Leading Artists of the 1990's

On this page we've listed the 100 most critically acclaimed artists of the 1990's. Once again, this list is based on over 50 magazine/webzine album polls. To qualify, artists needed to have at least 2 albums that were voted for (amongst all the 1990's polls). That's why you will not find 1990's 'one-album-wonders' such as Lauryn Hill, Arrested Development, My Bloody Valentine, Happy Mondays, DJ Shadow and others on this list. Under each artist, is their most critically acclaimed 1990's albums (maximum of 3). For Jumping Fences' own list of the best 100 artists of the 1990's, please click here.

1.  R.E.M. - Out of Time (1991); Automatic for the People (1992); New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996).

2.  Neil Young - Ragged Glory (1990); Harvest Moon (1992); Sleeps with Angels (1994).

3.  Beck - Odelay (1996); Mutations (1998); Midnite Vultures (1999).

4.  Nirvana - Nevermind (1991); In Utero (1993); MTV Unplugged in New York (1994).

5.  PJ Harvey - Dry (1992); Rid of Me (1993); To Bring You My Love (1995).

6.  Blur - Parklife (1994); The Great Escape (1995); 13 (1999).

7.  Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted (1992); Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994); Brighten the Corners (1997).

8.  Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991); Protection (1994); Mezzanine (1998).

9.  Radiohead - Pablo Honey (1993); The Bends (1994); OK Computer (1997).

10.  Oasis - Definitely Maybe (1994); (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995); Be Here Now (1997).

11.  Bjork - Debut (1993); Post (1995); Homogenic (1997).

12.  Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Good Son (1990); Henry's Dream (1992); Let Love In (1994).

13.  Suede - Suede (1993); Dog Man Star (1994); Coming Up (1996)

14.  Beastie Boys - Check Your Head (1992); Ill Communication (1994); Hello Nasty (1998).

15.  Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet (1990); Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Back (1991); Muse sick 'N' Hour Mess Age (1994).

16.  Tricky - Maxinquaye (1995); Nearly God (1996); Pre-Millenium Tension (1996).

17.  Portishead - Dummy (1994); Portishead (1997); Roseland NYC [Live] (1998).

18.  Pulp - His 'N' Hers (1994); Different Class (1995); This is Hardcore (1998).

19.  The Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust (1995); Dig Your Own Hole (1997); Surrender (1999).

20.  Primal Scream - Screamadelica (1991); Give Out But Don't Give Up (1994); Vanishing Point (1997).

21.  Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (1993); Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995); Adore (1998).

22.  Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (1991); Grand Prix (1995); Songs from Northern Britain (1997).

23.  Sonic Youth - Goo (1990); Dirty (1992); Washing Machine (1995).

24.  Manic Street Preachers - Generation Terrorists (1992); The Holy Bible (1994); Everything Must Go (1996).

25.  Prince - Graffiti Bridge (1990); Diamonds and Pearls (1991); Love Symbol Album (1992).

26.  Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies (1992); Pure Phase (1995); Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (1997).

27.  Sugar - Copper Blue (1992); Beaster (1993); File Under: Easy Listening (1994).

28.  Pearl Jam - Ten (1991); Vs. (1993); Vitalogy (1994).

29.  U2 - Achtung Baby (1991); Zooropa (1993); Pop (1997).

30.  Mercury Rev - Yerself is Steam (1991); See You on the Other Side (1995); Deserter's Songs (1998).

31.  Pixies - Bossanova (1990); Trompe Le Monde (1991); Death to the Pixies [Compilation] (1997).

32.  Supergrass - I Should Coco (1995); In it for the Money (1997); Supergrass (1999).

33.  Tindersticks - Tindersticks (1993); Tindersticks (1995); Curtains (1997).

34.  Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, Volumes 1-3 (1991); Time Out of Mind (1997); Live 1966 - Royal Albert Concert (1998).

35.  Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994); Sketches for (My Sweetheart the Drunk) (1998).

36.  Tom Waits - Bone Machine (1992); Mule Variations (1999).

37.  Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister (1997); The Boy with the Arab Strap (1998); Tigermilk [re-issue] (1999).

38.  Pet Shop Boys - Behavior (1990); Discography (1991); Very (1993).

39.  Hole - Pretty on the Inside (1991); Live Through This (1994); Celebrity Skin (1998).

40.  A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990); The Low End Theory (1991); Midnight Marauders (1993).

41.  Morrissey - Bona Drag (1990); Your Arsenal (1992); Vauxhall and I (1994);

42.  Orbital - Untitled [aka Orbital 2 or The Brown Album] (1993); Snivilisation (1994); In Sides (1996).

43.  The Flaming Lips - Hit to Death in the Future Head (1992); Clouds Taste Metallic (1995); The Soft Bulletin (1999).

44.  Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville (1993); Whip-Smart (1994); Whitechocolatespaceegg (1998).

45.  The Lemonheads - It's a Shame About Ray (1992); Come On Feel the Lemonheads (1993); Car Button Cloth (1996).

46.  The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps (1993); Wake Up! (1995); C'mon Kids (1996).

47.  The Verve - A Storm in Heaven (1993); A Northern Soul (1995); Urban Hymns (1997).

48.  The Prodigy - Experience (1992); Music for the Jilted Generation (1994); The Fat of the Land (1997).

49.  Stereolab - Mars Audiac Quintet (1994); Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996); Dots and Loops (1997).

50.  Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman (1994); Second Toughest in the Infants (1996); Beacoup Fish (1999).

51.  The Charlatans - Some Friendly (1990); Tellin' Stories (1997); Us and Us Only (1999).

52.  Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Orange (1994); Now I Got Worry (1996); Acme (1998).

53.  Wilco - A.M. (1995); Being There (1996); Summer Teeth (1999).

54.  Will Oldham ( The Palace Brothers, Palace Music & Bonnie Prince Billy) - There is No-One What Will Take Care of You (1993); Viva Last Blues (1995); I See a Darkness (1999).

55.  Sinead O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990); Universal Mother (1994).

56.  Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen (1993); Black Love (1996); 1965 (1998).

57.  Elliott Smith - XO (1996); Either/Or (1997).

58.  Van Morrison - Enlightenment (1990); Hymns to the Silence (1991); Too Long in Exile (1993).

59.  Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger (1991); Superunknown (1994); Down on the Upside (1996).

60.  Air - Moon Safari (1998); Premiers Symptomes (1999).

61.  Yo La Tengo - Painful (1993); Electr-O-Pura (1995); I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997).

62.  Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill (1991); Black Sunday (1993); Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom (1995).

63.  Moby - Everything is Wrong (1995); I Like to Score (1997); Play (1999).

64.  Nine Inch Nails - Broken (1992); The Downward Spiral (1994); The Fragile (1999).

65.  Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters (1995); The Colour and the Shape (1997); There is Nothing Left to Lose (1999).

66.  Red Hot Chili Peppers - Bloodsugarsexmagic (1991); One Hot Minute (1995); Californication (1999).

67.  Guns 'N Roses - Use Your Illusion I (1991); Use Your Illusion II (1991); Spaghetti Incident? (1993).

68.  The Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall (1992); Tomorrow the Green Grass (1995); The Sound of Lies (1997).

69.  Cornershop (including Clinton) - Woman's Gotta Have It (1995); When I Was Born for the 7th Time (1997); Disco and the Halfway to Discontent (1999).

70.  Prefab Sprout - Jordan: The Comeback (1990); Life of Surprises (1992); Andromeda Heights (1997).

71.  Johnny Cash - American Recordings (1994); Unchained (1996).

72.  The Divine Comedy - Liberation (1993); Promenade (1994); Casanova (1996).

73.  Gang Starr - Step in the Arena (1991); Daily Operation (1992); Moment of Truth (1998).

74.  St. Etienne - Foxbase Alpha (1991); So Tough (1993); Tiger Bay (1994).

75.  Goldie - Timeless (1995); Saturnz Return (1998).

76.  World Party - Goodbye Jumbo (1990); Bang! (1993); Egyptology (1997).

77.  Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields & The 6ths) - The Charm of the Highway Strip (1994); Wasps Nest (1995); 69 Love Songs (1999).

78.  PM Dawn - Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross (1991); The Bliss Album? (1993); Jesus Wept (1995).

79.  American Music Club - Everclear (1991); Mercury (1993); San Francisco (1994).

80.  Steve Earle - I Feel Alright (1996); El Corazon (1997); The Mountain (1999).

81.  The Auteurs - New Wave (1993); After Murder Park (1996); How I Learned to Love the Boot Boys (1999).

82.  Sebadoh - Rockin' the Forest (1992); Bakesale (1994); Harmacy (1996).

83.  Paul Weller - Paul Weller (1992); Wild Wood (1993); Stanley Road (1995).

84.  Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992); 2001 (1999).

85.  Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend (1991); 100% Fun (1995); In Reverse (1999).

86.  Tortoise - Tortoise (1994); Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996); TNT (1998).

87.  Gomez - Bring it On (1998); Liquid Skin (1999).

88.  Death in Vegas - Dead Elvis (1997); The Contino Sessions (1999).

89.  Los Lobos - The Neighborhood (1990); Kiko (1992); Colossal Head (1996).

90.  De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead (1991); Buhloone Mindstate (1993); Stakes is High (1996).

91.  Guided by Voices - Bee Thousand (1994); Alien Lanes (1995); Do the Collapse (1999).

92.  The Orb - Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld (1991); U.F. Orb (1992); Live '93 (1993).

93.  Deus - Worst Case Scenario (1994); In a Bar Under the Sea (1996); The Ideal Crash (1999).

94.  Ride - Nowhere (1990); Going Blank Again (1992); Carnival of Light (1994).

95.  The Eels - Beautiful Freak (1996); Electro-Shock Blues (1998).

96.  Deee-Lite - World Clique (1990); Dewdrops in the Garden (1994).

97.  The Fall - Extricate (1990); Shift-Work (1991); Code:Selfish (1992).

98.  Lucinda Williams - Sweet Old World (1992); Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998).

99.  Garbage - Garbage (1995); Version 2.0 (1998).

100.  Julian Cope - Peggy Suicide (1991); Jehovahkill (1992); Floored Genius (1992)