5 Albums Every 90s Rock Fan Should Own

If you love the grunge, grit, and grime of the 1990s’ unique era of rock music, the following five albums are absolutely essential to have in your collection. However, keep in mind that this list is as far from exhaustive as it gets. There are a lot of essential 90s rock albums out there.

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1. ‘Metallica’ by Metallica

Metallica’s self-titled 1991 record is the one that solidified their status as one of the biggest metal bands of all time, if not the biggest. That being said, Metallica is a bit polarizing among fans. 

The band moved from their thrash metal roots to more mainstream-sounding rock, which wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Still, this is a gorgeous production with a strong focus on good melodies over anything else.

2. ‘Angel Dust’ by Faith No More

There were a few 90s rock albums that teetered between funk and metal, but few are as iconic as Angel Dust by Faith No More. This 1992 album is one of the most innovative pieces of work to come out of the 1990s, and few records today sound anything like it. 

Mike Patton may have taken his Mr. Bungle project more seriously than Faith No More, but the work he put into this album is nothing to sneeze at.

3. ‘Dirt’ by Alice In Chains

The 1990s was the decade of grunge, and few bands boasted a vocalist with as much power as Layne Staley. Dirt was released in 1990 and pioneered the movement that followed. It’s the kind of record that you could listen to on repeat and not ever get sick of it. Jerry Cantrell’s guitar tones are like a bubble bath for your ears.

4. ‘Ten’ by Pearl Jam

We’d be bold enough to say that this is one of the greatest debut rock albums of all time. And it’s a stellar addition to have in any grunge album collection. 

Ten by Pearl Jam was released in 1991 and was born, more or less, out of the breakdown of Mother Love Bone. Ten is an honest and magnetic piece of work, and Eddie Vedder’s vocals are at their absolute best on this album.

5. ‘Nevermind’ by Nirvana

Would this be a list of essential 90s rock albums without mentioning the 1991 record Nevermind by grunge outfit Nirvana? There’s something about the album that just continues to age well. 

Few bands had as big of an impact on rock music that followed the 1990s as Nirvana did, and Nevermind is essential listening for any fan of grunge.

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