501 Essential Albums of the '90s - by Gary Graff (Hardcover)

About the Book

"501 Essential Albums of '90s is the ultimate curated list detailing dozens of the decade's most influential releases across all genres, featuring descriptions of the releases, album art, and artist imagery"--

Book Synopsis

Break out the flannel, scrunchies, and high-rise jeans and indulge in this nostalgic illustrated trip through the 1990s' most influential albums across all genres.

In 501 Essential Albums of the '90s, Gary Graff leads a cast of fellow music journalists in presenting the music of everyone's favorite decade...the last decade before the proliferation of social media and digital downloads.

With lively descriptions of the releases and over 600 images, this hefty 448-page volume curates 501 albums spanning genres and subgenres--pop, hip-hop, R&B, grunge, metal, country, world music--and features:

• Year-by-year organization
• Knowledgeable rundowns of every album featured
• Album art for each selection
• Artist imagery
• Record label, release date, and producer(s) for each
• Soundtracks and compilation releases also included

The journalists detail the circumstances of the releases, notable singles from each, their influence on contemporary and later artists...in short, why each is considered one of the best of the decade.

Britney or Body Count, Nirvana or NSync, Metallica or Morisette, Garth or Green Day, Weezer or Wu Tang--whatever your tastes, you will relish this ultimate retrospective of the decade's music.

Review Quotes

"You'll flip through the pages getting irked by the exclusions but pleased when one of your favorites appears. Which is exactly how a book like this should make you feel."

--Gillian Gaar, Goldmine

"501 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. 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."

--Louise Penn, Lou Reviews

"With more than 600 images and contributions from music's leading names, including journalists, historians, musicians and radio personalities, 501 Essential Albums of the '90s spans multiple genres, subgenres and everything in-between -- from the top-sellers to little-known hidden gems."

--Detroit Jewish News

About the Author

Gary Graff is an award-winning music journalist based in Detroit. He is a regular contributor to Billboard, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Media News Group, Ultimate Classic Rock, Consequence, and other publications, as well as to radio stations in Detroit and Milwaukee. He is the author of Alice Cooper at 75; co-author of Neil Young: Long May You Run, Rock 'n' Roll Myths: The True Stories Behind the Most Famous Legends, and Travelin' Man: On the Road and Behind the Scenes with Bob Seger; and the series editor of the MusicHound Essential Album Guides. He is also co-founder and co-producer of the Emmy Award-winning Detroit Music Awards. Graff lives in Beverly Hills, Michigan.