Hard Things a Out Hard Things

Any discussion of the Top 100 '90s Rock Albums will have to include some grunge, and this one is no different. A defining element of that decade, the genre (and the bands that rose to fame playing it) was given credit for revitalizing rock at a badly needed moment. That said, there's far more to the story. Our list of the Top 100 '90s Rock Albums, presented in chronological order, takes in the rich diversity of the period.

Who would have thought it? Reunited after splitting in the mid-'70s, the Pretty Things return with a new wave album. It's not what anyone might have expected, but it's very far from a disaster. The stop-on-a-dime arrangements and natural power show them to be well-seasoned, and Phil May, with an extremely mannered voice, comes across as a taunting frontman. In fact, you tend to feel that if Thin Lizzy had eased up on the metal, they might have made an album very much like this - great, catchy songs based in R&B and old rock & roll ("Lost That Girl") - but with the tongue firmly in cheek (check the Sting imitation on "No Future") while pandering to fashion. But when the results are as good as the jangly "Office Love" or "I'm Calling," you really don't care where the tongue's residing…

A 2017 remaster of Rock St. Trop, the fascinating 1969 collaboration between The Pretty Things and Philippe Debarge (an eccentric wealthy playboy from France).
In late August 1969, Phil May and Wally Waller were flown to St. Tropez by Philippe Debarge and taken to the DeBarge family estate - a magnet for the rich and famous of the era, from politicians to film and rock stars. DeBarge had serious money and wanted to make a serious album, with him as front man. Philippe had done his research and knew exactly who he wanted to make that album with The Pretty Things…

Alice Cooper is expected to release a double live album this year. Details of the 18-track title appeared online before an official announcement was made. A Paranormal Evening at the Olympia Paris was recorded on Dec. 7 last year, during Cooper's Paranormal tour and was mixed by his longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin.

To date ten years ago, Steve Lee, frontman of Swiss-based hard rock powerhouse Gotthard, lost his life in a terrible motorcycle accident on the Interstate 15 in Nevada, USA. It was a shock for rock fans and it was a deep cut for Gotthard. Steve Lee was an important contributor for the band and Gotthard’s successful cruise through the worlds of hard rocking music. Not having him around anymore put some question marks on the list. Luckily Gotthard decided to continue, having also found with Nic Maeder another excellent singer and frontman…