Need streaming inspo? Maybe it’s time to revisit one of these iconic albums… Join Wonderwall.com as we take a look back at the top 25 albums turning 25 in 2021, starting with the Spice Girls’ debut album, “Spice.” The 1996 album featured hit singles “Wannabe,” “Say You’ll Be There,” “2 Become 1, “Mama” and “Who Do You Think You Are.” Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, “Spice” shot to the top of the charts and went seven-times platinum. Now keep reading for more of 1996’s finest musical offerings…
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Celine Dion’s fourth English-language studio album, “Falling into You,” arrived on March 11, 1996. In addition to the title single, the album featured “Because You Loved Me,” “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” “All by Myself” and more! It went 11-times platinum and won Grammys for album of the year and best pop album.
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Tupac’s fourth and final album before his tragic death at age 25 — “All Eyez on Me” — debuted on Feb. 13, 1996. (He was killed just seven months later.) The album, which went 10-times platinum, featured “California Love,” the rapper’s Grammy-nominated hit with Dr. Dre.
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The Backstreet Boys dropped their eponymous debut studio album in Germany on May 6, 1996. It featured five of their early hit singles: “We’ve Got It Goin’ On,” “I’ll Never Break Your Heart,” “Get Down (You’re the One for Me),” “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)” and “Anywhere for You.” Tragically, Americans had to wait more than a year for a retooled version of the album to drop in the United States. The American version of “Backstreet Boys,” by the way, went 14-times platinum, making it one of the bestselling albums of all time.
JAY-Z made his big debut in 1996 with his “Reasonable Doubt” album, which featured the singles “Dead Presidents,” “Ain’t No N****,” “Can’t Knock the Hustle” and “Feelin’ It.” “Reasonable Doubt” — widely considered one of the best rap albums of all time — went platinum in the United States.
Sublime’s eponymous third and final studio album arrived on July 30, 1996, two months after frontman Bradley Nowell died of an overdose at 28. “Sublime,” which went six-times platinum, featured inescapable singles “What I Got,” “Santeria,” “Wrong Way” and “Doin’ Time.”
LeAnn Rimes’ debut studio album, “Blue,” debuted on July 9, 1996. It shot straight to the top of the country charts and went six-times platinum. The country cutie, who was just 13 at the time, won a Grammy for the title track. (She also won the Grammy for best new artist that year.)
Toni Braxton’s sophomore album, “Secrets” — which featured her Grammy-winning mega-hit single “Un-Break My Heart” — arrived on June 18, 1996. It topped the charts, went eight-times platinum and scored a Grammy nomination for best pop album.
Sheryl Crow’s eponymous sophomore album arrived with a bang on Sept. 24, 1996. “Sheryl Crow,” which went triple platinum, featured singles “If It Makes You Happy,” “Everyday Is a Winding Road,” “Hard to Make a Stand,” “A Change Would Do You Good” and “Home.” It was a huge hit with critics and audiences alike and won the Grammy for best rock album.
The Fugees released their second and final studio album, “The Score,” on Feb. 13, 1996. (The trio — Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel — disbanded the following year.) The album topped the charts, went six-times platinum and won a Grammy for best rap album. It also featured the Grammy-winning single “Killing Me Softly.”
George Strait’s widely beloved 16th studio album, “Blue Clear Sky,” turns 25 on April 23, 2021. The album featured the titular single along with hits “Carried Away,” “I Can Still Make Cheyenne” and “King of the Mountain.” The album topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, went three-times platinum and won the CMA Award for album of the year.
Alt-rockers Matchbox Twenty made quite the splash with their debut album, “Yourself or Someone Like You,” which landed on Oct. 1, 1996. It featured singles “3AM,” “Real World,” “Long Day,” “Back 2 Good” and “Push,” which scored a Grammy nomination. The album went 12-times platinum, making it one of the bestselling albums of all time.
Fiona Apple’s debut studio album, “Tidal,” turns 25 on July 23, 2021. The album, which went three-times platinum, produced six singles including “Shadowboxer” and the Grammy-winning “Criminal.”
On April 30, 1996, the Dave Matthews Band released their sophomore album: “Crash.” The album — which went seven-times platinum and scored a Grammy nomination for best rock album — featured singles “Too Much,” “So Much to Say,” “Crash into Me,” “Two Step” and “Tripping Billies.”
Nas’s sophomore album, “It Was Written,” landed on July 2, 1996. The album — which featured singles “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That),” “Street Dreams” and “The Message” — spent several weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 chart and went double platinum, catapulting the rapper to a new level of mainstream success.
Alan Jackson’s sixth studio album, “Everything I Love,” debuted on Oct. 29, 1996. It reached the top spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, went triple platinum and scored a Grammy nomination for best country album. It also produced five singles in addition to the title track: “Little Bitty,” “Who’s Cheatin’ Who,” “There Goes,” “Between the Devil and Me” and “A House with No Curtains.”
Rage Against the Machine’s hit sophomore album, “Evil Empire,” turns 25 on April 16, 2021. The album — which reached the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart and went triple platinum — produced five singles including “Tire Me,” which won the Grammy for best metal performance, and two additional Grammy-nominated tracks: “Bulls on Parade” and “People of the Sun.”
Lil’ Kim’s debut studio album, “Hard Core,” will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Nov. 12, 2021. The groundbreaking album, which went double platinum, featured singles “No Time,” “Crush on You (Remix)” and the Grammy-nominated “Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix).”
If metal is your thing, take note: Metallica’s sixth studio album, “Load,” turns 25 on June 4, 2021. The album, which spent several weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 chart and went five-times platinum, featured singles “Until It Sleeps,” “Hero of the Day,” “Mama Said” and “King Nothing.”
The late, great Aaliyah dropped her sophomore album, “One in a Million,” on Aug. 27, 1996. It featured the title track and five additional singles: “If Your Girl Only Knew,” “Got to Give It Up,” “4 Page Letter,” “Hot Like Fire” and “The One I Gave My Heart To.” The album went double platinum.
Though it flew mostly under the radar when it debuted on Sept. 24, 1996, Weezer’s sophomore album, “Pinkerton,” has developed an incredibly loyal following over the years. Music critics for Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and Spin have since cited it as one of the greatest albums of all time. It featured singles “El Scorcho,” “The Good Life” and “Pink Triangle.”
Reba McEntire’s 22nd studio album, “What If It’s You,” was one of the biggest country albums of 1996. The album — which reached the top spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and went double platinum — produced four singles: “The Fear of Being Alone,” “How Was I to Know,” “I’d Rather Ride Around with You” and “What If It’s You.”
Bryan Adams’ 1996 platinum album “18 til I Die” turns 25 on June 4, 2021. It produced an impressive seven singles, including the title track and “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” The hit single — which first appeared on the “Don Juan DeMarco” soundtrack — earned two Grammy nominations and an Oscar nomination for best original song.
Ginuwine’s debut studio album, “Ginuwine… the Bachelor,” celebrates its 25th anniversary on Oct. 8, 2021. The album, which went double platinum, featured persistent banger “Pony” along with five other singles: “Tell Me Do U Wanna,” “When Doves Cry,” “I’ll Do Anything / I’m Sorry,” “Only When Ur Lonely” and “Holler.”
The Wallflowers released their sophomore album, “Bringing Down the Horse,” on May 21, 1996. The album featured three Grammy-nominated tracks: “6th Avenue Heartache,” a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes” and “One Headlight,” which actually won the Grammy for best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals. (Bob Dylan’s son Jakob Dylan fronts the alt-rock band.)
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