5 Classic Albums That Define '90s Alt-Rock

Alternative rock, aka alt-rock, peaked in the '90s, as classic album after classic album was released. The best part? Even though you could argue that several of these records defined the era, nothing really sounded the same, since alt-rock encompasses everything from grunge to indie. It's also a period of time when elitism didn't seem to thrive as much, because of the diversity of what was being released and people enjoying what they enjoyed. Imagine that.

So, how did we pick five legendary '90s alt-rock albums to cover here? The most important aspect is that the records need to have had a major influence on the genre, or even others for that matter. Another essential attribute is that they were recognized for some form of success — whether it be at the time of release or through critical reappraisal. And most importantly, the albums needed to have been more than just good — that's obviously dependent on the ear and mood of the listener, but hey, we're all music aficionados here, so this won't be a list featuring anything from Kid Rock. Promise.

Asking anybody which is their favorite Smashing Pumpkins album is akin to prodding, "Which is your favorite child?" It's tough to pick, since Billy Corgan and Co. released certified bangers, especially in the '90s. However, if you have to choose the most defining record from their catalog, do not overlook 1995's "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness."

This wildly ambitious double album showcases the Smashing Pumpkins' versatility and what established them as one of the most important rock bands of the 1990s. From the nastiness and aggression of "Zero" and "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" to the poignant orchestra-powered beauty of "Tonight, Tonight" and nostalgic summertime drive of "1979," when you say a record has it all, "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" really does. It's a kaleidoscope of sonic colors, refusing to be one thing but everything at the same time.

The album topped the Billboard 200 chart, while picking up seven Grammy Award nominations (but only winning one in the end). The ambition of "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" didn't only push the Smashing Pumpkins out of their own comfort zone, but it also stood as an example to other musicians. One notable fan is My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way, who revealed that seeing the Smashing Pumpkins tour the album had a profound effect on MCR. "We saw that and was like, 'We would love to do this, it would be real f***ing amazing,'" he said (via Rolling Stone).

Nirvana came to an unceremonious halt in the '90s. The way in which drummer Dave Grohl dealt with Kurt Cobain's death was a mix of taking time out for himself, then pushing forward with the Foo Fighters. The 1995 eponymous debut may have signaled the changing of the guard taking place, but this shift was cemented with 1997's "The Colour and the Shape." It's here that the Foo Fighters ushered in a brand-new era and laid the foundation to become a generational alt-rock band.

"The Colour and the Shape" features at least three all-time Foo Fighters songs in "My Hero," "Everlong," and "Monkey Wrench." While pop songs from the Spice Girls, Hanson, and the Backstreet Boys dominated radio in 1997, Grohl and his bandmates kept the spirit of alt-rock alive with a record that defies time and trends to still sound good. The Foo Fighters embraced the melody and shed some of the grunge baggage, unleashing a barrage of songs that had pop sensibility but never fully lathered themselves in the stench of corporate-mandated rock.

On the Billboard 200, "The Colour and the Shape" peaked at No. 10, while it was also included in Metal Hammer's top 10 albums of 1997. In 2017, Rolling Stone referred to it as "a watershed album in Foo Fighters history," which is accurate, but it's also a monumental milestone in the history of rock as a whole. There's no disputing that the Foos changed the game with this record.

In the early '90s, R.E.M. refused to muck about. In 1991, their record "Out of Time" soared to the top of the charts and resulted in the birth of fan-favorite singles like "Losing My Religion" and "Shiny Happy People." However, the 1992 follow-up, "Automatic for the People," is easily one of the classic albums that defines '90s alt-rock and R.E.M.'s best for many fans.

It isn't only the fact that "Automatic for the People" produced poignant tracks like "Drive," "Man on the Moon," and "Everybody Hurts"; it's how the album sees R.E.M. at their creative peak, refusing to be pigeonholed by what they had done before or what else was happening around them. "It was quiet," vocalist Michael Stipe told Rolling Stone. "It flew in the face of everything that was going down musically at the time." This is the body of work of a band comfortable in their own skin and ready to explore new aural frontiers. More importantly, it's a record that couldn't have been done by anybody else, which is what makes it even more special in retrospect.

"Automatic for the People" received a Grammy Award nomination for album of the year, while it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Rolling Stone heralded it as one of the greatest records of all time, and Louder called it the best R.E.M. album ever released.

Even if you aren't a Radiohead fan, you have to admit they make impressive music. In 1997, the British band pushed up another level with "OK Computer." Aesthetically, this marked a shift in musical direction for them, trading in the more traditional guitar-driven rock for an experimental approach that blurred the line between genres and embraced ambiguity. It's the moment in which Radiohead put the art into alternative.

There's a moodiness to "OK Computer" that connects more due to how it makes the listener feel rather than what it outright says. After all, there's a reason that a song like "Paranoid Android," which is about seemingly nothing, is able to elicit such visceral emotion. From the moments of stillness to the avant-garde sections, everything belongs here. Recording "OK Computer" might have spooked Radiohead's Thom Yorke, but the only thing that's haunting about it to listeners is its ethereal beauty.

The album climbed to the No. 21 position on the Billboard 200 and went on to win the best alternative music album at the 1998 Grammy Awards. It's also a critical darling, with everybody from Pitchfork to the Arlington Heights, Illinois' Daily Herald raving about its qualities. For some musicians, it meant something even more. "We grew up listening to 'OK Computer,'" Bloc Party singer-guitarist Kele Okereke told Drowned in Sound. "That was a really important album for me because it changed how I thought about music."

As a subgenre of alt-rock, grunge played a part in shaping the sound (and fashion) of the early '90s. Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most influential bands in this regard was Nirvana. Now, while it's open for debate which is the best album from the group, there's no denying that 1991's "Nevermind" is the most well-known and a defining record of the era — and perhaps all time.

It's Nirvana at their most accessible, as songs like "Come as You Are" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" connect with listeners who might not even be into rock at all. These are the types of tracks that transcend genre and generations, as people appreciate music for music, and will rock out with it. For those who appreciate the more moody numbers, "Something in the Way" and "In Bloom" will satisfy that inner teen angst still lurking in all of us.

Unsurprisingly, "Nevermind" hit the top of the Billboard 200 and received a Grammy Award nomination for the best alternative music album. However, the mark of its true legacy is how even Nirvana's contemporaries — and rivals — gave it the seal of approval for all that it accomplished. "I was jealous of 'Nevermind' for a long time, and always will be," Manic Street Preachers' singer James Dean Bradfield told NME. "A truly great rock record is one of the hardest things to achieve."