The Defining Artists of the 1990s

The following artists released some of the best music of the 1990s. Hall of Famers are highlighted in orange.

Of the 193 artists listed above, 28% have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The Defining Albums of the 1990s

Depeche Mode - Violator (1990)

Pixies - Bossanova (1990)

LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)

George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990)

Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet (1990)

Sonic Youth - Goo (1990)

Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas (1990)

Ride - Nowhere (1990)

Sinead O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990)

Madonna - The Immaculate Collection (1990)

Fugazi - Repeater (1990)

Ice Cube - Amerikkka's Most Wanted (1990)

Metallica - Metallica (1991)

A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory (1991)

U2 - Achtung Baby (1991)

Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991)

De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead (1991)

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)

Slint - Spiderland (1991)

Ike & Tina Turner - Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner (1991)

Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (1991)

James Brown - Star Time (1991)

Michael Jackson - Dangerous (1991)

Pearl Jam - Ten (1991)

Various artists - Back to Mono (1958-1969) (1991)

Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)

Primal Scream - Screamadelica (1991)

Frankie Knuckles - Beyond the Mix (1991)

Ice-T - O.G. Original Gangster (1991)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)

Ray Charles - The Birth of Soul (1991)

Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted (1992)

Mary J. Blige - What's the 411? (1992)

Sade - Love Deluxe (1992)

L7 - Bricks Are Heavy (1992)

Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)

The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992)

Beastie Boys - Check Your Head (1992)

R.E.M. - Automatic For The People (1992)

Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes (1992)

Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine (1992)

Nirvana - In Utero (1993)

PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me (1993)

Jerry Lee Lewis - All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology (1993)

Bikini Kill - Pussy Whipped (1993)

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (1993)

Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle (1993)

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)

The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen (1993)

A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders (1993)

The Breeders - Last Splash (1993)

Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville (1993)

Janet Jackson - janet. (1993)

Boyz II Men - II (1994)

Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album) (1994)

Tom Petty - Wildflowers (1994)

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Vol. II (1994)

Green Day - Dookie (1994)

Ween - Chocolate and Cheese (1994)

Pearl Jam - Vitalogy (1994)

Beastie Boys - Ill Communication (1994)

Nas - Illmatic (1994)

TLC - CrazySexyCool (1994)

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (1994)

Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary (1994)

Guided by Voices - Bee Thousand (1994)

Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York (1994)

Portishead - Dummy (1994)

Mary J. Blige - My Life (1994)

Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)

Oasis - Definitely Maybe (1994)

Blur - Parklife (1994)

Hole - Live Through This (1994)

Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)

Soundgarden - Superunknown (1994)

Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die (1994)

Selena - Amor Prohibido (1994)

Johnny Cash - American Recordings (1994)

Genius/GZA - Liquid Swords (1995)

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill (1995)

Mobb Deep - The Infamous (1995)

Pulp - Different Class (1995)

Pavement - Wowee Zowee (1995)

Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory? (1995)

Tricky - Maxinquaye (1995)

Björk - Post (1995)

Radiohead - The Bends (1995)

D'Angelo - Brown Sugar (1995)

Moby - Everything Is Wrong (1995)

Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (1995)

Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes (1995)

Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995)

Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister (1996)

Merle Haggard - Down Every Road 1962-1994 (1996)

2Pac - All Eyez on Me (1996)

Beck - Odelay (1996)

Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996)

DJ Shadow - Endtroducing..... (1996)

Fugees - The Score (1996)

Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996)

Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow (1996)

Orbital - In Sides (1996)

Sublime - Sublime (1996)

Aaliyah - One in a Million (1996)

Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album (1996)

Weezer - Pinkerton (1996)

Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)

Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope (1997)

Missy Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly (1997)

Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)

Bob Dylan - Time Out Of Mind (1997)

Shania Twain - Come On Over (1997)

Old 97's - Too Far to Care (1997)

Erykah Badu - Baduizm (1997)

Björk - Homogenic (1997)

The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole (1997)

Elliot Smith - Either/Or (1997)

Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One (1997)

Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out (1997)

Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death (1997)

Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West (1997)

Daft Punk - Homework (1997)

Spiritualized - Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (1997)

Elliott Smith - XO (1998)

Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)

Air - Moon Safari (1998)

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)

Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children (1998)

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill (1998)

OutKast - Aquemini (1998)

Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998)

Juvenile - 400 Degreez (1998)

Madonna - Ray Of Light (1998)

Shakira - Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998)

Garbage - Version 2.0 (1998)

Fiona Apple - When the Pawn... (1999)

Destiny's Child - The Writing's on the Wall (1999)

Dixie Chicks - Fly (1999)

The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs (1999)

Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun (1999)

Eminem - The Slim Shady LP (1999)

The Roots - Things Fall Apart (1999)

Blink-182 - Enema of the State (1999)

Blur - 13 (1999)

Kelis - Kaleidoscope (1999)

Moby - Play (1999)

The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin (1999)

Wilco - Summerteeth (1999)

Rage Against The Machine - The Battle Of Los Angeles (1999)

Tom Waits - Mule Variations (1999)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication (1999)

The Defining Songs of the 1990s

Digital Underground - The Humpty Dance (1990)

Iggy Pop With Kate Pierson - Candy (1990)

Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence (1990)

Deee-Lite - Groove is in the Heart (1990)

Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealin' (1990)

Madonna - Vogue (1990)

L.L. Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)

MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This (1990)

Salt N Pepa - Let's Talk About Sex (1990)

En Vogue - Hold On (1990)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge (1991)

P.J. Harvey - Dress (1991)

U2 - One (1991)

Nirvana - Come As You Are (1991)

Bonnie Raitt - Something To Talk About (1991)

Pearl Jam - Jeremy (1991)

Geto Boys - Mind Playing Tricks on Me (1991)

Aerosmith - Crazy (1991)

R.E.M. - Losing My Religion (1991)

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991)

Pavement - Summer Babe (Winter Version) (1991)

Angela Lansbury - Beauty and the Beast (1991)

The Offspring - All I Want (1991)

Naughty by Nature - O.P.P. (1991)

Metallica - Enter Sandman (1991)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away (1991)

Pearl Jam - Alive (1991)

Radiohead - Creep (1992)

R.E.M. - Nightswimming (1992)

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven (1992)

Incubus - Drive (1992)

Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name (1992)

Arrested Development - Tennessee (1992)

Mary J. Blige - Real Love (1992)

En Vogue - Free Your Mind (1992)

Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You (1992)

Phish - Chalk Dust Torture (1992)

Sade - No Ordinary Love (1992)

Ice Cube - It Was a Good Day (1992)

Mazzy Star - Fade Into You (1993)

Robin S. - Show Me Love (1993)

Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl (1993)

Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M. (1993)

Alice In Chains - Again (1993)

Nirvana - All Apologies (1993)

Beck - Loser (1993)

The Breeders - Cannonball (1993)

Notorious B.I.G. - Big Poppa (1994)

Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Philadelphia (1994)

Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)

Bon Jovi - Always (1994)

Green Day - Basket Case (1994)

TLC - Waterfalls (1994)

Weezer - Buddy Holly (1994)

Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy (1994)

Hole - Doll Parts (1994)

Nine Inch Nails - Closer (1994)

Beastie Boys - Sabotage (1994)

Weezer - Undone (The Sweater Song) (1994)

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun (1994)

Dave Matthews Band - Ants Marching (1994)

Pulp - Common People (1995)

Judy Kuhn - Colors of the Wind (1995)

Oasis - Wonderwall (1995)

Take That - Back for Good (1995)

Mariah Carey - Fantasy (1995)

2Pac - California Love (1995)

Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know (1995)

Jamiroquai - Alright (1995)

Fiona Apple - Criminal (1996)

Faith Hill - Breathe (1996)

Blackstreet - No Diggity (1996)

Fugees - Ready or Not (1996)

Massive Attack - Angel (1997)

Radiohead - Karma Police (1997)

LeAnn Rimes - How Do I Live (1997)

Foo Fighters - Everlong (1997)

Britney Spears - Baby One More Time (1998)

Korn - Freak On A Leash (1998)

Juvenile - Back That Azz Up (1998)

Jay-Z - Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) (1998)

Dave Matthews Band - Crush (1998)

Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing) (1998)

Cher - Believe (1998)

Fatboy Slim - The Rockafeller Skank (1998)

Destiny's Child - Say My Name (1999)

TLC - No Scrubs (1999)

Kenny Chesney - She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy (1999)

Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way (1999)

DMX - Party Up (Up in Here) (1999)