The Most Collected Albums By 11 Big ’90s Rock Bands (on Discogs)

Even if some rock fans have forgotten about the grunge era, albums from big 90s acts still dominate some record collections

We recently combed through the listings for top ’90s rock bands on Discogs to see which of their albums are the most beloved among collectors.

Discogs is an online database where collectors log what they have in their collections and titles they are trying to sell. Here is a look at the most collected albums for 11 big acts from the ’90s

Foo Fighters

While the second Foo Fighters album tends to get the most love, their self-titled debut (which turns 30 years old this year) isn’t far behind.

1. The Colour and the Shape (1997), 58,419 copies collected

2. Foo Fighters (1995), 55,052 copies

3. Wasting Light (2011), 38,158 copies

4. There is Nothing Left to Lose (1999), 34,405 copies

5. One by One (2002), 33,890 copies

Green Day

Green Day‘s 1994 breakthrough album, Dookie, remains the band’s most collected on Discogs. The releases between that one and 2004’s American Idiot also remain beloved among collectors.

1. Dookie (1994), 134,933 copies collected

2. American Idiot (2004), 104,126 copies

3. Insomniac (1995), 47,918 copies

4. Nimrod (1997), 38,551 copies

5. 21st Century Breakdown (2009), 25,586 copies

Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails have sold more than 3 million copies of their 1989 debut, Pretty Hate Machine. The follow-up, The Doward Spiral, clocked another 3.7 million copies. It’s no surprise to see both titles near the top of this list.

1. Pretty Hate Machine (1989), 80,038 copies collected

2. The Downward Spiral (1994), 79,844 copies

3. The Fragile (1999), 43,772 copies

4. With Teeth (2005), 35,236 copies

5. Hesitation Marks (2013), 22,929 copies

Nirvana

You can probably guess which Nirvana album is the most collected. The second album on the list is one of the few non-studio albums among the most collected ’90 titles.

1. Nevermind (1991) 362,513 copies collected

2. MTV Unplugged in New York (1994), 236,623 copies

3. In Utero (1993), 171,312 copies

4. Bleach (1989), 132,685 copies

5. Inscesticide (1992), 62,339 copies

Pearl Jam

Want proof of a dedicated fanbase? Once you get out of the top 5 most collected Pearl Jam albums, nearly every release up through 2024’s Dark Matter has nearly the same number of copies collected among Discogs users.

1. Ten (1991) 190,591 copies collected

2. Vs. (1993), 90,815 copies

3. Vitalogy (1994), 68,938 copies

4. Yield (1998), 43,615 copies

5. No Code (1996), 42,077 copies

Red Hot Chili Peppers

For most acts in the list, their most collected albums are either their first or second releases. That’s certainly not the case for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Discogs users own more than 135,000 copies of the band’s seventh album.

1. Californication (1999), 135,853 copies collected

2. Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991), 115,233 copies

3. By The Way (2002), 61,186 copies

4. Stadium Arcadium (2006), 46,664 copies

5. Mother’s Milk (1989), 42,254 copies

The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins have released eight albums over the past 25 years. It’s their ’90s material, however, that remains the most loved among record collectors.

1. Siamese Dream (1993), 100,691 copies collected

2. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995), 91,861 copies

3. Gish (1991), 49,901 copies

4. Adore (1998), 38,482 copies

5. Machina/The Machines of God (2000), 17,623 copies

Soundgarden

You may not see it often in record stores, but Soundgarden‘s 1988 debut album cracks the top 5 among their most collected titles.

1. Superunknown (1994), 82,888 copies collected

2. Badmotorfinger (1991), 65,257 copies

3. Down on the Upside (1996), 31,682 copies

4. Louder Than Love (1989) 21,953 copies

5. Ultramega OK (1988),16,476 copies

Stone Temple Pilots

There’s no sophomore slump here. The second Stone Temple Pilots album is nearly as heavily collected as the band’s debut.

1. Core (1992) 61,933 copies collected

2. Purple (1994), 60,047 copies

3. Tiny Music… Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop (1996), 21,961 copies

4. No. 4 (1999),16,473 copies

5. Shangra-La Dee Da (2001), 8,774 copies

Weezer

Out of all of the bands featured here, Weezer has the most recently released album on their top 5 most collected list, thanks to a 2019 collection of cover songs.

1. Weezer (Blue album, 1994), 120,444 copies collected

2. Pinkerton (1996), 55,594 copies

3. Weezer (Green album, 2001), 30,573 copies

4. Weezer (Teal album, 2019), 13,897 copies

5. Maladroit (2002),13,821 copies