Gary Graff’s engrossing book focuses on the albums that defined the 1990s, and the artwork that accompanied them.
This was the decade where long-playing vinyl finally ceded prominence to the flash new compact disc, leading to the decline of the great album covers.
Regardless, the selection presented here showcases the work of some prominent and lesser-known artists while considering the relationship between the cover and the content.
However, if you want a deep dive into the complexities of album artwork, this is not the place to start, as this is really a rundown of the music you should seek out to discover what drove this final decade of the 20th century.
Graff’s choices are a mix of old and new, so Neil Young and Garth Brooks rub shoulders with Pearl Jam and Spice Girls. This was the decade in which George Michael changed his image, Frank Sinatra did a duet album by electronic trickery, and we first heard the Buena Vista Social Club.
I was certainly counting how many of these albums I had heard, and making a list to seek out others on Spotify, as the humble compact disc has now been superseded by the online streaming services.
There is a light in the tunnel for those who value the artistic side of promoting popular music, as vinyl has now made a comeback, albeit at a very high retail price.
591 Essential Albums of the 90s does offer a response to those who may look back and think this decade sparked a decline in music – it casts a wide net beyond the hits of the charts and takes a thoughtful snapshot across the decade that captured significant political and social change.
The big names are here: REM, Radiohead, Beck, while Willie Nelson, Herbie Hancock, Michael Jackson and even Bruce Hornsby endure.
It was a decade to showcase the work of some talented women performers from Shania Twain, Mariah Carey and Christina Aguillera to Lauryn Hill, Hole, and Janet Jackson, plus a resurgence for Cher and new gadgetry.
You can dip in and out of this book and be entertained, perplexed (so many names were lauded and have now got lost in the mists of time, and inspired.
Also of note is a useful index of artists mentioned, which allows a reader to explore albums of particular interest rather than trying to find them in the chronological arrangement of the book as a whole.
Alongside Graff, a veteran music critic, a cast of fellow writers and music enthusiasts bring their expertise to bear on what was the last decade in which we made an active choice about the music we consumed.
501 Essential Albums of the 90s is now available, published by Quarto.