Discovolante's Best of: 1992
From the beginning of the year to the end, via the Sputnik release calendar. |
| 1 |  | Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill
A release that helped revolutionize the very core of punk rock, and birthed the splendid riot grrrl movement. |
| 2 |  | EPMD
Business Never Personal
After suffering from mediocre success from their previous album "Business as Usual", EPMD come back heavy with "Business Never Personal", which served as a much needed modernization with rugged beats and samples. And while they have never really matched its greatness, it serves as strong evidence as to why EPMD were one of the best rap groups from the late 80s and early 90s. |
| 3 |  | 2Pac
2Pacalypse Now
With its bold and on-point political commentary, "2Pacalypse Now" is 2Pac at his lyrical best. And while the production may throw some people off with its more raw sound, this debut from the young 2Pac at 20 years old is one of his best albums. |
| 4 |  | The Gits
Frenching the Bully
The Gits' debut album "Frenching the Bully" is alt-punk at its best. As urgent and gripping as ever. |
| 5 |  | The Mission
Masque
Further distancing themselves from gothic rock as they did with the double albums "Carved in Sand" and "Grains of Sand" in 1990, "Masque" is The Mission at their poppiest, which pretty heavily divided their fanbase, and its reception is heavily polarizing today. I personally love the upbeat and lively tone of the album as it proves just how multidimensional The Mission were when they were at their best. This would also be their final album to have a decent amount of commercial success, up until the release of their 2016 album "Another Fall from Grace", 24 years later. |
| 6 |  | Lush
Spooky
A case in fan approval versus critical approval, Lush's first real full length album "Spooky" was an album that divided critics, although it was always a fan favorite, as much of their fanbase considers it a strong contender for being their best album. Slick, hypnotic shoegaze pop that just slays. Practically perfection from start to finish. |
| 7 |  | TLC
Ooooooohhh.... On the TLC Tip
Talk about polarizing, TLC's debut "Ooooooohhh.... On the TLC Tip" never really had too much of a positive reaction overall, and was totally overshadowed by their follow-up "Crazysexycool" in 1994. The shabby legacy it has received is completely unwarranted, in my opinion, as it serves its purpose of providing soulful, playful R&B-pop, and it delivers strong. |
| 8 |  | Fu-Schnickens
F.U. Don't Take It Personal
Although largely remembered as being a novelty group, Fu-Schnickens were one of the most popular rap groups of the early 90s, and had a fantastic fast paced reggae-tinged sound with kicking beats that drew heavy comparisons to Das-EFX. Imaginative and a kicker to this day. |
| 9 |  | Curve
Doppelganger
With drained, heavily filtered guitars and the signature vocals of frontwoman Toni Halliday, Curve's first full length "Doppelganger" is without a doubt one of the most distinctive and best albums to emerge from the early 90s alternative explosion. |
| 10 |  | Weird Al Yankovic
Off the Deep End
After three mediocre releases and going through 3 years of heavily slipping sales, Weird Al Yankovic made his return in 1992 with the release of "Off the Deep End", which helped revitalize his career and is often regarded as his best album yet. |
| 11 |  | GWAR
America Must Be Destroyed
On "America Must Be Destroyed", GWAR show off just how vile and outrageous they can be. Top-of-the-line metal savagery laced with gallows and shock humor which actually makes "America Must Be Destroyed" my personal favorite of theirs. |
| 12 |  | Beastie Boys
Check Your Head
"Check Your Head" is the Beastie Boys at their most unpredictable, and I love it. |
| 13 |  | Babes in Toyland
Fontanelle
"Fontanelle", the second album release of the kickass all-female band Babes in Toyland, is low-down, filthy, grungy, wailing alt rock done just right. While not necessarily up to the perfect standards of "Spanking Machine" in my opinion, it's still a damn fantastic piece. |
| 14 |  | Failure
Comfort
Stupendously bleak, Failure's debut "Comfort" is not only their most underrated album, but is also probably one of the most underrated albums in 90s alternative. |
| 15 |  | Nine Inch Nails
Broken
Unflinching and relentless in its metallic brutality, "Broken" is Nine Inch Nails at their heaviest, and in my opinion, their best. |
| 16 |  | Redman
Whut? Thee Album
The legendary "Whut? Thee Album" shows off the cutting wit of Redman at his best. Humorous bars blended with top-of-the-line production. |
| 17 |  | Daisy Chainsaw
Eleventeen
Noise punk brilliance collected in one beautifully ugly 40-minute album. |
| 18 |  | Prince
Love Symbol Album
After releasing three albums of relative mediocrity (since the caliber of Prince's music was very, very high), Prince makes a tremendous comeback with the release of his hip-rock opera "Love Symbol Album". It is a further modernization of his sound after the kickstart that was "Diamonds and Pearls", although "Love Symbol Album" is a way, way more tight album with hardly any filler. While it may seem lengthy at 18 tracks and 75 minutes, the album flows swimmingly from start to finish. One of his best works in his massive catalog and a grand comeback. |
| 19 |  | The Prodigy
Experience
One of the very best, if not the best, albums released at the peak of rave music. |
| 20 |  | Dr. Dre
The Chronic
One of the most beloved and groundbreaking rap albums of all time that firmly put the West Coast on the map. |
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