By GERRY GALIPAULT

(November 1999)

How will the 1990s stack up against the swingin' rock bluesy, Elvisized 1950s? Or the soulful, psychedelic, Fab Fourness of the 1960s? Or the classic rock, disco-charged, punk-piercing 1970s? What about the new wave, MTV-pretty, big hair '80s?

As cliched as it sounds, only time - lots of time - will tell whether grunge, Garth, the shrieking of Mariah, Whitney and Celine and cookie-cutter boy bands of the Lollapaloozed 1990s will be looked upon favorably.

There was plenty of good music to be found and just as much to avoid in the 1990s, like any ol' decade. For the past 10 months, though, Pause & Play has been taking a proactive look back at the '90s, preferring to remember the good ... namely the Top 100 essential albums of the decade.

Of course, every list is subjective. Not everyone will agree with the inclusions; others will question the exclusions. This much can be said about the 1990s: It was remarkably easy to compile 100 essential albums. That bodes well for the decade's legacy.

Before concluding this countdown, Pause & Play will reveal - as promised - its Top 10 favorite LPs of the 1990s. They are:

1) "Nevermind," Nirvana (DGC/Geffen, 1991) - Maybe there were better albums, but none cut a wider swath than this ground-breaker.

2) "Goodbye Jumbo," World Party (Ensign, 1990) - We bow down to you, Karl Wallinger.

3) "The Simpsons: Songs in the Key of Springfield," various artists (Rhino, 1997) - Thank you, thank you, thank you for every laugh.

4) "Very," Pet Shop Boys (EMI/ERG, 1993) - They still reign supreme on the dance floor.

5) "Achtung, Baby," U2 (Island, 1991) - They don't make 'em like that anymore, literally.

6) "OK Computer," Radiohead (Capitol, 1997) - One word comes to mind: stunning.

7) "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," Lauryn Hill (Ruffhouse/Columbia, 1998) - Soul is back!

8) "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy," Sarah McLachlan (Nettwerk/Arista, 1994) - ... because "Possession" helped bring together at least two soul mates.

9) "Urban Hymns," The Verve (Virgin, 1997) - The most atmospheric pop in ages.

10) "The Pet Sounds Sessions" (box set), The Beach Boys (Capitol, 1997) - Simply the best album ever made.

Now, on to the final countdown ....

Along for the ride, adding their expert commentary, are Scritti Politti leader Green Gartside, Anthrax vocalist John Bush and Tonic singer Emerson Hart.

Gartside has revived Scritti Politti, best known for the 1985 pop hit "Perfect Way," ringing in 2000 with the band's first album in 11 years. "Anomie & Bonhomie" (Virgin), out Jan. 25, features guest work by Meshell Ndegéocello and Wendy & Lisa. Anthrax's "Return of the Killer A's" collection was released Nov. 23 on Beyond Music; it features a new cover version of the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion," with Bush and original singer Joey Belladonna sharing vocals for the first time. Tonic's second album, "Sugar" (Universal), was issued Nov. 9, containing the AOR hit "Knock Down Walls."

All three will be featured in upcoming P&P editions.

(The following albums are not listed alphabetically, chronologically or in order of importance. Anything that came out in the 1990s - even greatest-hits packages, box sets and compilations - is eligible for inclusion.)

MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS, Smashing Pumpkins (Virgin, 1995) - On the surface, the idea of a double album, one devoted to "day" and the other "night," would be considered career suicide. But Billy Corgan's mixture of polished ballads and angst-ridden rockers flowed masterfully throughout this 140-minute epic. Gartside: "It's an album I really should have liked and tried to like but didn't. I was left underwhelmed." Bush: "I thought it was a great record, especially based on the fact they had so much material. They were able to do that without a lot of filler material, which a lot of bands have to contend with today. It was very admirable." Hart: "Great record, great melodies. (Corgan) is always insistent on bringing melodies into rock 'n' roll, really working with melody through distortion." Prime cuts: "Tonight, Tonight," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "1979," "Zero."

CHECK YOUR HEAD, Beastie Boys (Grand Royal/Capitol, 1992) - The rap trio got down to business with its third album, meshing its usual funky samples and beats with live instrumentation. A lot of credit should go to keyboardist Mark Ramos Nishita. Collectively, they turned the hip-hop world on its ear, particularly with the incomparable "So What'cha Want." Gartside: "That was a very important record. The Beastie Boys are a phenomenon and very unique. I could say a lot of nice things about the Beastie Boys, but so does everybody else, so I'll shut up." Bush: "Huge record. The Beastie Boys you have to respect big time simply because they've chosen to do it their way, especially after the success of their first record and they had such a decline with the follow-up record, 'Paul's Boutique.' And yet they stayed true to what they did. It takes a lot of balls to say, 'We're going to do it this way, regardless.' " Hart: "Another great record. I probably wouldn't say the entire record is of my tastes, but those guys have always been diligent and innovative. 'So What'cha Want' has that break-through-the-wall aggression, overly compressed, straight in your face." Prime cuts: "So What'cha Want," "Pass the Mic," "Finger Lickin' Good," "Time For Livin'."

PARKLIFE, Blur (Food/SBK, 1994) - This album never charted in the United States; that's not so surprising, considering the band's over-the-top Englishness. But their third album - a self-described nocturnal travelogue of London - was a pure pop pleasure, dabbling in Eurodisco ("Girls & Boys"), tweaky Kinks-like character studies ("Tracy Jacks," "Parklife") and lush melodies ("Bad Head," "To the End"). Gartside: "I really should like that, too. There's some good tunes on it and everything, but it just bugs the crap out of me. It's too self-consciously, cheeky British. (Singer) Damon Albarn, I would love to just slap his face." Bush: "I always thought Blur sounded very Mott the Hoople-ish, but I think they're a cool band." Prime cuts: "Girls & Boys," "Bad Head," "To the End," "End of a Century."

BELLYBUTTON, Jellyfish (Charisma, 1990) - One of the great short-lived bands of the 1990s, this San Francisco outfit made knowing nods to the Beatles, Beach Boys, Squeeze, XTC, Queen and 10cc, among others, in concocting a sweeping retro-psychedelic sound brilliantly produced by Jack Joseph Puig and Albhy Galuten. After just two albums, the band split up and guitarist Jason Falkner formed The Grays, which glimmered briefly with "Very Best Years," before going solo. Gartside: "Jellyfish was cool. They had some pretty sophisticated pop, very Beatley. Thumbs up to them." Bush: "Jellyfish was a cool band. I don't know the material that well, but I have lots of friends who are really into them. They were really talented, especially Jason Falkner. I don't think they ever got their due." Hart: "Jack Joseph Puig produced our first record, so we were really big Jellyfish heads. It was a great record. They really kept Toto and Supertramp alive, but I think that's a cool thing. Falkner's solo album, 'Author Unknown,' has got to be one of the best records of the '90s. He's a great talent and a very good friend of mine." Prime cuts: "The King Is Half-Undressed," "That Is Why," "I Wanna Stay Home," "The Man I Used to Be."

DOG MAN STAR, The London Suede (Nude/Columbia, 1994) - This British band proved its meddle with its second full-length album. Bouncing back after the mid-recording departure of virtually irreplaceable guitarist Bernard Butler, leader Brett Anderson kept them on the flamboyant, grandiose path, albeit briefly. Without Butler, Suede had too many mountains to climb on subsequent efforts. Gartside: "I have no enthusiasm or interest. I was worse than indifferent to that one." Prime cuts: "We Are the Pigs," "The Wild Ones," "The New Generation," "The Power."

WOODFACE, Crowded House (Capitol, 1991) - Neil Finn's brother and former Split Enz band mate, Tim, climbed aboard for this wonderfully melodic album. Tim Finn, most of all, infused a sense of lyrical poignancy and helped craft some beautiful Beatles-friendly harmonies and arrangements. Hart: "That was a really, really underrated record. Because of the success they had with 'Don't Dream It's Over,' a lot of people expected a record with that on it. There's one track, in particular, that was awesome, called 'She Goes On.' It's the most personal insight into (Neil) Finn as a songwriter; the opening line talks about Frank Sinatra and sets up this whole romantic atmosphere of somebody being gone, who's left your life." Prime cuts: "It's Only Natural," "Weather With You," "Fall At Your Feet," "Four Seasons In One Day."

GRACE, Jeff Buckley (Columbia, 1994) - Oh, what a voice. The son of late folk legend Tim Buckley was a troubadour in his own right, effortlessly weaving from the melodramatic to the serene.

In one fell swoop, he tipped his hat to folk, rock, jazz, R&B and blues on this amazing debut and was equally adept at evoking raw emotions on original material and cover versions. Already a critical success and on the cusp of something big commercially, he drowned in the swirling Mississippi River off Memphis. Gartside: "It's an eternal shame that I've never heard Jeff Buckley, but I've read lots of great things about it and would probably love it. I don't know how I missed it, probably because I spent too much time listening to hip-hop. He's a glaring omission in my collection, and I feel pretty foolish about it. Seriously, I'm going to Tower Records today and check him out." Bush: "Awesome. Jeff Buckley rules. That was tragic when he passed away. I let my old girlfriend borrow that record and she never gave it back. There's a lot of versatility to that record; it has a really haunting sound, but haunting in a pleasurable way. There's something about that record, not to get too philosophical, it was like he had this prophetic knowledge that he wasn't going to be around very long." Hart: "What can you say? Andy Wallace, who mixed our (new) record, produced that record, and we spent hours talking about the recording of that. Jeff Buckley was a great artist, a true natural talent, and the artistic community really suffered when he died. We lost a great songwriter. He had an unbelievable voice, a voice like an angel. I once saw a tape of him playing at the Metro in Chicago; I have to say, when he was playing, it was if he was playing the record, he was that good. 'Grace' would definitely be in my Top 10." Prime cuts: "Grace," "Last Goodbye," "So Real," "Eternal Life," "Mojo Pin."

AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER, Counting Crows (Geffen, 1993) - Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. After this Van Morrison and The Band-influenced group surfaced amid the grunge movement with poetic lyrics and Adam Duritz's vocal gymnastics, the soundalikes came out of the wood works. Bush: "I know the hits. I respect them, I think they have talent, but I think I'd rather listen to a Van Morrison record." Hart: "I loved it. Not to bash Matchbox 20, but they made a great living off this record. Adam's a great songwriter, a great guy. That record is in all of my friends' collections." Prime cuts: "Round Here," "Mr. Jones," "Anna Begins," "Murder of One."

MTV UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK, Nirvana (DGC/Geffen, 1994) - There wasn't a better live album in the 1990s. Recorded shortly after the release of "In Utero," Kurt Cobain and the others breathed new life into their repertoire, stripping down its angry facade with haunting yet delicate acoustic offerings. Hearing Cobain sing his impassioned soul out on "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" will send chills down anyone's back. Gartside: "This is going to sound slightly - well, actually I don't care what it sounds like - but I prefer the Foo Fighters. I just think Dave Grohl is an absolutely brilliant songwriter; he's one of my main men at the moment. Foo Fighters records do for me what Nirvana records couldn't." Bush: "I guess in some way my rebellious nature has made me rebel against the whole unplugged thing, but this album was one of the cool moments, absolutely. I prefer to hear 'Nevermind' or 'In Utero,' because I'd rather hear them blasting away, but they were obviously talented enough to do both." Hart: "It's one of the best live acoustic recordings of the past 10, 15 years. The visual part of it is great; if you watch Cobain's face, he's so involved in the songs. It showcased them as a band, but it really showcased Kurt as an artist. Don't get me wrong, 'Nevermind' is a great record, but with 'Unplugged' I think we were lucky to capture him at that time." Prime cuts: "The Man Who Sold the World," "About a Girl," "Where Did You Sleep Last Night," "Jesus Doesn't Want Me For a Sunbeam," "All Apologies."

PRETTY HATE MACHINE, Nine Inch Nails (TVT, 1990) - This was the album that introduced mainstream America to industrial rock. At the controls of this panoramic production was Trent Reznor, who balanced jaw-breaking rock noise with accessible, catchy hardcore dance rhythms. No small feat. Bush: "It had a great impact. It inspired a large sound and a style of music that was fairly unique, with the exception of Trent Reznor owing a lot to Al Jourgensen and Ministry. Other than that, I thought it was a pretty important record." Hart: "Great record, although I have to say this new one ('The Fragile') is really awesome. But Trent's a great innovator; not all of it do I identify with, but he made music with samples and drum loops like no one else." Prime cuts: "Head Like a Hole," "Down In It," "Terrible Lie," "Sanctified."