The A Lists: 1996 (88)

• DJ Shadow: Endtroducing . . . DJ Shadow (Mo' Wax/FFRR)
• Fluffy: Black Eye (The Enclave)
• Fugees: The Score (Ruffhouse/Columbia)
• Sleater-Kinney: Call the Doctor (Chainsaw)
• Frank Sinatra: Everything Happens to Me (Reprise)
• Amy Rigby: Diary of a Mod Housewife (Koch)
• The Go-Betweens: Spring Hill Fair (Beggars Banquet)
• Iris DeMent: The Way I Should (Warner Bros.)
• Ocean of Sound (Virgin import)
• Hot Luv: The Ultimate Dance Songs Collection (EMI-Capitol Music Group)
• L.L. Cool J: All World (Def Jam)
• Los Lobos: Colossal Head (Warner Bros.)
• Mutabaruka: The Ultimate Collection (Shanachie)
• Ghostface Killah: Ironman (Razor Sharp/Epic Street)
• Nirvana: From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah (DGC)
• James Carter: Conversin' With the Elders (Atlantic)
• Toni Tony Toné: House of Music (Mercury)
• Imperial Teen: Seasick (Slash/London)
• Willie Nelson: Spirit (Island)
• Etoile 2000: Etoile 2000 (Dakar Sound import)
• Los Guanches: The Corpse Went Dancing Rumba (Corason)
• El Caimán: Sones Huastecos (Corason)
• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party: Intoxicated Spirit (Shanachie)
• Sublime: Sublime (MCA/Gasoline Alley)
• Youssou N'Dour: Lii! (Jololi import)
• George Clinton: Greatest Funkin' Hits (Capitol)
• Joni Mitchell: Hits (Reprise)
• Fine Young Cannibals: The Finest (London/MCA)
• Pet Shop Boys: Bilingual (Atlantic)
• Warren Zevon: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (An Anthology) (Rhino)
• Sam Chege: Kickin' Kikuyu-Style (Original Music)
• Loudon Wainwright III: Grown Man (Virgin)
• Beck: Odelay (DGC)
• Kwanzaa Party! (Rounder)
• Pulp: Different Class (Island)
• Sammy: Tales of Great Neck Glory (DGC)
• Graham Haynes: Transition (Antilles)
• Tokyo Invasion, Volume 1: Cosmic Kurushi Monsters (Virgin import)
• Stereolab: Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Elektra)
• Pop Fiction (Quango)
• Bikini Kill: Reject All American (Kill Rock Stars)
• Babyface: The Day (Epic)
• Chaka Khan: Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan Volume One (Reprise)
• Arto Lindsay: O Corpo Sutil/The Subtle Body (Bar/None)
• Djeli Moussa Diawara: Sobindo (Mélodie import)
• Tricky: Pre-Millennium Tension (Island)
• Fluffy: 5 Live (The Enclave)
• R.E.M.: New Adventures in Hi-Fi (Warner Bros.)
• Chuck D: Autobiography of Mistachuck (Mercury)
• Sidi Touré: Hoga (Stern's Africa)
• Local H: As Good as Dead (Island)
• Sebadoh: Harmacy (Sub Pop)
• Ani DiFranco: Dilate (Righteous Babe)
• Prince Paul: Psychoanalysis (What Is It?) (WordSound)
• Tshala Muana: Mutuashi (Stern's Africa)
• Lobi Traoré: Ségou (Cobalt import)
• Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe: Kedu America (Xenophile)
• Girls Against Boys: House of GvsB (Touch & Go)
• [File Under Prince]: Chaos and Disorder (Warner Bros.)
• Pharoah Sanders: Message From Home (Verve)
• Kate & Anna McGarrigle: Matapedia (Rykodisc)
• Sugar and Poison (Virgin import)
• Pass the Mic: The Posse Album (Priority)
• Ray Condo and His Ricochets: Swing Brother Swing! (Joaquin)
• Latyrx (Lateef & Lyrics Born): The Album (SoleSides)
• Archers of Loaf: All the Nations Airports (Alias)
• Tabu Ley Rochereau: Africa Worldwide (Rounder)
• Etoile De Dakar: Volume 3: Lay Suma Lay (Stern's Africa)
• Lou Reed: Set the Twilight Reeling (Warner Bros.)
• Al Jolson: Let Me Sing and I'm Happy: Al Jolson at Warner Bros. 1926-1936 (Turner Classic Movies/Rhino)
• Make 'Em Mokum Crazy (Mokum)
• FU-Schnickens: Greatest Hits (Jive)
• Dramarama: The Best of Dramarama: 18 Big Ones (Eleketra Traditions)
• Sex Pistols: Filthy Lucre Live (Virgin)
• [File Under Prince]: Emancipation (NRG)
• Leon Parker: Belief (Columbia)
• Thomas Mapfumo: The Singles Collection 1977-1986 (Zimbob)
• Toni Braxton: Secrets (LaFace)
• Modest Mouse: This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing To Think About (Up)
• Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel & the Furious Five: More of the Best (Rhino)
• His Name Is Alive: Stars on E.S.P. (4AD)
• Morcheeba: Who Can You Trust? (Discovery)
• Archers of Loaf: The Speed of Cattle (Alias)
• Bobbie Cryner: Girl of Your Dreams (MCA)
• Rage Against the Machine: Evil Empire (Elektra)
• Grateful Dead: Dozin' at the Knick (Grateful Dead)
• Uz Jsme Doma: Hollywood (Skoda)
• Massive Attack V Mad Professor: No Protection (Gyroscope)

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

The A Lists: 1995

The A Lists: 1997