O’Connor – I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990)

25. Rage Against the Machine – The Battle of Los Angeles (1999)

24. Prince – The Gold Experience (1995)

23. Paul Weller – Paul Weller (1992)

22. George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice Volume 1 (1990)

21. No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom (1995)

20. Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)

19. Green Day – Dookie (1994)

18. TLC – Fanmail (1999)

17. Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)

16. Jellyfish – Spilt Milk (1993)

15. Pearl Jam – Ten (1991)

14. Depeche Mode – Violator (1990)

13. Weezer – Pinkerton (1996)

12. Metallica – Metallica (a.k.a. The Black Album) (1991)

11. Weezer – Weezer (a.k.a. The Blue Album) (1994)

10. U2 – Achtung Baby (1991)

9. Jellyfish – Bellybutton (1990)

8. Eminem – The Slim Shady LP (1999)

7. Paul Weller – Heavy Soul (1997)

6. Dr. Dre – The Chronic (1992)

5. Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)

4. New Radicals – Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too (1998)

3. Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill (1995)

2. Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque (1991)

1. R.E.M. – Automatic for the People (1992)