4 Albums From the 1990s That Were Critically Panned but Aged Well

A lot of stellar music came out in the 1990s, but few of those records were really critically acclaimed. In fact, plenty of rock albums from the 1990s have aged very well through the decades, but they didn’t exactly get a ton of love when they were first released. Let’s look at a few examples, shall we?

1. ‘Achtung Baby’ by U2

When Achtung Baby first hit the shelves back in 1991, it didn’t bring Irish rock band U2 a whole lot of love. In fact, two major music critics at the time (Jim Greer and Robert Christgau) dragged the record through the mud. While some other critics praised the album, on a broader scale, Achtung Baby was not a very well-loved alt-rock release. Years later, though, it’s considered by many to be U2’s finest release. That isn’t exactly surprising, considering Brian Eno productions usually take a minute to grow on people.

2. ‘Dogg Food’ by Tha Dogg Pound

This G-funk record from 1995 has since gained a bit of a cult following. It earns a spot on our list of albums from the 1990s that aged well, though it got quite a bit of hate when it was first released. Despite being an iconic record in West Coast hip-hop today and selling quite a few copies when it was first released, some critics couldn’t find anything good to say about it. The Trouser Press famously said that the record is “a low-key, unambitious and only mildly imaginative replay of ‘Doggystyle’, rolling over familiar G-funk terrain with the same minimum of venom and violence.” Ouch.

3. ‘In The Aeroplane Over The Sea’ by Neutral Milk Hotel

If you were a little indie rock aficionado in the late 1990s with internet access, you probably couldn’t escape mention of this album on music-related online forums and chatrooms. Fans of this album were absolutely everywhere when it was first released in 1998. However, some critics really did not vibe with In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. We could blame that on the cryptic lyrics and unusual sound, but I think those elements just make the record better. Robert Christgau was famously dismissive of the album, calling it a “funereal jape that gets my goat.”

4. ‘Pinkerton’ by Weezer

This is a really obvious example of albums from the 1990s that have aged well among music nerds. Unfortunately for some listeners, this 1996 release from Weezer was vastly different from their popish debut record. Critics and fans alike criticized it for being a bit too raw and personal, and some would say it was a commercial failure for the band. Today, though, it has a strong following. Pinkerton explores vulnerability in a way that modern-day audiences can relate to. I’d say it’s an important record in the history of emo and alt-rock, too.

Photo courtesy of Neutral Milk Hotel

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