Best of ‘90s: ‘Nevermind’

Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” the 1991 album that helped popularize the aggressive, angst-driven grunge movement and make rock ‘n’ roll worth believing in again, was the most notable album of the ‘90s.

Other collections that helped shape the decade’s artistic and commercial strains ranged from Sinead O’Connor’s “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” a strikingly personal work that opened a door for such other gifted artists as PJ Harvey and Alanis Morissette, to Public Enemy’s “Fear of a Black Planet,” which remains the artistic standard in rap.

The decade’s 10 most notable albums:

1. Nirvana’s “Nevermind” (DGC, 1991).

2. Sinead O’Connor’s “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got” (Chrysalis, 1990).

3. Public Enemy’s “Fear of a Black Planet” (Def Jam, 1990).

4. Beck’s “Odelay” (DGC, 1996).

5. Bob Dylan’s “Time Out of Mind” (Columbia, 1997).

6. Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” (Ruffhouse, 1998).

7. Ice Cube’s “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted” (Priority, 1990).

8. Nine Inch Nails’ “The Downward Spiral” (Nothing, 1994).

9. Hole’s “Live Through This” (DGC, 1994).

10. Moby’s “Play” (V2, 1999).

(To expand the range of the list, only one album per artist was allowed.)