The best alternative albums of the ’90s open up whole branches of the decade. Start with shoegaze guitars, riot grrrl’s direct address, industrial drums, or a college-radio album that turns small sounds into hooks. Each…
Items 59 The creator’s order
1 Loveless (1991) Released Jan 1, 1991 My Bloody Valentine, 1991. Start with Only Shallow
A guitar chord bends into fuzz while a soft vocal keeps the tune in place. Start here for shoegaze as an approach to rhythm and melody. 0 2 OK Computer (1997) Released Jan 1, 1997 Radiohead, 1997. Start with Paranoid Android
Several sections with sharply different moods fit into one song. Start here if you want to hear a large guitar band moving toward an unsettled, studio-built record. 0 3 Dig Me Out (1997) Released Jan 1, 1997 Sleater-Kinney, 1997. Start with Dig Me Out
Two guitars interlock rather than trading neat solos. Listen to how the voice and drums move through them for an immediate sense of what made this branch of punk feel distinct. 0 4 The Downward Spiral (1994) Released Jan 1, 1994 Nine Inch Nails, 1994. Start with Closer
A precise beat and repeated figures keep a deliberately uncomfortable song easy to follow. Choose the album when you want industrial production to form the sound of a whole record. 0 5 Souvlaki (1993) Released Jan 1, 1993 Slowdive, 1993. Start with When the Sun Hits
The quiet opening leaves room for an enormous guitar swell. It is an easy way from a conventional chorus into the more spacious part of 1990s guitar music. 0 6 The Curtain Hits the Cast (1996) Released Jan 1, 1996 Low, 1996. Start with Over the Ocean
Quiet repetitions and long gaps do much of the work. Try it for slowcore, where a small change in a harmony can feel as large as a loud guitar entrance. 0 7 Bossanova (1990) Released Jan 1, 1990 Pixies, 1990. Start with Velouria
The neat pop tune sits inside a surf-tinged mix. This is a good first Pixies album if you want to follow how a forceful chorus can coexist with deliberately odd details. 0 8 Last Splash (1993) Released Jan 1, 1993 The Breeders, 1993. Start with Cannonball
A bent bass figure, a clipped vocal and abrupt stops make the hook feel like a moving target. Choose it for guitar pop whose rough edges give the chorus room to land. 0 9 Weezer (1994) Released Jan 1, 1994 Weezer, 1994. The Blue Album · Start with Say It Ain't So
Simple guitar accents and a close chorus make the changes in volume easy to follow. Start here for power pop with the guitar weight left on. 0 10 The Real Ramona (1991) Released Jan 1, 1991 Throwing Muses, 1991. Start with Counting Backwards
A quick guitar shape brushes against a strikingly direct vocal. Follow the short, sharp chorus into an album that can alter its balance without losing its rhythm. 0 
Loveless (1991)Released Jan 1, 1991My Bloody Valentine, 1991. Start with Only Shallow A guitar chord bends into fuzz while a soft vocal keeps the tune in place. Start here for shoegaze as an approach to rhythm and melody.0
OK Computer (1997)Released Jan 1, 1997Radiohead, 1997. Start with Paranoid Android Several sections with sharply different moods fit into one song. Start here if you want to hear a large guitar band moving toward an unsettled, studio-built record.0
Dig Me Out (1997)Released Jan 1, 1997Sleater-Kinney, 1997. Start with Dig Me Out Two guitars interlock rather than trading neat solos. Listen to how the voice and drums move through them for an immediate sense of what made this branch of punk feel distinct.0
The Downward Spiral (1994)Released Jan 1, 1994Nine Inch Nails, 1994. Start with Closer A precise beat and repeated figures keep a deliberately uncomfortable song easy to follow. Choose the album when you want industrial production to form the sound of a whole record.0
Souvlaki (1993)Released Jan 1, 1993Slowdive, 1993. Start with When the Sun Hits The quiet opening leaves room for an enormous guitar swell. It is an easy way from a conventional chorus into the more spacious part of 1990s guitar music.0
The Curtain Hits the Cast (1996)Released Jan 1, 1996Low, 1996. Start with Over the Ocean Quiet repetitions and long gaps do much of the work. Try it for slowcore, where a small change in a harmony can feel as large as a loud guitar entrance.0
Bossanova (1990)Released Jan 1, 1990Pixies, 1990. Start with Velouria The neat pop tune sits inside a surf-tinged mix. This is a good first Pixies album if you want to follow how a forceful chorus can coexist with deliberately odd details.0
Last Splash (1993)Released Jan 1, 1993The Breeders, 1993. Start with Cannonball A bent bass figure, a clipped vocal and abrupt stops make the hook feel like a moving target. Choose it for guitar pop whose rough edges give the chorus room to land.0
Weezer (1994)Released Jan 1, 1994Weezer, 1994. The Blue Album · Start with Say It Ain't So Simple guitar accents and a close chorus make the changes in volume easy to follow. Start here for power pop with the guitar weight left on.0
The Real Ramona (1991)Released Jan 1, 1991Throwing Muses, 1991. Start with Counting Backwards A quick guitar shape brushes against a strikingly direct vocal. Follow the short, sharp chorus into an album that can alter its balance without losing its rhythm.0