The A Lists: 1990 (88)

• Tom Zé: Brazil Classics 4: The Best of Tom Zé (Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.)
• The Go-Betweens: 1978-1990 (Capitol)
• The Disco Years, Vol. 1: Turn the Beat Around (1974-1978) (Rhino)
• Madonna: The Immaculate Collection (Sire)
• Public Enemy: Fear of a Black Planet (Def Jam)
• The Chills: Submarine Bells (Slash/Warner Bros.)
• L.L. Cool J: Mama Said Knock You Out (Def Jam)
• Heavy on the Highlife! (Original Music)
• Red Hot + Blue (Chrysalis)
• Go-Go's: Greatest (I.R.S.)
• Hip Hop Greats: Classic Raps (Rhino)
• Pixies: Bossanova (4AD/Elektra)
• L7: Smell the Magic (Sub Pop)
• Meat Puppets: No Strings Attached (SST)
• Madonna: I'm Breathless (Sire/Warner Bros.)
• Alpha Blondy: The Best of Alpha Blondy (Shanachie)
• Gang of Four: A Brief History of the Twentieth Century (Warner Bros.)
• Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Classic Tracks (Shanachie)
• Beats International: Let Them Eat Bingo (Elektra)
• Ice Cube: Kill at Will (Priority)
• Macka-B: Natural Suntan (Ariwa)
• The Beautiful South: Welcome to the Beautiful South (Elektra)
• Bob Dylan: Under the Red Sky (Columbia)
• Rosanne Cash: Interiors (Columbia)
• Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Two Worlds One Heart (Warner Bros.)
• The Civil War (Elektra Nonesuch)
• Sonic Youth: Goo (DGC)
• The Deighton Family: Mama Was Right (Philo)
• Nick Lowe: Party of One (Warner Bros.)
• Living Colour: Time's Up (Epic)
• Ministry: In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up (Live) (Sire/Warner Bros.)
• Samba Mapangala & Orchestre Virunga: Virunga Volcano (Virgin)
• Jewel Ackah: Me Dear (Highlife World import)
• Eno/Cale: Wrong Way Up (Opal/Warner Bros.)
• Bangles: Greatest Hits (Columbia)
• Eric B. & Rakim: Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (MCA)
• Snap: World Power (Arista)
• The Ousmane Kouyate Band: Domba (Mango)
• Pretenders: Packed! (Sire/Warner Bros.)
• Yalla: Hitlist Egypt (Mango)
• Pépé Kallé: Pépé Kallé (Gefraco)
• Ska Beats 1 (ROIR)
• Brand Nubian: One for All (Elektra)
• The Fall: 458489 A Sides (Beggars Banquet)
• Cuban Dance Party: Routes of Rhythm Volume 2 (Rounder)
• Pylon: Chain (Sky)
• The Pooh Sticks: Formula One Generation (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• Freedom Fire--The Indestructible Beat of Soweto (Vol. 3) (Virgin)
• Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Ragged Glory (Reprise)
• Evan Lurie: Selling Water by the Side of the River (Island)
• Lou Reed/John Cale: Songs for Drella (Sire/Warner Bros.)
• Steve Coleman and Five Elements: Rhythm People (The Resurrection of Creative Black Civilization) (Novus)
• Fugazi: Repeater (Dischord)
• Spirit of the Eagle: Zimbabwe Frontline (Vol. 2) (Virgin)
• Loketo: Soukous Trouble (Shanachie)
• The Flatlanders: More a Legend Than a Band (Rounder)
• Boubacar Traoré: Mariama (Stern's Africa)
• Was (Not Was): Are You Okay? (Chrysalis)
• Sonny Boy Williamson: Keep It to Ourselves (Alligator)
• Blake Babies: Sunburn (Mammoth)
• Ali Farka Toure: The River (World Circuit import)
• Devo: Greatest Hits (Warner Bros.)
• The Perfect Disaster: Up (Fire)
• Mekons: F.U.N. '90 (A&M)
• Hi-Jivin' (Kijima)
• Guy: The Future (MCA)
• Salt-n-Pepa: Blacks' Magic (Next Plateau)
• Macka-B: Looks Are Deceiving (Ariwa)
• Lisa Stansfield: Affection (Arista)
• Abed Azrié: Aromates (Elektra Nonesuch)
• The Clean: Vehicle (Rough Trade)
• The Disco Years, Vol. 2: On the Beat (1978-1982) (Rhino)
• Jali Musa Jawara: Yasimika (Hannibal)
• Simon Shaheen: The Music of Mohamed Abdel Wahab (Axiom)
• The Fugs: Songs From a Portable Forest (Gazell)
• Monie Love: Down to Earth (Warner Bros.)
• Dreams Come True: Dreams Come True (Antone's)
• Shazzy: Attitude: A Hip-Hop Rapsody (Elektra)
• The Best of Reggae Dancehall Vol. 1 (Profile)
• Soul II Soul: Vol II--1990: A New Decade (Virgin)
• Fela: Black Man's Cry (Eurobond import)
• K T. Oslin: Love in a Small Town (RCA Victor)
• Jerry Lee Lewis: Rockin' My Life Away (Tomato)
• Thomas Anderson: "Alright It Was Frank . . . And He's Risen from the Dead and Gone Off with His Truck" (Out There)
• Meat Beat Manifesto: 99% (Mute)
• My Bloody Valentine: Glider (Sire/Warner Bros.)
• Youssou N'Dour: Set (Virgin)

Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s, 2000

Compilations

The A Lists: 1991