The A Lists: 1999 (101)

• The Magnetic Fields: 69 Love Songs (Merge)
• Moby: Play (V2)
• A Tribe Called Quest: Anthology (Jive)
• Le Tigre: Le Tigre (Mr. Lady)
• John Prine: In Spite of Ourselves (Oh Boy)
• Holy Modal Rounders: Too Much Fun (Rounder)
• Latin Playboys: Dose (Atlantic)
• Sleater-Kinney: The Hot Rock (Kill Rock Stars)
• MTV: The First Thousand Years: R&B (Rhino)
• Handsome Boy Modeling School: So . . . How's Your Girl? (Tommy Boy)
• Willie Nelson: Night and Day (Pedernales/FreeFalls)
• Prince Paul: Prince Paul Presents A Prince Among Thieves (Tommy Boy)
• Q-Tip: Amplified (Arista)
• Jay-Z: Vol 3 . . . Life and Times of S. Carter (Roc-A-Fella)
• Old 97's: Fight Songs (Elektra)
• Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band: The Mountain (E Squared)
• Randy Newman: Bad Love (DreamWorks)
• Goodie Mob: World Party (LaFace)
• RZA: The RZA Hits (Razor Sharp/Epic)
• Eminem: The Slim Shady LP (Aftermath/Interscope)
• Mandy Barnett: I've Got a Right to Cry (Sire)
• Imperial Teen: What Is Not to Love (London)
• The Handsome Family: Down in the Valley (Independent import)
• Taj Mahal and Toumani Diabate: Kulanjan (Hannibal)
• Mary J. Blige: Mary (MCA)
• Trailer Bride: Whine de Lune (Bloodshot)
• Tropicália Essentials (Hip-O)
• Tom Waits: Mule Variations (Epitaph)
• Papa Wemba: M'zée Fula-Ngenge (Sonodisc import)
• Gang Starr: Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr (Virgin)
• The Dismemberment Plan: Emergency and I (DeSoto)
• Blink 182: Enema of the State (MCA)
• Pretenders: Viva El Amor (Warner Bros.)
• South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (Atlantic)
• Spring Heel Jack: Treader (Tugboat import)
• Totally Hits (Arista)
• Y2K: Beat the Clock (Columbia)
• Pet Shop Boys: Nightlife (Parlophone/Sire)
• Drive-by Truckers: Pizza Deliverance (Soul Dump)
• Salif Keita: Papa (Metro Blue)
• Pavement: Terror Twilight (Matador)
• Cesaria Evora: Café Atlantico (Lusafrica/RCA Victor/BMG Classics)
• Dr. Dooom: First Come, First Served (Funky Ass)
• Charlie Burton: One Man's Trash: The Charlie Burton Story: '77-'99 (Bulldog)
• Waco Brothers: WacoWorld (Bloodshot)
• The Beastie Boys: Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sound of Science (Grand Royal/Capitol)
• Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Shanachie)
• Ali Farka Toure: Niafunké (Hannibal)
• Dream Warriors: Anthology: A Decade of Hits 1988-1998 (Priority)
• Baby Gramps: Same Ol' Timeously (Grampophone)
• Dee Dee Bridgewater: Live at Yoshi's (Verve)
• Sebadoh: The Sebadoh (Sub Pop/Sire)
• Slick Rick: The Art of Storytelling (Def Jam)
• Blondie: No Exit (Beyond)
• Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan: In Session (Stax)
• Ani DiFranco: Up Up Up Up Up Up (Righteous Babe)
• Chris Smither: Drive You Home Again (HighTone)
• Estrellas de Arieto: Los Heroes (World Circuit/Nonesuch)
• Genaside II: Ad Finite (Durban Poison)
• The Del-Lords: Get Tough: The Best of the Del-Lords (Restless)
• Taraf de Haïdouks: Taraf de Haïdouks (Nonesuch)
• The Real Hip-Hop: Best of D&D Studios Vol.1 (Cold Front)
• Baaba Maal: Live at the Royal Festival Hall (Palm Pictures)
• Cape Verde (Putumayo World Music)
• Liquid Todd: Action (Ultra)
• Mos Def: Black on Both Sides (Rawkus)
• Rawkus Presents Soundbombing II (Rawkus)
• South African Rhythm Riot: The Indestructible Beat of Soweto Volume 6 (Stern's/Earthworks)
• Black Box Recorder: England Made Me (Jetset)
• They Might Be Giants: Long Tall Weekend (www.emusic.com)
• Arto Lindsay: Prize (Righteous Babe)
• Paul McCartney: Run Devil Run (Capitol)
• Streets of Dakar: Generation Boul Falé (Stern's Africa)
• Natacha Atlas: Gedida (Beggars Banquet)
• Baobab: N'Wolof (Dakar Sound import '98)
• Casa de la Trova (Detour)
• The Donnas: Get Skintight (Lookout!)
• Continental Drifters: Vermilion (Razor & Tie)
• The Robert Cray Band: Heavy Picks--The Robert Cray Band Collection (Mercury)
• Frank Sinatra: Sinatra '57--In Concert (DCC)
• Uptown Lounge (The Right Stuff)
• Millennium Hip Hop Party (Rhino)
• Teri Thornton: I'll Be Easy to Find (Blue Note)
• Pere Ubu: Apocalypse Now (Thirsty Ear)
• Fiona Apple: When the Pawn . . . (Clean Slate/Epic)
• Roots Rock Guitar Party: Zimbabwe Frontline 3 (Stern's/Earthworks)
• Ruffhouse Records Greatest Hits (Ruffhouse)
• Dwight Yoakam: Last Chance for a Thousand Years: Dwight Yoakam's Greatest Hits from the 90's (Reprise)
• Idlewild: Hope Is Important (Odeon)
• Mekons: I Have Been to Heaven and Back: Hen's Teeth and Other Fragments of Unpopular Culture Vol. 1 (Quarterstick)
• Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons (Almo Sounds)
• Tricky With DJ Muggs and Grease: Juxtapose (Island)
• Lightning Over the River (Music Club)
• Marshall Crenshaw: Number 447 (Razor & Tie)
• Belle and Sebastian: Tigermilk (Matador)
• Kelis: Kaleidoscope (Virgin)
• Source Direct: Exorcise the Demons (Astralwerks)
• Alpha Yaya Diallo: The Message (Wicklow)
• Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live From Central Park (A&M)
• The Comedian Harmonists: The Comedian Harmonists (Hannibal)
• Don White: Brown Eyes Shine (Lumperboy)

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

The A Lists: 1998