10 Perfect Rock Albums Of The 1990s

Towards the mid '90s, most of the legends of the rock genre had slowly started to shift into their elderstatesmen phase. There may have been some highlights like Eric Clapton's Unplugged record, but more of these acts were comfortable going the dad rock route than actually breaking new ground. Hell, even when they did that though, you'd sometimes find yourself in legendary territory anyway.

Being only the second true solo album Tom Petty ever produced, Wildflowers feels like you're rediscovering the reason why heartland rock hit so hard back in the day. Using a few sparse elements and orchestral backing here and there, this is the kind of record that feels totally organic, which meshed perfectly with the aesthetic of bringing things back to basics.

Using acoustic guitar for most of this outing, this feels like you're held up at Tom's cabin for the weekend, with the classic tunes arriving almost through osmosis. There are definitely some highlights in the singles like You Wreck Me and You Don't Know How It Feels, but Petty saves the greatest songs for the deep cuts, like the beautiful opening title track or the tale of a down and out man who gives up on life in To Find a Friend. If you've ever tried to take yourself seriously as a songwriter, this is the kind of masterclass that you only dream of.