90s Rock Album Tournament: Your Voice, Your Choice

From listener nominations to deep-dive discussion—help us choose the next album that deserves its moment

Ready to dive deeper than the usual suspects?

We’ve got four community-nominated albums waiting in the wings—each one a testament to the wild, weird, and wonderful world of 90s rock that most people never explored. These aren’t the albums that dominated MTV or conquered the charts. These are the hidden gems, the cult classics, and the should-have-beens that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

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John Doe - Meet John Doe

The X frontman’s 1990 solo debut—a departure from his punk roots into more introspective territory. Keith P Miller describes it as “earnest and ragged and taps into familiar emotions mostly love and heartache but it’s so interesting and captivating.” What do you think? Does stripping away the band dynamic enhance or diminish the punk authenticity?

AC/DC - Ballbreaker

A 1995 release that found the Australian legends returning to basics during the height of grunge’s popularity. Patrick Testa argues that ”‘Ballbreaker’ is probably their most basic record since ‘Flick of the Switch’ as it’s such a dry, straight-ahead produced, rock record” and champions “Hail Caesar” as “a standout track in their anthology.” But was going back to basics the right move when the musical landscape was shifting so dramatically?

Sky Cries Mary - A Return to the Inner Experience

Seattle’s contribution to psychedelic rock, blending dreamy atmospheres with unexpected elements. Eric Peterson notes that “SCM have a dream like etherial sound and feel that is occasionally interrupted by buzzing guitars and even some euro disco (rave) beats.” Here’s the question: does this genre-blending approach represent the experimental spirit of the 90s, or does it lack focus?

Hagfish - Rocks your lame ass

Dallas punk that emerged from the Deep Ellum scene with an attitude-heavy title and serious musical chops. Eric Lauderdale admits it’s “probably acquired taste, but I’ve always love that album” after seeing them open for Tripping Daisy. Are “acquired tastes” more rewarding in the long run?