I recently found a dusty old copy of Australian Rolling Stone from August 1999. It contains "The Essential Recordings of the '90s". It's one of those international RS lists based on one that appeared in the US edition, with some entries replaced by local Australian albums.

The list is divided into genres, and albums are then listed chronologically:


ALTERNATIVE

Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual (1990)
REM - Out of Time (1991)
Metallica - Metallica (1991)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
U2 - Achtung Baby (1991)
Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)
Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted (1992)
L7 - Bricks Are Heavy (1992)
REM - Automatic for the People (1992)
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine (1992)
The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (1993)
Suede - Suede (1993)
Nirvana - In Utero (1993)
Pearl Jam - Vs. (1993)
PJ Harvey - Rid of Me (1993)
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville (1993)
Green Day - Dookie (1994)
Tori Amos - Under the Pink (1994)
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (1994)
Hole - Live Through This (1994)
Soundgarden - Superunknown (1994)
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication (1994)
Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)
Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York (1994)
Blur - Parklife (1994)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Let Love In (1994)
The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love (1995)
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill (1995)
Bjork - Post (1995)
Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
Garbage - Garbage (1995)
silverchair - Frogstomp (1995)
Radiohead - The Bends (1995)
Beck - Odelay (1996)
Dirty Three - Horse Stories (1996)
Fiona Apple - Tidal (1996)
Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar (1996)
Sublime - Sublime (1996)
Pulp - Different Class (1996)
Regurgitator - Unit (1997)
Cornershop - When I Was Born for the 7th Time (1997)
Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)
Korn - Follow the Leader (1998)
silverchair - Neon Ballroom (1999)


ROCK & ROLL

The Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker (1990)
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Ragged Glory (1990)
Midnight Oil - Blue Sky Mining (1990)
Crowded House - Woodface (1991)
Lenny Kravitz - Mama Said (1991)
Guns n' Roses - Use Your Illusion I and II (1991)
k.d. lang - Ingenue (1992)
The Cruel Sea - The Honeymoon is Over (1993)
Johnny Cash - American Recordings (1994)
You Am I - Hi Fi Way (1995)
Jewel - Pieces of You (1995)
Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
Powderfinger - Double Allergic (1996)
The Verve - Urban Hymns (1997)
Ani DiFranco - Living in Clip (1997)
Steve Earl - El Corazon (1997)
Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind (1997)
Billy Bragg & Wilco - Mermaid Avenue (1998)
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)
Willie Nelson - Teatro (1998)
Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs (1998)


DANCE/POP

The Orb - The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld (1991)
Aphex Twin - Seleced Ambient Works, Volume II (1994)
Portishead - Dummy (1994)
Tricky - Maxinquaye (1995)
Massive Attack - Protection (1995)
Sterolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing... (1996)
The Prodigy - The Fat of the Land (1997)
Spice Girls - Spice (1997)
The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole (1997)
Roni Size/Reprazent - New Forms (1997)
Madonna - Ray of Light (1998)


HIP-HOP + R&B

Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet (1990)
Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990)
LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)
NWA - Efil4zaggin (1991)
Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill (1991)
Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle (1993)
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (1993)
Janet Jackson - Janet (1993)
TLC - CrazySexyCool (1994)
Fugees - The Score (1996)
2Pac - All Eyez on Me (1996)
Erykah Badu - Baduizm (1997)
The Notorious B.I.G - Life After Death (1997)
Wyclef Jean - The Carnival (1997)
Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly (1997)
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)

Interestingly, the list has only one album from 1999, depsite being published in the latter half of that year.

While we're getting all nostalgic for the '90s, there's also an adjoining list of the "Songs We Still Can't Believe Really Happened". I guess that means they're bad...

1. The KLF & Tammy Wynette - Justifed and Ancient
2. Los Del Rio - Macarena
3. Ace of Base - The Sign
4. Steps - Tragedy
5. Blind Melon - No Rain
6. Aqua - Doctor Jones
7. The Skyhooks - Jukebox in Siberia
8. Heart - All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You
9. Ugly Kid Joe - Everything About You
10. Guns n' Roses - November Rain

Ah, yep.. they're pretty bad.

"November Rain" is great. But then again what should I expect from RS?

Yeah, "November Rain" isn't such a terrible song. The RS critics included both Use Your Illusions in their album list after all.

I thought I was one of the only people who don't like "November Rain."

I think thisis the same list that appeared in the USA Rolling Stone.