2012-05-08



It was the year that grunge retreated from the center stage, signaling the rise of post-grunge on modern rock radio and indie-rock on the stations that existed on the left of the dial. It was the year the Wu-Tang Clan consolidated their strength via individual projects from Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, and Genius/GZA. It was the year electronica made inroads into the mainstream via Chemical Brothers and Goldie. It was the year D’Angelo released Brown Sugar, ushering in an era of neo-soul. It was the year trip-hop took hold. And it was the year where Britpop peaked, with Pulp releasing the classic Different Class during the thick of the Blur vs. Oasis battle. It was the year 1995 — the year when pop music in all its forms began to fracture into niches and, maybe because of that diversity, it was one of the best years of the ’90s.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine [Spotify]

One of my favorite years, almost all due to Britpopmania — not just Blur vs. Oasis, but Elastica, Supergrass, and especially Pulp, who top both my album and singles lists. Actually, ranking the albums and singles of 1995 is a bit of a fool’s errand for me, as most of my favorites could easily swap positions depending on my mood. On Spotify, there are a bunch of other highlights but, as always, licensing restrictions prevent some great songs (such as Dionne Farris’ “I Know”) from making the cut.

Pulp – Different Class

Pavement – Wowee Zowee

Elastica – Elastica

Supergrass – I Should Coco

Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

Blur – The Great Escape

Tricky – Maxinquaye

PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love

Urge Overkill – Exit the Dragon

Menswear – Nuisance

Whale – We Care

Radiohead – The Bends

Gene – Olympian

The Boo Radleys – Wake Up!

Rancid – …And Out Come the Wolves

Stereolab – Music for the Amorphous Body Study Center

Helium – The Dirt of Luck

Mercury Rev – See You on the Other Side

Sonic Youth – Washing Machine

Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters

Royal Trux – Thank You

The Amps – Pacer

Björk – Post

Genius/GZA – Liquid Swords

Matthew Sweet – 100% Fun

Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…

Eric Matthews – It’s Heavy in Here

Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Return to the 36 Chambers

The Chemical Brothers – Exit Planet Dust

Black Grape – It’s Great When You’re Straight…Yeah

Pulp – “Common People”

Oasis – “Some Might Say”

Supergrass – “Alright”

Take That – “Back for Good”

TLC – “Waterfalls”

Blur – “Country House”

Edwyn Collins – “A Girl Like You”

Gene – “Sleep Well Tonight”

Sleeper – “Inbetweener”

Cast – “Alright”

Rancid – “Time Bomb”

Weezer – “Buddy Holly”

Foo Fighters – “This Is a Call”

Menswear – “Daydreamer”

Whale – “Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe”

Guided by Voices – “Motor Away”

McAlmont & Butler – “Yes”

The Boo Radleys – “Wake Up Boo!”

Ash – “Girl from Mars”

Pavement – “Father to a Sister of Thought”

Madonna – “Take a Bow”

John Bush

Supergrass – I Should Coco

Unwound – The Future of What

Pavement – Wowee Zowee

The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation

Pulp – Different Class

The Black Dog – Spanners

Robert Hood – Nighttime World, Vol. 1

Eric Matthews – It’s Heavy in Here

Autechre – Tri Repetae

The Boo Radleys – Wake Up!

The Sea and Cake – The Biz

Moose – Live a Little Love a Lot

The Orb – Orbus Terrarum

Carl Craig – Landcruising

Goldie – Timeless

The Chemical Brothers – Exit Planet Dust

Radiohead – The Bends

Low – Long Division

Mercury Rev – See You on the Other Side

The Apples in Stereo – Fun Trick Noisemaker

Air – “Modulor Mix”

The Chemical Brothers – “Leave Home”

Pulp – “Sorted for E’s & Wizz”

Black Grape – “Kelly’s Heroes”

Ash – “Girl from Mars”

Stereolab – “Pop Quiz”

Moose – “Love on the Dole”

Boards of Canada – “Sixtyniner”

Aphex Twin – “Donkey Rhubarb”

Autechre – “Eutow”

J Majik – “Your Sound”

Photek – “UFO/Rings Around Saturn”

Dillinja – “The Angels Fell”

Plug – “Plug 1: Visible Crater Funk EP”

Carl Craig – “Science Fiction”

As One – “We No Longer Understand”

The Roots – “Proceed”

Blur – “Universal”

Brooks & Dunn – “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone”

The Orb – “Slug Dub”

Heather Phares

The 6ths – Wasps’ Nests

Björk – Post

Blur – The Great Escape

The Boo Radleys – Wake Up!

Elastica – Elastica

The Flaming Lips – Clouds Taste Metallic

PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love

Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci – Bwyd Time

Helium – The Dirt of Luck

Mercury Rev – See You on the Other Side

Pavement – Wowee Zowee

Pulp – Different Class

Royal Trux – Thank You

Smog – Wild Love

Sonic Youth – Washing Machine

Sparklehorse – Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot

Supergrass – I Should Coco

Tarnation – Gentle Creatures

Throwing Muses – University

Tindersticks – Tindersticks

Tim Sendra

When I saw we were doing 1995, I was all like whatever but then I quickly realized that a large number of my favorite albums of all time were released that year. A couple that changed the way I was thinking about music at the time, a few that had so many good songs it seemed impossible, and a handful that made me feel all teenage-y and raw as hell. You can guess which is which, send in the answer on a self-addressed 3×5 postcard.

The Apples in Stereo – Fun Trick Noisemaker

The Boo Radleys – Wake Up!

The Chemical Brothers – Exit Planet Dust

Comet Gain – Casino Classics

Holly Golightly – Good Things

Henry’s Dress – Henry’s Dress

Jawbreaker – Dear You

Magic Hour – Will They Turn You On or Will They Turn On You

Eric Matthews – It’s Heavy in Here

The Orchids – Striving for the Lazy Perfection

The Pastels – Mobile Safari

The Pooh Sticks – Optimistic Fool

Rancid – …And Out Come the Wolves

Rocket from the Crypt – Scream, Dracula, Scream!

The 6ths – Wasp’s Nests

The Softies – It’s Love

Sparklehorse – Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot

Stereolab – Music for the Amorphous Body Study Center

Swervedriver – Ejector Seat Reservation

Teenage Fanclub – Grand Prix

1995 also produced the song I want played at my funeral. I suppose at that point most of my possibilities will be exhausted, but at least the handful of people there will have the most peaceful, easy-grooving song ever to listen to as they wipe away the tear(s).

The Pastels – “Worlds of Possibility”

Any of these jams would work just as well:

The Boo Radleys – “It’s Lulu”

CIV – “Can’t Wait One Minute More”

Garbage – “Only Happy When It Rains”

Ol’ Dirty Bastard – “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”

The Pharcyde – “Runnin’”

Rancid – “Ruby Soho”

The Rentals – “Friends of P.”

Skee-Lo – “I Wish”

Matthew Sweet – “Sick Of Myself”

Yo La Tengo – “Tom Courtenay”

Chrysta Cherrie [Spotify]

Air Miami – Me, Me, Me

Apples in Stereo – Fun Trick Noisemaker

Blonde Redhead – La Mia Vita Violenta

Dave Douglas’ Tiny Bell Trio – Constellations

Kahil El’Zabar’s Ritual Trio – Big Cliff

Elastica – Elastica

Ben Folds Five – Ben Folds Five

Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters

Fugazi – Red Medicine

Geraldine Fibbers – Lost Somewhere Between the Earth and My Home

Guided by Voices – Alien Lanes

Guv’ner – Hard for Measy for You

Helium – The Dirt of Luck

Jawbreaker – Dear You

Myra Melford – Alive in the House of Saints

New Bad Things – Freewheel!

Slant 6 – Inzombia

Sonic Youth – Washing Machine

Sweet Baby/Brent’s TV – Hello Again

Mike Watt – Ball-Hog or Tugboat?

The 6ths – “Falling Out of Love (With You)”

Archers of Loaf – “Harnessed in Slums”

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – “Tha Crossroads”

Boss Hog – “I Dig You”

Jeff Buckley – “Last Goodbye”

Cardigans – “Carnival”

Mariah Carey – “Fantasy”

For Squirrels – “Mighty K.C.”

Guru – “Watch What You Say”

April March – “Chick Habit”

Monica – “Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)”

Neutral Milk Hotel – “Everything Is”

Oasis – “Don’t Look Back in Anger”

Radiohead – “Just”

Redd Kross – “Lady in the Front Row”

Rocket from the Crypt – “Born in ‘69″

Smoking Popes – “Need You Around”

Smog – “Bathysphere”

Supergrass – “Alright”

Matthew Sweet – “Sick of Myself”

Gregory Heaney

Archers of Loaf – Vee Vee

At the Gates – Slaughter of the Soul

Bolt Thrower – For Victory

Deftones – Adrenaline

The Flaming Lips – Clouds Taste Metallic

Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters

Fugazi – Red Medicine

Guided by Voices – Alien Lanes

Karp – Suplex

Low – Long Division

Meshuggah – Destroy Erase Improve

Opeth – Orchid

Pavement – Wowee Zowee

Radiohead – The Bends

The Rentals – Return of the Rentals

Elliott Smith – Elliott Smith

Sonic Youth – Washing Machine

Today Is the Day – Willpower

Ulver – Bergtatt

Unsane – Scattered, Smothered & Covered

David Jeffries

4 Hero – Parallel Universe

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – E 1999 Eternal

Buju Banton – ‘Til Shiloh

D’Angelo – Brown Sugar

DJ Food – A Recipe for Disaster

Elastica – Elastica

Emergency Broadcast Network – Telecommunication Breakdown

Genius/GZA – Liquid Swords

Ken Ishii – Jelly Tones

Massive Attack – No Protection: Massive Attack Vs. Mad Professor

Mobb Deep – The Infamous

Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Return to the 36 Chambers

Radiohead – The Bends

Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…

Renegade Soundwave – Next Chapter of Dub

Shaggy – Boombastic

Switchblade Symphony – Serpentine Gallery

Tricky – Maxinquaye

Various Artists – Give ‘Em Enough Dope, Vol. 2

Scott Walker – Tilt

Thom Jurek

My list doesn’t pretend to be representative of anything other than recordings from 1995 that have stuck with me in the ensuing 17 years; albums that I’ve pulled out at least once a year since they were released, and still resonate with me. Others were left off because some artists issued so many records in a given year I couldn’t choose from them. (For instance, I couldn’t decide which of the five Masada records, or which one of the half-dozen Anthony Braxton records — all issued in 1995 — so I’ve simply taken the easy way out and refused to make a decision. None of them are here.)

Scott Walker – Tilt

Tricky – Maxinquaye

PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love

D’Angelo – Brown Sugar

Jackie Leven – Forbidden Songs of the Dying West

Kazutoki Umezu – Ecelcticism

Madredeus – Ainda

Cassandra Wilson – New Moon Daughter

Gavin Bryars – The Sinking of the Titanic

Grant (G.W.) McLennan – Horsebreaker Star

Don Byron – Music for Six Musicians

Steve Turre – Rhythm Within

Charlie Sexton – Under the Wishing Tree

Anthony Coleman – Sephardic Tinge

Chris Whitley – Din of Ecstasy

Tindersticks – Tindersticks

Genius/GZA – Liquid Swords

Ani DiFranco – Not a Pretty Girl

Long Fin Killie – Houdini

Lori Carson – Where It Goes

Carl Craig – Landcruising

A Guy Called Gerald – Black Secret Technology

Dirty Three – Dirty Three

Ornette Coleman – Tone Dialing

Model 500 – Deep Space

Money Mark – Mark’s Keyboard Repair

Pulp – Different Class

Courtney Pine – Modern Day Jazz Stories

Steve Roach/Vidna Obmana – Well of Souls

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs – Rey Azucar

Loren Mazzacane Connors – 9th Avenue

Paul Bley/Gary Peakcock/Franz Koglmann – Annette

Swervedriver – Ejector Seat Reservation

Buddy Miller – Your Love and Other Lies

Andy Kellman [Spotify]

Memory from the late evening of April 3, 1995: at work, opening a shipment of new releases from CEMA Distribution, pulling out the one copy of The Bends, and thinking something like, “These clowns were allowed to make a second album?” And then I placed stickers on 90 copies of Duran Duran’s Thank You.

Tricky – Maxinquaye

Throwing Muses – University

Mobb Deep – The Infamous

Claude Young – DJ-Kicks

Genius/GZA – Liquid Swords

4 Hero – Parallel Universe

Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…

A Guy Called Gerald – Black Secret Technology

D’Angelo – Brown Sugar

Carl Craig – Landcruising

Slowdive – Pygmalion

Swervedriver – Ejector Seat Reservation

Goodie Mob – Soul Food

Goldie – Timeless

Scott Walker – Tilt

Chavez – Gone Glimmering

Faith Evans – Faith

The Chemical Brothers – Exit Planet Dust

Techno Animal – Re-Entry

Autechre – Tri Repetae

The Notorious B.I.G. – “One More Chance (Stay with Me Remix)”

Groove Theory – “Tell Me”

Junior M.A.F.I.A. – “Get Money”

Ol’ Dirty Bastard – “Brooklyn Zoo”

The Pharcyde – “Runnin’”

Photek – “Rings Around Saturn”

Aaliyah – “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number”

Method Man – “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By”

Maurizio – “M4″

Dillinja – “The Angels Fell”

Paperclip People – “The Climax”

Dopplereffekt – “Cellular Phone”

Green Velvet – “Flash”

Mariah Carey – “Fantasy”

Subway – “This Lil’ Game We Play”

Group Home – “Livin’ Proof”

Round Two – “New Day”

Adina Howard – “Freak Like Me”

Total – “Can’t You See”

Smoothe da Hustler – “Broken Language”

Jason Lymangrover

Autechre – Tri Repetae

Björk – Post

D’Angelo – Brown Sugar

Elastica – Elastica

The Flaming Lips – Clouds Taste Metallic

Genius/GZA – Liquid Swords

Juliana Hatfield – Only Everything

Mobb Deep – The Infamous

Morphine – Yes

Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Return to the 36 Chambers

Pavement – Wowee Zowee

The Pharcyde – Labcabincalifornia

Primus – Tales from the Punchbowl

Radiohead – The Bends

Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…

The Roots – Do You Want More?!!!??!

Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Sparklehorse – Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot

Supergrass – I Should Coco

Tricky – Maxinquaye

James Christopher Monger

Andy Prieboy – Sins of Our Fathers

Cornershop – Woman’s Gotta Have It

Red House Painters – Red House Painters

At the Gates – Slaughter of the Soul

Radiohead – The Bends

Björk – Post

Mason Daring – Secret of Roan Inish

Jackie Leven – Forbidden Songs of the Dying West

Supergrass – I Should Coco

Aphex Twin – …I Care Because You Do

The 6ths – Wasp’s Nests

Various Artists – Afro-Peruvian Classics: The Soul of Black Peru

Garmarna – Vittrad

Julian Cope – 20 Mothers

Ben Folds Five – Ben Folds Five

Friends of Dean Martinez – The Shadow of Your Smile

Pulp – A Different Class

The Apples in Stereo – Fun Trick Noisemaker

Kurt Elling – Close Your Eyes

Scott Walker – Tilt

The Jayhawks – “Blue”

Whale – “Hobo Slumpin’ Slobo Babe”

Eric Matthews – “Fanfare”

Garbage – “Stupid Girl”

David Bowie – “I Have Not Been to Oxford Town”

Spookey Reuben – “These Days Are Old”

Throwing Muses – “Shimmer”

Adam Ant – “Wonderful”

Foo Fighters – “This Is a Call”

Elliot Smith – “Needle in the Hay”

Blur – “Universal”

Tears for Fears – “Raoul and the Kings of Spain”

Bruce McCulloch – “That’s America”

The Mavericks – “Missing You”

Oasis – “Wonderwall”

Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks – “Orange Crate Art”

Spacehog – “In the Meantime”

David Bowie – “Buddha of Suburbia”

The Boo Radleys – “Find the Answer Within”

Catherine Wheel – “Judy Staring at the Sun”

Sean Westergaard

4 Guitaristes de l’Apocalypso-Bar – World Tour 1998

5ive Style – 5ive Style

Ashwin Batish – Sitar Power #2

Lurrie Bell – Mercurial Son

Blast – Wire Stitched Ears

William S. Burroughs – Naked Lunch

George Clinton – Dope Dogs

The Coctails – Long Sound

Dirty Three – Dirty Three

The Dream Syndicate – Day Before Wine and Roses: Live at KPFK, September 5, 1982

Freakwater – Old Paint

Wayne Hancock – Thunderstorms and Neon Signs

Wayne Horvitz & Pigpen – Miss Ann

Charlie Hunter Trio – Bing, Bing, Bing!

Mike Keneally – Boil That Dust Speck

Kiss Me Screaming – Kiss Me Screaming

Only a Mother – Feral Chickens

Hans Reichel – Lower Lurum

Cheikha Remitti – Sidi Mansour

Ned Rothenberg – Power Lines

Ned Rothenberg – Real and Imagined Time

John Zorn – Masada, Vol. 3: Gimel

James Wilkinson

Teenage Fanclub – Grand Prix

Spiritualized – Pure Phase

The Jayhawks – Tomorrow the Green Grass

Blur – The Great Escape

Daryll-Ann – Seaborne West

The Cardigans – Life

Elastica – Elastica

Shack – Waterpistol

The Apples in Stereo – Fun Trick Noisemaker

Emmylou Harris – Wrecking Ball

Radiohead – The Bends

Ben Folds Five – Ben Folds Five

Supergrass – I Should Coco

Pulp – Different Class

Tindersticks – Tindersticks

Green Day – Insomniac

Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

Elliott Smith – Elliott Smith

Neil Young – Mirror Ball

Bruce Springsteen – The Ghost of Tom Joad

Super Furry Animals – “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyndrobwl”

Super Furry Animals – “Moog Droog EP”

The Bluetones – “Slight Return”

The Stone Roses – “Ten Storey Love Song”

Teenage Fanclub – “Teenage Fanclub Have Lost It”

Flying Saucer Attack – “Beach Red Lullaby”

The Beatles – “Free as a Bird”

Foo Fighters – “This Is a Call”

Further – “Distance EP”

Plush – “Three-Quarters Blind Eyes”

The Bluetones – “Bluetonic”

Ash – “Girl from Mars”

China Drum – “Wuthering Heights”

Paul Weller – “You Do Something to Me”

The Connells – “‘74-’75″

Tricky – “Black Steel”

Cast – “Finetime”

Smoking Popes – “Need You Around”

Sparklehorse – “Spirit Ditch”

R.E.M. – “Crush with Eyeliner”

Matthew Garbutt [Spotify]

Boss Hog – Boss Hog

Cee Bee Beaumont – Prestressed

Cornershop – Woman’s Gotta Have It

D’Angelo – Brown Sugar

Dubstar – Disgraceful

Dutronc – Dutronc! Dutronc! Dutronc!

Flat Duo Jets – Introducing

Genius/GZA – Liquid Swords

Goodie Mob – Soul Food

Madredeus – Ainda (Lisbon Story OST)

PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love

Pulp – Different Class

Rocket from the Crypt – Scream, Dracula, Scream!

The Black Dog – Spanners

The Kaisers – Beat It Up!

The Neanderthals – The Last Menace to the Human Race

The Sabres of Paradise – Haunted Dancehall

Thee Headcoats & the Headcoatees – The Sound of the Baskervilles

Tindersticks – Tindersticks

Tricky – Maxinquaye

Alex Reece – “Pulp Fiction”

Bomb the Bass – “Bug Powder Dust”

Daft Punk – “Da Funk”

Edwyn Collins – “A Girl Like You”

Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci – “Llanfwrog”

Gravediggaz – “Six Feet Deep EP”

Gretschen Hofner – “Acts of God”

Laika & the Cosmonauts – “Floating”

Massive Attack – “Karmacoma”

Paul Weller – “The Changingman”

Rockers Hi-Fi – “What a Life!”

Roni Size – “Time Stretch”

Saint Etienne – “He’s on the Phone”

Super Furry Animals – “Moog Droog EP”

The Astronauts – “War of the Satellites”

The Flaming Stars – “The Face on the Bar Room Floor”

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion! – “Bellbottoms!”

The Make-Up – “Blue Is Beautiful”

The Mummies – “Get Late!”

Tindersticks – “The Smooth Sounds of Tindersticks”

Richard Wilson

Buffalo Tom – Sleepy Eyed

The Flaming Lips – Clouds Taste Metallic

Snuff – Reach

Sebadoh – Rocking the Forest

Sparklehorse – Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot

Superchunk – Here’s Where the Strings Come In

Yo La Tengo – Electr-O-Pura

Radiohead – The Bends

Beatnik Filmstars – Astronaut House

Collapsed Lung – Jackpot Goalie

Dirty Three – Dirty Three

Goldie – Timeless

Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters

The God Machine – One Last Laugh in a Place of Dying

Pavement – Wowee Zowee

Palace Music – Viva Last Blues

Pulp – Different Class

Spiritualized – Pure Phase

The Chemical Brothers – Exit Planet Dust

Teenage Fanclub – Grand Prix

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