Albums of 1991

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1. 1
   The Low End TheoryA Tribe Called Quest

   The Low End Theory

   A Tribe Called Quest · 1991 · Hip-Hop

   Jazz-rap perfected, marrying upright bass and crisp drums to relaxed, conscious rhymes. Hugely influential on alternative hip-hop. One of the genre's most beloved albums.

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2. 2
   Damn Right, I've Got the BluesBuddy Guy

   Damn Right, I've Got the Blues

   Buddy Guy · 1991 · Blues

   A fiery comeback that reasserted Guy as a guitar great, with high-profile guests. Electric and acclaimed. A modern blues high point.

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3. 3
   Necroticism - Descanting the InsalubriousCarcass

   Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious

   Carcass · 1991 · Metal

   A technical, gory death-metal peak. Brutal and acclaimed. A genre high point.

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4. 4
   De La Soul Is DeadDe La Soul

   De La Soul Is Dead

   De La Soul · 1991 · Hip-Hop

   A darker, denser follow-up that rejected the hippie label. Sharp and ambitious. A grower among fans.

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5. 5
   HumanDeath

   Human

   Death · 1991 · Metal

   A technical, progressive death-metal peak of complexity and feel. Ambitious and acclaimed. A genre high point.

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6. 6
   Like an Ever Flowing StreamDismember

   Like an Ever Flowing Stream

   Dismember · 1991 · Metal

   A foundational Swedish death-metal landmark. Heavy and beloved. A genre cornerstone.

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7. 7
   Ropin' the WindGarth Brooks

   Ropin' the Wind

   Garth Brooks · 1991 · Country & Americana

   A blockbuster that cemented Brooks as country's biggest star. Tuneful and enormous. A commercial peak.

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8. 8
   We Can't Be StoppedGeto Boys

   We Can't Be Stopped

   Geto Boys · 1991 · Hip-Hop

   A raw, influential Southern-rap landmark, home to 'Mind Playing Tricks on Me'. Dark and beloved. A genre cornerstone.

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9. 9
   Death CertificateIce Cube

   Death Certificate

   Ice Cube · 1991 · Hip-Hop

   A furious, divisive peak of political West Coast rap. Bold and acclaimed. A landmark.

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10. 10
    Breaking AtomsMain Source

    Breaking Atoms

    Main Source · 1991 · Hip-Hop

    A jazzy, influential landmark of sample-based production. Smooth and beloved. A genre cornerstone.

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11. 11
    Blue LinesMassive Attack

    Blue Lines

    Massive Attack · 1991 · Electronic

    Often credited with inventing trip-hop, a slow, soulful blend of hip-hop, dub and soul that set a template for the decade. Smooth and innovative. A genuine pioneer.

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12. 12
    MetallicaMetallica

    Metallica

    Metallica · 1991 · Metal

    The 'Black Album' that took metal mainstream, trading thrash complexity for tight, heavy anthems like 'Enter Sandman'. Massive and inescapable. Their commercial peak.

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13. 13
    DangerousMichael Jackson

    Dangerous

    Michael Jackson · 1991 · Pop

    A new-jack-swing reinvention of slick, hard-edged pop. Polished and huge. A commercial peak.

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14. 14
    Blessed Are the SickMorbid Angel

    Blessed Are the Sick

    Morbid Angel · 1991 · Metal

    A dark, ambitious death-metal peak. Brutal and acclaimed. A genre high point.

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15. 15
    LovelessMy Bloody Valentine

    Loveless

    My Bloody Valentine · 1991 · Alternative & Indie

    The defining shoegaze album, a wall of bent, gliding guitars and buried melody that took years and a fortune to make. Immersive and singular, it has never really been matched. Best played loud on headphones.

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16. 16
    NevermindNirvana

    Nevermind

    Nirvana · 1991 · Alternative & Indie

    The record that dragged underground rock into the mainstream overnight, marrying punk energy to pop hooks and Butch Vig's clean production. 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' is the calling card, but the album runs deep. Its impact on the 1990s is impossible to overstate.

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17. 17
    TenPearl Jam

    Ten

    Pearl Jam · 1991 · Rock

    A passionate, anthemic debut that helped define grunge's mainstream, from 'Alive' to 'Jeremy'. Earnest and huge. A 90s cornerstone.

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18. 18
    Trompe le MondePixies

    Trompe le Monde

    Pixies · 1991 · Alternative & Indie

    A heavier, denser final album of the original run. Sharp and beloved. A strong close.

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19. 19
    ScreamadelicaPrimal Scream

    Screamadelica

    Primal Scream · 1991 · Alternative & Indie

    The album where indie rock dissolved into acid house and gospel euphoria, capturing the rave era. Joyful and pioneering. A genre-blurring classic.

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20. 20
    Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes BlackPublic Enemy

    Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black

    Public Enemy · 1991 · Hip-Hop

    A sharp, politically charged peak of dense production. Bold and acclaimed. A high point.

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21. 21
    Out of TimeR.E.M.

    Out of Time

    R.E.M. · 1991 · Alternative & Indie

    A lush, eclectic blockbuster, home to 'Losing My Religion'. Tuneful and enormous. Their commercial peak.

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22. 22
    Blood Sugar Sex MagikRed Hot Chili Peppers

    Blood Sugar Sex Magik

    Red Hot Chili Peppers · 1991 · Rock

    The funk-rock breakthrough produced by Rick Rubin, balancing party energy with the tender 'Under the Bridge'. Loose and huge. Their defining record.

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23. 23
    AriseSepultura

    Arise

    Sepultura · 1991 · Metal

    A ferocious thrash-death peak of precision. Brutal and acclaimed. A high point.

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24. 24
    SpiderlandSlint

    Spiderland

    Slint · 1991 · Alternative & Indie

    A quiet, eerie, hugely influential record that effectively invented post-rock. Tense and singular. A cult landmark.

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25. 25
    BadmotorfingerSoundgarden

    Badmotorfinger

    Soundgarden · 1991 · Rock

    A heavy, riff-driven grunge peak before Superunknown. Powerful and acclaimed. A high point.

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26. 26
    Effigy of the ForgottenSuffocation

    Effigy of the Forgotten

    Suffocation · 1991 · Metal

    A foundational brutal-death-metal landmark. Crushing and influential. A genre cornerstone.

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27. 27
    Laughing StockTalk Talk

    Laughing Stock

    Talk Talk · 1991 · Punk & New Wave

    A hushed, improvisational landmark that helped invent post-rock. Spacious and beautiful. A quiet masterpiece.

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28. 28
    BandwagonesqueTeenage Fanclub

    Bandwagonesque

    Teenage Fanclub · 1991 · Alternative & Indie

    A power-pop landmark of jangly Big Star worship. Tuneful and beloved. A 90s favourite.

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29. 29
    The Orb's Adventures Beyond the UltraworldThe Orb

    The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld

    The Orb · 1991 · Electronic

    A sprawling, ambient-house landmark of cosmic drift. Immersive and beloved. A genre cornerstone.

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30. 30
    Achtung BabyU2

    Achtung Baby

    U2 · 1991 · Rock

    A bold reinvention into irony, distortion and dance textures, recorded in Berlin. 'One' is its heart. A brave, brilliant pivot.

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