UKMIX Top 100 Albums of the 90s [#1]

by **Star** » Wed May 16, 2012 6:38 pm

#79

Artist: BRANDY
Title: BRANDY
Year: 1994

Points: 224

Debut studio album by American singer Brandy Norwood, released by Atlantic Records on September 27, 1994 in North America, December 5 in the United Kingdom..

Co-produced by Keith Crouch and Darryl Williams, it was certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA for more than four million copies shipped to store and 2.1 million sold. It spawned four hit singles with "I Wanna Be Down", "Baby", "Best Friend", and a remixed version of "Brokenhearted," a duet with singer Wanya Morris.

by **NothingFails** » Wed May 16, 2012 6:41 pm

Much prefer adult "flop" Brandy to her teen stuff, but you wouldn't have Afrodisiac without her debut to come first

by **Muzikritik** » Wed May 16, 2012 6:52 pm

NothingFails wrote:Much prefer adult "flop" Brandy to her teen stuff, but you wouldn't have Afrodisiac without her debut to come first

Word. Afrodisiac is the epitome of slept on. One of the most consistent R&B albums of all time IMO.

Like her debut record too though, the producers did a great job of working out her vocals and giving her some street-but-sweet tracks.

And I also love me some Enigma. 8-)

by **Star** » Wed May 16, 2012 8:50 pm

#78

Artist: ACE OF BASE
Title: HAPPY NATION
Year: 1993

Points: 225

Happy Nation is the debut album of Ace of Base, a pop music group based in Sweden. The album is the third highest-selling debut album by a group after Guns N' Roses and Linkin Park.

It reached the number one position in at least 14 countries, and it has sold somewhere in the region of 21 million copies worldwide.

Several songs on the album, including "The Sign", "All That She Wants" and "Don't Turn Around", were No. 1 singles in the United States and all over Europe and North Africa.

by **biscuits** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:01 pm

I need to comment on Brandy later.

by **NothingFails** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:05 pm

Always thought the non-singles off "The Sign" (the US title) were superior to the overplayed hits. To this day I still enjoy songs like Dancer In A Daydream and Voulez-Vous Danser whereas All That She Wants makes me break out.

I kinda expected it to be higher just because AOB is so popular here.

by **Star** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:08 pm

#77

Artist: ERYKAH BADU
Title: BADUIZM
Year: 1997

Points: 229

Baduizm is the debut album of R&B and neo soul musician Erykah Badu, released February 11, 1997 on Kedar Records.

Recording sessions for the album took place during January to October 1996 at Battery Studios in New York City, Sigma Sounds & Ivory Studios in Philadelphia, and Dallas Sound Lab in Dallas.

Production was handled by Badu, Madukwu Chinwah, John Meredith, James Poyser, and The Roots. Baduizm serves as a landmark album in the neo soul genre, as it helped develop its popularity and commercial visibility at the time of the album's release.

by **biscuits** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:13 pm

Glad Erykah Badu managed to chart. I love neo-soul music.

Last FM · by **arab** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:18 pm

Ohhh! Happy Nation is too low

It's one my faves albums from the 90's. Pure magnificent electro-euro-pop :wink:

by **Titan3510** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:19 pm

Brandy? I really like her first album.

It's kind of weird though: for her to be so popular in her teen years and then be struggling like she does now that she's in her adult years.

The kicker is that she's still pretty popular.

I love Ace of Base but I didn't vote for them. I only really enjoyed the singles...

by **Titan3510** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:32 pm

ERYKAH BADU!!!

YAASSS.

Such a classic, cohesive album. Baduizm should've made the Top 20.

It was in my Top 10. I think it was #5 :cry:

...

by **NothingFails** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:37 pm

Baduism is a great album and really an important album that helped bring neo-soul to the masses for those who wanted something different in their r&b.

by **Kingyuri** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:44 pm

NothingFails wrote:Surprised at how low Impossible Princess crashed out since it seems to be such a Kylie fan fave

... It's my #7 so not a lot of others must have voted for it

by **Star** » Wed May 16, 2012 10:37 pm

#76

Artist: NAS
Title: ILLMATIC
Year: 1994

Points: 229

Illmatic is the debut album of American rapper Nas, released April 19, 1994, on Columbia Records. Following his signing to the label with the help of MC Serch, the album was recorded during 1992 to 1993.

Its production was handled by Nas, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and DJ Premier. Stylistically a hardcore hip hop album, Illmatic features Nas's multi-syllabic internal rhyme patterns expressing inner city lyrical themes and narratives based on his native Queensbridge, New York.

Upon its release, the album debuted at number 12 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 59,000 copies in its first week. However, its initial sales fell below expectations and its five singles failed to achieve significant chart success.

While it experienced initial low sales, Illmatic received positive reviews from most music critics upon its release and earned praise for its lyrical content, production, and Nas's lyricism.

by **Star** » Wed May 16, 2012 10:43 pm

by **Titan3510** » Wed May 16, 2012 11:01 pm

Great...I just lost my #1...

:-?

by **Wardo** » Wed May 16, 2012 11:28 pm

Muzikritik wrote:
NothingFails wrote:Much prefer adult "flop" Brandy to her teen stuff, but you wouldn't have Afrodisiac without her debut to come first
Word. Afrodisiac is the epitome of slept on. One of the most consistent R&B albums of all time IMO.

+1

It's nice to remember Afrodisiac days. The title track is probably one of the most played songs in my life.

On the 1994 Brandy, I don't care tbh. I just hope Never Say Never's place is higher.

Baduizm, my #18. A pretty solid and important album in the R&B scene. Badu's classic.

by **Noahh** » Thu May 17, 2012 12:08 am

Woo for these:

#82 SADE | LOVE DELUXE
#79 BRANDY | BRANDY
#77 ERYKAH BADU | BADUIZM
#76 NAS | ILLMATIC

by **Blondini** » Thu May 17, 2012 1:51 am

by **urbanmusik** » Thu May 17, 2012 11:34 am

Wow, they albums have been coming quick since my last visit! 8-)

Enya = the Illuminati queen. I haven't heard much of her music, but "The Memory Of Trees" album cover and "Anywhere Is" music video are filled with all that imagery #rihrihcouldnever. I don't like the music I've heard though.

I haven't heard the albums from Whitney, Mariah, Yoko, Tina, Nine Inch Nails, Pulp, Madonna, Kylie, Daft Punk, Brandy, Ace of Base and Erykah Badu either. I listened to Mariah's previews on Itunes there now, and wow was her voice amazing. I'll also have to check out Erykah's LP. The singles from Pulp Daft Punk, Tina Turner and "Impossible Princess" were good - same with Brandy, although I agree that her 2000s material is far stronger. Everything I've heard from "Evita" has been really bland tbh.

Dead at the Yoko meltdown, gutted I missed that. :lol:

Anytime I'm feeling down or depressed, I watch this and remember things could be much worse.

What I've lost so far:
02 Nas ~ Illmatic
20 Rage Against The Machine ~ Rage Against The Machine
31 Sade ~ Love Deluxe
34 Mary J. Blige ~ Share My World
40 The Prodigy ~ The Fat Of The Land
44 Enigma ~ MCMXC a.D
48 Oasis ~ Be Here Now

Nas' album would probably be in my top 10 of all time. His lyricism is second to none on "Illmatic", and the production flows so well from start to finish. I love the topics he covers throughout the tracks, if only more Hip-Hop records nowadays were so insightful. I'd hoped he would make the top 50, but #76 is good enough considering his lack of popularity on UKMix.

"Love Deluxe" is a gorgeous record. It's got such a nice, smooth downtempo groove. "Cherish The Day" is perfection. I wish they'd released more material during the 90s.

I only listened to "Rage Against The Machine" late last year. Similar to Sade's record, I love how short it is. I found that made it really accessible, and that it didn't drag out or have any filler. I wouldn't have heard this without the X Factor battle (lolz), so I guess that makes Joe McElderly good for one thing then. "Bombtrack", "Fistful of Steel" and of course "Killing in the Name" are highlights.

I probably wouldn't have voted for "Share My World" had "What's The 411?" or "My Life" made the shortlist. However the album's been growing on me lately, as I've begun to appreciate it as a really sophisticated piece of R&B. "Not 'Gon Cry" and particularly "I Can Love You" are gorgeous, but I do feel the album a little difficult to listen to due to it's length sometimes.

"Fat of the Land" is a really good album, but I often feel like I'm not in the mood to listen to it for some reason. It's good, but I prefer the sound "Music for the Jilted Generation" in particular.

I only listened to Enigma's music due to studying music videos for a media studies essay earlier this school year. I hate the way songs are put into medley's on the album, which I've actually only listened to half way through. In a way this was a filler vote, but I really like what I've heard.

by **CrazyCrazy** » Thu May 17, 2012 11:42 am

Woop for "Baduizm", glad Titan has leant that it is a great classic, I remember you tellinng me it wasn't a classic.

It is a really cohesive piece of neo-soul that I always enjoy listening to in it's entirety, quite soothing. High on my list I think will have to check, pretty sure it was a top #10 entry on my list.

by **Titan3510** » Fri May 18, 2012 4:42 am

I think have me confused with someone else because I said no such thing.

One of my signatures was a quote from On & On...

by **Chun** » Fri May 18, 2012 8:06 am

Wow I missed a lot.

Shepherd Moons has a few amazing tracks (Book of Days, Caribbean Blue, Shepherd Moons), that's why I voted for it.

Star wrote:
NothingFails wrote:In Europe PSB are put up in the same category as Michael and Madonna of pop royalty.
Not really though.

Aww.. hey, they are pretty big in Germany, still. Don't know about album sales..

Rising... This will me my next Yoko project.

crazycrazy wrote:Yoko makes discussion again...ah no one like her.

I enjoy reading Yoko discussion every time. Good memories... lol and NothingFails spawning still new myths about her sales. Entertaining. Yoko demands my love, but I am still a bit reluctant.

Tina Turner, amazing. Will re-listen to her 90's stuff.

OMG Pulp - Different Class. A forgotten gem. This was in my top 3 for sure.

Evita is one of the better Madonna albums. Wait, it is the best. Love it. You must love me... you must love me..

OMG MCMXC a.D. already out. This was in my top 3 for sure!!!

Lemo!!!! You should listen to this immediately.

Happy Nation is eurotrash, but I love it because it was different and fresh.

From my list:

1 Pet Shop Boys - Behaviour
2 Pulp - Different Class
3 Enigma - MCMXC a.D.
...
12 Yoko Ono - Rising
...
18 Ace Of Base - Happy Nation
...
24 Tina Turner - Wildest Dreams
...
29 The Prodigy - The Fat Of The Land
30 Daft Punk - Homework
...
36 Enya - Shepherd Moons
...
39 Billy Joel - River Of Dreams
...
41 Madonna - Evita

by **stevyy** » Fri May 18, 2012 6:15 pm

i own the evita soundtrack. it was the first madonna album i bought (in 2005)..

by **Play** » Fri May 18, 2012 7:22 pm

I voted very highly for Nas!!