What is the best rock album of the 1990s?

Grunge changed everything, but it wasn't the only story: Britpop, alt-country, shoegaze, and electronic-influenced rock all made their mark. Which 90s album still hits hardest?

Nevermind

Nirvana's 1991 breakthrough that brought alternative rock to a mass audience and effectively ended the hair metal era.

1/15

OK Computer

Radiohead's 1997 landmark album capturing alienation in the digital age, widely regarded as one of the greatest albums ever made.

2/15

Ten

Pearl Jam's 1991 debut combining Eddie Vedder's baritone vocals with arena-ready grunge rock anthems.

3/15

Siamese Dream

Smashing Pumpkins' 1993 album recorded during personal turmoil, featuring layered guitars and emotional intensity.

4/15

Achtung Baby

U2's 1991 industrial and electronic-influenced reinvention, considered their artistic peak and one of the decade's best albums.

5/15

The Bends

Radiohead's 1995 guitar-driven breakthrough blending Britpop emotion with post-grunge power and melody.

6/15

Automatic for the People

R.E.M.'s 1992 critically acclaimed album blending orchestral pop, folk, and rock into an introspective meditation on mortality.

7/15

Superunknown

Soundgarden's 1994 genre-spanning album fusing heavy metal, grunge, and psychedelia with Chris Cornell's extraordinary vocals.

8/15

Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette's 1995 confessional alt-rock album that became a global phenomenon and a defining voice of women's anger.

9/15

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Smashing Pumpkins' 1995 ambitious double album spanning alternative rock, classical, and heavy metal across 28 tracks.

10/15

Weezer (Blue Album)

Weezer's 1994 debut produced by Ric Ocasek, blending power pop hooks with geek self-awareness and massive MTV airplay.

11/15

Dookie

Green Day's 1994 major-label debut that brought pop punk to the mainstream, selling over 20 million copies worldwide.

12/15

Dirt

Alice in Chains' 1992 sludgy, dark grunge album exploring addiction and pain, featuring Layne Staley's haunting vocals.

13/15

In Utero

Nirvana's 1993 deliberately abrasive follow-up to Nevermind, reflecting Kurt Cobain's discomfort with sudden fame.

14/15

Definitely Maybe

Oasis's 1994 debut album that became the fastest-selling debut in UK history, fueled by Britpop anthems and rock swagger.

15/15