Robert Christgau: Dean of American Rock Critics

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The 1996 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll

Albums

1. Beck: Odelay (DGC) 1134 (110)
2. Fugees: The Score (Ruffhouse/Columbia) 602 (58)
3. Sleater-Kinney: Call the Doctor (Chainsaw) 456 (35)
4. DJ Shadow: Endtroducing . . . DJ Shadow (Mo' Wax/FFRR) 404 (40)
5. Los Lobos: Colossal Head (Warner Bros.) 403 (37)
6. Steve Earle: I Feel Alright (Warner Bros.) 387 (37)
7. Stereolab: Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Elektra) 379 (35)
8. Amy Rigby: Diary of a Mod Housewife (Koch) 371 (34)
9. Tricky: Pre-Millennium Tension (Island) 355 (38)
10. Pulp: Different Class (Island) 351 (31)
11. R.E.M.: New Adventures in Hi-Fi (Warner Bros.) 348 (38)
12. Everything but the Girl: Walking Wounded (Atlantic) 340 (30)
13. Patti Smith: Gone Again (Arista) 330 (31)
14. Wilco: Being There (Reprise) 264 (26)
15. Cassandra Wilson: New Moon Daughter (Blue Note) 225 (19)
16. [File Under Prince]: Emancipation (NRG) 213 (21)
17. Iris DeMent: The Way I Should (Warner Bros.) 211 (18)
18. Me'Shell NdegéOcello: Peace Beyond Passion (Maverick/Reprise) 209 (21)
19. Nearly God: Nearly God (Island) 183 (17)
20. Maxwell: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (Columbia) 179 (17)
21. Johnny Cash: Unchained (American) 178 (18)
22. Ani DiFranco: Dilate (Righteous Babe) 167 (16)
23. Gillian Welch: Revival (Almo Sounds) 156 (16)
24. Imperial Teen: Seasick (Slash/London) 153 (13)
25. Soundgarden: Down on the Upside (A&M) 148 (15)
26. Sheryl Crow: Sheryl Crow (A&M) 146 (15)
27. Cibo Matto: Viva! La Woman (Warner Bros.) 143 (16)
28. Nirvana: From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah (DGC) 124 (16)
29. Rage Against the Machine: Evil Empire (Epic) 122 (13)
30. Toni Tony Toné: House of Music (Mercury) 117 (12)
31. Curtis Mayfield: New World Order (Warner Bros.) 113 (10)
32. Joe Henry: Trampoline (Mammoth) 112 (12)
33. The Roots: Illadelph Halflife (DGC) 112 (10)
34. Sublime: Sublime (Gasoline Alley/MCA) 111 (11)
35. Neutral Milk Hotel: On Avery Island (Merge) 111 (10)
36. Sebadoh: Harmacy (Sub Pop) 110 (11)
37. The Olivia Tremor Control: Dusk at Cubist Castle (Flydaddy) 108 (12)
38. Screaming Trees: Dust (Epic) 107 (09)
39. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion: Now I Got Worry (Matador) 105 (11)
40. Richard Thompson: You? Me? Us? (Capitol) 103 (9)

This poll compiles ballots from 236 voters, who divided 100 points among 10 1996 albums. Maximum per album: 30. Minimum: 5. Points determined placement, with total mentions (indicated in parentheses) used for tie-breaking.

Singles

1. Quad City DJs: "C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)" (Atlantic/Big Beat) 34
2. Beck: "Where It's At" (DGC) 31
Smashing Pumpkins: "1979" (Elektra) 31
4. Oasis: "Wonderwall" (Epic) 30 *
Pulp: "Common People" (Island) 30 *
6. Busta Rhymes: "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check" (Elektra) 24
7. The Chemical Brothers: "Setting Sun" (Astralwerks) 21
8. Beck: "Devils Haircut" (DGC) 20
Blackstreet: "No Diggity" (Interscope) 20
Primitive Radio Gods: "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand" (Ergo/Columbia) 20
11. Tupac & Dr. Dre: "California Love" (Death Row/Interscope) 18
12. Butthole Surfers: "Pepper" (Capitol) 17
13. Everclear: "Santa Monica" (Capitol) 16 *
Fugees: "Ready or Not" (Ruffhouse/Columbia) 16
Garbage: "Stupid Girl" (Almo Sounds) 16
Los Del Rio: "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" (RCA) 16 *@
17. Sheryl Crow: "If It Makes You Happy" (A&M) 15
18. The Cardigans: "Lovefool" (Mercury) 13
Fugees: "Killing Me Softly" (Ruffhouse/Columbia) 13
20. Fugees: "Fu-Gee-La" (Ruffhouse/Columbia) 12 *
Nas: "If I Ruled the World" (Columbia) 12
Oasis: "Champagne Supernova" (Epic) 12
23. Eels: "Novocaine for the Soul" (Dreamworks) 10
Everything but the Girl: "Missing" (Atlantic) 10 *
Garbage: "Only Happy When It Rains" (Almo Sounds) 10 *
Whitney Houston: "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (Arista) 10 *
Rage Aginst the Machine: "Bulls on Parade" (Epic) 10
Underworld: "Born Slippy" (TVT) 10 *

*Includes 1995 votes: Oasis 21, Pulp 7, Everclear 3, Los Del Rio 2, Fugees 1, Everything but the Girl 1, Garbage 1, Houston 4, Underground 1.

@Ten voters specified this mix. The others would have if they'd thought of it.

Reissues

1. Sun Ra: The Singles (Evidence) 25
2. Merle Haggard: Down Every Road 1962-1994 (Capitol) 23
3. Pere Ubu: Datapanik in the Year Zero (DGC) 21
4. Curtis Mayfield: People Get Ready: The Curtis Mayfield Story (Rhino) 20
5. Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (Columbia/Legacy) 18
6. Emmett Miller: The Minstrel Man From Georgia (Columbia/Legacy) 16
7. The Congos: Heart of the Congos (Blood & Fire import) 15
8. Cheap Trick: Sex, America, Cheap Trick (Epic/Legacy) 12
9. Emmylou Harris: Portraits (Reprise Archives) 11
Scott Walker: It's Raining Today: The Scott Walker Story (1967-70) (Razor & Tie) 11

*Includes album votes: Sun Ra 2, Congos 1.

Compilations

1. L.T.J Bukem: Logical Progression (FFRR) 11
2. Headz II (Mo' Wax import) 7
Red Hot + Rio (Antilles) 7
4. Ocean of Sound (Virgin import) 6
5. Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones (Ellipsis Arts . . . ) 5
Incursions in Illbient (Asphodel) 5
Kwanzaa Party! (Rounder) 5
Macro Dub Infection Volume 2 (Gyroscope) 5
Wipeout XL (Astralwerks) 5
10. Cup of Tea--A Compilation (Quango) 4
Rebirth of the Cool 4 (4th & B'way) 4

*Includes album votes: 2.

**Most voters indicated the two-part series, and we relucantly complied with their spendthrift preference. Two additional voters specified A or B.

***Includes reissue vote: 1.

Village Voice, Feb. 25, 1997


1995 Essay | Dean's List 1997