Hill I die on: best xennial music was released in 1994

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Similar-Sir-2952@reddit

Same with Xennial Hip Hop. Like 92-97

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memymomeddit@reddit

It's gotta start with '91. De La Soul is Dead, Nwords4Life, Apocalypse 91, and The Low End Theory can't be left out.

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I argue it ends late 97 after WuTang and Notorious BIG release their sophomore albums. By 98 the vibe is still reverberating but the sound is about to fall of of the 92-97 cliff and start Big Pimpin and Bling Blinging from NYC to New Orleans. New era has begun in 98

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BasicRabbit4@reddit

Best of everything imo grunge, alternative, trip hop, hip hop. Jungle, trance and house were gaining traction even though they peaked in the 2000s.

Maybe its bc im uncool now and have less knowledge of non mainstream music but I feel like we have less genres now and are oversaturated with cheesy pop stars.

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Chance_Pen7514@reddit

There are so many more genres and diverse artists now than in the 90’s. Like 10,000 times more. Go explore

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espressocycle@reddit

Yeah, but nobody really breaks through to have the kind of broad cultural impact that major musicians did back then. I still prefer today and the amazing diversity we have access to but there's something lost when everybody is out doing their own thing in their own bubble.

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PurplePenguinCat@reddit

And they all sound the same to me.

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BasicRabbit4@reddit

Theres a few newer artists i enjoy but ya, most the time im randy in south Park hearing nothing but fart noises

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JaneDoe93130@reddit

Same 🤝 😅

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AddlePatedBadger@reddit

"To sheep other sheep no doubt appear different. Or to shepherds"

J R R Tolkien, Lord of the Rings

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peeinian@reddit

If you somehow haven’t had them pop up on social media yet, Check out Angine de Poitrine (Start with the KEXP video on YouTube).

The first time I heard them it felt like I was back in this era of music again. Something totally new and exciting.

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ShitJustGotRealAgain@reddit

Thanks for the recommendation. They give me a mix between Atari Teenage Riot and Kyuss and those are as 90s as it gets.

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BasicRabbit4@reddit

They are definitely a trip..I get what you mean.

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peeinian@reddit

If that was your first time, you’ll be humming the riffs tomorrow. Happens to all of us. 🔺

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Beneficial_Leg4691@reddit

1999 was criticak

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KrayzieBone187@reddit

e.1999

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CarbonInTheWind@reddit

A ton of iconic Hip-hop and RnB came out in 96

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Infamous_Tie5605@reddit

Yup. r/90sHiphop

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BikeSawBrew@reddit

I was born in 84 and that’s exactly my favorite too. My “90’s playlist” is 95% from those years.

1964-69 is my other favorite 6 year musical era.

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OllieFromCairo@reddit

Ooh, that's a fun thought. It's hard for me to say what my favorite 6-year musical period is. Iron Maiden was 1980, and Diesel and Dust was 1987, so some sort of compromise would have to be reached here. 1987 also had key releases from U2, Psychedelic Furs, Depeche Mode, Guns and Roses, and Slippery When Wet was 1986. I guess I'll have to go 1982-87 as a starting point, but I'd have to really think about it.

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Taupenbeige@reddit

Music Has the Right to Children being the final mic-drop of the era

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Bushelsoflaughs@reddit

It’s not too late to edit this to 99 for the sake of Bloodhound Gang - The Bad Touch and Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)

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perpetual_girl@reddit

It was a great time for music.

The Nirvana effect (along with the last gasp of independent radio before the Telecommunications Act in 96 consolidated the market) had record companies scrambling to sign a bunch of very random acts and seeing what stuck.

And a LOT of really diverse genres ended up having 15 minutes of fame and a lifelong cult following out of it.

I mean... gregorian chant was a thing.

Every niche had it's audience be it Celtic, Swing, Riot Grrl, Tejano, House, G-funk, country, gangsta, new age, euro dance, trip hop.

It was everything goes and it turned out that a lot of us were more eclectic than anyone gave humanity creditfor. And man do I miss that optimism where the promise of the internet was exchanging cool shit across the language & cultural barrier and not waves about at everything

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webslingrrr@reddit

Gonna leave The Chronic, Rage Against The Machine, Dirt, Core, 40oz to Freedom, Little Esrthquake, and Vulgar Display Of Power out? We might have to extend it to 92.

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TiEmEnTi@reddit

It definitely ended it 98 that's for sure

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solomons-marbles@reddit

I’ll argue none of the acts you mentioned are Xennial acts. Half+ those musicians are Boomers. ‘94 is puts most Xennials in JR/HS, this is not peak years for any generation.

Peak cohort convergence happens when the timeline of artist & audience align. 90s Alt might be your jam, but it’s not its Xennial Peak

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solomons-marbles@reddit

Was never really a huge fan of it. I think the Aughts are much stronger. This was Gen X/Xennial peak songwriting, made by & for our cohort. A ton of the 90s music is our soundtrack, but was written/preformed by Boomers.

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WilsonWilsonJr@reddit

Nirvana (In Utero), Smashing Pumpkins (Siamese Dream), Pearl Jam (Vs.), Alice In Chains (Dirt), Stone Temple Pilots (Core) Radiohead (Pablo Honey, Snoop (Doggystyle) and Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) all 1993, so you’re unfortunately going to die on a hill, wrong.

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loser-name-checksout@reddit

Tom Petty Wildflowers came out that year and was such an instant classic it's never thought of in this genre. IMHO

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wish-u-well@reddit

Uf yeah, hard to beat.

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webslingrrr@reddit

It was 1994 anyway, lol.

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Idahoastro@reddit

My first concert was Tom petty on the wildflowers ”dogs with wings” tour 1995 at the hollywood bowl with my mom and dad. Didn't realize at the time but my concert experience was peaking with the first one I ever attended.

Also someone passed me a joint and my parents thought it was the funniest thing ever. 12 year old me was very confused. They were like “ keep passing it down the aisle.”

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djseifer@reddit

LOL. "Puff, puff, pass, kid."

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Bradtothebone79@reddit

Still a fave of mine

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bh4th@reddit

“Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins.”

“Homer Simpson, smiling politely.”

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mnoram@reddit

Shaka, when the walls fell.

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JayJoeJeans@reddit

Are you being sarcastic, dude?

I don't even know anymore

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JungleBoyJeremy@reddit

“We’re the mtv generation, we feel neither highs nor lows”

“What’s that like?”

“Meh”

gif

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dust4ngel@reddit

We’re the mtv generation, we feel neither highs nor lows

i hate my generation yeah, i offer no apologies, now that i’ve said it i feel liberated

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whyneedaname77@reddit

Midnight Marauders was released in 93 too. As well as Buhloone Mindset.

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imhereforthevotes@reddit

Buhloone Mindstate?

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whyneedaname77@reddit

De La Soul.

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ezrapoundcakes@reddit

She’s going to run it through the dryer and then you’re cooked

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Visual-Pianist7752@reddit

Offspring - Smash

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_gonesurfing_@reddit

Ahh, time to relax.

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Mo-Cance@reddit

Mmmm....I especially enjoyed that one. Let's see what's next.

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webslingrrr@reddit

94!

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RoundTheBend6@reddit

While that’s a great year, my fav is 1991.

Enya - Shepard Moon Metallica - black album Nirvana - Nevermind Red Hot Chili Peppers - BSSM U2 - Achtung Baby Big Audio Dynamite (clash) - the globe Pearl Jam - 10 REM - out of time Smashing pumpkins - Gish Michael Jackson - dangerous Ice Cube - death certificate Cypress Hill - cypress hill My bloody Valentine - loveless Mercury Rev- yerself in steam Primus- sailing the seas of cheese Pixies- trompe le mond Soundgarden - badmotorfinger A tribe called quest- low end theory Lenny Kravitz - Mama said

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Rob_LeMatic@reddit

Type O Negative (Bloody Kisses) 1993

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dust4ngel@reddit

october rust thoooo

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StressMysterious7530@reddit

🍷

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AmputeeHandModel@reddit

What was in the water in the 90s? I know everyone thinks their teen music was the best and all but.. there have not been rockstars or music with this energy at all like this since.

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SlatheredButtCheeks@reddit

I think if you pull like the top 10 albums from each of like 91-96 you could make an argument that that decade is the best

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Rob_LeMatic@reddit

Morphine (Cure for Pain) 1993.

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imhereforthevotes@reddit

Man I wish this band were still doing stuff. RIP Mark Sandman. I introduced some great people to this band in grad school.

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Rob_LeMatic@reddit

The surviving members are still playing shows as Vapors of Morphine, and Mark's girlfriend Sabine Hrechdakian started close with them and put with into preserving the legacy.

So that's something.

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bmfward@reddit

Thank you for posting this, had no clue. RIP Mark Sandman.

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Rob_LeMatic@reddit

Cypress Hill (Black Sunday)

Primus (Pork Soda)

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bmfward@reddit

Excellence!!

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bmfward@reddit

Quintessential

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Mudcreek47@reddit

STP Core was released Sep 92. Source: I bought it as my 1st CD

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DoucheyMcBagBag@reddit

Depeche Mode’s pseudo-rock album, Songs of Faith and Devotion was 1993 as well.

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bmfward@reddit

Great addition here!

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bmfward@reddit

Nailed it. 93 for life. Midnight Marauders, shut it down, ,94 is when everything jumped the shark. Fuck NAFTA. Otherwise, hey you're a rockstar, enjoy Lumo Bizkit, get played.

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debaser64@reddit

1994: Ween-Chocolate and Cheese. Game. Over.

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LineImpossible3958@reddit

Take a wrinkled raisin

and do with it what you will

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imhereforthevotes@reddit

Oh you're pulling out the big guns I see. 16 year old me definitely thought that was a sexy album cover.

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imhereforthevotes@reddit

Yeah that was a helluva year. I feel like 94 was shifting a little ... Personally I hate Oasis, so that feels like a big shift down in '94.

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webslingrrr@reddit

Dirt in 92, and so is Core.

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peanutbutter2178@reddit

Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club, Counting Crows August and Everything After, and Snow - 12 inches of Snow (lol)

Core and Dirt came out on the same day in 1992

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tarravin@reddit

Tool Undertow was 93 too, great year for music

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wish-u-well@reddit

Yeah and punk saw

Bad Religion- Recipe For Hate

Rancid - Rancid

Pennywise - unknown road

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NoBot-RussiaBad@reddit

Midnight Marauders

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DancesWithPigs@reddit

‘93 wins hands down.

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bascule@reddit

Orbital released the Brown Album in 1993. Digable Planets released Rebirth of Slick. The Breeders released Cannonball. Salt-N-Pepa released Shoop

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zdavies78@reddit

Kerosene Hat by Cracker released 1993, the song Low was on that album. Still one of my top 5 songs of all time.

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_gonesurfing_@reddit

Best hidden track ever.

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zdavies78@reddit

It’s such a great song

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fluffhead77@reddit

Eurotrash girl?

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KayBeeToys@reddit

Hypercolor peaked in 91, went bankrupt in 92, didn’t emerge from bankruptcy until 95 and even then it was mostly overseas.

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HolidayEggplant81@reddit

Came here to lobby for 1993.

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FiveCrappedPee@reddit

This is how we chill, from 93 till

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Jose_Canseco_Jr@reddit

this is how we chill

from 93 til

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The_Fell_Opian@reddit

Not too many Rap albums better than 36 Chambers. Except Illmatic, which dropped in 94.

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mountednoble99@reddit

That was a good year for sure!

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webslingrrr@reddit

Yeah 1994 is pretty untouchable.

Like, take personal taste out of the equation and just look at how impactful so many of the releases that year have been, and its pretty much no contest. The 90s were strongest 94-96, pretty strong 91-93, and really started losing steam year after year starting in 97, finally becoming a parody of itself in 99, lol.

Don't get me wrong, still some great stuff in those later years but a whole lot of junk was coming out too.

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imhereforthevotes@reddit

I feel like the '93 post takes it.

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webslingrrr@reddit

STP and Alice In Chains were 92. 93 probably weaker than 92 and 95.

Cant touch 94!

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imhereforthevotes@reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/Xennials/comments/1sqa3kl/comment/oh6f5zu/

I add to this: Reachin - Digable Planets; Where You Been - Dinosaur Jr.; The Cranberries; Pavement; The Butthole Surfers; Primus - Pork Soda; PJ Harvey - Rid of Me; Björk - Debut; Tupac - Strictly...; Tribe Called Quest; De La Soul; Snoop - Doggystyle...; Frank Black had a solo album...

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webslingrrr@reddit

Using your list we can add The Cranberries most successful album to 1994, Dinosaur Jrs most successful album to 1994, Frank Black's most successful album to 1994, Pavement didnt have a 1993 album, but their most successful one was 1994, and Digable's best work is considered their 1994 album!

And remember, Alice in Chains and STP were 1992.

1994 is unstoppable!

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SR_RSMITH@reddit

Tales from the thousand lakes

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SubstanceFearless348@reddit

1996

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gonutsdonuts1@reddit

Movies too

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Killowatt59@reddit

The 90s was the last great decade for music

Probably just the last great decade.

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adamosity1@reddit

I’ll give you this. Then again, it’s a common trait to think of the music we listened to in high school and college as the “best” music because we spend less energy finding new music as we get older, particularly with the decline of radio.

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CalmTheAngryVoice@reddit

I listen to new music all the time, and there's always great music to be discovered, but I think objectively, the early 90s had the best if it's judged by both its quality and the impact it had.

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espressocycle@reddit

Especially because 10 years later the Internet essentially destroyed the dominance of mass media and the music industry model. We've seen such an atomization of popular music. 30 years ago you couldn't escape a big hit even if it wasn't your thing. Now it's much harder to break through.

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MarvellousMrs@reddit (OP)

Ok but you didn’t offer up a Starter jacket with your argument so

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Disastrous-Screen337@reddit

Charlotte Hornets or San José Sharks

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Scootr4short@reddit

had both

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Eldermillenial1@reddit

Oh I had the sharks jacket 👍👍

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SlatheredButtCheeks@reddit

Don’t forget notre dame

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Josef_Kant_Deal@reddit

Best I can do is Portland Trailblazers

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Designer-Bid-3155@reddit

90s had so much terrible music. I rarely listen to anything from then.

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BuckyLaroux@reddit

What do you listen to?

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Designer-Bid-3155@reddit

Rock/metal

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Aint-no-preacher@reddit

Exactly. I was just thinking that everything Weezer did after the Green Album was mid-to-bad.

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webslingrrr@reddit

I think 1994 can be objectively measured as the strongest year of the 90s. Art is subjective, yes, nostalgia exists, yes -- but the impacts that records make and the way that the world handles them can be objectively measured.

These are 1994 releases: * Dookie - Green Day * Ready to Die - Notorious BIG * Illmatic - Nas * The Downward Spiral - NIN * Superunknown - Soundgarden * Weezer - Weezer (the blue album) * Definitely Maybe - Oasis * Grace - Jeff Buckley * Dummy - Portishead * Smash - The Offspring * Korn - Korn * Unplugged In New York - Nirvana * Jar of Flies - Alice In Chains * Parklife - Blur * Ill Communication - Beastie Boys

I could actually keep going but you get the point, im sure

Every single one of these birthed genres, or broke something into to the mainstream, and influenced generations of musicians, and are STILL talked about today by teenagers and young adults far removed from us.

There are some heavy hitters sprinkled through the 90s but 94 definitely has them beat in this department, I could not compile a list half as long as this of influential records from any of them.

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GardenRafters@reddit

Thank you for repping some Hip-Hop.

Oukast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik Warren G - Regulate Method Man - Tical Common - Resurrection

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webslingrrr@reddit

I almost added Warren G to the list but it was getting too long, lol -- 94 was too stacked. Outkast is a great pull.

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namdekan@reddit

94 also had Coolio's debut album, It Takes a Thief which was a great album

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Ltimbo@reddit

Movies were good till the MCU ruined the industry forever.

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zoppaTheDim@reddit

So Gen X bands, rebranded.

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lunalore79@reddit

I have a difficult time pinning down just one year for music. Movies is easier; that’s 1999 with 1994 a very close second. But music is much more spread out. Lots of albums were released one year but don’t “catch on” until later.

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Archaeo-Frog@reddit

1991: Nirvana Nevermind, Pearl Jam Ten, Metallica black, U2 Achtung Baby, REM Out of Time, Michael Jackson Dangerous, Spin Doctors Pocket Full of Kryptonite, Smashing Pumpkins Gish, Toad the Wet Sprocket Fear, etc, etc, etc

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zoom518@reddit

The fact Nevermind knocked Michael Jackson from the top of the album charts was a true changing of the guard moment.

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Alternative-Light514@reddit

Not many knew about Gish in ‘91, unless I’m misremembering

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bmfward@reddit

Spot on. Revisionist history.

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Archaeo-Frog@reddit

Sure. We’re looking back here, not reliving 1991 itself. I really enjoy Gish, but like most folks, I found it after the amazing Siamese Dream was released in 1994

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bmfward@reddit

Exactly! Same here.

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bradsobo@reddit

Blood Sugar Sex Magic RHCP

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therealdavematt@reddit

This is the only correct answer

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imhereforthevotes@reddit

this counts against

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Archaeo-Frog@reddit

💯

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webslingrrr@reddit

You cant have "changed music forever" "spin doctors" and "toad the wet sprocket" all in the same sentence, haha.

You had us at Nevermind and Ten!

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Archaeo-Frog@reddit

😂

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GrizzlyAdam12@reddit

91 is the year “punk broke” according to Thurston Moore and some vhs tape I watched.

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reddituserno9@reddit

All these and Blood Sugar Sex Magic and Use Your Illusion

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imhereforthevotes@reddit

While I don't think this was our peak year, it absolutely changed everything. I remember kinda like AC/DC, Motley Crue, etc and then suddenly what was this Nirvana stuff? It blew my mind. Utterly changed everything in music.

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Additional_Opposite3@reddit

Stone temple pilots was the most memorable

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CloseButNoChicory@reddit

Tori Amos's second solo album was also released in 1994.

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c1h9@reddit

Grunge, for me, has aged more poorly than any other music. It's so god damn boring to me now that I'd take almost any other music from this era over it. Pearl Jam is fine, STP had it's place, NIN is wildly overrated, Green Day was up against NOFX for me and theres no contest - though I love Green Day, Live stunk, Oasis was good, not great. This era was defined by grunge and it was sludgy Chad-rock.

The Non-Grunge albums though; Bee Thousand, Crooked Rain, Bakesale, Punk in Drublic, Let's Go, Joyride, August and Everything After, Ready to Die, Illmatic, Yank Crime, and so many other amazing albums.

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BritOnTheRocks@reddit

I’ll give you credit for including Definitely Maybe in that list, that album essentially kicked-off the musical identity I acquired through my teenage years. 1995 was just banger after banger for me though, complete Britpop immersion.

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811545b2-4ff7-4041@reddit

Me looking fondly at the albums released in the UK 1996 ..

Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
Ash - 1977
The Bluetones - Expecting to Fly
Dodgy - Free Peace Sweet
Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley Shoals
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
Space - Spiders
Kula Shaker - K

I'm sure there are plenty more, and I think it's easier to just enjoy an era of music rather than cherry pick a 12 month period.

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VampireOnHoyt@reddit

...

...Parklife!

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BigBabyWhale@reddit

Didn’t listen to any of them 😂

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Epicardiectomist@reddit

It's hard to say what year was the best. 1996 is always my go-to, but there's no denying '94.

Pantera - Far Beyond Driven

Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies

Corrosion of Conformity - Deliverance

Marilyn Manson - Portrait of An American Family

Soundgarden - Superunknown

Acid Bath - When the Kite String Pops

This was also a seminal year for extreme metal (specifically Norway) bands like Emperor, Satyricon, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Gorgoroth, Enslaved, all were at the fucking peak of their game.

As much as Gen X annoys me with their Boomer-lite behavior now, goddamn are they the absolute kings of music.

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DickWhittingtonsCat@reddit

Luckily, I have a very good memory for details and timelines. So you would not agree that 1994 was the year grunge got cucked on their own MTV stage by Tony Bennett and effectively killed that brand of music as a pop culture catalyst. 1994 might have some favorites but it was definitely the end of an era.

3 dates in 1994 (and these are pretty close but I’m not gonna pull old TV listings)

February- STP on MTV unplugged. Neiland in a rocking chair looking like a weak-willed, nodding off, impotent drug hype hack copying Kurt Cobain (the standard bearers) look on same stage

April- The star crossed, apparently also heroin addicted Kurt Cobain kills himself. There is some weird stuff where Love and Hole are first touted and then she is framed as a murder Yoko.

June- Resplendant in a pressed suit, with polished and practiced mannerisms and stage banter, the professionalism and virility of Tony Bennett is juxtaposed with sullen, impotent, addicts who can’t even stand for 30 minutes.

The downside of this musically is we got Korn and Limp Bisquit singing out penises and fighting as a backlash.

Obviously Pearl Jam carried on, Palooza didn’t get fully burried until 96. Green Day, NIN, Oasis, Green Day are a world a moving beyond grunge.

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ImOnlyHereForTheCoC@reddit

Also:

Superchunk - Foolish
Archers of Loaf - Vs the Greatest of All Time
Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Sebadoh - Bakesale
Polvo - Celebrate the New Dark Age
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 - Strangers From the Universe
Boredoms - Chocolate Synthesizer
Lush - Split
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works vol. II

Not to mention Lollapalooza’s best lineup, IMHO, and not one or two but THREE Beck records!

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Real_EB@reddit

Jawbox needs more love.

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GrizzlyAdam12@reddit

Teenager of the Year!

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steveos_space@reddit

Objectively correct.

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vankirk@reddit

Everyone seems to forget that Neil Young put out one of his best albums in the early 90s, Harvest Moon, with backing vocals from James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt

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Blackboard_Monitor@reddit

Don't forget Tori Amos.

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TheLastGenXer@reddit

music was pretty good from 1924-1998. not sure what the f happened after that.

theirs been as many good songs since 1998 as their were per year prior.

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Bay-Area-Tanners@reddit

Can I trade my Cavendish Starter jacket for your Charlottetown one?

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gooch_norris_@reddit

Charlottetown?

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FoxExpensive9319@reddit

Don t look back in anger

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Dickrubin14094@reddit

Got to add Hootie and The Blowfish Cracked Rear View to this list

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anitabelle@reddit

I prefer R&B and Hip Hop so for me it’s 1996. There were also some club bangers!!

These are the top song in 1996 (copied and pasted):

"One Sweet Day" – Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men

"Because You Loved Me" – Celine Dion

"Nobody Knows" – The Tony Rich Project

"Always Be My Baby" – Mariah Carey

"Give Me One Reason" – Tracy Chapman

"Tha Crossroads" – Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

"I Love You Always Forever" – Donna Lewis

"Missing" – Everything but the Girl

"You're Makin' Me High" – Toni Braxton

“Macarena” -

Some of my favorites from the rest of the top 100:

Elevators - Outkast

Loungin - LL Cool J

Hey Lover - LL Cool J

Sittin up In My Room - Brandy

Twisted - Keith Sweat

Po Pimp - Twista

Killing Me Softly - Fugees

If I Ruled the World - Nas

My Boo - Ghost Town DJs

One In a Million- Aaliyah

I ain’t Mad At Cha - Tupac

How Do You Want It - Tupac

Be My Lover -La Bouche

Who Will Save Your Soul - Jewel

Where Do You Go - No Mercy

What They Do - The Roots

Missing - Everything But The Girl

No Diggity - Blackstreet

Fantasy - Mariah Carey

All the Things Your Man Won't Do - Joe

Wonderwall - Oasis 5 Woo Hah - Busta Rhymes

Tell Me - Groove Theory

Just a Girl - No Doubt

If Your Girl Only Knew - Aaliyah

Lady - D'Angelo

Pony - Ginuwine

Nobody - Keith Sweat

Not Gon' Cry - Mary J. Blige

Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio

Only You - 112 & Biggie

Sweet Dreams - La Bouche

Before You Walk Out of My Life - Monica

And there are so many more I know I’m not remembering that didn’t even make the top 100!

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thegholahayt@reddit

You're missing "Ascension" by Maxwell.

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dust4ngel@reddit

macarena 😂

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chikamakaleyley@reddit

If i can find someone willing to hold the legs of my cargo pants-now-shorts, it's a date.

I wont even remove my flame beanie

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FoppyRETURNS@reddit

94 is a contender. But I am a 95 guy.

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QuietNene@reddit

Nine deuce muthafuckah

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amiableviking@reddit

The death metal folks among us can make a strong argument for ‘93, but to each their own

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Sumeriandawn@reddit

You mean 91?

Death, Morbid Angel, Carcass, Suffocation, Atheist, Autopsy, Dismember, Entombed

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amiableviking@reddit

Guess it depends on which combo of albums are your faves 😂

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bmfward@reddit

Let it rip!

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vault13exile@reddit

Honestly if you look at the catalog of music and movies that were released from 1994 to 1996 it’s actually pretty insane. Definitely the best three years in creative history

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RevolutionEasy714@reddit

I would also say that 1997-2004 was a fantastic run with Radiohead, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, The Strokes, The White Stripes, Modest Mouse and the The Shins to name a few.

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adrianhalo@reddit

Agreed, 1994-1995 was the year for music and 1998-1999 for movies.

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Striking-Access-236@reddit

Nas Illmatic Jeff Buckley Grace Portishead Dummy TLC CrazySexyCool The Prodigy Music for the Jilted Generation

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Beetso@reddit

As class of '94, I approve this message!

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Beetso@reddit

I definitely consider myself Xennial. I grew up playing Oregon Trail and with video games and personals.

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SnareHanger@reddit

GET THE GEN XER!!!

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Trixie1143@reddit

Unplugged in New York

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SensitiveSinger1409@reddit

I don't think I've ever felt more called out by a post. If I didn't agree with you 100% it would be on.

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dwreckhatesyou@reddit

Oasis?

Oasis doesn’t even like Oasis.

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RootDDoot@reddit

1995 wins out. Tragic Kingdom, Jagged Little Pill, What’s the Story, Morning Glory?, Foo Fighters, Me Against the World, Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, The Bends, Brown Sugar, Astro Creep:2000, The Presidents of the United States of America, A Boy Named Goo, Sparkle and Fade

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AvocadoToastFailure@reddit

Why did I have to scroll so far to find Jagged Little Pill mentioned once? That album was my personal high school soundtrack. I can’t think of another album that I’ve felt so strongly. It was unlike anything I had ever heard.

Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness also spoke to my dramatic teenage heart.

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GenJohnnyRico@reddit

All the people over at /r/Coachella saying Justin Beiber is peak and had them crying 😞

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L31121@reddit

All of these bands are on my rotation constantly 🤘

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Underfyre@reddit

I made a 90s playlist for my 40th birthday (1981) that I continued to work on and it got kind of out of hand. I eventually settled on a kind of chronological playlist order that mostly follows the billboard charts with deep cuts for things I listened to throw into that point in time. Going to the that mid 90s part just hits way harder than any other part of the playlist.

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haxracing@reddit

The Offspring - Ixnay on the Hombre (nowadays my favourite Offspring album. At the time I was all about Smash)

Testament - Low (since overshadowed, but solid from start to finish)

Soundgarden - Superunknown

Black Sabbath - Cross Purposes (IMO one of their weakest of that era, but still good)

Bruce Dickinson - Balls to Picasso (the recent remaster is very good)

Machinehead - Burn My Eyes (still their best, for my money)

Megadeth - Youthanasia (one of my favourites at the time)

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bmfward@reddit

Machinehead Burn My Eyes should have been massive.

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StressMysterious7530@reddit

MH and FF shows were crazy!

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StressMysterious7530@reddit

System of a Down 1998

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driventhin@reddit

Be specific the you’re referring to a certain type of music, alternative I’m assuming, because that doesn’t include any hip hop or R&B which was 🔥🔥🔥 throughout the 90s. 🤷🏾‍♀️

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Designer-Bid-3155@reddit

You left out the best one...

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Alternative-Light514@reddit

Wasn’t there some conspiracy theory treasure hunt associated with this album? Early internet shit

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Designer-Bid-3155@reddit

Like the wizard of Oz and dark side?

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Alternative-Light514@reddit

No, it was some internet thing where there were supposed hidden clues in the album artwork, lyrics and tour visuals that led to some kind of mysterious treasure. The band denied knowing anything about it and said it was probably some early internet marketing stunt by the record label

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Anand999@reddit

I think this will be a controversial one among hardcore Pink Floyd fans but I personally loved this album.

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77evens@reddit

Real hard-core Floyd fans were geeked to the dome about this album. That live show is/was unbeatable.

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Designer-Bid-3155@reddit

I mean, Gilmour is the fucking man!

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Designer-Bid-3155@reddit

I'm a hard-core Floyd fan. Pretty sure this beats the albums listed by op.

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OkCryptographer2479@reddit

Man I love this sub.

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Metzger4Sheriff@reddit

Also 1994.

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Starbugg1@reddit

This was way too far down.

Also also 1994.

Tori - Under the Pink Hole - Live Through This REM - Monster

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MysteryMolecule@reddit

Green Day and Oasis? 🤨

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jujupatoots@reddit

That would be GenX music!

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i_am_roboto@reddit

I was out driving with my highschooler today because she’s learning how to drive. She asked me to play some music from when I was growing up so I played a 90s alternative rock playlist from Spotify. She knew probably half the songs and absolutely loved it said music was way better when we were kids than it is now and I couldn’t agree more.

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hvc101fc@reddit

Hmm…. Maybe? But my knee jerk reaction would say “nope, 1991 is”. Or is that to early to be xennial

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fuuture_mike@reddit

I agree. 1994 also happens to be the year I’d time travel to if I could travel time. These two things are only tangentially related.

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Carsoninthehouse@reddit

Nas, Biggie, OutKast.

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9KZTZ4GJLMFCVCBUPBK4@reddit

I'd say anything pre 1998 - as Cher's "Believe" marked the unofficial birth of autotuning...

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tommytraddles@reddit

Rancid, Let's Go ✅

Liz Phair, Whip-Smart ✅

Johnny Cash, American Recordings ✅

Beastie Boys, Ill Communication ✅

What a great year.

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GrizzlyAdam12@reddit

Whip smart is….not exile. And that’s all I have to say about it.

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Falchon@reddit

Also Punk in Drublic by NOFX and Stranger than Fiction by Bad Religion

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GrizzlyAdam12@reddit

Rollins Band Weight, too.

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Ilovefishdix@reddit

Dummy-Potishead

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bmfward@reddit

Transcendent.

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The_Fell_Opian@reddit

And OP didn't even list my favorite 3: Nirvana Unplugged, Pavement Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Weezer Blue Album.

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VampireOnHoyt@reddit

Also Too High to Die and Bee Thousand

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GrizzlyAdam12@reddit

GBV…yes! Stoned and Dethroned (Jesus and Mary Chain) also came out in 1994.

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The_Fell_Opian@reddit

For good measure let's also throw in Mellow Gold, Parklife and Grace.

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imhereforthevotes@reddit

Fuck, Mellow Gold too????

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ImOnlyHereForTheCoC@reddit

Oh man, how could I forget GbV?!

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bmfward@reddit

Pavement ftw.

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meatpopsicle42@reddit

Upvote for Pavement, fellow redditor of refined taste.

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Ltimbo@reddit

Scrolled too far to find Nirvana unplugged. Respect for the Weezer too.

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Cigam_Emot@reddit

Summer of 1991 is just the best ever

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bmfward@reddit

Strong argument here!

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Jasoco@reddit

No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom is a GOAT album from start to finish.

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civilwarcorpses@reddit

On the hip hop side, I feel like so many greats came out in 1993. Ready to Die, 36 Chambers, Midnight Mauraders, etc

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PlutoISaPlanet@reddit

Creepin on a Come Up

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VampireOnHoyt@reddit

This is Illmatic erasure

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bmfward@reddit

Amen.

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PORTOGAZI@reddit

The greatest hiphop album of all time. I'm admittedly out of touch now but nothing I saw for the following 20 years came close to illmatic. I don't like anything else Nas did other than the Message and Made you Look ... but he struck with lightning with that damn record of which I know every. single. line. by heart.

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DrapedInVelvet@reddit

You could get some timers for .99 on the my subscription you signed your dog up for

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PlutoISaPlanet@reddit

Bone Thugs n Harmony E. 1999 Eternal. Checks out

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oskich@reddit

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bmfward@reddit

Underrated

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Traditional_Entry183@reddit

Autumn of 94 was my senior year, and I do really like a lot of the music from that year. Honestly, I felt like music really went gradually downhill for the next 10-15 years after that to be honest.

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tettoffensive@reddit

I agree but weren’t those Gen Xers making that music?

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wiltrvls@reddit

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djseifer@reddit

"Suck it in, suck it in, suck it in, if you're Rintintin or Anne Boleyn, make a desperate move and then you'll win, lalalalala la la la..." *starts humming Pachelbel's Canon in D indiscriminately*

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MoStyles22@reddit

I bought this album that year, but wasn’t truly able to appreciate their music until I saw them live again in my forties. Amazing band!

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Winter_Dimension8107@reddit

I love 90s music. But I actually love 80s more.

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mrblackc@reddit

You make a strong point, but Oasis doesn't belong in that list of names.

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dixiebandit69@reddit

You forgot Nine inch Nails (The Downward Spiral) and Toadies (Rubberneck).

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kaest@reddit

You forgot Soundgarden Superunknown in 94.

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Mudcreek47@reddit

Weezer blue also

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BohemiaDrinker@reddit

Well, yeah.

Pick a list of albums released in 94, it's insane. One of the greatest years for music, period.

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WendyWilliamsFart@reddit

Portishead Dummy. Checkmate

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To_a_Green_Thought@reddit

Obscure 1994 classic: Life, Love, Regret by Unbroken.

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makeupwearsoff@reddit

‘94-‘96 were great years for music.

Also Charlottetown? Lol

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TheChainsawVigilante@reddit

You lost me at oasis

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OCKingsFan@reddit

NOFX - Punk in Drublic

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-SandorClegane-@reddit

Linoleum...supports my head

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_gonesurfing_@reddit

Gives me something to believe

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OCKingsFan@reddit

That’s me, in the beachside combing the sand….

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pronouncedayayron@reddit

Metal meter in my hand

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jarosity@reddit

Sporting a pocket full of (change/shit)

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S_A_R_K@reddit

How did the cat get so fat?

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foozebox@reddit

This leaves out Smashmouth, really? Really?

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Economy-Weird-2368@reddit

Green Day; NIN; Pearl Jam; Live; Oasis; STP.

Wanted all of these (and more) from those mail-order CD services: "buy 1 get 11 free"

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imhereforthevotes@reddit

Columbia House? I did that. Excellent batch of cassettes every time!

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LineImpossible3958@reddit

1991-96 is the sweet spot. You could argue any of those years and be correct

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Spear_Ritual@reddit

Right before the wave of frat rock. Third Eye Blind, Matchbox 20, Eve 6…

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PORTOGAZI@reddit

don't forget post-grunge (Creed, Nickelback, Staind, Puddle of Mudd, Seether, and the billions of other pop-radio-pablum bands that all sound the same)

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Beekeeper_Dan@reddit

I mean I want forget it…

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muzaklover75@reddit

Yes.

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0bsidianM1nd@reddit

R.E.M - Monster in 94. R.E.M. Adventures in Hi-Fi 2 years later.

Weezer - Blue Album (Pinkerton 2 years later)

Radio Head - Pablo Honey in 93. (Ok Computer 3 years later)

Jeff Buckley -

Dave Matthew Band - Under the Table and Dreaming (Crash 2 years later)

Green Day - Dookie (and then followed by nsomniac, and nimrod)

Live - Throwing Copper (Secret Samadhi 3 years later)

Sound Garden Superunknown (and Down on the upside 2 years later)

STP - Purple (and then Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop 2 years later)

It wasn't just that 94 had good albums, a lot of bands had pretty good follow up albums in the coming years.

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imhereforthevotes@reddit

Live, Oasis, and Green Day were not our pinnacle. Good, popular, yes, but come on. Liking the 93 post better...

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TiEmEnTi@reddit

r/WhiteAmericanXennials

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CivilExam1011@reddit

You know whats funny. I hated all this music as a kid. Ive loved it over the years. However on this subreddit I feel like im 12 again and my thinking like back then is rap is not represented enough.

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EverydayIsAGift-423@reddit

What year did Gin Blossoms’ “New Miserable Experience” come out?

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caddy45@reddit

Agreed. Two best years of music was 1994 and 1967.

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mt80@reddit

My anthem album from ‘94 release to 1996. When Pinkerton released.

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S7ark1@reddit

Such a shame what happened with Pinkerton. A legitimately brilliant album that most people shit on for 10+ years until they actually listened to it and everyone realized it was outstanding.

Pinkerton era Weezer was S tier. Even their B-Sides were fantastic . Suzanne, I just threw out the love of my dreams, Mykel & Carli, You gave your love to me softly...

If people saw then what they saw 10 years later, Weezer might have been putting out a lot more music like that over that time period. Instead, Rivers was so traumatized by the response to Pinkerton, that he went to study music and they played it safe for a long time. They didn't get creative again until the last b10 years or so.

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PORTOGAZI@reddit

same, my band got to play Riot Fest with them in 2015, and seeing Weezer post the flyers with MY band's name on it would have blown my 14 year mind.

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PrestigiousMaize2368@reddit

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8last@reddit

This clinched it for me. I thought that was a '95 album all this time. 1994 was a hell of a year for music with everything else listed in this thread.

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PrestigiousMaize2368@reddit

I was shocked by the downvotes. I know a lot people find them cringy today, but their debut was so raw and groundbreaking

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8last@reddit

That album is a technical marvel. Korn has spent literally millions of dollars on other studio recordings and have never come close to finding the gravity they reached on this one.

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GladosPrime@reddit

Sloan

twice removed

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Dreamingofapastlife@reddit

Just had this convo with my husband yesterday. I agree- 1994. But studies show it’s the year you were 14 years old.

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Lumpy_Branch_552@reddit

I would say 91-95

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Geewhiz911@reddit

Yeah, we had it so good, modern pop music (non-Classical) had such an incredible creative arc from the 50s up to the 90s-2000s and then, things changed so much, there are now an infinite amount of musical niches, instead of big popular trends that were managed by studios.

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Axxslinger@reddit

Ew

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More_Bluejay9938@reddit

Sorry we are fighting on this. 95- Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, Better than Ezra, Goo-Goo Dolls and Oasis plus Coolio’s “Gangsta Paradise,” the Friday soundtrack and Luniz “I Got 5 on It.”

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chrisviola@reddit

Great year for rap too. Nas, Outkast and Notorious B.I.G. debuts.

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Roland-Of-Eld-19@reddit

94 great year for punk rock

gif

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FestivusRestOfUs@reddit

Counting Crows ‘August and Everything After’ was released in September of 93’. That whole few year era defines my musical tastes. An amazing time to be coming in to my own.

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Wreckingshops@reddit

Nothing touches it.

1993-1995 are runner ups. By 1996 everything outside hip-hop becomes a lot of majors copying the copycats. Pop is starting to become formulaic again too.

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eejjkk@reddit

But... 1991?

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bEErgrEMlin12@reddit

Yes and + or - two years as well.

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Gonzostewie@reddit

94 or 96 has been another consensus year I've heard elsewhere.

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Doctor_Tyrell@reddit

90's rap was better.

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FungiStudent@reddit

1994 was a really good year for phish and a not so good year in the Grateful Dead scene. So I have mixed emotions about that year. 1995 even more so, obviously. But then again, Phish just played the Sphere and they are playing at a super high level these days, maybe even better than they were in the late 90s (fight me). So I'm happy that there is still amazing music coming out these days. King Gizzard and the lizard wizard are one of the best bands in history and they keep getting better year after year.

But 1994 had lots of good music in the mainstream. The days of that kind of Rock dominating popular culture are gone, I'd say.

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MCA2142@reddit

But OK Computer came out in 1997.

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PORTOGAZI@reddit

91 and 97 were the seminal years fs. Nevermind/Ok

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77evens@reddit

Those two years are the beginning and end and both amazing years for ultimate albums but ‘94 was undoubtedly the peak of genre defining bustouts of that decade. See Webslingrrr’s post above.

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TheGillos@reddit

Like everything in our generation, there's some overlap with younger Millennials and with Gen-X.

Personally, I was too young to REALLY appreciate 1994 music at the time.

Obviously, I recognize it as a banger year in music (and films! But I didn't watch Dumb and Dumber in theatres or anything either).

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sombreropickle@reddit

Movies too

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Hopepersonified@reddit

Literally every genre was peak in 94

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SpaceCadetEdelman@reddit

The Lollapalooza documentary was insightful and interesting. Along with the Chili Peppers Our Brother Hillel.

I was woefully naive to some of the 90s music culture, getting hooked on G&R, then Megadeath and Metallica.. luckily my music horizons spread to Rap when I got my car and subwoofers.

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