My 14 Favorite Albums (In My Collection) of 1994

[@MissSylvouille]

Wow 1994 was really epic 🤩

[@cgcvinyl]

Veruca Salt!! 👏👏 I saw them open up for Hole at the Metro in Chicago in 1994. What a great year for music. 🎶

[@CraigsVinylPlethora]

@@cgcvinyl so jealous I would have loved to have seen them.

[@daniafterdark]

Hole was such a vibe back then! Cranberries, TLC, so good!

[@marshallmann]

I still listen to all of dewdrops at least once a week

[@electricavenuemusic9282]

It is so difficult when we get into these years to choose with all the amazing albums coming out. You have a really amazing list here and we have so many crossovers again. Portishead's Dummy is a MUST, with the Nine Inch Nails rating as my favorite album of theirs and the Erasure being one of my favorites of theirs too (people who think they fell off here are crazy). Love the Sinead, love the Beautiful South, the Deee-Lite...so good. I forgot how good Veruca Salt were...I need to go listen to that again. Some of my personal favorites: I was in a real Britpop phase beginning around this time, and Suede's Dog Man Star is probably in my top 3 albums of the era, even though I think it actually transcends the term. A mix of Bowie, Floyd, the Smiths...from the stompy "We Are the Pigs" to the transportive "Still Life", this album is just INCREDIBLE. So sad their guitarist Bernard Butler was driven out before the record came out, although I saw their 2nd US show on this tour with new guitarist, a 17-year-old Richard Oakes step in and take over all the songs without losing a step...pretty incredible. A real work of art. Britpop now has some negative connotations, but living in America, it was escapist music that painted portraits of characters we could only dream of. And Pulp's His n Hers and Blur's Parklife were 2 of the best and most fully formed releases of the time. I would also add Divine Comedy's Promenade...pure brilliance. And you can't forget Oasis' Definitely Maybe! Also classic. You might also consider Morrissey's Vauxhall & I as part of the scene. Frankly, I think it's one of his best solo efforts post-Smiths, with some really really great guitar work and some of his best singing ever ("The More You Ignore Me" was such a great single too). In electronica, my favorites of the year were Underworld's Dubnobasswithmyheadman, an album that transformed them from INXS wannabes into leaders of the new sound with Karl Hyde completely changing his style of writing and singing to suit the change in musical direction, and another was Massive Attack's Protection, a doomy but haunting trip hop album with features from Tricky to Tracey Thorn. And speaking of Tracey Thorn, the Amplified Heart album from Everything but the Girl was a gorgeous modern folk album with haunting songs reflecting Ben Watt's recent near death experience (the cover art reflected that). Others I would choose: Lush--Split, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds--Let Love In, Tori Amos--Under the Pink, and OMG Tom Petty's Wildflowers, the one I consider to be his best. What an amazing record, and all of it's spinoffs that were anthologized a few years back. I could listen to it all day...RIP Tom...an album with incredible heart. Thanks again for doing these Craig! I KNEW you could do the 90's! My problem is keeping up!! Cheers!

[@arzabael]

“Seems like yesterday I was 1993… …and now it’s 1994” truer words man. Truer words

[@laidback93]

Great picks, Craig! I have most of those albums, but desperately need Dummy on vinyl. I do have their second album, which of course is amazing. I know you know that. I'll be waiting for it to show up on your favorite albums of 1997 ;)

[@CraigsVinylPlethora]

@@laidback93 You definitely do! Of course it will be! Beth is nothing short of amazing!

[@CDRabbitHole]

Live Through This is absolutely my favorite album of the 90's - over everything. And a top 10 of all time. I just love it. I love her. And HELL YES on Veruca Salt! Amazing band - love all their albums.

[@CraigsVinylPlethora]

@@CDRabbitHole it’s so great! The last veruca salt record was really good. It was so nice to have Nina & Louise back together.

[@CDRabbitHole]

@@CraigsVinylPlethora I've yet to get it but just haven't gotten around to it. Although it'll be on CD as I've been priced out of vinyl, sadly. :(

[@arzabael]

I feel for you with your erasure car crash memory and ptsd Craig. Its crazy how much the cars we had when we were young were so bound with our music love

[@CraigsVinylPlethora]

@@arzabael Like I said, great song. Just not a car song!!

[@onmyturntable7036]

'94 brought out a lot of your singing, Craig. I love it! I remember Zhane: funky stuff. "I love/hate her," that pretty much sums Courtney up. I still have no Beautiful South-what is up with that? Bedtime Stories is a gem, and I think it's very underrated. I play it more than Erotica. Veruca Salt-nice 😎🎶

[@CraigsVinylPlethora]

@@onmyturntable7036 you need to remedy that! (TBS). It’s hard to find them on vinyl. I’ve had mine for years. Bedtime stories my favorite Madonna album hands down!

[@mad4vinyl802]

1994 was a great year for music. I'd put many of those titles on my top 10 list: Hole, STP, The Cranberries, and NIN. Great albums, Craig.

[@CraigsVinylPlethora]

@@mad4vinyl802 there are so many to choose from! I’m glad I’m only doing albums I own. I’d never be able to do a “top” list if I didn’t have some sort of restriction!