Here are 21 underrated albums from the 1990s that you absolutely need in your vinyl collection if you are a rock fan.
It can be tough to figure out where to begin if you’re looking to go beyond the grunge-era stuff to take a deeper dive into ’90s rock. Grunge simply can’t be ignored due to its heavy impact on the front half of the decade.
But there was so much more to the ’90s in the world of rock than Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.
Bands such as Stabbing Westward and Gravity Kills were starting to infuse industrial elements into rock. The Reverend Horton Heat took an unconventional approach by combining rockabilly, punk and rock music.
READ MORE: 11 Essential ’90s Metal Albums You Should Own on Vinyl
Sunny Day Real Estate were among the early emo rock acts bubbling up toward the tail end of the 1990s.
We’re here to help you make sense of all of it by giving you 21 rock albums from the 1990s that you may have missed but need to be owned on vinyl.
Fugazi, Repeater (1990)
Dischord Records
Key tracks: “Blueprint,” “Repeater,” “Merchandise”
Green Day, Kerplunk (1991)
Key tracks: “2000 Light Years Away,” “Christie Rd.,” “Welcome to Paradise”
Slint, Spiderland (1991)
slint spiderland album cover
Key tracks: “Breadcrumb Trail,” “Good Morning, Captain,” “Washer”
Helmet, Meantime (1992)
Interscope Records
Key tracks: “Unsung,” “In the Meantime,” “Iron Head”
Candlebox, Candlebox (1993)
cover to candlebox’s self-titled album
Key Tracks: “Far Behind,” “You,” “Cover Me”
Dinosaur Jr., Where You Been (1993)
dinosaur jr where you been album cover
Key Tracks: “Start Choppin,” “Out There,” “Get Me”
Hum, Electra 2000 (1993)
hum, electra 2000 cover
Key Tracks: “Iron Clad Lou,” “Pinch and Roll, “Winder”
Mazzy Star, So Tonight That I Might See (1993)
mazzy starr so tonight that i might see album
Key tracks: “Fade Into You,” “Blue Light,” “Into Dust”
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Orange (1994)
jon spencer blues explosions orange cover
Key Tracks: “Bellbottoms,” “Very Rare,” “Ditch”
Our Lady Peace, Naveed (1994)
our lady peace naveed album cover
Key tracks: “Starseed,” “Naveed,” “The Birdman”
Reverend Horton Heat, Liquor in the Front (1994)
reverend horton heat, liquor in the front album cover
Key Tracks: “I Can’t Surf,” “Baddest of the Bad,” “Five-o Ford”
Sunny Day Real Estate, Diary (1994)
sunny day real estate, diary album cover
Key Tracks: “In Circles,” “Seven,” “Song About an Angel”
Quicksand, Manic Compression (1995)
quicksand manic compression album cover
Key tracks: “Thorn in My Side,” “Landmine Spring,” “Backward”
Silverchair, Frogstomp (1995)
silverchair frogstomp album cover
Key Tracks: “Tomorrow,” “Israel’s Son,” “Suicidal Dream”
Stabbing Westward, Wither Blister Burn + Peel (1996)
Stabbing Westward Wither Blister Burn and Peel album cover
Key Tracks: “Shame,” “What Do I Have to Do?,” “So Wrong”
Wilco, Being There (1996)
cover to wilco’s being there album
Key tracks: “Forget the Flowers,” “Misunderstood,” “Outtasite (Outta Mind)”
Days of the New, Days of the New (1997)
cover of Days of the New’s self-titled album
Key Tracks: “Touch, Peel and Stand,” “Shelf in the Room,” “The Down Town”
Cake, Prolonging the Magic (1998)
album cover to cake’s prolonging the magic
Key tracks: “Never There,” “Let Me Go,” “Sheep Go to Heaven”
Jets to Brazil, Orange Rhyming Dictionary (1998)
Jade Tree Records
Key tracks: “Sweet Avenue,” “Chinatown,” “Sea Anemone”
Placebo, Without You I’m Nothing (1998)
placebo without you im nothing
Key tracks: “Every You Every Me,” “Pure Morning,” “Without You I’m Nothing”
Dismemberment Plan, Emergency & I (1999)
dismemberment plan emergency and I
Key tracks: “A Life of Possibilities,” “What Do You Want Me to Say?,” “The City”
75 Best Rock Songs of the ’90s
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Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
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Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
