Morrissey's solo career before his comeback album You Are the Quarry was not always that good. Vauxhall and I on the other hand has some of th most bautiful Morrissey songs. This album may be really depressing, but there is sad beauty behind these grey songs. In my opinion it's not too whiny despite of the sadness and heartbreak. Best songs include Why Don't You Find Out for Yourself, Hold On to Your Friends and The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get. But the greatness doesn't end there. The album is full of great songs. In some other year, an album like this could be much further in the list. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Guided By Voices is the master of lo-fi sound. Their songs have great melodies and could be big hits, if the sounds were more conventionally produced. Bee Thousand is the best album from this band that has made a staggering number of albums. Listening to the album the first time does not probably convince you, unless you're used to the lo-fi sound. But as you listen to the songs many times, you find the great melodies and hooks of the songs. The most well-known GBV songs are probably from this album. Songs such as I am a Scientist, Goldheart Mountain Top Queen Directory and Echos Myron may have been heard by some non-fans as well. Great album! Listen to the album on Spotify.
Weezer is one of the biggest names in 90's American alternative rock. Heavy guitar riffs, catchy melodies and funny lyrics helped to establish the genre of college rock. Most people remember this blue album by the band's biggest hit Buddy Holly. Even in my opinion, this song is their greatest achievement, but the greatness of this album does not end there. My Name is Jonas and The World Has Turned Me and Left Me Here are also some of the highlights. This debut album of Weezer is a classic and should be found in every good record collection. Weezer has a few self titled albums, but this blue covered album is the original classic debut. Listen to the album on Spotify.
This oddball band from the Finnish countryside should be much bigger than it is. It's got some cult fame in Denmark and Germany, but the personal sound could really have made this weird band a success throughout the world. I guess the lyrics are too cryptic (and probably not always grammatically correct) to reach the larger audiences. Rumble City La La Land is the most hit filled album of the band. These alternative rock gems make you dance on the dance floor, nod your head on the couch or just put you in a hypnosis. The influences can be found in americana and rock n' roll, but the organs give it more depth than usual albums in this genre. I truly recommend non-Finns to listen to this great band. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Jeff Buckley had one of the best singing voices ever. His clear and high voice runs from pure bliss to the screaming rock perfection. His music combines beautiful ballads to Led Zeppelin-like progressive blues rock. Grace is his only stdio album, but it was an instant calssic. Cover versions of Hallelujah and Lilac Wine are amazing, but the track list is all together terriffic. Buckley died a tragic death at the age of 30 by drowning in the river. His guitar work in the rock songs of this album almost match his amazing vocals. If anything, you should listen to this album because of the exceptional talent of Jeff Buckley. But it's not just empty playing talent. His songs are also well constructed and interesting. Listen to the album on Spotify.
I wouldn't usually put live albums or compilations to this list but Nirvana's unplugged album is an exception. This album may even be the best album Nirvana had to offer. Since it is not technically an lbum though I can't rate it higher on this list. Some of the people who do not like the grunge crunchy sound of Nirvana's other albums still love this acoustic masterpiece. Kurt Cobain's raspy voice works perfectly on these songs. My favourites on this album are cover versions of Lake of Fire, Man Who Sold the World and Where Did You Sleep Last Night. Cobain's voice is full of sorrow and angst. This is probably the best live album ever made. listen to the album on Spotify.
This year's top four is the celebration of brit-pop. First one is Blur's best album Parklife. The album is full of hit songs spiced up with heavy English accent. As with all the Blur's albums, not every song on the album is brilliant. Parklife, nevertheless, comes closest to a perfect blur album. Girls & Boys and Parklife are singalong songs to dance to. Tracy Jacks, Badhead, Magic America and End of a Century are less known greats. To the End and This Is a Low give taste of ballads. The list of great songs just goes on. The only reason this album isn't higher on the list is that there are three brit-pop bands, that impress even more. This album is a classic of alternative success stories in the 90's music. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Pulp had played been playing music for over fifteen years before His 'n' Hers, but for many people it was their first album. I think they have some good songs even before this album, but this was the one that made them an amazing band from mediocrity. Jarvis Cocker's sexy whispers, catchy melodies and innovative sounds come together to form a perfect pop-album. Pulp's true highlight came a year later, but already here you can find all the bits that make Pulp one of the best bands ever. Lipgloss, Babies and Do you Remember the First Time are my favourites and apparently they made an impression for others as well, since they're some of the most well-known songs from Pulp. You simply can't beat Cocker's charm. Listen to the album on Spotify.
The debut album of Oasis was one of the fastest selling debut albums ever. There is a good reason for it. not many bands can come up with such a strong album right in the beginning. Oasis plays melodic rock songs with slightly heavier sounds than the rest of the brit-pop stars of the time. Definitely maybe has a real sense of rock n' roll attitude. The album has a staggering amount of hits. Rock n' Roll Star, Live Forever, Supersonic and Cigarettes & Alcohol are probably most well-known. Their following album became an even bigger success than this one and I have to agree that it's even better. Nevertheless, Definitely Maybe is an amazing piece of rock music. The Gallagher brothers lost some of their appreciation in the eyes of many by fighting childishly, but the quality of the music stays. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Dog Man Star has probably the lest strong hit album status of my top four this year, but in my book it's the best one of them all and the strongest album Suede ever made. Bernard Butler is still in the band offering his signature style of playing guitar. The songs are dark and beautiful and the cover picture illustrates the feel of the album perfectly. We Are the Pigs and Heroine are the apparent hits, but the end half of the album is even more interesting. Massive songs with ambitious solos and amazingly talented singing. Brett Anderson and bernard Butler work perfectly together on this album. It's a shame that the latter left the band after this album. Although I'm not complaining about the following hit album either. Listen to the album on Spotify.
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