1994 in music.

Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream won 1993. Let's see who wins 1994. First year in a while (decades) where we've had more chart-topping albums than singles.

Billboard chart-topping albums of 1994:
Mariah Carey - Music Box (cont. from 1993)
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle (cont. from 1993)
Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies
John Michael Montgomery - Kickin' it Up
Toni Braxton - Toni Braxton (cont. from 1993)
Soundgarden - Superunknown
Ace of Base - The Sign (cont. from 1993)
Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
Bonnie Raitt - Longing in Their Hearts
Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
Tim McGraw - Not a Moment Too Soon
Soundtrack - The Crow
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Stone Temple Pilots - Purple
Elton John - The Lion King
Boyz II Men - II
Eric Clapton - From the Cradle
R.E.M. - Monster
Snoop Dogg - Murder Was the Case
Nirvana - MTV Unplugged
Eagles - Hell Freezes Over
Kenny G - Miracles
Pearl Jam - Vitalogy

Billboard chart-topping singles of 1994:
Mariah Carey - Hero (cont. from 1993)
Bryan Adams - All For Love (cont. from 1993)
Celine Dion - The Power of Love (cont. from 1993)
Ace of Base - The Sign (cont. from 1993)
R. Kelly - Bump n' Grind
All 4 One - I Swear
Lisa Loeb - Stay
Boyz II Men - I'll Make Love to You
Boyz II Men - On Bended Knee
Ini Kamoze - Here Comes the Hotstepper

What are your top three albums for 1994? We will keep a running tally and eventually have some sort of bracket. For me it would be:
1. Oasis - Definitely Maybe
2. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
3. Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime

What are some of the forgotten gems from the year? What is overrated? What did you discover at a young age and what did you discover later?

YEARS IN MUSIC • forum.chorus.fm

 

I uh... wasn't born until '95, but this year has a lot of stuff that I have listened to.

• Vitalogy was the first Pearl Jam album I purchased when I became a fan. It's not my favorite, but pretty undeniably their last "classic," imo.
• Stranger Than Fiction is also a great Bad Religion album. Again, not my favorite, but I wouldn't have learned about them if I didn't hear Infected as a kid.
• Smash is pretty handily The Offspring's best album. A couple parts of aged badly lyrically, but for the most part, it still sounds vital.
• My Green Day intro was American Idiot, which got me to go back and learn to love Dookie.
• The Blue Album set the gold standard for Weezer albums.
• Not a big NOFX fan, but Punk In Drublic is the only one I like front to back.
• I've always been partial to Hello Nasty, but Ill Communication has some bangers for sure.

I feel like I should probably listen to Pulp and Hole.

1. Bad Religion - Stranger Than Fiction
2. Weezer - The Blue Album
3. The Offspring - Smash

 

blasting it out to 20 bc fuck this year is good.
remaining top 20:
4. Weezer - Weezer
5. Tom Petty - Wildflowers
6. Soundgarden - Superunknown
7. Nas - Illmatic
8. Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
9. Jeff Buckley - Grace
10. Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
11. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand
12. The Notorious BIG - Ready to Die
13. Portishead - Dummy
14. Outkast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
15. Superchunk - Foolish
16. Bad Religion - Stranger Than Fiction
17. Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
18. Green Day - Dookie
19. Unwound - New Plastic Ideas
20. Stone Temple Pilots - Purple

honorable mentions:
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Beck - Mellow Gold
Beck - One Foot in the Grave
The Black Crowes - Amorica
Boyz II Men - II
Built to Spill - There’s Nothing Wrong with Love
Converge - Halo in a Haystack
Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table and Dreaming
Dinosaur Jr. - Without a Sound
Elliott Smith - Roman Candle
Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
Failure - Magnified
Godflesh - Selfless
The Grays - Ro Sham Bo
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Stoned & Dethroned
John Frusciante - Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt
Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley
Mark Lanegan - Whiskey for the Holy Ghost
Meat Puppets - Too High to Die
Nick Cave - Let Love In
The Offspring - Smash
Our Lady Peace - Naveed
Primal Scream - Give Out But Don’t Give Up
R.E.M. - Monster
Rollins Band - Weight
Sebadoh - Bakesale
Silver Jews - Starlite Walker
Slayer - Divine Intervention
Sonic Youth - Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
The Stone Roses - Second Coming

stuff to check out:
At the Gates - Terminal Spirit Disease
Bonnie Raitt - Longing in Their Hearts
Brandy - Brandy
Digable Planets - Blowout Comb
Frank Black - Teenager of the Year
Hole - Live Through This
Liz Phair - Whip-Smart
Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
Redman - Dare Iz a Darkside
Suede - Dog Man Star
Tim McGraw - Not a Moment Too Soon
Veruca Salt - American Thighs
Ween - Chocolate and Cheese

 

1. Suede - Dog Man Star
2. Nas - Illmatic
3. Morrissey - Vauxhall and I

There's a lot of stuff I like from this year that I just haven't spent much time with.

 

this isn't necessarily the pulp album to check out first, that's coming up soon

 

1. Mary Chapin Carpenter - Stones in the Road
2. Tom Petty - Wildflowers
3. Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies EP

Excruciating cuts:
Bonnie Raitt - Longing in Their Hearts
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Ben Harper - Welcome to the Cruel World
Soundgarden - Superunknown

Others I love:
Boyz II Men - II
Nas - Illmatic
The Mavericks - What a Crying Shame
Boston - Walk On
Green Day - Dookie
Johnny Cash - American Recordings
Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View
Seal - Seal [1994]
Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder - Talking Timbuktu
Grant Lee Buffalo - Mighty Joe Moon
TLC - Crazysexycool
Nirvana -MTV Unplugged in New York
Bush - Sixteen Stone
Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
Weezer - The Blue Album
Mary J. Blige - My Life
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Let Love In
Megadeth - Youthanasia
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Joni Mitchell - Turbulent Indigo
Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table and Dreaming
Vince Gill - When Love Finds You
Prince - Come
Keb' Mo' - Keb' Mo'
Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Morrissey - Vauxhall and I
Madonna - Bedtime Stories
Hal Ketchum - Every Little Word
Steve Perry - For the Love of Strange Medicine
Dream Theater - Awake
Amy Grant - House of Love

Not a fan:
Cafe Tacvba - Re

Targets for listening:
Eagles - Hell Freezes Over
Patty Loveless - When Fallen Angels Fly
Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Our Lady Peace - Naveed
Ellis Paul - Stories
Elliott Smith - Roman Candle
Stone Temple Pilots - Purple
Thug Life - Thug Life: Volume 1
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Frank Black - Teenager of the Year
Blur - Parklife
Elvis Costello - Brutal Youth
Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime
G. Love and the Special Sauce - G. Love and the Special Sauce
Girls Against Boys - Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby
Hole - Live Through This
Jeru the Damaja - The Sun Rises in the East
Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
Massive Attack - Protection
Method Man - Tical
The Offspring - Smash
Orbital - Snivilisation
Portishead - Dummy
The Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation
Sabres of Paradise - Hanted Dancehall
Suede - Dog Star Man
Selena - Amor Prohibido
The Allman Brothers - Where It All Begins
John Mellencamp - Dance Naked
Tony Bennett - MTV Unplugged
Eric Clapton - From the Cradle
The Three Tenors - In Cocert
Kathy Mattea - Walking Away a Winner
Sammy Kershaw - Feelin' Good Train
Colin Raye - Extremes
Beck - Mellow Gold
Victoria WIlliams - Loose
Warren G - Regulate...G Funk Era
Dionne Farris - Wild Seed - Wild FLower
Barry White - The Icon Is Love
Oasis - Definitely Maybe

 

You can make an album of the b-sides from Definitely Maybe that would also be in the Top 10 best albums released this year.

 

Chris.

 

1. Nas - Illmatic
2. Green Day - Dookie
3. Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime

Illmatic is the obvious answer here, an absolute undisputed classic, and a huge influence on everything that came after it - and all that on his debut album! Absolutely remarkable lyrically - always find new things in there every time I listen.

Dookie sold about a billion copies, and they broke through just at the perfect moment. Has all the attitude and brattiness about pop-punk that's so appealing, but from a songwriting perspective they were leagues above anybody else.

Yank Crime sold about 10 copies, despite being bizarrely released on a major label. Angular and frenetic, it would take years and years for anybody to try and catch up to what they were doing here.

Honourable Mentions;

Weezer - Blue Album: Full of charm and brilliant garage rock / power pop hits. As a pop band, them at their absolute best.

Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary: A fantastic emo / post hardcore album, taking the sounds of their local Seattle grunge scene, but taking it in a slightly different direction.

Portishead - Dummy: Wonderful downtempo electronica or trip-hop, in the vein of Massive Attack, but slower and more introspective.

Massive Attack - Protection: The difficult second album, not as good as what came before or after it, but taken on it's own merits it's still a fantastically diverse set of songs and sounds.

Jeff Buckley - Grace: An incredible voice, and such a shame this is basically all we have from him. Hallelujah is obviously the most known one here, but "Lover, You Should Have Come Over" is perhaps even more beautiful.

NOFX - Punk In Drublic: You only need to listen to one NOFX album to know if you like them or not - and this may as well be the one to listen to. Excellent and irritating in equal parts.

Faye Wong - Dreams: Just a song, and a cover of the Cranberries classic, but released this year and absolutely beautiful, and well worth 4 minutes of your time.

 

1. Weezer - blue album
2. Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
3. Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die

good year (including an all time top 3er for me) but i started planning the rest of my 90s lists and I definitely think there are a couple better years ahead among the rest of the decade

 

Fuck, this year is difficult.

 

hell yeah lol i definitely expected to be the only Drive Like Jehu vote

 

Hell of a year

1. Weezer - Weezer
2. The Offspring - Smash
3. Green Day - Dookie
4. Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York
5. Barenaked Ladies - Maybe You Should Drive
6. Sublime - Robbin' The Hood
7. Bush - Sixteen Stone
8. Blur - Parklife
9. Oasis - Definitely Maybe
10. Hootie & The Blowfish - Cracked Rear View
11. Tom Petty - Wildflowers
12. Danielle Breisbos - Arrive All Over You
13. Soundgarden - Superunknown
14. Outkast - SouthernPlayalistiCadillacMuzik
15. Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime
16. Toad The Wet Sprocket - Dulcinea
17. The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
18. Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
19. Ben Harper - Welcome To The Cruel World
20. R.E.M. - Monster

 

1994 mix

 

1. Oasis - Definitely Maybe
2. Stone Temple Pilots - Purple
3. Green Day - Dookie
------------------------------------
4. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
5. Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
6. Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
7. 311 - Grassroots
8. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand
9. Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York
10. Soundgarden - Superunknown
11. The Offspring - Smash
12. Live - Throwing Copper
13. Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
14. Tom Petty - Wildflowers
15. Bush - Sixteen Stone
16. The Smashing Pumpkins - Pisces Iscariot
17. R.E.M. - Monster
18. Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
19. Sublime - Robbin' The Hood
20. Toad The Wet Sprocket - Dulcinea

Honorable Mention:
Alice In Chains - Jar Of Flies
Bad Religion - Stranger Than Fiction
Beck - Mellow Gold
Beck - One Foot In the Grave
Blues Traveler - Four
Blur - Parklife
Cake - Motorcade of Generosity
The Cranberries - No Need To Argue
Dave Matthews Band - Under The Table and Dreaming
G. Love & Special Sauce - G. Love & Special Sauce
Helmet - Betty
Hole - Live Through This
Hootie & The Blowfish - Cracked Rear View
Jawbox - For Your Own Special Sweetheart
Jawbreaker - 24 Hour Revenge Therapy
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Korn - Korn
Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley
Meat Puppets - Too High to Die
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Sleeps with Angels
NOFX - Punk in Drublic
Our Lady Peace - Naveed (tho I have this one on my '95 playlist for some reason?)
Pavement - Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
Portishead - Dummy
Rancid - Let's Go
The Sea and Cake - The Sea and Cake
Seal - Seal
Sebadoh - Bakesale
The Smithereens - A Date with The Smithereens
Soul Coughing - Ruby Vroom
Sponge - Rotting Pinata
Stabbing Westward - Ungod
Sugar - File Under: Easy Listening
Superchunk - Foolish
Toadies - Rubberneck


Checking Out in Full for First time:
Barenaked Ladies - Maybe You Should Drive
Ben Harper - Welcome to the Cruel World
The Black Crowes - Amorica.
Built to Spill - There's Nothing Wrong With Love
Dinosaur Jr. - Without A Sound
Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime
Elliott Smith - Roman Candle
Frank Black - Teenager of the Year
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Stoned and Dethroned
Johnny Cash - American Recordings
(The London) Suede - Dog Man Star
Lush - Split
Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
Massive Attack - Protection
Morrissey - Vauxhall and I
Nas - Illmatic
The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
Outkast - Southernplayalisticadillacmusik
Phish - Hoist
Pulp - His N Hers
Rusted Root - When I Woke
Sloan - Twice Removed
Sonic Youth - Experimental Jet Set, Trash, and No Star
Veruca Salt - American Thighs
Ween - Chocolate and Cheese

 

One of my more random moments happened a few years back when I was driving my mom's car and listening to Sirius/XM and they played the remixed Monster in full and had interviews with Scott Litt about why he wanted to remix it. I should really re-listen to that album too.

 

Vitalogy is def not the last classic Pearl Jam album

 

Yield?

 

Definitely a personal preference and depends on how diehard of a PJ fan one is. But I'd say Yield is the last one that you can make a reasonable argument as 'classic'.

 

Yield, or Binaural, Avocado or maybe even Backspacer. They’ve receeded (somewhat) from the spotlight, but I don’t think the quality has really dipped

 

I don't disagree, I do love Yield. No Code loses me, unfortunately.

I am a big late-PJ apologist. Backspacer, Lightning Bolt, & Gigaton are all super solid.

 

Awesome, we are in good company then. I was such a fanboy in 2013 that I had Lightning Bolt as my #1 that year. Probably recency bias at the time, but it is still a very solid record.

 

Lightning Bolt was my first "new" album as a fan, so I definitely have fond nostalgia attached to it.

 

Avocado album is absolutely a classic and has some of their most instantly recognizable songs. I'd say that Gigaton is better than Backspacer and Lightning Bolt too. It's the first time they've tried something new in a while.