Growing up in the 1990s meant one thing: the radio. Before streaming services and mp3 players, we had the radio. Sure, there were tapes, CDs and even the occasional vinyl record collection tucked away by a parent, but when it came to the radio, that’s where you discovered new bands.

And during the 90s, most often that meant discovering alt-rock bands. The term is a broad one and it encompasses some of the greatest collections of artists from the era. But we wanted to take a close look and whittle down what could be a giant list into one that’s a bit more manageable. Indeed, these are four alt-rock albums that defined the 1990s.

Nevermind by Nirvana (1991)

Is grunge alt-rock? Yes, it is! In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the genre grew into something that would become world famous thanks to bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. And the most important album to come from that musical movement was the 1991 release by Nirvana. Fronted by Kurt Cobain, Nirvana released songs like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Come As You Are,” which are still essential listening today. But back then? You couldn’t walk 10 feet without running into something Nirvana-related.

Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette (1995)

Speaking of ubiquity, you couldn’t live in the western hemisphere in the mid-1990s without coming across a song from Alanis Morissette. The former child actor became the biggest rock act in the world just as grunge was falling away. Her songs like “Ironic” and “You Oughta Know” featured her beautiful-yet-cutting vocals and her pointed lyrics that seemed to just capture the feeling of her generation. Her aura was just of the time and her talent as a songwriter made her a cultural icon.

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

While some may look to bands like Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails or Weezer, we wanted to highlight another musical movement from the decade and to do so, we wanted to highlight Oasis. Indeed, Britpop was an important part of alternative rock during the decade of the 90s and perhaps the biggest band in that subgenre was Oasis. Their 1995 LP, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, was everywhere and included tunes like “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and “Champagne Supernova.” That’s an insane trio and one that has made their reunion this year that much more exciting.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins (1995)

If you were to ask Billy Corgan who the most important artists of the 1990s were, he would say Kurt Cobain and… him. Well, there are no points of modesty, it would seem. But whatever number he is on the alt-rock list of the era, he is certainly on it thanks to his band The Smashing Pumpkins. With a number of popular albums, including Gish and Siamese Dream, it was when the band released their double-album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness in 1995 that they really became legendary thanks to poetic songs like “Tonight, Tonight,” “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” and “1979.”