Albums of 1991
The records from 1991 that made our lists.
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1The Low End TheoryA Tribe Called Quest
The Low End Theory
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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2Damn Right, I've Got the BluesBuddy Guy
Damn Right, I've Got the 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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3Necroticism - Descanting the InsalubriousCarcass
Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious
A technical, gory death-metal peak. Brutal and acclaimed. A genre high point.
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4De La Soul Is DeadDe La Soul
De La Soul Is Dead
A darker, denser follow-up that rejected the hippie label. Sharp and ambitious. A grower among fans.
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5HumanDeath
Human
A technical, progressive death-metal peak of complexity and feel. Ambitious and acclaimed. A genre high point.
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6Like an Ever Flowing StreamDismember
Like an Ever Flowing Stream
A foundational Swedish death-metal landmark. Heavy and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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7Ropin' the WindGarth Brooks
Ropin' the Wind
A blockbuster that cemented Brooks as country's biggest star. Tuneful and enormous. A commercial peak.
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8We Can't Be StoppedGeto Boys
We Can't Be Stopped
A raw, influential Southern-rap landmark, home to 'Mind Playing Tricks on Me'. Dark and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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9Death CertificateIce Cube
Death Certificate
A furious, divisive peak of political West Coast rap. Bold and acclaimed. A landmark.
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10Breaking AtomsMain Source
Breaking Atoms
A jazzy, influential landmark of sample-based production. Smooth and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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11Blue LinesMassive Attack
Blue Lines
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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12MetallicaMetallica
Metallica
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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13DangerousMichael Jackson
Dangerous
A new-jack-swing reinvention of slick, hard-edged pop. Polished and huge. A commercial peak.
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14Blessed Are the SickMorbid Angel
Blessed Are the Sick
A dark, ambitious death-metal peak. Brutal and acclaimed. A genre high point.
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15LovelessMy Bloody Valentine
Loveless
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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16NevermindNirvana
Nevermind
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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17TenPearl Jam
Ten
A passionate, anthemic debut that helped define grunge's mainstream, from 'Alive' to 'Jeremy'. Earnest and huge. A 90s cornerstone.
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18Trompe le MondePixies
Trompe le Monde
A heavier, denser final album of the original run. Sharp and beloved. A strong close.
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19ScreamadelicaPrimal Scream
Screamadelica
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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20Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes BlackPublic Enemy
Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black
A sharp, politically charged peak of dense production. Bold and acclaimed. A high point.
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21Out of TimeR.E.M.
Out of Time
A lush, eclectic blockbuster, home to 'Losing My Religion'. Tuneful and enormous. Their commercial peak.
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22Blood Sugar Sex MagikRed Hot Chili Peppers
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
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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23AriseSepultura
Arise
A ferocious thrash-death peak of precision. Brutal and acclaimed. A high point.
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24SpiderlandSlint
Spiderland
A quiet, eerie, hugely influential record that effectively invented post-rock. Tense and singular. A cult landmark.
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25BadmotorfingerSoundgarden
Badmotorfinger
A heavy, riff-driven grunge peak before Superunknown. Powerful and acclaimed. A high point.
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26Effigy of the ForgottenSuffocation
Effigy of the Forgotten
A foundational brutal-death-metal landmark. Crushing and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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27Laughing StockTalk Talk
Laughing Stock
A hushed, improvisational landmark that helped invent post-rock. Spacious and beautiful. A quiet masterpiece.
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28BandwagonesqueTeenage Fanclub
Bandwagonesque
A power-pop landmark of jangly Big Star worship. Tuneful and beloved. A 90s favourite.
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29The Orb's Adventures Beyond the UltraworldThe Orb
The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld
A sprawling, ambient-house landmark of cosmic drift. Immersive and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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30Achtung BabyU2
Achtung Baby
A bold reinvention into irony, distortion and dance textures, recorded in Berlin. 'One' is its heart. A brave, brilliant pivot.