RSSThe 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
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