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 205 artists listed above, 30% have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The Defining Albums of the 1990s

Depeche Mode - Violator (1990)

Pixies - Bossanova (1990)

Fugazi - Repeater (1990)

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

Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet (1990)

Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas (1990)

Ice Cube - Amerikkka's Most Wanted (1990)

Ride - Nowhere (1990)

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

Sonic Youth - Goo (1990)

Madonna - The Immaculate Collection (1990)

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

Frankie Knuckles - Beyond the Mix (1991)

Pearl Jam - Ten (1991)

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

Metallica - Metallica (1991)

Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991)

James Brown - Star Time (1991)

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)

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

Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)

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

Ray Charles - The Birth of Soul (1991)

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

Michael Jackson - Dangerous (1991)

U2 - Achtung Baby (1991)

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

Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (1991)

Slint - Spiderland (1991)

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

Primal Scream - Screamadelica (1991)

Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted (1992)

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

Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes (1992)

Beastie Boys - Check Your Head (1992)

L7 - Bricks Are Heavy (1992)

Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)

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

The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992)

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

Sade - Love Deluxe (1992)

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

Janet Jackson - janet. (1993)

PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me (1993)

A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders (1993)

Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville (1993)

Bikini Kill - Pussy Whipped (1993)

Nirvana - In Utero (1993)

The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen (1993)

The Breeders - Last Splash (1993)

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (1993)

Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle (1993)

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

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

Selena - Amor Prohibido (1994)

Johnny Cash - American Recordings (1994)

Mary J. Blige - My Life (1994)

Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)

TLC - CrazySexyCool (1994)

Green Day - Dookie (1994)

Hole - Live Through This (1994)

Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)

Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary (1994)

Ween - Chocolate and Cheese (1994)

Nas - Illmatic (1994)

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (1994)

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

Portishead - Dummy (1994)

Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York (1994)

Oasis - Definitely Maybe (1994)

Pearl Jam - Vitalogy (1994)

Soundgarden - Superunknown (1994)

Guided by Voices - Bee Thousand (1994)

Boyz II Men - II (1994)

Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album) (1994)

Beastie Boys - Ill Communication (1994)

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

Tom Petty - Wildflowers (1994)

Blur - Parklife (1994)

Mobb Deep - The Infamous (1995)

Tricky - Maxinquaye (1995)

Pavement - Wowee Zowee (1995)

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill (1995)

Pulp - Different Class (1995)

Björk - Post (1995)

D'Angelo - Brown Sugar (1995)

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

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

Genius/GZA - Liquid Swords (1995)

Radiohead - The Bends (1995)

Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes (1995)

Moby - Everything Is Wrong (1995)

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

2Pac - All Eyez on Me (1996)

Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)

Beck - Odelay (1996)

Orbital - In Sides (1996)

Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996)

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

Weezer - Pinkerton (1996)

Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow (1996)

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

Sublime - Sublime (1996)

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

Fugees - The Score (1996)

Aaliyah - One in a Million (1996)

Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album (1996)

Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996)

Shania Twain - Come On Over (1997)

Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope (1997)

Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)

Missy Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly (1997)

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

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

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

Erykah Badu - Baduizm (1997)

Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out (1997)

Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West (1997)

Elliot Smith - Either/Or (1997)

Björk - Homogenic (1997)

The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole (1997)

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

Bob Dylan - Time Out Of Mind (1997)

Daft Punk - Homework (1997)

OutKast - Aquemini (1998)

Air - Moon Safari (1998)

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

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

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill (1998)

Shakira - Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998)

Elliott Smith - XO (1998)

Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998)

Madonna - Ray Of Light (1998)

Juvenile - 400 Degreez (1998)

Garbage - Version 2.0 (1998)

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

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

Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun (1999)

The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin (1999)

Blink-182 - Enema of the State (1999)

Wilco - Summerteeth (1999)

Kelis - Kaleidoscope (1999)

Eminem - The Slim Shady LP (1999)

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

Moby - Play (1999)

Dixie Chicks - Fly (1999)

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

The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs (1999)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication (1999)

The Roots - Things Fall Apart (1999)

Tom Waits - Mule Variations (1999)

Blur - 13 (1999)

The Defining Songs of the 1990s

Digital Underground - The Humpty Dance (1990)

Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence (1990)

Madonna - Vogue (1990)

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

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

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

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

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

Pearl Jam - Jeremy (1991)

Geto Boys - Mind Playing Tricks on Me (1991)

U2 - One (1991)

Metallica - Enter Sandman (1991)

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

Nirvana - Come As You Are (1991)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away (1991)

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

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge (1991)

Bonnie Raitt - Something To Talk About (1991)

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991)

Pavement - Summer Babe (Winter Version) (1991)

P.J. Harvey - Dress (1991)

Pearl Jam - Alive (1991)

Arrested Development - Tennessee (1992)

Radiohead - Creep (1992)

Ice Cube - It Was a Good Day (1992)

Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You (1992)

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

Sade - No Ordinary Love (1992)

Mary J. Blige - Real Love (1992)

R.E.M. - Nightswimming (1992)

Phish - Chalk Dust Torture (1992)

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven (1992)

Nirvana - All Apologies (1993)

Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl (1993)

Mazzy Star - Fade Into You (1993)

Beck - Loser (1993)

The Breeders - Cannonball (1993)

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

TLC - Waterfalls (1994)

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun (1994)

Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Philadelphia (1994)

Hole - Doll Parts (1994)

Beastie Boys - Sabotage (1994)

Weezer - Buddy Holly (1994)

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

Weezer - Undone (The Sweater Song) (1994)

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

Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)

Dave Matthews Band - Ants Marching (1994)

Green Day - Basket Case (1994)

Nine Inch Nails - Closer (1994)

Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know (1995)

Mariah Carey - Fantasy (1995)

Take That - Back for Good (1995)

Oasis - Wonderwall (1995)

2Pac - California Love (1995)

Pulp - Common People (1995)

Fugees - Ready or Not (1996)

Fiona Apple - Criminal (1996)

Blackstreet - No Diggity (1996)

Radiohead - Karma Police (1997)

Foo Fighters - Everlong (1997)

Fatboy Slim - The Rockafeller Skank (1998)

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

Cher - Believe (1998)

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

Korn - Freak On A Leash (1998)

Celia Cruz - La Vida Es Un Carnaval (1998)

Juvenile - Back That Azz Up (1998)

Destiny's Child - Say My Name (1999)

Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way (1999)

Fiona Apple - Paper Bag (1999)

TLC - No Scrubs (1999)

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

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