Sunday, January 21, 2018

The Best Albums of 1991


We are back with another Best Albums feature from a year gone by - if you missed 1985, check that out after you're done here. Let's go back 27 years - to the year when Sarah and I graduated from high school! Back in 1991, George H.W. Bush was finishing his term as President of the United States. Los Angeles police officers were caught on tape beating Rodney King; the officers acquittal would spark the L.A. Riots the following year. 35 nations united in a six-week battle against Iraq in Operation Desert Storm. Magic Johnson announced that he was HIV positive, ending his initial career in the NBA. Sonic the Hedgehog was released for the Sega Genesis game system. Terminator 2, Hook, The Silence of the Lambs & Beauty and the Beast were topping the box office charts. Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell launched the first Lollapalooza festival tour in Phoenix, Arizona. The world lost some major icons in 1991, with the deaths of actors Redd Foxx & Michael Landon, the founder of Fender instruments - Leo Fender, author Dr. Seuss and a whole slew of musicians: Miles Davis, Freddie Mercury, Serge Gainsbourg, Gene Clark (The Byrds), and Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers).

As always, Sarah and I enlisted the help of our regular contributors & friends to select Top 10 albums. In addition, everyone handpicked a track from each album for you to enjoy in our Best Albums of 1991 Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page (unfortunately there are a few albums not available on Spotify - we encourage you to locate those elsewhere). If you'd like to share your own 1991 favorites, please comment below. We will be back later in the week with a list of our Honorable Mentions. Stay tuned to see which year is coming next!

Bret Helm
Life on this Planet | Audra

10. Pixies - Trompe le Monde
09. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
08. The Ocean Blue - Cerulean
07. Slowdive - Just for a Day
06. Morrissey - Kill Uncle
05. Lowlife - San Antorium
04. Ned's Atomic Dustbin - God Fodder
03. The Psychedelic Furs - World Outside
02. R.E.M. - Out of Time
01. U2 - Achtung Baby

Sarah Quarrie
Life on this Planet

10. Material Issue - International Pop Overthrow
09. The Wonder Stuff - Never Loved Elvis
08. R.E.M. - Out of Time
07. Texas - Mothers Heaven
06. Breathless - Between Happiness and Heartache
05. Kitchens of Distinction - Strange Free World
04. Ned's Atomic Dustbin - God Fodder
03. Jesus Jones - Doubt
02. Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger
01. Smashing Pumpkins - Gish

Ron Marrs
New Orleans, Louisiana

10. Rowland S. Howard / Lydia Lunch - Shotgun Wedding
09. Swervedriver - Raise
08. Slowdive - Just for a Day
07. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
06. Nitzer Ebb - Ebbhead
05. Live - Mental Jewelry
04. Nirvana - Nevermind
03. Cranes - Wings of Joy
02. Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
01. Shadow Project - s/t

Rob Clark
Rockford, Illinois

10. Richard Thompson - Rumor & Sigh
09. Massive Attack - Blue Lines
08. Primal Scream - Screamadelica
07. Rain Tree Crow - s/t
06. Pearl Jam - Ten
05. U2 - Achtung Baby
04. Live - Mental Jewelry
03. The Tragically Hip - Road Apples
02. Chris Whitley - Living with the Law
01. Talk Talk - Laughing Stock


Jaymz Todd
Saturday Night Music Club

10. Type O Negative - Slow, Deep and Hard
09. Slint - Spiderland
08.Violent Femmes - Why Do Birds Sing?
07. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
06. Chapterhouse - Whirlpool
05. Coil - Love's Secret Domain
04. Prince - Diamonds and Pearls
03. Pearl Jam - Ten
02. Nitzer Ebb - Ebbhead
01. <PiG> - Praise the Lard

Mike Keddy
Western Massachusetts

10. Julian Cope - Peggy Suicide
09. Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque
08. U2 - Achtung Baby
07.Slowdive - Just for a Day
06. Slint - Spiderland
05. Pearl Jam - Ten
04. Swervedriver - Raise
03. Talk Talk - Laughing Stock
02. Nirvana - Nevermind
01. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

Jason Jones
Okinawa, Japan

10. Erasure - Chorus
09. Blur - Leisure
08. Nirvana - Nevermind
07. The Ocean Blue - Cerulean
06. Enya - Shepherd Moons
05. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Superstition
04. R.E.M. - Out of Time
03. Swans - White Light from the Mouth of Infinity
02. U2 - Achtung Baby
01. Morrissey - Kill Uncle

Sierra Anna Jones
Okinawa, Japan

10. This Mortal Coil - Blood
09. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Superstition
08. Morrissey - Kill Uncle
07. Chapterhouse - Whirlpool
06. Primal Scream - Screamadelica
05. Swans - White Light from the Mouth of Infinity
04. The Ocean Blue - Cerulean
03. Slowdive - Just for a Day
02. The Field Mice - For Keeps
01. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

John Magness
Uttoxeter, England

10. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Sugar Tax
09. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Superstition
08. Everything but the Girl - Worldwide
07. Pearl Jam - Ten
06. R.E.M. - Out of Time
05. Nirvana - Nevermind
04. Crowded House - Woodface
03. Billy Bragg - Don't Try This at Home
02. Eg and Alice - 24 Years of Hunger
01. Kirsty MacColl - Electric Landlady

STATS
56 different albums appeared in this feature
Which ones made it onto the most lists?
My Bloody Valentine (4), Nirvana (4), Pearl Jam (4), R.E.M. (4), Slowdive (4) and U2 (4)



If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out our feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine (click image below)
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