The Top Five Albums of the 90's
The nineties saw the comeback of distorted guitars hanging on the knees, long-haired bands, hard rock riffs and pessimistic lyrics. It was called grunge, but it’s pure rock’n’roll in essence. Of course, that wasn’t the only idiom back then, but that’s how the nineties started. When I first saw Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on MTV, the word grunge wasn’t in use. My friends and I tried to put a label on this new music, so we called it “psychedelic metal.” Of course, it soon became apparent to us that it wasn’t metal in question at all, and by that time Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, and other bands received substantial airplay, especially on MTV, and the new music got its name - grunge. However, as I said before, grunge wasn’t the only novelty out there - a lot of new, fresh and hungry-for-rock artists took the place of the more gentle and “refined” 80’s acts. Without further ado, here is my choice of the top five albums of the nineties:
1. Nirvana - "Nevermind" (1991) 
The nineties kind of begun with “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” It was the new thing, fresh from the garage scene of Seattle, the punk of the nineties, the rebellion against the pompous music industry of the previous decade. The song brought instant success to the band and the album it came from, “Nevermind.” It was Nirvana’s second studio album and the first with Dave Grohl on drums. The band’s bassist and founding member, Krist Novoselic, said that when Grohl joined the band, everything "fell into place." The album replaced Michael Jackson's “Dangerous” at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart by January 1992 and further produced three other successful singles: "Come as You Are," "Lithium," and "In Bloom." It is definitely an era-defining record that turned into a true rock classic since.
2. Pearl Jam - "Ten" (1991)
Along with “Nevermind” and several other albums at the beginning of the nineties, Pearl Jam’s “Ten” is responsible for bringing both alternative rock and grunge to a large, mainstream audience. The success relies mainly on several great singles, such as “Alive," "Even Flow," and "Jeremy," but also on the overall sound and image of the group. Because they were accused of profiting off the grunge phenomenon, it’s important to note that “Ten” was recorded before Nirvana’s second album. It didn’t have the immediate success of “Nevermind, ” but by late 1992 it had reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart.
3. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" (1991) 
Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the best-selling bands of all time with over 80 million records sold worldwide, have been nominated for sixteen Grammy Awards, of which they have won six, and are the most successful band in alternative rock radio history, currently holding the records for most number-one singles (13), most cumulative weeks at number one (85) and most top-ten songs (25) on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. Peaking at number one in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, and at three on the United States' Billboard 200, the album has sold over 13 million copies worldwide and was the Red Hot Chili Peppers' introduction into worldwide popularity and critical acclaim. Blood Sugar Sex Magik produced an array of hit singles including the hugely successful "Under the Bridge" and one of their most popular songs, "Give It Away." Anything else?
4. Soundgarden - Superunknown (1994) 
Same like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden were founded back in the first half of the eighties and had to wait for a while before going mainstream. For Soundgarden it happened with their fourth studio album “Superunknown,” which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 310,000 copies in its opening week and reached high positions on charts worldwide. Five singles were released from the album: "The Day I Tried to Live," "My Wave," "Fell on Black Days," "Spoonman," and "Black Hole Sun," the latter two of which won Grammy Awards and helped Soundgarden reach mainstream popularity. The band got rid of the early punk influences and leaned towards a darker hard rock, with elements of psychedelic rock and metal. Producer Michael Beinhorn had a great deal to do with the new sound, but also the band members gave themselves more freedom in individual composing. The result was amazing - the record has been certified five times platinum by the RIAA in the United States and has sold around 9 million copies worldwide and remains Soundgarden's most successful album. Superunknown also enters many lists regarding the best rock albums ever released, including this one.
5. Radiohead - "OK Computer" (1997)
Grunge was interesting for half a decade. Then came the new alternative and its frontrunners were Radiohead. Like Soundgarden and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead had to wait six years for mainstream success. Formed in 1985, they first charted with their debut single "Creep" in 1992, Radiohead’s first song for the EMI label. Still, it was their third album “OK Computer” that rose them to international stardom. With its new aesthetic and themes of modern alienation, it is often acclaimed as a landmark record of the 1990s and one of the best albums of all time.
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