3 Self-Titled Alternative Rock LPs From the 1990s We Memorized

The 1990s was a fertile decade for music expansion and exploration. Not only did genres like rap and electronic explode onto the scene, but already-established genres like rock splintered into several beloved sub-garens.

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It’s one of those subgenres that we wanted to highlight here. We wanted to showcase three alternative rock albums that we adored from the era. Indeed, these are three self-titled alternative rock LPs from the 1990s we memorized.

‘Weezer’ by Weezer (1994)

People of a certain age remember where they were when they first heard that buzzy rock song about a sweater. They remember what room they were in when they first pictured that thread being pulled and everything, as the song title says, was undone. Weezer had landed, and music in the 1990s and 2000s wouldn’t be the same thanks to their quirky, cerebral style. There’s a reason alternative rock enjoyed such a rise in the 1990s and Weezer was a major part of that—and it all began with their self-titled LP.

‘Garbage’ by Garbage (1995)

Who from the 1990s doesn’t remember that pink album cover? Indeed, the front of Garbage’s 1995 self-titled album really stuck out in music stores. But the band’s music stuck out even more on the radio and television airwaves. MTV couldn’t get enough of this dreary, talented group. And their self-titled debut included songs like “Only Happy When It Rains” and “Stupid Girl”. In a world of alternative rock options left and right, Shirley Manson and Garbage rose above the pack.

‘Sublime’ by Sublime (1996)

While most bands title their debut release after themselves, the rock-reggae-punk band Sublime chose to do so with their third (and what would be their final) album with lead vocalist Bradley Nowell. While both of Sublime’s prior two LPs included standout tracks, it was their self-titled offering that really brought them into the mainstream, thanks to songs like “What I Got”, “Santeria” and “Pawn Shop”. Sadly, Nowell died young, like so many of his tortured rock artist contemporaries, passing away at 28 years old due to a drug overdose.

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