More than 20 years after the decade ended, so-called ’90s kids are having another moment in the sun. Many of the movies and TV shows that the generation devoured are getting rebooted or becoming popular again. The fashion of the era–JNCO jeans, Doc Marten boots, and flannel shirts–is making a comeback. At the same time, some of the most popular and influential rock bands from the 1990s or either rising to popularity again or still going strong, and their early albums are considered classics.
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With the resurgence in all things 1990s in mind we’re going to look at some of the most influential rock albums of the decade. These albums caught the ears and hearts of kids around the world and introduced them to new genres, fashion, and ways of thinking. More importantly, these records are just as good now as when they dropped all those years ago.
[RELATED: 5 Albums Every 90s Rock Fan Should Own]
Metallica (The Black Album) by Metallica (1991)
Metallica was one of the most important metal bands of the era. Their 1991 self-titled album was a departure in sound for the California-based thrash outfit, but was still heavy enough to please most fans. At the same time, it was accessible enough to hook new listeners. This balance led it to be one of the best-selling albums of all time and one of the most critically acclaimed rock albums of the 1990s.
The most important thing about The Black Album, though, is that it served as a gateway to metal for countless listeners. Many started with this release before digging into the band’s older work and finding more bands in the same vein. An untold number of Gen X and Millennial metalheads started here, whether they’ll admit it today or not.
Nevermind by Nirvana (1991)
Nirvana were like the Elvis of grunge. They didn’t invent the genre but they did make it incredibly popular with a wide audience. Their 1989 debut album Bleach helped put them on the map. Then, their 1991 sophomore album and major label debut, Nevermind became one of the most popular rock albums of the 90s. It was a landmark release for both the band and the genre.
Nirvana flew in the face of the stereotypical rock band. These weren’t hardcore guys out for sex, drugs, and rock and roll. They were a band fronted by a sensitive artist type who wrote poetically about his feelings on a range of topics from love to social commentary. The Seattle sound was new, fresh, and changed the face of mainstream rock. Nevermind, spearheaded that change.
Dookie by Green Day (1994)
Can one make a list of influential rock albums from the 1990s and not mention Dookie? Probably. However, the list would feel a little incomplete. It was Green Day’s major label debut and became a huge hit, topping album charts in multiple countries and peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. It’s a major part of why the band is still so popular more than 30 years later.
Dookie did more than put Green Day on the map, though. It introduced the masses to a new iteration of punk rock. More than that, it helped nudge grunge out as the dominant genre in mainstream rock. Where Metallica was the gateway to metal for many listeners, this was the gateway to punk for others. Decades later, many punk and pop-punk bands cite this record as a major inspiration.
Slipknot by Slipknot (1999)
Here’s one for the Elder Millennials. Released at the end of the 1990s, Slipknot’s self-titled debut would be one of the most influential albums of the coming decade. After releasing a demo album three years earlier, the band dropped their label debut in the summer of 1999 and once again changed the face of mainstream rock.
Slipknot was everything that the angry, detached youth of the late ’90s wanted. It was heavy, vulgar, angry, and unapologetic. At the same time, some of the songs dealt with relatable topics and gave an angst-ridden subset of a generation a feeling of being heard that they didn’t find in punk, grunge, or other metal on the market at the time. Those listeners would ride the wave of this album into the Nu Metal craze of the early 2000s and beyond.
Featured Image by Andre Csillag/Shutterstock
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