Ten Albums from 1992 That Still Sound Good 30 Years Later

We had some fun with this on 1982 albums, so let’s look at 1992. What a difference 10 years makes. For one, every album photo of the 1982 post was from my LP collection, this time all CDs. The 1982 list has a new wave theme, whereas in the early 1990s hard rock is more prevalent in grunge, alternative, and shoegaze.

In 1992, Nirvana’s Nevermind went to #1 on the US Billboard charts. Farm Aid V, hosted by Willie Nelson, was held in Texas Stadium. Natalie Cole won big at the Grammys. Sinead O’Connor ripped up a picture of the Pope on SNL. The Bodyguard movie album came out and soon became the best-selling soundtrack of all time.

The following top 10 doesn’t include many noteworthy albums from 1992: Dry, PJ Harvey’s stellar debut, Neil Young’s Harvest Moon, Lush’s Spooky, Peter Murphy’s Holy Smoke, B-52’s Good Stuff, Stone Temple Pilot’s Core, Alice in Chain’s Dirt, and Springsteen’s double Human Touch and Lucky Town. Here’s the top 10 of 1992 for me.

#10 Us by Peter Gabriel: The sixth album from Peter Gabriel was personal and reflective. Sinead O’Connor provides guest vocals on a couple songs. The album is highlighted by the beautiful chorus of “Digging in the Dirt” and upbeat pop of “Steam.”

#9 Dirty by Sonic Youth: The seventh album from the noisy New York rockers is a wave of loud, intense guitars. “Sugar Kane” is quintessential SY with its wall of grunge followed by a delicate guitar. “Swimsuit Issue” tackles sexual harassment, “Don’t touch my breast, I’m just working at my desk” followed by Kim Gordon’s roll call of Sports Illustrated’s models. “Drunken Butterfly” is a homage to the band Heart.

8 Slanted and Enchanted by Pavement: The Pavement debut album is an indie rock landmark. It’s lo-fi, fuzzy, and offbeat. A California version of grunge as the jangly opener “Summer Babe” encapsulates. The second song “Trigger Cut” is a standout with its nonsense lyrics “Lies and betrayals, Fruit covered nails, eeeeeeee-lectricity and lust.” “Here” is a ballad. Lots of styles, all melodic noise.

#7 Arsenal by Morrissey: The third solo album from Morrissey is less mope, more rock. A vigorous collection of songs with a little rockabilly thrown in. “Glamorous Glue” brings home the glam (Mick Ronson, an integral part of The Spiders from Mars band, produced the album). The passionate “Tomorrow” closes the album and is one of his very best songs. And what would a Morrissey album be without a song title like “We Hate it When Our Friends Become Successful.”

#6 Doppelganger by Curve: Curve could never match the success of their debut album. The band’s sound was a delectable combination of shoegaze guitar distortion and the cool, moody vocals of Toni Halliday. Dark goth one moment, bright melodies the next, or all at once. “Fait Accompli,” and particularly “Horror Head,” have stood the test of time.

#5 Copper Blue by Sugar: The first (of only two) by the band Sugar, founded by Bob Mould after the breakup of the influential Husker Du. This is a great rock n’ roll album all the way through. You may have heard “Hoover Dam,” “A Good Idea,” or “Helpless.” The punk guitar of Husker Du with a slower tempo and more melody. Explosive power pop. (Check out more of Bob Mould in my earlier post Bob Mould: Still Rocking (Put in the Earplugs!).

#4 Ferment by Catherine Wheel: The debut album from the English rockers is a shoegaze masterpiece. If you like subdued vocals within the walls of distorted guitar this album is for you. “I Want to Touch You” is a beauty about just what you’d think it would be about. Their single and best-known song is probably “Black Metallic;” slow strumming and moving vocals turning into a wash of glorious guitar.

#3 Going Blank Again by Ride: Ride’s second album after their outstanding debut, Nowhere, was a lighter, poppier effort. Still the shoegaze guitars, but instead of simply staring down at the pedals they were jumping around having more fun. “Chrome Waves” is an acoustic powerhouse while “Leave Them All Behind” is their shining sonic anthem. (Check out more of Ride and Shoegazers in my previous post Bands that Took 20 Years (or more) Between Albums: Part Three – Ride (and a shout out to Shoegazers)

#2 Automatic for the People by R.E.M.: The eighth album from R.E.M. reached new heights for the quartet from Athens, GA. The angry “Ignoreland” and tribute to Andy Kaufman “Man on the Moon” prove that the band was still rocking. But it’s the slower, darker ballads that define the album. “Everybody Hurts,” “Drive,” and the shimmering beauty of “Nightswimming” ache with loss and nostalgia. The mournful atmosphere is enhanced by the strings from John Paul Jones.

#1 Wish by The Cure: Most Cure fans go with Disintegration as the band’s pinnacle, and I do too, along with Wish. Their ninth album was still dark and moody, but lighter with more emphasis on guitar. The bouncy “High,” acoustic gem “Letter to Elise,” catchy “Doing the Unstuck,” and that song we were all sick of years ago “Friday I’m in Love” prove that the band could deliver songs with more immediate appeal. “To Wish Impossible Things” was still there to bring on a good cry.