AllMusic Loves 1993
November 13th, 2008 | 2:30 pm est |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
If 1991 was the year that punk broke, 1993 was the year that Alternative took hold. Nirvana and Pearl Jam delivered follow-ups to their blockbusters, rock radio was ruled by their imitators Stone Temple Pilots, pop radio saw more guitars than it did in years thanks to R.E.M. and their followers, like the Gin Blossoms. Thanks to PJ Harvey, Liz Phair, Belly, Luscious Jackson, Juliana Hatfield, and the Breeders, it was the year of Women in Rock — so coined by papers looking hard for a trend — but Guyville didn’t cower either, thanks to major-label debuts by Urge Overkill and the Afghan Whigs. And that was just in the U.S.! Over in the U.K., things were just as interesting, as Britpop started to explode thanks to Suede’s debut and Blur’s Union Jack makeover, but at this point, these bands weren’t being invited to 10 Downing Street, they were competing with indie eccentrics like the Auteurs and Boo Radleys. But there was plenty of great music being made without guitars: electronica also made inroads with Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works 85-92, house bubbled out into the mainstream with Stereo MC’s and, most importantly, the sound of ’90s hip-hop was cemented with the success of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and the underground emergence of the Wu-Tang Clan. Any one of these things would make 1993 a year to remember, but all of this at once makes 1993 unforgettable.
Suede - Suede
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Urge Overkill - Saturation
Nirvana - In Utero
Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish
PJ Harvey - Rid of Me
Dinosaur Jr. - Where You Been
Stereolab - Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements
Luscious Jackson - In Search of Manny
The Lemonheads - Come on Feel the Lemonheads
Dwight Yoakam - This Time
Paul Weller - Wild Wood
Frank Black - Frank Black
The Breeders - Last Splash
Björk - Debut
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Yo La Tengo - Painful
Belly - Star
The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps
Mercury Rev - Boces
Cypress Hill - “Insane in the Brain” 
The Breeders - “Cannonball”
Stone Temple Pilots - “Plush”
Aimee Mann - “I Should’ve Known”
Gin Blossoms - “Hey Jealousy”
Ice Cube - “It Was a Good Day”
Dr. Dre - “Let Me Ride”
Urge Overkill - “Sister Havana”
Belly - “Feed the Tree”
Ween - “Push th’ Little Daisies”
Suede - “Metal Mickey”
James - “Laid”
Cracker - “Low”
U2 - “Stay (Faraway, So Close!)”
New Order - “Regret”
One Dove - “White Love”
Nirvana - “Heart Shaped Box”
Radiohead - “Creep”
Dinosaur Jr. - “Start Choppin’”
R.E.M. - “Man on the Moon”
John Bush
Acetone - Cindy
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Björk - Debut
Black Dog Productions - Bytes
The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps
The Flaming Lips - Transmissions from the Satellite Heart
Mercury Rev - Boces
µ-Ziq - Tango N’ Vectif
New Order - Republic
Orbital - Orbital 2
Pet Shop Boys - Very
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Epic Soundtracks - Rise Above
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Extra Width
Stereolab - The Groop Played “Space Age Bachelor Pad Music”
Suede - Suede
Tiger Trap - Tiger Trap
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
Urge Overkill - Saturation
Verve - A Storm in Heaven
Aphex Twin - “On”
Archers of Loaf - “Web in Front”
Autechre - “Basscadet”
The Black Dog - “Cost II”
Blur - “Chemical World”
The Boo Radleys - “Lazarus”
The Breeders - “Cannonball”
Digable Planets - “Where I’m From”
4 Hero - “Journey from the Light” YouTube
The Martian - “Stardancer”
Masters at Work - “I Can’t Get No Sleep”
Nuyorican Soul - “The Nervous Track”
Omni Trio - “Mystic Stepper (Feel Better)”
Omni Trio - “Renegade Snares”
Orbital - “Lush 3″
The Sabres of Paradise - “Smokebelch I”
Slam - “Positive Education”
Spiritualized - “Electric Mainline”
Stereolab - “French Disko”
Verve - “Slide Away”
David Jeffries
Tha Alkaholiks - 21 & Over
The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps
The Breeders - Last Splash
Cracker - Kerosene Hat
Cypress Hill - Black Sunday
Dead Can Dance - Into the Labyrinth
Earth - Earth 2
The Jerky Boys - The Jerky Boys
R. Kelly - 12 Play
LL Cool J - 14 Shots to the Dome
Masters of Reality - Sunrise on the Sufferbus
Melvins - Houdini
New Order - Republic
Pet Shop Boys - Very
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Pitchshifter - Desensitized
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle
Treponem Pal - Excess & Overdrive
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
2Pac - “Keep Ya Head Up”
Apache Indian - “Boom Shack-A-Lak”
David Bowie - “Miracle Goodnight”
Cocoa Tea - “Grow Your Locks”
Digital Underground - “The Return of the Crazy One”
Domino - “Getto Jam”
Electroset - “How Does It Feel?” YouTube
The Fall - “Why Are People Grudgeful?”
Beres Hammond - “Putting Up Resistance”
Nick Heyward - “Kite”
Billy Ray Martin & Spooky - “Persuasion”
MK - “Always”
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin - “Saturday Night”
Paperboy - “Ditty”
Porno for Pyros - “Pets”
Adam Sandler - “Lunchlady Land”
Shaggy - “Oh Carolina”
Snow - “Informer”
Utah Saints - “Something Good”
Zhané - “Hey Mr. DJ”
Thom Jurek
John Campbell - Howlin’ Mercy
Rosanne Cash - The Wheel
Catherine Wheel - Chrome
Dead Can Dance - Into the Labyrinth
Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle
Eleventh Dream Day - El Moodio
Guru - Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1
PJ Harvey - Rid of Me
Mick Jagger - Wandering Spirit
Ronny Jordan - The Quiet Revolution
Daniel Lanois - For the Beauty of Wynonna
Maria McKee - You Gotta Sin to Get Saved
Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Jane Siberry - When I Was a Boy
Swervedriver - Mezcal Head
Henry Threadgill - Too Much Sugar for a Dime
Verve - A Storm in Heaven
Counting Crows - August and Everything After
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
David Sylvian & Robert Fripp - The First Day
Billy Joe Shaver - Tramp on Your Street
Paul Weller - Wild Wood
The Julius Hemphill Sextet - Five Chord Stud
Tindersticks - Tindersticks
Steve Young - Switchblades of Love
Billy Harper - Somalia
James Blood Ulmer - Harmolodic Guitar with Strings
Frank Zappa - The Yellow Shark
Andy Kellman
The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
The Auteurs - New Wave
B12 - Electro-Soma
Black Dog Productions - Bytes
Black Moon - Enta da Stage
Catherine Wheel - Chrome
Fugazi - In on the Kill Taker
PJ Harvey - Rid of Me
Insides - Euphoria
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Reload - A Collection of Short Stories
Scrawl - Velvet Hammer
Seefeel - Quique
Slowdive - Souvlaki
Suede - Suede
Swervedriver - Mezcal Head
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
Verve - A Storm in Heaven
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Basic Channel - “Phylyps Trak”
Björk - “Human Behaviour”
LTJ Bukem - “Music”
Curve - “On the Wheel”
Dr. Dre - “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang”
Drexciya - “Bubble Metropolis”
4 Hero - “Journey from the Light” YouTube
Ice Cube - “Check Yo Self (The Message Remix)”
Janet Jackson - “If”
Jeru the Damaja - “Come Clean”
MK - “Always”
Omni Trio - “Renegade Snares”
Origin Unknown - “Valley of the Shadows”
Rufige Kru - “Ghosts of My Life” YouTube
Ed Rush - “Bludclot Artattack”
Seefeel - “Time to Find Me (AFX Fast Mix)”
Shellac - “Wingwalker”
Stasis - “Point of No Return”
The Suburban Knight - “Nocturbulous Behavior”
SWV - “Right Here (Human Nature Remix)”
Andrew Leahey
Jellyfish - Spilt Milk
U2 - Zooropa
The Posies - Frosting on the Beater
Radiohead - Pablo Honey
Buffalo Tom - Big Red Letter Day
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See
Belly - Star
Letters to Cleo - Aurora Gory Alice
Pearl Jam - Vs.
The Breeders - Last Splash
Buffalo Tom - “Late at Night”
U2 - “Stay (Faraway, So Close!)”
Jellyfish - “The Ghost at Number One”
Mazzy Star - “Fade Into You”
The Posies - “Solar Sister”
The Smashing Pumpkins - “Cherub Rock”
Belly - “Feed the Tree”
Cracker - “Low”
The Breeders - “Cannonball”
Nirvana - “All Apologies”
Uncle Dave Lewis
In 1993 I was working at the Tower Records in Torrance, CA. I don’t remember the year very fondly for music, but looking back there were quite a few good things released this year. Working long hours at the store I probably heard Crash Test Dummies’ “MMM MMM MMM MMM” a few more times than I would have liked, and resolved to write better songs than that one myself; and while I feel I have done so, I haven’t had any hits like that one! Hovhaness’ “Mount St. Helens Symphony” had us all singing the big tune in it, with made up lyrics: “Hear the bubbling lava flow/Mount St. Helens is about to blow…”
Shonen Knife - Let’s Knife
Cracker - Kerosene Hat
Stereolab - Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements
The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen
Queen Latifah - Black Reign
Elmer Bernstein/RPO Pops - Elmer Bernstein by Elmer Bernstein
Crash Test Dummies - God Shuffled His Feet
Keith Jarrett - Bridge of Light
Junko Onishi Trio - Crusin’
Frank Zappa - The Yellow Shark
Gerard Schwarz/Seattle Symphony - Alan Hovhaness: Mount St. Helen’s Symphony
Luscious Jackson - In Search of Manny
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Extra Width
Meridian Arts Ensemble - Smart Went Crazy
Deep Forest - Deep Forest
Antonio de Almeida/Moscow Symphony Orchestra - Malipiero: Sinfonia del Mare - Symphonies 3 & 4
The Baltimore Consort - La Rocque n’ Roll
Rig - Belly to the Ground
George Gershwin - Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls
Netherlands Wind Ensemble Bernstein - Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Jason Lymangrover
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Brad - Shame
Cypress Hill - Black Sunday
Digable Planets - Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
Dinosaur Jr. - Where You Been
Flaming Lips - Transmissions from the Satellite Heart
Judgment Night
The Lemonheads - Come on Feel the Lemonheads
Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way
Morphine - Cure for Pain
Pearl Jam - Vs.
Sloan - Smeared
Slowdive - Souvlaki
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Stereolab - Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements
Suede - Suede
Swirlies - Blonder Tongue Audio Baton
Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
In ‘93, I spent way too many hours watching BET’s Rap City in my dorm room when I should have been studying.
Black Moon - “Who Got da Props?”
Brand Nubian - “Love Me or Leave Me Alone”
Chaka Demus & Pliers - “Murder She Wrote”
Da Lench Mob - “Guerillas in tha Mist”
De La Soul - “Breakadawn”
Diamond & the Psychotic Neurotics - “Sally Got a One Track Mind”
Double XX Posse - “Not Gonna Be Able to Do It”
Guru - “Trust Me”
KRS-One - “Sound of da Police”
LL Cool J - ” Pink Cookies in a Plastic Bag Getting Crushed by Buildings”
Lords of the Underground - “Chief Rocka”
The Pharcyde - “Passin Me By”
Masta Ace - “Born to Roll”
Mad Cobra - “Flex” YouTube
Onyx - “Slam”
Paperboy - “Ditty”
Positive K - “I Got a Man”
Redman - “Time 4 Sum Aksion”
2Pac - “I Get Around”
Honorable Mention:
Biz Markie - “Let Me Turn You On”
J. Scott McClintock
Jellyfish - Spilt Milk
Martin Newell - The Greatest Living Englishman
Saint Etienne - So Tough
Brian Dewan - Tells the Story
Masters of Reality - Sunrise on the Sufferbus
Redd Kross - Phaseshifter
Sloan - Smeared
Jesus Jones - Perverse
The Auteurs - New Wave
Björk - Debut
Frank Black - Frank Black
Grant Lee Buffalo - Fuzzy
James Hall - My Love, Sex & Spirit
The Fall - The Infotainment Scan
Lisa Germano - Happiness
Catherine Wheel - Chrome
Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion
David Bowie - “Buddha of Suburbia”
The Breeders - “Hag”
The Boo Radleys - “Rodney King (Song for Lenny Bruce)”
Curve - “Superblaster”
David Sylvian & Robert Fripp - “Brightness Falls”
Medicine - “She Knows Everything”
Digable Planets - “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)”
808 State - “10 X 10″
Daniel Lanois - “For the Beauty of Wynona”
Miranda Sex Garden - “Sunshine”
Nirvana - “All Apologies”
The Posies - “Solar Sister”
Shonen Knife - “Tortoise Brand Pot Scrubbing Cleaner’s Theme (Sea Turtle)”
Suede - “Animal Nitrate”
Swirlies - “Pancake”
U2 - “Lemon”
Underworld - “Cowgirl”
The Golden Palominos - “The Wonder”
Stereolab - “Space Age Bachelor Pad Music”
Sloan - “Underwhelmed”
Sade - “Cherish the Day”
Porno for Pyros - “Packin’”
James Christopher Monger
Grant Lee Buffalo - Fuzzy
Jellyfish - Spilt Milk
Red House Painters - Red House Painters
Eleventh Dream Day - El Moodio
Masters of Reality - Sunrise on the Sufferbus
The Auteurs - New Wave
Komeda - Pop På Svenska
Brian Dewan - Tells the Story
Martin Newell - The Greatest Living Englishman
Robyn Hitchcock - Respect
The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps
Suede - Suede
Lisa Germano - Happiness
Björk - Debut
Redd Kross - Phaseshifter
Morphine - Cure for Pain
Daniel Lanois - For the Beauty of Wynonna
Jeff Buckley - Live at Sin-é
Tom Waits - The Black Rider
Danny Elfman - The Nightmare Before Christmas
Miranda Sex Garden - “Sunshine”
Porno for Pyros - “Packin’”
Ayub Ogada - “Obiero”
Jesus Jones - “The Devil You Know”
Flop - “Woolworth”
Frank Black - “Los Angeles”
Ren & Stimpy - “Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy”
James - “Sometimes (Lester Piggott)”
David Bowie - “Buddha of Suburbia”
Crowded House - “Pineapple Head”
Ad Vielle Que Pourra - “Avel a Varo”
World Party - “Is It Like Today?”
Midnight Oil - “Truganini”
Sloan - “Underwhelmed”
Belly - “Gepetto”
The Pogues - “Tuesday Morning”
Nirvana - “All Apologies”
The Posies - “Definite Door”
The Flaming Lips - “Turn It On”
Milton Nascimento - “Hello, Goodbye”
Heather Phares
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
The Auteurs - New Wave
Björk - Debut
Frank Black - Frank Black
Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish
The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps
The Breeders - Last Splash
Dinosaur Jr. - Where You Been
PJ Harvey - Rid of Me
His Name Is Alive - Mouth by Mouth
Mercury Rev - Boces
Nirvana - In Utero
Royal Trux - Cats & Dogs
Smog - Julius Caesar
Stereolab - Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements
Suede - Suede
Swirlies - Blonder Tongue Audio Baton
Urge Overkill - Saturation
Unrest - Perfect Teeth
Yo La Tengo - Painful
Belly - “Feed the Tree”
Björk - “Human Behaviour”
Frank Black - “Los Angeles”
The Breeders - “Cannonball”
Butthole Surfers - “Who Was in My Room Last Night?”
Cypress Hill - “Insane in the Brain”
Digable Planets - “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)”
Dinosaur Jr. - “Start Choppin’”
Dr. Dre - “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang”
Ice Cube - “It Was a Good Day”
James - “Laid”
Nirvana - “Heart Shaped Box”
Primus - “My Name Is Mud”
Radiohead - “Creep”
Salt-N-Pepa - “Shoop”
Smashing Pumpkins - “Today”
Stereo MC’s - “Connected”
Suede - “Metal Mickey”
Urge Overkill - “Sister Havana”
Ween - “Push th’ Little Daisies”
Tim Sendra
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps
The Flaming Lips - Transmissions from the Satellite Heart
Jane Pow - Love It Be It!/State
The Nightblooms - 24 Days at Catastrophe Cafe
The Pooh Sticks - Million Seller
Saint Etienne - So Tough
Slowdive - Souvlaki
Smog - Julius Caesar
Epic Soundtracks - Rise Above
Stereolab - Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements
Swirlies - Blonder Tongue Audio Baton
Tiger Trap - Tiger Trap
Tindersticks - Tindersticks
The Trash Can Sinatras - I’ve Seen Everything
The Auteurs - “Show Girl”
Helen Love - “Riding Hi”
Huggy Bear - “Herjazz”
Lois - “The Trouble with Me”
Mazzy Star - “Fade Into You”
The Pastels - “Thank You for Being You”
Snoop Doggy Dogg - “Gin and Juice”
Suede - “Animal Nitrate”
A Tribe Called Quest - “Award Tour”
Wu-Tang Clan - “C.R.E.A.M.”
Sean Westergaard
Aisha Kandisha’s Jarring Effects - Shabeesation
Joey Baron - RAIsedpleasuredot
Tim Berne’s Caos Totale - Nice View
Oren Bloedow - Oren Bloedow
William S. Burroughs - Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales
Ry Cooder & V.M. Bhatt - Meeting by the River
Robert Dick - Third Stone from the Sun
Eleventh Dream Day - El Moodio
The Ex/Tom Cora - And the Weathermen Shrug Their Shoulders
Ronald Shannon Jackson - Raven Roc
Jon Jang & the Pan-Asian Arkestra - Tiananmen!
Medeski, Martin & Wood - It’s a Jungle in Here
Naked City - Radio
Plunderphonics - Plexure
Hal Russell NRG Ensemble - The Hal Russell Story
Nicky Skopelitis - Ekstasis
David Sylvian & Robert Fripp - The First Day
Henry Threadgill - Too Much Sugar for a Dime
Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne
Justin Warfield - My Field Trip to Planet 9
Although a few songs in these lists were released in 1992, they peaked in the U.S. in 1993.
Previously
AllMusic Loves 1968
AllMusic Loves 1977
AllMusic Loves 1984
AllMusic Loves 1987
AllMusic Loves 1999
Not much commentary on these albums, you guys must be getting bored with the AllMusic Loves shtick.
Swervedriver, so underrated.
FINALLY, some love for The Auteurs. God I like this band.
I remember that was the year EVERYONE was anticipating that Smashing Pumpkins album that summer.. and it AMAZED. Yeah, Swervedriver played their U.S. tour, and that’s when I heard Mezcal Head. It was over.
I also remember a rumor that the Verve were going to open for the Pumpkins, and someone played that Storm in Heaven album… again, OVER.
Beautiful year for music.
Oh yeah….
American Music Club’s “Mercury” came out in 93 too. That got missed on this list.
Man, ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’ is so underrated. It’s miles above ‘Parklife’ and the fact that it’s still relevant today while ‘Parklife’ is not is amazing.
It’s almost like no one remembers this album came out, correctly predicted everything to come in the 90s, then vanished never to be mentioned again. (It’s not even represented on their greatest hits, for crying out loud)
Anyways, brilliant album, one of the best of the 90s, and deserved way more than it has got (and continues to get)
This was a truly groundbreaking and formative year in music for me, at the time all of 12 years old and already listening to Pearl Jam, Radiohead, STP, Morphine and many other bands that seemed to be all over these lists. Many of these albums, from VS to Boces to Siamese Dream to Midnight Marauders, totally changed my life and sent me on a serious musical journey. I really haven’t looked back since. Keep it up. The only other album I would have considered putting on this list would’ve been (and I know I could get some pretty serious slack for this) Blind Melon’s self titled debut. Yeah the production is a little slick and dated, but the songs (No Rain excluded) really stand the test of time. The brightness of the music and general positivity in the album’s feel make it a stark contrast to the dour, serious music being made around the same time. Yeah, a lot of people didn’t take them as anything more than a one hit wonder, but listening to it again recently and even seeing them live (albiet with a new singer) brought back a lot of great memories and reminded me how great a band they could have been had tragedy not struck them down.
My 1993 top 10 in no particular order:
Fugazi-In on the Killtaker (still my favorite fugazi album)
Tribe-Midnight Marauders
U2-Zooropa (so underrated…)
Frank Black-Teenager of the Year
Nirvana-In Utero
Blind Melon-Blind Melon
Radiohead-Pablo Honey
Mercury Rev-Boces
Bad Religion-Recipe for Hate
Pearl Jam-VS
Let’s not forget the best to ever come out of Scotland - TEENAGE FANCLUB. THIRTEEN may not be the boys masterpiece, but it was certainly one 1993’s finest moments. Amen.
Richard - good to hear from you! I totally agree that Thirteen is worthy. I actually meant to put it on my list but forgot…..or something.
i would just like to say that i believe Blind Melon may have had one big hit but i believe they are more than a one hit wonder- a lot of really good bands have had just one hit or maybe not even one hit…well enough of that! All of the albums that stand out to me have been mentioned and one small detail Blind Melon’s debut record was in 1992.
Blind Melon’s 1995 record, Soup, one of the most overlooked records of the decade yo!:D
yeah, it was 1992, yet as the writers mentioned, some albums on the list were 1992 releases yet didn’t really break until the following year. Blind Melon was an example of that as was Sloan’s Smeared which was released up here in Canada in 1992…and Shawn, you’re absolutely right, Soup was a hidden gem of a record. I really appreciate the effort at AMG to put out these lists, and as per usual STE, you nailed it.
another note…I failed on the Teenager of the Year…My memory is clearly failing me, as that was a 1994 release. However, that year was another monster and is certainly worthy of its day on this blog.
I’m glad James Christopher Monger mentioned Tom Waits “The Black Rider.” One of the most underated albums by a guy who’s gotten so hip.
Don’t read the reviews, one of my favorite TWs albums hands down.
I would like to mention Divine Comedy´s Liberation, not their best, but that album has two of my favorite pop songs ever, “Lucy” and “Your Daddy’s Car”.
Greetings.
Wow. 15 years ago. Scary. I was starting college and just getting into more electronic stuff along with all the new indie and Britpop sounds. Glad to see Black Dog and Co. get a mention.
What a great year for music! Brings back fond memories of my first year living in Northern California. What about Flying Saucer Attack’s 1st full-length release, Rural Psychedelia, combining Nick Drake, Popul Vuh, and My Bloody Valentine influences.
Wow, so many great albums and singles.
The only thing that made me surprised was the absence of the era-defining ”For Tomorrow” (particulary on STE’s list).
Some other gems that I missed here (excellent lists though):
Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle
PJ Harvey - 4-Track Demo
Denis Leary - No Cure for Cancer
Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne
Velocity Girl - Copacetic
Paul Westerberg - 14 Songs
Catherine Wheel - ”Crank”
Depeche Mode - ”Walking in My Shoes”
The Flaming Lips - ”She Don’t Use Jelly”
The Posies - ”Dream All Day”
Prince - ”Pink Cashmere”
The Prodigy - ”Wind It Up”
Saint Etienne - ”You’re in a Bad Way”
The Verve - ”Blue”
That year I remember there only was Pearl Jam and his superb Vs. That’s all that I can remember.
NEW WAVE, yeah!! I totally agree with Mr Spiker about the Auteurs. It was a great music year indeed, I still treasure heaps of the albums on the lists - but one of few albums I’m still listening to every now and then is New Wave. And the album cover is marvellous in its simplicity.
A classic. As is of course Mercury - the song! the album! by the AMC, as got commented above.
Freestyle Fellowship’s “Inner City Griots” is also a brilliant album from that year
To each their own, but am I alone in suggesting that the Blind Melon record and everything they did was mediocre at best?
Pearl Jam. Yawn.
Frank Black ‘Teenager of the Year’! and the Stereolab album ‘Transient Random…’ along with Blur’s ‘Modern Life is Rubbish’ and (well it was a little dodgy, but the good outweighs the forgettable) Eric’s Trip ‘Love Tara’.
God save Luke Haines!!!
The year I discovered pearl jam - I get the vs. cd from a friend of mine; loved it & searched for ten, & bought vitalogy when it was released a year or so later.
I still love the anger of “go”, & other stand out tracks like “dissident”, “rear view mirror” & “animal”.
Also enjoyed the most consistent REM album todate- Automatic for the people - I remember playing “find the river” over & over again.
Mazzy Star- “so tonight that I might see” - a gem of a record if you enjoy that dopey darkness that is.
& of course Niravana’s “in Utero”, U2’s Zooropa were getting repeated spins too.
Remember when there was no problem in liking pure electronica? :’(
Teenager of the Year was 94…Frank’s self titled solo debut was 93…& both records RULE. Teenager of the Year is criminally underrated, an epic achievement.
Some good stuff from 1993:
Unrest “Perfect Teeth”
Tara Key (Antietam) “Bourbon County”
Robert Forster “Calling From A Country Phone”
Red House Painters (second eponymous album)
Magnetic Fields “Holiday”
The Loud Family “Birds And Plants And Rocks And Things”
Lois “Strumpet”
Tiger Trap [never forget Tiger Trap]
Flop “Whenever You’re Ready”
Died Pretty “Trace”
Barbara Manning “Sings With The Original Artists”
Aimee Mann “Whatever”
Uncle Tuepelo “Anodyne”
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians “Respect”
Flaming Lips “Transmissions…”
Redd Kross “Phaseshifter” + “2,500 Redd Kross Fans Can’t Be Wrong” EP
Bailter Space “Robot World”
Scrawl “Velvet Hammer”
There were others I’m sure, but these are the ones that have made their way to my iPod.
1993 was definitely a good year, the 90’s had much to love! Some of my faves from the year…
Nirvana - In Utero
Wu Tang Clan - 36 Chambers
Suede - Suede
Blur - Modern Life is Rubbish
Radiohead - Pablo Honey
R.E.M. - Automatic for the People
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion
Slowdive - Souvlaki
Pearl Jam - Vs.
I was very young when these albums came out, and though I didn’t get to enjoy all of them at the time (especially the overseas acts due to the grunge explosion on radio), many of them have grown to be some of my favorites of all time.
Despite common perception, metal was everything but dead in the early nineties, at least in creative terms. You got everything: refining of the 80’s style, crossovers, blockbusters and the most important waves of the progressive-, death-metal style.
In 1993 extreme metal reached an artistic peak with:
Death - Individual Thought Patterns
Cynic - Focus
Carcass - Heartwork
Sepultura - Chaos A.D.
At The Gates - With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness
Of course I like other styles, too, but this part of musical history was missing in the lists, so far.
(hard guitar music in general saw more exceptional great releases in 1992, so did rap)
It’s worth mentioning that 1993 through, say, mid-1995 were the last gasps of MTV’s importance.
Crowded House’s “Together Alone” is an oft forgotten gem.
Even Allmusic considers it the weakest in the CH canon, which it isn’t. Show my boys some love!
There sure were a lot of great rekkids back in 1993!
(Unfortunately, my nerves were shot from hearing too many of them, while working in an independent record store, so I didn’t enjoy them as much as I might have.)
Thanks for mentioning Dwight Yoakam’s “This Time,” Mr. Erlewine!
And thanks for pointing out Hovhaness’ “Mt. Saint Helens Symphony,” Mr. Uncle Dave Lewis! (I’ve never heard of it before — I need to hear it now, though!)
Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet’s final album “Sport Fishin’” came out this year, too.
Quite a unique album, but then again the band was always quite interesting.
Definitely one of my top albums of the year, I can’t believe I almost forgot about it.
at the end of 1993, for the first time, I decided to compile the end of year lists from all the magazines I read at the time (RS, Spin, Musician, NME, Melody Maker, Select, The Face) and derive some definitive Top 10 best albums of the year. this is lost in the mists of time, but I do remember Bjork’s DEBUT was the most consistent favourite (although RS initially dismissed it when it was first reviewed). here are some favourites:
Aerosmith: Livin’ On the Edge
Belly: Slow Dog
Bjork: Human Behaviour
Bono and Gavin Friday: In the Name of the Father
David Bowie: Jump They Say
The Breeders: Cannonball
Kate Bush: Rubberband Girl
Cracker: Low
The Cranberries: Dreams
Crowded House: Distant Sun
Depeche Mode: I Feel You
Duran Duran: Ordinary World
Jesus Jones: The Devil You Know
Lenny Kravitz: Are You Gonna Go My Way
Midnight Oil: Truganini
New Order: Regret
Nirvana: Heart-Shaped Box
Sinead O’Connor: You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart
Pearl Jam: Daughter
P.M. Dawn: You Got Me Floatin’
Smashing Pumpkins: Cherub Rock
Bruce Springsteen: Streets of Philadelphia
Sting: If I Ever Lose My Faith In You
Stone Temple Pilots: Sex Type Thing
Suede: Animal Nitrate
Tears for Fears: Break It Down Again
U2: Daddy’s Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car
Ha! Just as I thought. Primus’ great charting success PORK SODA gets the shaft. People are still wondering whether to call it “music” after all these years!
good call on the Primus…though not my favorite of there’s, it’s a great album and when I put my list together (several posts ago now…) it was just on the cusp of making the top ten. That band is criminally underrated!
In 1993, I turned 17, so, naturally, I consider the best year for music EVER!
1 or 2 singles missing from the lists:
Soul Asylum - either “Runaway Train” or “Somebody to Shve”
Tony Toni Tone - “If I had no Loot”
Might have missed it but I didn’t see my favourite album of all time, The Divine Comedy’s Liberation, which simply is, well, just my favourite album ever.
Other 1993 albums from my all-time list :
2.Suede - Suede (n°6 all-time)
3.The Auteurs - New Wave (12)
4.Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish (45)
5.PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me (57)
6.The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps (74)
7.The Trash Can Sinatras - I’ve Seen Everything (97)
A pretty, pretty, pretty good year indeed.
“If 1991 was the year that punk broke”
I stopped reading after that. You can see the flaw there, I hope.
Pistols, Clash, Damned, Ramones, Television yada yada yada…….
it was a reference to the movie of the same name, dumbass …
Music recycles itself every 15, 27, 33, 41 years and so forth.
Brainiac- Smack Bunny Baby
Sagat- Why Is It (Funk That)
Be a 24 hour, 7 day a week 365 day a year American.
between in utero and siamese dream 93 was righteous anyway but throw in the fact that it was pretty much the beginning of the renaissance of KRS and K bands, etc.?? forget about it
Any article about 1993 that doesn’t mention Siamese Dream is pretty much irrelevant.
There are many things on this list that I love, but isn’t it a little saturated with shoe gazing, “woe is me”, unassuming, condescending smart white bands and rap groups that were acceptable for wealthy white potheads (A Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang Clan, Cypress Hill). I have CD’s by each of those rap groups (ah the days when hip hop wasn’t about individualism) and many of the other bands, but where is some of the heavier music? The stuff that makes you want to take out your aggression on something other than yourself (sorry Cobain…it’s true). Here are a few personal favorites….
Nirvana - In Utero (on the list…he took himself a little too seriously, but he was great)
Melvins - Houdini (on the list)
Cathedral - The Ethereal Mirror
Tool - Undertow
Morbid Angel - Covenant
Death - Individual Thought Patterns
Sepultura - Chaos A.D.
Carcass - Heartwork
Mercyful Fate - In the Shadows
Judging from your ratings your website thought all of these albums were excellent. We know it makes everyone sound wicked intelligent to name the artists that you listed, but a little variety is nice.
Dear wdnrbll — I love “Siamese Dream” and made sure to include it in my list, as did John Bush and Jason Lymangrover. Please take another look at the post.
crooked rain crooked rain? or was that ‘92? anyway pavement played a big part during those years. Classically underated band no matter how many props they get. easily the band i miss the most.
ahh it was ‘94 feb. 11th to be exact, slanted and enchanted was ‘92, well pavement was easily the best touring band of ‘93. does anyone remember? i sure do. cut your hair was the worst/ best pavement single that year. it hit #10!
well if you think about it, 1991 was hardcore Shoegaze, and dream pop with My bloody valentine’s “Loveless” and Slowdive’s debut,
bloody good stuff.
Why do you include PJ Harvey with the American set? She’s English.
Why does Allmusic always thrash STP as imitators? Can you stop with personal politics and be professionally all-music? Most musicians are influenced and inspired by other music and that is acceptable.
STP maybe in the same genre the others started but they don’t inspire the same. Music is about inspiration.
The lists of ‘93 bring back a lot of great memories for me. The Saint Etienne album improved with repeated playing and St. E is still one of my favorite bands. I lived in Boston at the time and and saw dozens of Morphine’s local gigs and Cure For Pain was so sick, I hurled the first time I heard it. I recently revisited Bjork’s Debut and found it sounding fresh 15 years later. Debut was a far more visionary album than most folks give it credit for.
Whatever happened to Soul II Soul? They were one of my favorite groups from that era and they seemed to vanish into thin air on or about 1993.
311 - Music
At least an honorable mention
Conan, that’s a great album, can’t believe I forgot to include it! Very sad to see that only one person has mentioned it!
What a great year. I used to have John Peels ‘93 festive 50 on cassette, and there were 50 great songs on it.
I’m so happy so many people recognized what I think is the greatest Stereolab record. It’s so dense,it’s fun to listen and pull it apart. For those who were fans of theirs at its release, as great as the early singles were this was a major step forward.
Thank god Siamese Dream gets short shrift, it deserves it.
How about these records…
Walt Mink - Miss Happiness (or was that ‘92)
Pulp - Babies (I don’t think they ever topped this)
Elastica - Stutter
Atomic Swing’s debut album ‘A Car Crash In Blue’ is also great 1993 record ;-)
Great songs from 1993:
Suede “Animal Nitrate” (and everything else on the album)
Teenage Fanclub “Hang On”
Elastica “Stutter”
The Fall “Ladybird (Green Grass)”
Pulp “Lipgloss”
Pulp “Razzmatazz”
James “Sometimes (Lester Piggott)”
Blur “For Tomorrow”
REM “Man on the Moon”
Manic Street Preachers “La Tristesse Durera”