It’s hard to pinpoint the real meaning of being underrated. I personally think that everything that I like fits that term to a tee. However, it seems to be a matter of opinion when it comes down to it. There are a countless number of websites and magazines that consistently round up lists on the best albums of the year or even certain decades. Since I love talking music, it’s pretty hard to stop once I get going I thought of making the first installment of many I’m sure to come on some of my personal underrated albums of the 90s. Now, my definition is based on commercial success or maybe these artists had a one-hit wonder but the album alone stands to be recognized as a whole.
Yes, I’ve even made a new special mixtape to accompany this post. Enjoy and leave your opinions in the comments as well!
James Iha- Let it Come Down (1998)
It’s no secret that I love the Smashing Pumpkins. On one of my favorite EPs there are several songs sung by James Iha and finding out that he had a debut solo album I was ultimately intrigued. I remember picking it up at the local CD store when I was in high school. The album itself has such a whimsical tone and the writing that he did with the Pumpkins really shines through. It’s definitely a must listen that was overlooked in my opinion.
I know most people will probably remember The Toadies for their hit “Possum Kingdom” off this debut album from this Texan band. For lack of a better word they got categorized in the post-grunge genre, however their range lies far beyond that. With some elements of metal and pop melodies this album carries the band past the one hit wonder category in my eyes and well deserved a listen.
Nada Surf- The Proximity Effect (1998)
This is a strange album in the discography of Nada Surf. Of course everyone remembers them for their radio hit “Popular”, but this second album by the band was met with a bit of difficulty from their American label. Subsequently it was shelved and released in Europe and actually did quite well but wasn’t received Stateside. Later the band put it out on their own label and it now remains one of the albums that I keep going back to.
Of course you know Green Day needs no introduction but this album definitely deserves a mention. It’s harder sound was much of a depart from its predecessor, the enormous powerhouse album Dookie. Personally this album showed a deeper side to the band instead of just the pop-punk,school hating threesome from the Bay Area of California.
Marvelous 3- Hey! Album (1998)
This one is a bit of a weird one on the list. Driven by the radio-pop hit, “Freak of the Week” I tend to place this band in the category of power pop that would soon become a sub genre of the pop-punk scene that was to follow in a few years after this one. Fronted by now super producer Butch Walker, this album never really got the credit it deserved. Although check through various review online and take a listen yourself. You’ll see this one is more than meets the eye.
New Radicals- Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too (1998)
Ok, I could seriously do an entire post on the New Radicals. I mean this album is in my CD player right now. With so much more to give than the two singles that were released on this album there is nothing more to say really than just go out and listen to a varying range of tunes all wrapped up in a story within this one album. Sadly, we only got this one album from the band but man, what an album!
Tracy Bonham- The Burdens of Being Upright (1996)
This is probably one of my favorite albums of ’96. In the wake of the rise of the female rock singer-songwriter, Tracy Bonham was an artist that I always wished that I heard more from in my teenage years. She rose pretty well to the occasion with her major label debut, The Burdens of Being Upright which even earned her a Grammy nom for Best Alternative Music Album. Her second single called ‘The One” is right up there on the scale of femme angst. And I love it.
Sean Lennon- Into the Sun (1998)
Yes, that Sean Lennon. His debut album is one that took me a little while to get into. While it does seem a bit haphazard when it comes to musical style, it totally makes sense seeing that Sean was in the trip-hop band Cibo Matto which definitely has a sound like no one else. One of the standout tracks is “Bathtub”, which I’ve included on the mix.
Stereophonics- Word Gets Around (1997)
I have to give my best friend credit for introducing me to this band from Wales. It was only fair to include a bit of Brit-Pop on the list. In putting this together I realized that I have so many albums to discover and explore. I ended up seeing them when I was in high school at this tiny club for their next album’s tour but their debut Word Gets Around didn’t make as much of an impact as their second release, Performance and Cocktails. For 90s Brit-Pop look beyond the Oasis’ and Blur’s and take in some Stereophonics sound.
Hum- Downward is Heavenward (1998)
Yes, you could say I saved the best for last. Everyone has that band that they recently discover and immediately they begin to hate the fact that said band has broken up and they can’t see them live again. Yes, this is what happened when I delved deeper into the Illinois-based band Hum a few years ago. Their critically acclaimed major label debut, You’d Prefer An Astronaut, however this album was the last on their label, but arguably dived deeper into the music of the genre and genuinely exposed how genius the band really was. To say they left the industry on a high note would be a colossal understatement.
