12 Best Cult Hard Rock Albums Of The 90s
9. Tiny Music...- Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots had truly beaten the odds by the mid 90's. After being pegged as wannabes by the grunge faithful for their album Core, the band settled into a more comfortable alt-rock groove on their next album Purple, which left critics and fans speechless.
Though it was an impressive course correction, the musical tide was slowly ebbing away from the grunge scene. In a true masterstroke, the band released Tiny Music..., which completely distanced them from grunge's coattails. Instead of having sludgy riffs that were usually imported from Seattle, the songs on this record are much more slinky, with grooves that have more in common with glam rock.
The album did get its just praise from fans back in the day, but the chance for the album to become legendary remained short lived. A lot of critics weren't sure what to make of the switch in style, and the narcotic misadventures of Scott Weiland caused the band to cancel their tour early.
Instead of becoming a home run for these California rockers, Tiny Music... remains one of the overlooked gems from the end of the grunge era. If it had gotten its just due, STP may have even been able to push grunge music forward into bold new directions.