#95 - Music From Big Pink, The Band

"Music From Big Pink bumps and bounces with all that came before it and nothing that was to come after it -- because nothing like it ever did. A tragic, hilarious trip through the history of American music, this record positively breathes. In one motion the Band created and sealed forever a genre all their own." (real music guide)


#94 - Before These Crowded Streets, Dave Matthews Band

"Here, everything hangs out. Old trademarks, like jittery acoustic grooves and jazzy chords, are here, augmented by complex polyrhythms, Mideastern dirges, and on two tracks, the slashing strings of the Kronos Quartet. Some fans may find the new, darker textures a little disarming at first, but they're a logical extension of the group's work, and in many ways, this sonic daring results in the most rewarding album they've yet recorded." (allmusic guide)

#93 - The Unforgettable Fire, U2

"With help from Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, U2 created an album that, in losing the Post-Punk guitar, gained instead a gentle, epic moving sound that was both warm and completely emotional. Despite some lyrical pretensions, this is a stunning, beautiful record." (real music guide)




#92 - The Queen Is Dead, The Smiths

"With this album, the Smiths proved for certain that the Morrissey/Marr combination was one that could rival any of the great musical partnerships. Sounding confident as they rip through the title track and then on to the staggeringly well-crafted songs "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" and "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out." This is a gorgeous record." (real music guide)

#91 - Velvet Underground & Nico, The Velvet Underground

"One would be hard pressed to name a rock album whose influence has been as broad and pervasive as The Velvet Underground and Nico. While it reportedly took over a decade for the album's sales to crack six figures, glam, punk, new wave, goth, noise, and nearly every other left-of-center rock movement owes an audible debt to this set. While The Velvet Underground had as distinctive a sound as any band, what's most surprising about this album is its diversity." (allmusic guide)

#90 - Hotel California, The Eagles

"This is how country rock sounds in its most commercialized success. By 1976 Gram Parsons was turning in his grave as his old Flying Burrito Brother, Bernie Leadon was replaced by Joe Walsh for this multi-platinum classic that birthed hits like "New Kid In Town" and "Life In The Fast Lane" (and of course the title track)." (real music guide)


#89 - Murmur, R.E.M.

"Possibly the most modest-sounding album ever to start a revolution, Murmur's chiming guitar riffs and mumbled lyrics inspired a generation of bands. Featuring re-recorded versions of the songs from their debut single, plus ten equally impressive (and just as unintelligible) tracks, it sounded at once like nothing anybody else was doing and something anyone could do." (real music guide)