Unless it’s Nirvana, it’s no easy task choosing the best albums from the biggest alternative rock bands of all time.
But it’s a challenge we are willing to take.
What “alternative” means has certainly changed over the years. There were music snobs in the ’90s that would scoff and say, “Well, what’s it alternative to?”
READ MORE: 21 Underrated 1990s Albums Every Rock Fan Should Own on Vinyl
“Alternative rock” became a catch-all for the quickly evolving sound of rock music. There seemed to be no set direction the genre was moving in throughout the entirety of the 1990s.
Here is a look back at the best work from 11 legendary alternative rock bands.
The Cure, Disintegration (1989)
Top songs: “Pictures of You,” “Lovesong,” “Lullaby”
Under-the-radar track: “Disintegration”
Why it’s their best: The Cure stepped back into the darkness on Disintegration. And maybe if they had stayed there the entire time, this album wouldn’t have made as much of an impact, but it certainly makes the overall gloominess that much more impactful.
At the center of it all is Robert Smith, who is introspective in a way that draws you in as he tries to make sense of it all. One moment, Smith is looking back at photos of his wife (“Pictures of You”) and the next he lets listeners know he is “running out of time” (“Closedown”).
Disintegration is The Cure perfectly cultivating that pleasant drearyness that they do better than anyone else.
Green Day, Dookie (1994)
Top songs: “Basket Case,” “When I Come Around,” “Welcome to Paradise”
Under-the-radar track: “F.O.D.”
Why it’s their best: A case could be made for American Idiot being the top Green Day album, but there is one area where Dookie has the advantage. While the high spots on American Idiot are certainly there, the lows are more noticeable than they are on Dookie.
Dookie is consistently great at every turn after Billie Joe Armstrong opens the album with the line “I declare I don’t care no more” on “Burnout.” What follows is angst, boredom (“Longview”) and eventual frustration that boils over (“She,” “F.O.D.”).
The album is a snapshot of three guys in their early 20s trying to figure out life and their own emotions before fully maturing. It’s relatable to just about everyone who went through that period.
Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral (1994)
Top songs: “Closer,” “Hurt,” “March of the Pigs”
Under-the-radar track: “Heresy”
Why it’s their best: This is what you expect to hear when someone promises you an industrial rock album called The Downward Spiral that was recorded in a murder house.
Nine Inch Nails deliver dark stories of depression, isolation and sex through highly produced music that maintains the grittiness of the subject matter at hand. There’s also plenty of twists and turns along the way from the pounding “March of the Pigs” to the sweeping album closer, “Hurt.”
Not knowing what awaits around the corner from track to track is what makes The Downward Spiral a fascinating listen.
Nirvana, Nevermind (1991)
Top songs: “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come As You Are,” “Lithium”
Under-the-radar track: “Stay Away”
Why it’s their best: What else can we tell you about Nevermind that hasn’t already been written? The album brings together some of the best elements of grunge, alternative and punk music and pairs them with mostly thoughtful lyrics to create something truly unique.
Nevermind was groundbreaking at the time of its release and it hasn’t really been matched since.
Oasis, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
Top songs: “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Champagne Supernova”
Under-the-radar track: “Hello”
Why it’s their best: In an era when the final song of an album tended to be a throwaway or a gimmicky hidden track, Oasis closed (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? with “Champagne Supernova.” It serves as the perfect singalong to get you to stay for one more round (or even another listen to the album).
The road to get to that gem at the end is filled with catchy, anthemic hits. There’s also drunken vibes and a bit of snottiness in the lyrics that hit just right when delivered with more of a pop-rock sound. And in the end, that’s what Oasis have always done best.
Pearl Jam, Vs. (1993)
Top songs: “Daughter,” “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town, “Dissident”
Under-the-radar track: “Blood”
Why it’s their best: Some bands would have followed up their much-praised debut by buckling down in the studio to rip off the slickest, most well-produced album with their newfound fame. But Pearl Jam (mostly) did the exact opposite.
The band’s sophomore album, Vs., is a hearty serving of unvarnished alt-rock that is solid from start to finish. Sure, the hits might be bigger on Ten, but Vs. is tops in Pearl Jam’s catalogue when it comes to being a complete, cohesive album.
Radiohead, OK Computer (1997)
Top songs: “No Surprises,” “Karma Police,” “Let Down”
Under-the-radar track: “Electioneering”
Why it’s their best: OK Computer was considered experimental when Radiohead released it in 1997. Gone were the days of taking the straightforward approach, as we had heard on 1995’s The Bends.
OK Computer has Radiohead creating layer upon layer of sound and pairs it with thought-provoking lyrics. “Karma Police,” for example, touches on the not-so-pleasant side of capitalism while delivering lush, sweeping sounds that perfectly accent every line from Thom Yorke.
“Electioneering” isn’t as dense in terms of sound, but it more than makes up for it with lyrics that address the political climate.
Radiohead certainly experimented a lot more with their sound following OK Computer, but this is the one where they get it right at every turn.
Rage Against the Machine, Rage Against the Machine (1992)
Top songs: “Killing in the Name,” “Bombtrack,” “Know Your Enemy”
Under-the-radar track: “Township Rebellion”
Why it’s their best: Consider what it meant to hear this album for the first time in 1992. Nu-metal wasn’t really a thing at that time, and Rage Against the Machine show up with a guy rapping some serious stuff over bludgeoning beats.
Add in Tom Morello’s inventive guitarwork and you have something truly unique when it first landed. It still might be considered that even today.
From the moment “Bombtrack” hits to open the album, Rage Against the Machine rarely let up on the throttle as they plow ahead with heavy-hitters like “Killing in the Name, Know Your Enemy and “Wake Up.”
There’s also a cameo by Maynard James Keenan from Tool in there that kind of gets lost as RATM are on a mission to destroy everything in their way.
The Smashing Pumpkins, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
Top songs: “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” “Tonight, Tonight,” “1979”
Under-the-radar track: “Jellybelly”
Why it’s their best: How many double albums can you think of that really could have been a single album by cutting out the duds? The Smashing Pumpkins avoided that pitfall with Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
The release seemed overly ambitious at the time. The Smashing Pumpkins were looking to keep the momentum they had gained on their 1993 breakthrough album, Siamese Dream, and decided to go all-in by shooting for a double album from the jump.
The move paid off, leading to seven Grammy nominations in 1997. Those nominations shouldn’t be much of a surprise either.
Many of the Pumpkins’ most memorable songs can be found on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness as they tell tales about everything from rats in cages (“Bullet With Butterfly Wings”) to their beloved home “city by the lake” (“Tonight, Tonight).
Soundgarden, Badmotorfinger (1991)
Top songs: “Outshined,” “Rusty Cage,” “Jesus Christ Pose”
Under-the-radar track: “Searching With My Good Eye Closed”
Why it’s their best: Badmotorfinger is Soundgarden‘s bridge from metal into alt-rock. It expertly toes the line between the two worlds as they mesh pulverizing beats with lyrics that are more dialed in compared to their past work.
“Outshined” is one of the best examples of Soundgarden combining elements of metal and alternative. The guitar sounds massive as it chugs along, but then lets up to put the spotlight more on Chris Cornell’s excellent voice.
“Rusty Cage” takes a similar approach with Cornell stepping out front before the rest of the band continues moving on at a breakneck pace.
Soundgarden’s approach to handling the push and pull of those two sides is what helps make Badmotorfinger their best work.
The White Stripes, White Blood Cells (2001)
Top songs: “Fell in Love With a Girl,” “We’re Going to Be Friends,” “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground”
Under-the-radar track: “Expecting”
Why it’s their best: The White Stripes were starting to turn the corner to become a full-on, commercially successful garage rock on White Blood Cells. We of course know that looking back more than 25 years later, but at the time, you could also hear it on the album.
White Blood Cells is 16 (mostly) quick hits of raw rock as Jack White sings about love and betrayal. It also has a more dynamic sound than past White Stripes albums.
The furiously paced “Fell in Love With a Girl” blasts out of the speakers while “We’re Going to Be Friends” kicks off the second half of the album with Jack White getting all sensitive on us as he dials down the guitar fuzz for a moment.
Intense, sweet and a tad bluesy at times, White Blood Cells is the White Stripes’ most cohesive album and may be the best among anything put out by Jack White.
The 1990s were certainly massive years in the world of alternative rock. Keep reading for a rundown of the best alt-rock albums from each year of the decade.
Best Alternative Album of Each Year of the 1990s
Alt-rock finally got a mainstream spotlight in the ’90s and these are the albums that made the most of having that broader platform.
Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire