My Top 10 Favorite Albums of 1995
It’s been 30 years and I’m feeling nostalgic — here are my favorite albums of 1995 that have stood the test of time.
#10: Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill (Listen: “Ironic”)
Canadian powerhouse Alanis Morissette’s biting vocals and searing delivery made “You Oughta Know” the breakout single of the year in 1995. While I’ll be the first to admit I wasn’t immediately smitten, the other hit songs from “Jagged Little Pill” — namely “Ironic” — have aged well. I love cranking them up in the car.
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#9: Morphine, Yes (Listen: “Honey White”)
Morphine, a Cambridge, Mass., ‘90s power trio, was pretty short lived, but the album’s blend of late vocalist Mark Sandman’s low, baritone voice, combined with a two-string slide bass, saxophone, and drums, stuck with me. Like the band’s 1993 album, Cure For Pain, Yes’ seductive energy lingers long after the record ends.
#8: No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom (Listen: “Just a Girl”)
It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since No Doubt made it big, with a ska-punk-pop record that’s bouncy, buoyant, and universally appealing to freaks, geeks, and sorority girls. This record is a 10, in my book, with so many good songs. Even my “least favorite” single, the horns-saturated “Spider Webs,” is masterfully executed. And what girl (or boy) doesn’t love “Just a Girl”?
#7: Jewel, Pieces of You (Listen: “Who Will Save Your Soul?”)
The Alaskan singer-songwriter’s angelic voice captivated me the first time I heard it on her brilliant folk debut. I love the title track, the catchy “You Were Meant for Me” and the hit single, “Who Will Save Your Soul?” But honestly, I listened to this record start to finish so many times while learning to play guitar.
#6: Smashing Pumpkins, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (Listen: “Tonight, Tonight”)
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Smashing Pumpkins’ third studio album and first double album, doesn’t have the intensity of Siamese Dream, but there are several brilliant tracks, from “1979” to “Tonight Tonight” to the rattling, ear-wormy anthem, “Bullet with Butterfly Wings.”
#5: Belly, King (Listen: “Red”)
The followup album to Belly’s Star is still one of my favorite listens from my college years. It’s a bit of a harder-rock listen than the band’s 1993 debut, thanks in part to the addition of bassist (and badass) Gail Greenwood. And Tanya Donelly’s vocals are more playful, and sometimes weirdly. So many favorites from this record come to mind — from the rock n’ roll “aah’s” of the dramatic “Red” to the harder-rock “Super-Connected” — but it’s best to hear it, top to bottom, on CD or vinyl if possible.
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#4: Bjork, Post (Listen: “Hyperballad”)
With one of the most unmistakable voices in alternative pop-rock, Bjork hit the nail on the head with this surreal release, which included six singles: “Army of Me“, “Isobel“, the theatrical “It’s Oh So Quiet“, the ambient “Hyperballad“, “Possibly Maybe“, and “I Miss You.” It turned on a whole new generation of young Gen X’ers to the Icelandic artist who may have been too young for the musician mom’s Sugarcubes phase.
#3: Clutch, Clutch (Listen: “Escape from The Prison Planet”)
This stoner-rock Maryland band came into my life when I was just a teen, and I’m still a rabid fan — especially of their self-titled debut. Recorded at Uncle Punchy Studios in my hometown of Silver Spring Maryland, Clutch’s 1995 album is still the band’s best-selling album in the US, at more than 138,730 copies to date — and with good reason. It’s the perfect driving record, segueing between the groove-heavy “Big News I” to the raucous, heavy “Escape from the Prison Planet,” with its atmospheric buildup. Every time I drive into Maryland, going south on I-95, I crank this baby up and let it carry me home.
#2: Garbage, Garbage (Listen: “Only Happy When it Rains”)
The pop-rock debut album from the band fronted by Scottish singer Shirley Manson is even more brilliant than its alt-rock-radio-friendly singles. Emphasizing ambient noise, shifting trip-hop beats, grinding jungle rhythms and Manson’s seductive, deeper vocals, the album felt fresh and exciting in a way that few other post-grunge recordings did in 1995.
#1: PJ Harvey, To Bring You My Life (Listen: “C’Mon, Billy”)
PJ Harvey’s breakthrough album is breathtaking, beautifully produced, and served as my introduction to the English singer-songwriter’s earliest material (like “Legs” from Rid of Me) that made me a forever fan. To Bring You My Love is soulful rock album, full of emotional highs and lows, cementing the English songwriter as a storyteller. While the hit singles like “Down by the Water” are fan favorites, the entire record is worth a listen, top to bottom.
