13 Alt-Rock Albums All Record Collectors Need

Here are 13 essential alternative rock albums from the 1990s that you should absolutely own on vinyl.

And let’s be honest, you can probably guess which artists follow below. Names such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins are so closely connected to the ’90s due to the roles they had in furthering the alt-rock and grunge boom at the time.

Grunge music dominated the front half of the decade, leading to some of the best albums from the biggest names in rock that are still massive acts in 2026.

READ MORE: 11 Underrated ’90s Albums Every Rock Fan Should Own on Vinyl

But the second half of the ’90s was pretty damn good, too. Bands like Silverchair and Weezer emerged as grunge loosened its foothold on the alternative rock scene.

Whether you are just getting into ’90s alternative for the first time or you are looking to shore up your collection, here are some of the best albums from the decade you need on vinyl.

Alice in Chains, Dirt (1992)

Key tracks: “Would?,” “Rooster,” “Them Bones”

Buy it here.

Blind Melon, Blind Melon (1992)

Key tracks: “No Rain,” “Tones of Home,” “I Wonder”

Buy it here.

Bush, Sixteen Stone (1994)

Key tracks: “Glycerine,” “Machinehead,” “Comedown”

Buy it here.

Green Day, Dookie (1994)

Key tracks: “Basket Case,” “When I Come Around,” “Welcome to Paradise”

Buy it here.

Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral (1994)

Key tracks: “Closer,” “Hurt,” “March of the Pigs”

Buy it here.

Nirvana, In Utero (1993)

Key tracks: “All Apologies,” “Heart-Shaped Box,” “Dumb”

Buy it here.

Oasis, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)

Key tracks: “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Champagne Supernova”

Buy it here.

Pearl Jam, Ten (1991)

Key tracks: “Even Slow,” “Alive,” “Black”

Buy it here.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)

Key Tracks: “Breaking the Girl,” “Under the Bridge,” “Give It Away,” “Suck My Kiss”

Buy it here.

Silverchair, Frogstomp (1995)

Key tracks: “Tomorrow,” “Israel’s Son,” “Pure Massacre”

Buy it here.

Smashing Pumpkins, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)

Key tracks: “1979,” “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” “Tonight, Tonight”

Buy it here.

Stone Temple Pilots, Core (1992)

Key tracks: “Plush,” “Creep,” “Sex Type Thing”

Buy it here.

Weezer, Weezer (1994)

Key tracks: “Say it Ain’t So,” “Buddy Holly,” “Undone – The Sweater Song”

Buy it here.

Now that you know which ’90s alternative albums you need on vinyl, let’s look back at the best rock songs from the decade.