Best Albums: 1990 to 1999

1990:  Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic by The Sundays



This was not only my top album of 1990 but probably of the decade.  Of all the albums that have come out since 1980 it would easily be in my top 10.  1990 also gave us Well Traveled Love by Kelly Willis, Violator by Depeche Mode, Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins, Fear of a Black Planet by Public Enemy, Move to This by Cathy Dennis, Language of Life by Everything But the Girl, and the Twin Peaks Soundtrack.


1991:  Real Love by Lisa Stansfield



A shout out to Kelly Willis who in 1990 and 1991 put out albums which were my number two albums each year.  But in 1991 Real Love dominated everything.  I can't really listen to this album anymore because it just drags in too many memories, but man what a great album at the time.  1991 also gave us Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bang Bang by Kelly Willis, Green Mind by Dinosaur Jr., Worldwide by Everything But the Girl, and De La Soul is Dead by De La Soul,  Nirvana didn't do it for me.


1992:  Love Deluxe by Sade



Sade had always been good, but this album is by far her best.  At this point female artists are dominating the decade for me.  1992 also gave us Our Time in Eden by 10,000 Maniacs, Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos, Wish by The Cure, Erotica by Madonna, Into the Skyline by Cathy Dennis, Blind by The Sundays, Acoustic by Everything But the Girl, and Ingenue by KD Lang,  All of these were high on my list.


1993:  Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can't We by The Cranberries



Nothing really stands out for me that greatly in 1993.  This album was definitely my top play, and I still listen to it on occasion.  1993 also gave us So Tonight That I Might See by Mazzy Star, The Red Shoes by Kate Bush, Star by Belly, Kelly Willis by Kelly Willis, and Four-Calendar Cafe by Cocteau Twins.  I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff in each of these years.  That's why now I have a blog for this stuff so that I'll never forget.


1994:  Under the Pink by Tori Amos



I spent much of 1994 learning about jazz and so buying older music.  Still there were a few albums that I recall from 1994.  Tori Amos is not someone I listen to that often anymore.  At least not full albums. Nowadays I'll pick out a song here and there when I'm in the mood.  1994 also gave us Amplified Heart by Everything But the Girl, No Need to Argue by The Cranberries, CrazySexyCool by TLC, and Bedtime Stories by Madonna.


1995:  Pieces of You by Jewel



In 1995 I got back into buying new music and learning about new artists in a pretty big way.  Funny thing is I don't remember much of the music now or listen to much of it.  Besides this album from Jewel, 1995 also gave us Delusions of Grandeur by Fleming and John, Zipless by Vanessa Daou, Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt, Hello by Poe, and Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette,


1996:  Walking Wounded by Everything But the Girl



Walking Wounded marked a big change for Everything But the Girl, and I completely bought into it.  This album has held up very well for me.  1996 also gave us Born on a Pirate Ship by Barenaked Ladies, The Score by Fugees, Boys for Pele by Tori Amos, Slow to Burn by Vanessa Daou, Tidal by Fiona Apple, and Milk and Kisses by Cocteau Twins.


1997:  Static and Silence by The Sundays



No album really stands out for me from 1997, but this album has some fun memories for me and so I picked it.  1997 also gave us, well quite honestly I don't have anything else. 1997 for me was a year of change and so most of the new music for me was old music that I was getting to know.


1998:  Ray of Light by Madonna



One bad song keeps this album from being perfect.  This is the best album Madonna ever made I think and that's saying something as she consistently put out solid albums.  1998 also gave us The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill.  That's all I got.  I spent 1998 learning to program and pretty much listening to Ray of Light every day.


1999:  Temperamental by Everything But the Girl



For the third time Everything But the Girl had my album of the year.  I miss this band.  Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn are good on their own, but they were great as Everything But the Girl.  1999 also gave us No Angel by Dido, Forget About It by Alison Krauss, Magnolia by Aimee Mann, and What I Deserve by Kelly Willis.