The 25 best Classic Rock albums of 1990
29 July 2024, 00:07
Let's take a look back at the year of Hard To Handle, Nothing Compares 2 U, Been Caught Stealing and More Than Words.
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The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker: release date 13th February 1990
The debut album from the Atlanta rockers included the singles Hard To Handle, Jealous Again and Twice As Hard.
The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker cover art. Picture: Alamy -
Thunder – Backstreet Symphony: release date 5th March 1990
The debut album from the London rockers included Dirty Love, She's So Fine and Love Walked In.
Thunder – Backstreet Symphony album cover. Picture: Alamy -
Gary Moore - Still Got the Blues: release date 12th March 1990
The eighth solo album from the Northern Irish blues master included guest appearances from Albert King and George Harrison, and the singles Still Got the Blues (For You) and Walking By Myself.
Gary Moore - Still Got the Blues cover art. Picture: Alamy -
Sinead O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got - 12th March 1990
The singer-songwriter's second album included the smash hit Prince cover Nothing Compares 2 U, which was No 1 in the UK for four weeks.
Sinead O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got album cover artwork. Picture: Press -
Robert Plant - Manic Nirvana: release date 19th March 1990
The fifth album from the former Led Zeppelin frontman included the singles Hurting Kind (I've Got My Eyes On You) and Your Ma Said You Cried in Your Sleep Last Night.
Robert Plant - Manic Nirvana album cover. Picture: Press -
Heart - Brigade: release date 26th March 1990
The tenth album from the Wilson sisters included a British hit in All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You, plus I Didn't Want To Need You and Stranded.
Heart - Brigade album cover. Picture: Alamy -
Fleetwood Mac - Behind the Mask: release date 9th April 1990
After Lindsey Buckingham left the band, he was replaced for their fifteenth studio album by Billy Burnette and Rick Vito. Tracks included Save Me, Skies The Limit, In The Back Of My Mind and Hard Feelings.
Fleetwood Mac - Behind the Mask cover art. Picture: Alamy -
Billy Idol - Charmed Life: release date 30th April 1990
The fourth studio album from the ex-Generation X man included the singles Cradle Of Love, Prodigal Blues and a cover of The Doors' L.A. Woman.
Billy Idol - Charmed Life cover art. Picture: Alamy -
Bruce Dickinson - Tattooed Millionaire: release date 8th May 1990
The debut studio album from the Iron Maiden frontman saw him cover Mott The Hoople's All The Young Dudes (written by David Bowie), Tattooed Millionaire and Born In '58.
Bruce Dickinson - Tattooed Millionaire album cover. Picture: Press -
Iggy Pop – Brick By Brick: released June 1990
Don Was took production duties on the former Stooge's ninth album included the singles Home. Livin' On The Egde Of The Night and Candy with The B52s' Kate Pierson.
Iggy Pop – Brick By Brick cover art. Picture: Press -
Poison - Flesh And Blood: release date 2nd July 1990
The third studio album from the glam metallers included the hit Unskinny Bop, plus Something To Believe In and Ride The Wind.
Poison - Flesh And Blood album cover. Picture: Press -
Extreme - Pornograffitti: release date 7th August 1990
The second album by the Boston rock band gave birth to massive hits in More Than Words, Get The Funk Out and Hole Hearted.
Extreme - Pornograffitti album cover. Picture: Press -
Jane’s Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual: released 21st August 1990
Perry Farrell's alt.rock heroes released their second album, which included the huge radio hit Been Caught Stealing.
Jane’s Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual album cover artwork. Picture: Press -
Anthrax – Persistence Of Time: release date 21st August 1990
The fifth album from the New York thrash metallers included the singles Got The Time, In My World and Belly Of The Beast.
Anthrax – Persistence Of Time album cover. Picture: Press -
Alice In Chains – Facelift: release date 28th August 1990
The debut album from the Seattle grunge band included the singles We Die Young and Man In The Box.
Alice In Chains - Facelift album cover. Picture: Press -
Living Colour – Time's Up: release date 28th August 1990
The second album from the funk metal band spawned a UK hit in Love Reares Its Ugly Head, plus collaborations with Little Richard (on Elvis Is Dead) and rapper Doug E Fresh (on Tag Taeam Partners).
Living Colour – Time's Up album cover. Picture: Press -
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Ragged Glory: released 9th September 1990
The "Godfather Of Grunge" proved why he was so influential on the genre with a sixth album in collaboration with the band Crazy Horse. Tracks include Mansion On The Hill, Over And Over and F**kin' Up.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Ragged Glory album cover artwork. Picture: Press -
Judas Priest – Painkiller: release date 14th September 1990
Priest's twelfth album saw singer Rob Halford take leave of the band for the best part of a decade and had singles in the title track and A Touch Of Evil.
Judas Priest – Painkiller album cover. Picture: Press -
Megadeth - Rust In Peace: release date 24th September 1990
The thrash legends' fourth studio album included the singles Hangar 18 and Holy Wars... The Punishment Due.
Megadeth - Rust In Peace album cover. Picture: Press -
AC/DC – The Razor's Edge: release date 24th September 1990
The Aussie rockers' twelfth studio album included the singles Thunderstruck, Moneytalks and Are You Ready.
AC/DC – The Razor's Edge album cover. Picture: Press -
INXS - X: released 25th September 1990
The Aussie rock band issued the follow-up to their massive hit Kick, which included the singles Suicide Blonde, Bitter Tears and Disappear.
INXS - X album cover artwork. Picture: Press -
Iron Maiden – No Prayer For The Dying: release date 1st October 1990
Maiden's eighth album saw Janick Gers replace Adrian Smith on guitar, but saw the veteran metal band get their only UK Number 1 to date in Bring Your Daughter ...To The Slaughter.
Iron Maiden – No Prayer For The Dying album cover. Picture: Alamy -
Slayer – Seasons In The Abyss: release date 9th October 1990
The fifth album from the Californian thrash metal pioneers had singles in the shaoe of the title track and Spirit In Black.
Slayer – Seasons In The Abyss album cover. Picture: Alamy -
Traveling Wilburys - Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3: release date 29th October 1990
The ironically-titled second album from the rock supergroup again saw the supergroup of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne - minus the late Roy Orbison, who appeared on the first volume. Singles were She's My Baby, Inside Out and Wilbury Twist.
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 album art. Picture: Press -
Scorpions – Crazy World: release date 6th November 1990
The German rockers' eleventh album included their worldwide hit Wind Of Change, plus Tease Me Please Me and Send Me An Angel.
Scorpions – Crazy World album cover art. Picture: Alamy