Sloop John b

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.

The best Beach Boys album, and one of the best of the 1960s. The group here reached a whole new level in terms of both composition and production, layering tracks upon tracks of vocals and instruments to create a richly symphonic sound. Conventional keyboards and guitars were combined with exotic touches of orchestrated strings, bicycle bells, buzzing organs, harpsichords, flutes, Theremin, Hawaiian-sounding string instruments, Coca-Cola cans, barking dogs, and more. It wouldn't have been a classic without great songs, and this has some of the group's most stunning melodies, as well as lyrical themes which evoke both the intensity of newly born love affairs and the disappointment of failed romance (add in some general statements about loss of innocence and modern-day confusion as well).

Rainy Day was an all-star Paisley Underground band composed of members from other Paisley Underground bands, including Dream Syndicate, The Three O'Clock, Rain Parade and The Bangles. They began collaborating after meeting at a barbecue held by Green On Red. Rainy Day recorded and released their eponymous, lone compilation album in 1984. It pays tribute to the various psychedelic and folksy rock acts that paved the way for the starting point of their own bands by covering songs, including those by Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, Big Star, Velvet Underground, The Who and Jimi Hendrix.