Thorneys Top Albums of the 90s - 1993,1994 up to 76

[TheThorne]

We are back and we are going to do the rest of the 90s and then we will go back and do the 70s in reverse order so that's the plan for 2024.

A pretty solid year, we have 135 albums that are a 3.5 or better but maybe not as many 4+ as previous years.

So before the bubblers we have

Sabres of Paradise, Medicine, John Mellencamp, Bivouac, Jackson Browne, Milltown Brothers, The Fall, Runrig, Grant Lee Buffalo, Senseless Things, Concrete Blonde, Eat, That Petrol Emotion, Sloan, Cyndi Lauper, a-ha, Horse, Paw, Tears For Fears, Starclub, sorry @Razzle Dazzle Ace Of Base, Liz Phair and Icehouse. All 3.5s sp all good records.

So bubbling under

110 Lloyd Cole - Bad Vibes
109 Yo la Tengo - Painful
108 The Waterboys - Dream Harder
107 Meat Loaf - Bat Out Hell II
106 Duran Duran - Duran Duran
105 Aztec Camera - Dreamland
104 Texas - Ricks Road
103 Julee Cruise - The Voice Of Love
102 Chris Isaak - San Francisco Days
101 BMX Bandits - Life Goes On

These are all 3.5s as well, all very unlucky to miss out

[Razzle Dazzle]

Ha, I do love a bit of Ace of Base, i think i know my #1 this year, think you will place it top 10

[TheThorne]

Jan 18, 2024 18:56:20 GMT 1 Razzle Dazzle said:

Ha, I do love a bit of Ace of Base, i think i know my #1 this year, think you will place it top 10

my top 15 might still change, I am replaying them over the next few days but i doubt it.

[Razzle Dazzle]

Have you been using rateyourmusic.com/ ? it is a brilliant website that you can search by year

[TheThorne]

Jan 18, 2024 19:12:38 GMT 1 Razzle Dazzle said:

Have you been using rateyourmusic.com/ ? it is a brilliant website that you can search by year

yes it is all RYM that is where all my previous lists are, they are hidden until they are complete. I could never have done these without it.

[TheThorne]

So what kicks off the top 100

100 Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales




Ok we are only #100 but this is one of Sting's best albums and possibly the last one that will make my top 100. The singles are all great if maybe a little overplayed 'Fields Of Gold' and 'Seven Days' especially, Favourite track though is probably 'Shape of My Heart'. This was his fourth solo album and reached #2 in the UK and US selling over 4 million worldwide.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

99 Redd Kross - Phaseshifter



Now I have heard their previous album but the lead single from this their 4th album, 'Jimmy's Fantasy' was my introduction to the band and I bought it on 7" at the time. This is a pretty solid record if maybe not super original, less weird than their early stuff but it was probably their biggest seller, although it never charted.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

98 Aimee Mann - Whatever




It is weird to think that in 1993, I only knew Aimee Mann as a guest vocalist on a Rush single. Til Tuesday were still forgotten to me. But I loved the lead single 'I Should've Known'. The rest of the album does not live up to that opener or her previous work but again it is definitely worth hearing. The record reached #127 in the US.

[TheThorne]

97 World Party - Bang!




This was their third album which I didn't buy after owning the previous record but like every record so far, I did own the land single in this case 'Is It Like Today?' which is their biggest hit reaching #19. The album was also their most successful yet reaching #2 in the UK.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

96 Belinda Carlisle - Real



Her fifth solo album and by this point I really was not paying much attention to her.  I did buy 'Big Scary Animal' but it was very cheap bargain bin purchase. So it was the first time I heard many of these although think a couple were in HF. It is decent enough. Still more popular here than anywhere else in the world, the record reached #9 in the UK.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

95 Energy Orchard - Shinola



The third album from the Irish rock band, This whole record was new to me after loving their debut so much. I wasn't actually expecting a lot as the previous record was fine but not as special but i did like this a lot. The album did not chart though.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

94 The Adventures - Lions and Tigers and Bears



The fourth album from another Irish band and this one sadly did not do as well as their previous albums. The lead single was great "Raining All Over the World" but then they released a cover of "Monday Monday" and I lost all interest. It is a shame as again this is a solid album part from that dodgy cover. They are such a great band with a brilliant singer in Terry Sharpe so I should have gave it a chance.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

93 The Candy Skins - Fun?



The second album from the very underrated Brit Pop band. This album maybe has the weaker singles of their three records but when hearing the album in full, it is bloody great. They are a band that any fan of the big Brit Pop bands should not sleep on.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

92 Us3 - Hand on the Torch



Hip hop in my top 100, well it does happen just don't expect it a lot. I didn't actually know they were British. This album is just so much fun, hip hop and jazz fusion. It has a lot of the same vibe as A Tribe called Quest but the jazz is even more front and centre. The most well known track is 'Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)' and if you love that, you will love the whole album. The record reached #31 in the US and #40 in the UK.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

91 The Hooters - Out of Body



Their fifth album and the first for a new label. I was quite worried about this one as it seems to be deleted from history. None of these songs are on Spotify and I hadn't heard them before, which is terrible when they one of my all-time favourite bands. So I maybe have marked this a bit low but it is the first time I have heard these songs, it may grow. Although it did nothing in the US or UK, it did chart well in many European countries.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

90 Bruce Hornsby - Harbor Lights




His fourth album and a slight change pf direction much more jazzy than the epic pop-rock of his previous records. So laughing at a RYM review that refers to his early work as "teeny-bopper pop". It just shows the difference between the UK and US charts. Bruce Hornsby was sophisticated music to us, teeny-bopper was SAW and boy bands. I see it all the time when I see US YouTubers worst lists and I am shocked at what they include, I am like I could have 30 worse songs in that weeks top 40 of which barely any made the charts in the US. Anyway back to this, he is starting to lose me now but there was some unexpected highlights and it is all very well done but it just doesn't have that magic that you had with 'The Range'. It reached #46 in the US and #32 in the UK. His last hit album here.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

89 Nick Heyward - From Monday to Sunday



His fourth solo album and my favourite since his debut. Going down the more indie pop route of contemporaries like Stephen Duffy. This has some gorgeous songs, especially the single 'Kite'. It is just quality pop/rock and it is maybe a little long, it does fall off at the end but it is worth a spin.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

88 Fluke - Six Wheels on My Wagon




Now some electronic stuff, this is the second album from the English group. Fluke are one of those bands that you read the titles and you are not sure if you know them. I have about 5 Fluke singles, and I couldn't tell you which one went like what. But then you play their album and it is banger after banger and you are like, oh they did that and that, and then promptly forget again. So sadly being more anonymous than future acts like Underworld and Chemical Brothers has maybe hurt their legacy. But if you have a project to do or want some background music while gaming, this is a great pick. It reached #41 in the UK.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

87 The Other Two - The Other Two & You



Very strange this debut album from the members of New Order who are not Bernard Sumner or Peter Hook. What is strange is how different it is from 'Republic' we will have that much later. This is way more ahem electronic than that record and it is much closer to 'Technique' and the rave pop of the early 90s. First three tracks are up there with the best of any music from the Joy Division/New Order collective. 'Selfish' would have been a top 10 hit I think if Bernard had fronted it, never mind. Parts of the record are a bit dated though which hurts its overall position. It reached #40 in the UK.

3.5/5

[TheThorne]

86 Heart - Desire Walks On



Their eleventh album and a record that I never paid much attention to at all, we are seeing so many of my favourite 80s acts falling off my radar. Yes this album does have "Will You Be There (In the Morning)" probably the only track that really harks back to their UK breakthrough sound. This is Heart now doing everything they did, we have folk pop Heart, we have classic rock Heart, we have MOR ballad Heart. Some tracks work better than others and if you were a career fan, this record would suit you more. As one of the 'Heart' masses though not so much, although I am spending more and more time with early Heart in which case why would I play this when I can play the real classic rock stuff. Lacklustre chart placings everywhere, reaching #32 in the UK and just #48 in the US where it still sold half a million mind you.


3.5/5