100 Greatest Albums of 1990

1990 record album covers for Fear of a Black Planet, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, and Ritual De Lo Habitual
Criteria: These music albums from the year 1990 were chosen for their immediate and lasting popularity, impact, influence, and acclaim from critics and musicians. This list does not include 'Greatest Hits' albums.

Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'.
Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.
  1. Fear of a Black Planet - Public Enemy
  2. Violator - Depeche Mode
  3. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted - Ice Cube
  4. Ritual De Lo Habitual - Jane's Addiction
  5. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got - Sinead O'Connor
  6. Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em - MC Hammer
  7. Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
  8. Shake Your Money Maker - Black Crowes
  9. Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches - Happy Mondays
10. Ragged Glory - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
11. Behaviour - Pet Shop Boys
12. Mariah Carey - Mariah Carey
13. Goo - Sonic Youth
14. People's Instinctive Travels - A Tribe Called Quest
15. Bossanova - Pixies
16. Heaven or Las Vegas - Cocteau Twins
17. Listen Without Prejudice - George Michael
18. Rust in Peace - Megadeth
19. The La's - La's
20. The Rhythm of the Saints - Paul Simon
21. Reading, Writing and Arithmetic - Sundays
22. Step in the Arena - Gang Starr
23. Gonna Make You Sweat - C+C Music Factory
24. Nowhere - Ride
25. World Clique - Deee-Lite
26. Cowboys From Hell - Pantera
27. Sex Packets - Digital Underground
28. Repeater - Fugazi
29. Flood - They Might be Giants
30. Still Got the Blues - Gary Moore
31. Seasons in the Abyss - Slayer
32. MCMXC a.D. - Enigma
33. Facelift - Alice in Chains
34. The Razor's Edge - AC/DC
35. Wilson Phillips - Wilson Phillips
36. Empire - Queensryche
37. Poison - Bell Biv Devoe
38. Pornograffiti - Extreme
39. Johnny Gill - Johnny Gill
40. The Good Son - Nick Cave
41. One for All - Brand Nubian
42. Chill Out - The KLF
43. Social Distortion - Social Distortion
44. Time's Up - Living Colour
45. Painkiller - Judas Priest
46. Some Friendly - Charlatans
47. Bloodletting - Concrete Blonde
48. She Hangs Brightly - Mazzy Star
49. Born to Sing - En Vogue
50. Crazy World - Scorpions
51. Songs for Drella - Lou Reed and John Cale
52. Frigid Stars LP - Codeine
53. Pod - Breeders
54. Against the Grain - Bad Religion
55. I'm Breathless - Madonna
56. FireHouse - FireHouse
57. Dreamland - Black Box
58. Jordan: The Comeback - Prefab Sprout
59. Cherry Pie - Warrant
60. No Depression - Uncle Tupelo
61. The Revival - Tony! Toni! Tone!
62. Flesh and Blood - Poison
63. Damn Yankees - Damn Yankees
64. Blue Sky Mining - Midnight Oil
65. Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em - Eric B. & Rakim
66. Persistence of Time - Anthrax
67. Graffiti Bridge - Prince
68. Brigade - Heart
69. The Future - Guy
70. Goodbye Jumbo - World Party
71. Blacks' Magic - Salt-n-Pepa
72. DiVINYLS - Divinyls
73. Business As Usual - EPMD
74. X - INXS
75. Danzig II: Lucifuge - Danzig
76. Blaze of Glory/Young Guns II - Jon Bon Jovi
77. Ralph Tresvant - Ralph Tresvant
78. Stick It To Ya - Slaughter
79. Passion and Warfare - Steve Vai
80. Brick by Brick - Iggy Pop
81. Bellybutton - Jellyfish
82. Livin' Like Hustlers - Above the Law
83. Circle of One - Oleta Adams
84. World Power - Snap!
85. Move to This - Cathy Dennis
86. Blues Traveler - Blues Traveler
87. Edutainment - Boogie Down Productions
88. Life - Inspiral Carpets
89. Too Dark Park - Skinny Puppy
90. Gold Mother - James
91. Hammerheart - Bathory
92. Vol. II - A New Decade – Soul II Soul
93. Take a Look Around - Master Ace
94. After the Rain - Nelson
95. Frizzle Fry - Primus
96. I'll Give All My Love To You - Keith Sweat
97. Enlightenment - Van Morrison
98. Short Dog's in the House - Too $hort
99. Vision Thing - Sisters of Mercy
100. En-Tact - Shamen
Fear of a Black Planet Public Enemy album cover
Violator Depeche Mode album cover
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted Ice Cube album cover
Ritual De Lo Habitual Jane's Addiction album cover
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got Sinead O'Connor album cover
Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em MC Hammer album cover
 DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1990
  Brian's choice - An unheralded great album from 1990
 •  Interiors - Rosanne Cash
  Brett's choice:
 •  Starring In...Standing In A Monkey Sea - A'me Lorain & The Family Affair
  Ryan's choice:
 •  Extricate - The Fall
  Lew's choice:
 •  Family Style - The Vaughan Brothers


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