The Best Rock Albums of 1992

Today's post in 50 Years of Music, a section of my blog devoted to the best rock albums of the past fifty years, will include the best albums of 1992. I have covered 36 years of music in other posts (1965-91), which can be found by typing the year into the search bar at the top of my blog. Each post in 50 Years of Music is updated frequently, with new albums recommended by readers added to the posts. What's your favorite?

• Def Leppard- Adrenalize
• The Black Crowes- The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
• Jackyl- Jackyl
• Tora Tora- Wild America
• R.E.M.- Automatic for the People
• Beastie Boys- Check Your Head
• Faith No More- Angel Dust
• Pantera- Vulgar Display of Power
• Dream Theater- Images and Words
• The B-52's- Good Stuff
• The Verve- Verve EP
• Eric Clapton- Unplugged
• Wayne's World- Music from the Motion Picture Wayne's World
• Frank Zappa- You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vols. 5 & 6 (Live)
• Ringo Starr- Time Takes Time
• Bon Jovi- Keep the Faith 
• Joe Walsh- Songs for a Dying Planet 

Alice in Chains- Dirt (1992)

Dirt is the second studio album by American rock group Alice in Chains released on September 29, 1992. The album charted at #6 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and reached #42 on the UK Albums Chart. The album has been certified 4x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold over 5 million copies globally making it Alice in Chains' best-selling album to date.

Dirt included five singles upon its release-- "Would?," "Them Bones," "Angry Chair," "Rooster," and "Down in a Hole." All of the singles included with the album were successful and charted in the top 100 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Chart. "Would?" reached #19, "Them Bones" charted at 24, "Rooster" at #7, "Angry Chair" at #34, and "Down in a Hole" reached #10. All of the singles but "Rooster" also charted on the UK Singles Chart in the top 100.

Notable of Alice in Chains' second album is that it was the last Alice in Chains album to feature bassist Mike Starr, who was fired from the band a year later in 1993. Dirt is often regarded as the album by fans and critics that defined the signature sound of the group. With most of the album's songs written on the road, Dirt has a substantially darker mood and tone than their first album Facelift, which was released in 1990 and included their popular song "Man in the Box." The lyrical content of Alice in Chains' second album focuses on themes of depression, war, death, anger, anti-social behavior, and drug use. 

Most of the members of the band were dealing with different addictions during the writing and recording of the album-- heroin, alcohol, and marijuana of the top issues. Like some musicians and artists though (and I am not condoning drug use for artistic expression), drug use did not stop the album from becoming successful. Dirt remained on the U.S. Billboard 200 Chart for over 2 years (106 weeks), until it reached its final charting spot of #194 in the year 1994.

Alexander Schwartz - JPageFan71
The Antagonists

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