Best albums of the '90s, according a non-eminent non-music critic

I absolutely, without a doubt, indisputably am a product of the 1990s.  I love the '90s the way Baby Boomers love the 1960s--in an uncritical, hazy way that makes me quite annoying.  The '90s are, as the adage says, like sex and pizza: even when they were bad, they were still pretty good.  So, in that spirit, here's my list of the top albums of the '90s.


Let's just go ahead and get the first two out of the way:

• Nirvana, Nevermind

 No list of '90s albums is complete without Nevermind.  I encountered Nirvana in 1991, and this was the year that the '80s ended for me.  It was a time of transition: I started high school; I got my last perm; I had posters of both New Kids on the Block and REM on my wall.  All the talk about how Nirvana changed everything is not hyperbole.  This was different than anything I had ever heard, and I wanted more of it.
Favorite tracks: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (duh), "Lithium".  

• Pearl Jam, Ten

Another obvious choice, but it's a classic.  Eddie Vedder's intensity stops just short of being scary.

Favorite track: "Black". So desperate and heartfelt. "I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky, but why can't it be mine?" Sob!

• U2, Achtung Baby

This is my all-time favorite U2 album.  I just listened to it a couple of days ago, and nothing about it sounds dated.  It's just as fresh and dramatic and gorgeous as it was 21 years ago (and oh my gosh, I really wish I hadn't just done that math).  

Favorite tracks: "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?", "So Cruel".  Both of these are great to sing out loud in the car.

• REM, Automatic for the People

And here's my all-time favorite REM album: a sublime collection of gorgeous music.  Beautiful and emotional.

Favorite track: "Nightswimming". Always "Nightswimming."  This song has been known to make people weep, but I'm not naming any names.

• Jeff Buckley, Grace

Oh man, Jeff Buckley.  Gorgeous, talented, and tragic.  

Favorite tracks: "Last Goodbye", "Lilac Wine", "Hallelujah" (of course), "Lover, You Should've Come Over". How do you even choose a favorite song from Grace?  It's impossible.

• Juliana Hatfield, Hey Babe

I loved this girl so much circa 1994.  I saw her in concert my freshman year at UNCG, and she was great.  

Favorite track: "Everybody Loves Me But You". Fun, upbeat song about having a cold, cold bed and a broken heart.

• Ben Folds Five, Whatever and Ever Amen

Here's all I have to say about this album:

Favorite track: The whole damn thing.  This one's great. This one too. But really, they all are.  Ben Folds is a genius.

• Jay-Z, Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life

Come on now...I couldn't spend an entire decade listening to nothing but sad white people!

Favorite tracks: "Can I Get A...". Dirty and misogynistic, but I love it anyway.