The Student Playlist

Showcasing the Best New Music, Curating the Classics

Category 1990s

CLASSIC ’90s: Jeff Buckley – ‘Grace’

‘Grace’, the sole completed album by the iconic Jeff Buckley before his untimely death at the age of 30, still stands up as a universally relatable yet highly personal record.

CLASSIC ’90s: Portishead – ‘Dummy’

Portishead may not have invented ‘trip hop’, but their endlessly cool and inventive 1994 debut album ‘Dummy’ came to define it completely.

CLASSIC ’90s: Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Californication’

Following some years out of favour, ‘Californication’ saw Red Hot Chili Peppers and John Frusciante completely restore their critical and commercial fortunes.

CULT ’90s: The Flaming Lips – ‘The Soft Bulletin’

An optimistic fin-de-siecle masterpiece offering hope for humanity, The Flaming Lips’ 1999 album ‘The Soft Bulletin’ turns 20.

CLASSIC ’90s: Weezer – ‘Weezer’ (‘The Blue Album’)

An album of endearing yet emotionally sharp power-pop that’s resonated with generations of outcasts, Weezer’s ‘The Blue Album’ turns 25.

CLASSIC ’90s: Blur – ‘Parklife’

Representing one of the commercial apexes of Britpop in the mid-Nineties, ‘Parklife’ was the realisation of Damon Albarn’s vision for Blur’s music.

CLASSIC ’90s: Nas – ‘Illmatic’

Arguably the greatest hip-hop album of all time, Nas’ 1994 debut ‘Illmatic’ is a perfect distillation of the genre’s essence.

CULT ’90s: Pulp – ‘His N’ Hers’

Although they’d been around for years before it, ‘His N’ Hers’ was the point at which Pulp finally found their audience.

CULT ’90s: Aphex Twin – ‘Windowlicker’ EP

Aphex Twin’s 1999 EP ‘Windowlicker’, combined with its memorable video, was so far ahead of its time that it still sounds cutting-edge today.

CLASSIC ’90s: Eminem – ‘The Slim Shady LP’

Released to controversy in February 1999, ‘The Slim Shady LP’ was the lift-off point for one of the 21st century’s most memorable musical figures.