The 1990s music scene is best characterized by grunge replacing hair metal. The first two books in The Rock Star’s Wife series, Sexual Awakening and Mr. Right is a Myth, all or completely take place in the 1990s. They touch on Cassandra’s musical tastes as she is never far from her CD player. She does indeed love grunge as well as heavier bands such as Metallica and softer bands such as Jimmy Eat World. Here are the five top rock albums of the 1990s by year according to sales. These bands might have appeared on a mixed tape in Cassandra’s collection. How about yours?
This list does not include greatest hits albums, live albums, soundtracks or compilations.
1990

The Razors Edge by AC/DC
The Razors Edge by AC/DC
7.8 million sales
Singles: “Thunderstruck,” “Moneytalks,” and “Are You Ready”

Violator by Depeche Mode
Violator by Depeche Mode
4.9 million sales
Singles: “Personal Jesus,” “Enjoy the Silence,” “Policy of Truth,” and “World in My Eyes”

Flesh & Blood by Poison
Flesh & Blood by Poison
4.5 million sales
Singles: “Unskinny Bop,” “Something to Believe In,” “Ride the Wind,” “Life Goes On,” and “(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice”

Crazy World by Scorpions
Crazy World by Scorpions
3.6 million sales
Singles: “Tease Me Please Me,” “Don’t Believe Her,” “Wind of Change,” and “Send Me an Angel”

X by INXS
X by INXS
3.2 million sales
Singles: “Suicide Blonde,” “Disappear,” “By My Side,” “Bitter Tears,” and “The Stairs”
1991

Metallica by Metallica
Metallica by Metallica
33 million sales
Singles: “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Sad but True”

Nevermind by Nirvana
Nevermind by Nirvana
30 million sales
Singles: “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come as You Are,” “Lithium,” and “In Bloom”

Achtung Baby by U2
Achtung Baby by U2
18 million sales
Singles: “The Fly,” “Mysterious Ways,” “One,” “Even Better Than the Real Thing,” and “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses”

Ten by Pearl Jam
Ten by Pearl Jam
15.7 million sales
Singles: “Alive,” “Even Flow,” “Jeremy,” and “Oceans”

We Can`t Dance by Genesis
We Can`t Dance by Genesis
15 million sales
Singles: “No Son of Mine,” “I Can’t Dance,” “Hold on My Heart,” “Jesus He Knows Me,” “Never a Time,” and “Tell Me Why”
1992

Automatic for the People by R.E.M.
Automatic for the People by R.E.M.
18 million sales
Singles: “Drive,” “Man on the Moon,” “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite,” “Everybody Hurts,” “Nightswimming,” and “Find the River”

Core by Stone Temple Pilots
Core by Stone Temple Pilots
8.3 million sales
Singles: “Sex Type Thing,” “Plush,” and “Creep”

Bigger, Better, Faster, More! By 4 Non Blondes
Bigger, Better, Faster, More! By 4 Non Blondes
6 million sales
Singles: “Dear Mr. President,” “What’s Up?,” “Spaceman,” and “Superfly”

Adrenalize by Def Leppard
Adrenalize by Def Leppard
6 million sales
Singles: “Let’s Get Rocked,” “Make Love Like a Man,” “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad,” “Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion),” “Heaven Is,” and “Tonight”

Rage Against The Machine by Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine by Rage Against The Machine
5.04 million sales
Singles: “Killing in the Name,” “Bullet in the Head,” “Bombtrack,” and “Freedom”
1993

Get a Grip by Aerosmith
Get a Grip by Aerosmith
20 million sales
Singles: “Livin’ on the Edge,” “Eat the Rich,” “Cryin,'” “Amazing,” “Fever,” “Shut Up and Dance,” and “Crazy”

VS.by Pearl Jam
VS. by Pearl Jam
8.2 million sales
Singles: “Go,” “Daughter,” “Animal,” and “Dissident”

August & Everything After by Counting Crows
August & Everything After by Counting Crows
8.06 million sales
Singles: “Mr. Jones,” “Round Here,” “Rain King,” and “A Murder of One”

In Utero by Nirvana
In Utero by Nirvana
7.8 million sales
Singles: “Heart-Shaped Box,” and “All Apologies” / “Rape Me”

Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We by The Cranberries
Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We by The Cranberries
6.4 million sales
Singles: “Dreams,” and “Linger”
1994

Cracked Rear View by Hootie & The Blowfish
Cracked Rear View by Hootie & The Blowfish
22.3 million sales
Singles: “Hold My Hand,” “Let Her Cry,” “Only Wanna Be with You,” “Time,” and “Drowning”

Dookie by Green Day
Dookie by Green Day
20 million sales
Singles: “Longview,” “Welcome to Paradise,” “Basket Case,” and “When I Come Around”

No Need To Argue by The Cranberries
No Need To Argue by The Cranberries
14.2 million sales
Singles: “Zombie,” “Ode to My Family,” “I Can’t Be with You,” and “Ridiculous Thoughts”

The Division Bell by Pink Floyd
The Division Bell by Pink Floyd
12 million sales
Singles: “Take It Back,” and “High Hopes” / “Keep Talking”

Smash by The Offspring
Smash by The Offspring
12 million sales
Singles: “Come Out and Play,” “Self Esteem,” “Gotta Get Away,” and “Bad Habit”
1995

(What’s the Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis
(What’s the Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis
22 million sales
Singles: “Some Might Say,” “Roll with It,” “Morning Glory,” “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” and “Champagne Supernova”

Made In Heaven by Queen
Made In Heaven by Queen
20 million sales
Singles: “Heaven for Everyone,” “A Winter’s Tale,” “Too Much Love Will Kill You,” “I Was Born to Love You, ” “Let Me Live,” and “You Don’t Fool Me”

Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt
Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt
13.6 million sales
Singles: “Just a Girl,” “Spiderwebs,” “Don’t Speak,” “Excuse Me Mr.,” “Sunday Morning,” “Happy Now?,” and “Hey You!”

Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins
Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins
10 million sales
Singles: “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” “1979,” “Tonight, Tonight,” “Zero,” and “Thirty-Three”

Garbage by Garbage
Garbage by Garbage
5 million sales
Singles: “Vow,” “Only Happy When It Rains,” “Queer,” “Stupid Girl,” and “Milk”
1996

Yourself Or Someone Like You by Matchbox Twenty
Yourself Or Someone Like You by Matchbox Twenty
15 million sales
Singles: “Long Day,” “Push,” “3AM,” “Real World,” and “Back 2 Good”

Load by Metallica
Load by Metallica
8.02 million sales
Singles: “Until It Sleeps,” “Hero of the Day,” “Mama Said,” and “King Nothing”

Crash by Dave Matthews Band
Crash by Dave Matthews Band
7.1 million sales
Singles: “Too Much,” “So Much to Say,” “Crash into Me,” “Two Step,” and “Tripping Billies”

Sublime by Sublime
Sublime by Sublime
6.5 million sales
Singles: “What I Got, ” “Santeria,” “Wrong Way,” and “Doin’ Time”

Bringing Down The Horse by The Wallflowers
Bringing Down The Horse by The Wallflowers
4.7 million sales
Singles: “6th Avenue Heartache,” “One Headlight,” “The Difference,” and “Three Marlenas”
1997

Urban Hymns by The Verve
Urban Hymns by The Verve
10 million sales
Singles: “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” “The Drugs Don’t Work,” “Lucky Man,” and “Sonnet”

Be Here Now by Oasis
Be Here Now by Oasis
8 million sales
Singles: “D’You Know What I Mean?,” “Stand by Me,” and “All Around the World”

My Own Prison by Creed
My Own Prison by Creed
6.8 million sales
Singles: “My Own Prison,” “Torn,” “What’s This Life For,” and “One”

Reload by Metallica
Reload by Metallica
6.6 million sales
Singles: “The Memory Remains,” “The Unforgiven II,” “Fuel,” and “Better Than You”

Third Eye Blind by Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind by Third Eye Blind
6.1 million sales
Singles: “Semi-Charmed Life,” “Graduate,” “How’s It Going to Be,” “Losing a Whole Year,” and “Jumper”
1998

Americana by The Offspring
Americana by The Offspring
11 million sales
Singles: “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy),” “Why Don’t You Get a Job?,” “The Kids Aren’t Alright” and “She’s Got Issues”

Version 2.0 by Garbage
Version 2.0 by Garbage
6 million sales
Singles: “Push It,” “I Think I’m Paranoid,” “Special,” “When I Grow Up,” “The Trick Is to Keep Breathing,” and “You Look So Fine”

Follow The Leader by Korn
Follow The Leader by Korn
5.7 million sales
Singles: “All in the Family,” “Got the Life,” and “Freak on a Leash”

This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours by Manic Street Preachers
This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours by Manic Street Preachers
5 million sales
Singles: “If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next,” “The Everlasting,” “You Stole the Sun from My Heart,” and “Tsunami”

Stunt by Barenaked Ladies
Stunt by Barenaked Ladies
4.5 million sales
Singles: “One Week,” “It’s All Been Done,” “Call and Answer,” and “Alcohol”
1999

Enema Of The State by Blink-182
Enema Of The State by Blink-182
16 million sales
Singles: “What’s My Age Again?,” “All the Small Things,” and “Adam’s Song”

Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers
16 million sales
Singles: “Scar Tissue,” “Around the World,” “Otherside,” “Californication,” and “Road Trippin'”

Human Clay by Creed
Human Clay by Creed
13.2 million sales
Singles: “Higher,” “What If,” “With Arms Wide Open,” and “Are You Ready?”

Significant Other by Limp Bizkit
Significant Other by Limp Bizkit
9.6 million sales
Singles: “Nookie,” “Re-Arranged,” “N 2 Gether Now,” and “Break Stuff”

S&M by Metallica
S&M by Metallica
4.99 million sales
Singles: “Nothing Else Matters ’99,” and “No Leaf Clover”
Here’s the 4-1-1
This blog is a companion piece to Sexual Awakening, available in eBook, paperback and hardcover. This coming-of-age story, set against the backdrop of the mid-1990s Midwest, follows Cassandra, a high schooler whose big dreams clash with her family’s conservative expectations, as she comes into her own while navigating the complexities of teenage sex and dating. Buy now.
To listen to the songs mentioned in Sexual Awakening, follow The Rock Star’s Wife on Spotify.
For more information on the licenses mentioned on this page, visit https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/.
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