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43
Little Earthquakes (1992)
Released
Tori Amos, 1992. Start with Silent All These Years
The piano and a close vocal make the emotional shifts easy to hear. Start here for the songwriter branch that shares the decade’s direct language without needing a band’s guitar sound.
More about Little Earthquakes44
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
Released
The Smashing Pumpkins, 1995. Start with Tonight, Tonight
Strings and drumming give the song an unusually large shape. It opens up a double album with room for short guitar tracks, ballads, and a much more theatrical sort of pop.
More about Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness45
Pinkerton (1996)
Released
Weezer, 1996. Start with El Scorcho
The soft, rough-edged opening breaks into a hook that is easy to remember. Choose it for a record that keeps the singer’s awkward pauses alongside big pop turns.
More about Pinkerton46
Laid (1993)
Released
James, 1993. Start with Laid
A quick, open guitar sound lets the vocal move from conversation to an exuberant line. Choose it for an alternative pop record with room for smaller textures around a well-known single.
More about Laid47
Become What You Are (1993)
Released
The Juliana Hatfield Three, 1993. Start with My Sister
A tight guitar riff and a sharp refrain set off a sketch of an older sister. Try it for a quieter corner of US alternative radio where precise words can bring a chorus into focus.
More about Become What You Are48
Let Love In (1994)
Released
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, 1994. Start with Red Right Hand
A repeated low figure makes tiny changes in sound feel threatening. Choose it for the darker theatrical branch of the decade, where a voice can supply the center a guitar usually takes.
More about Let Love In49
Dopes to Infinity (1995)
Released
Monster Magnet, 1995. Start with Negasonic Teenage Warhead
A heavy repeating riff gives the melody enough lift to move across the noisy mix. Put it on for 1990s alternative where psychedelic and heavy-rock sounds meet.
More about Dopes to Infinity50
In/Casino/Out (1998)
Released
At the Drive-In, 1998. Start with Napoleon Solo
A wound-up beat and a moving guitar figure give a grief-struck song its pace. Try it for post-hardcore when you want to hear how a few sharp changes can carry an especially personal performance.
More about In/Casino/Out51
It's a Shame About Ray (1992)
Released
The Lemonheads, 1992. Start with It's a Shame About Ray
The melody goes by quickly without wasting a phrase. Choose it for 1990s guitar pop where jangle and plainly sung lines can carry a short record.
More about It's a Shame About Ray52
Dookie (1994)
Released
Green Day, 1994. Start with Welcome to Paradise
A fast, clean guitar chord pattern supports a tune about growing attached to an uncertain place. The bass and drum break gives you a reason to listen beyond the chorus.
More about Dookie53
Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)
Released
Stereolab, 1996. Start with Cybele’s Reverie
Listen for the way strings and a pulsing rhythm support the French vocal. The track makes it easy to hear how Stereolab joined experimental repetition to a compact pop song.
More about Emperor Tomato Ketchup54
Repeater (1990)
Released
Fugazi, 1990. Start with Turnover
The bass gives the clipped guitars a pattern to push against, and the voices rise as the rhythm tightens. Start here for the kind of post-hardcore that depends on precision as much as force.
More about Repeater55
Heaven or Las Vegas (1990)
Released
Cocteau Twins, 1990. Start with Cherry-Coloured Funk
The bass and drum pattern stay steady while Elizabeth Fraser moves across the bright guitar layers. It is a quick way into the album's dream pop if you want to hear how a voice can carry the melody like an instrument.
More about Heaven or Las Vegas56
Goo (1990)
Released
Sonic Youth, 1990. Start with Kool Thing
The guitars keep pulling a tight groove apart at the edges. Listen for the exchange with Chuck D to hear how the band's noise rock could make room for a startling conversation.
More about Goo57
Gentlemen (1993)
Released
The Afghan Whigs, 1993. Start with Debonair
Greg Dulli leans into the beat while the guitars turn a clean hook into something uneasy. Pick this for the way the Cincinnati band drew on soul phrasing inside a hard-edged guitar album.
More about Gentlemen58
Ritual de lo Habitual (1990)
Released
Jane's Addiction, 1990. Start with Stop!
The guitar and drums jolt from a stop to a sprint beneath Perry Farrell's voice. Follow it with Three Days if you want to hear the same Los Angeles band turn that energy into a much longer piece.
More about Ritual de lo Habitual59
Tragic Kingdom (1995)
Released
No Doubt, 1995. Start with Spiderwebs
The guitar and horns set up the bounce while Gwen Stefani takes the chorus somewhere bigger. It is a way into the Orange County ska-punk sound before the record moves toward ballads.
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