Best Album of 1996

Here are the choices for 1996. Oasis, unsurprisingly, took the 1994 poll by a huge margin, and they look like repeating that in 1995, despite a decent push by Radiohead, personally I think we could be looking at the winner of the entire poll in one of those two albums, although they split the Oasis vote yet. Anyway usual rules apply when voting Other, and whilst this year isn't as strong as the previous two, I think it could be more interesting with a more open poll

DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World - Entroducing



2Pac - California Love - All Eyez On Me



Nick Cave - Where The Wild Roses Grow - Murder Ballads

Beck - Where It's At - Odelay



Stereolab - Cybele's Reverie - Emperor Tomato Ketchup



Manic Street Preacher's - A Design For Life - Everything Must Go

Weezer - Butterfly - Pinkerton



Suede - Saturday Night - Coming Up



The Fugees - Fugee La - The Score

Endtroducing... No question!

Not going to list out any other candidates because nothing comes even remotely close to this one.

Tough choice for me in this one. Suede probably brings back the most memories from that year (well of the albums released this year anyway), but I don't think Coming Up is the best album of that year. I love Pinkerton as well, even to the extent that I prefer it to the Blue Album, but it's come down to a straight choice between Beck and DJ Shadow for me, and today I'll probably plump for.......DJ Shadow, although either way I'll think I should have voted for the other one when it's done. Still though even with the 1996 poll being weaker than it's 1994/95 counterparts it still makes for depressing reading when you compare it to the dross we've had to put up with in this decade :(

Check out the Stereolab song if you've never listened to them either, they're a band that everyone should have on their radar at some point

Voted Manics 'Everything Must Go', their last great album. Class stuff. Weezer 'Pinkerton' running it close for me. Suede 'Coming Up' was quite good too. Honourable mentions to REM 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi' and Ash '1977' which I think was released in 1996.

Tough choice - went with Suede. Of the albums listed it is the one I listen to most still.

I voted 'Other': Eels - Beautiful Freak (their/his debut).

I'll break my Bad Seeds/ Tindersticks love-in and go for Fuzzy Logic - Super Furry Animals.

I know I'm going to vote Other, because 1996 is all about two albums by the same band, neither of which got through Jebus' ruthless selection criteria.
At the moment I can't decide between Tiger Milk or If you're feeling sinister, although I'm edging more towards the debut. All I know is I'm definitely voting Belle & Sebastian.

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Originally Posted by noby

I know I'm going to vote Other, because 1996 is all about two albums by the same band, neither of which got through Jebus' ruthless selection criteria.
At the moment I can't decide between Tiger Milk or If you're feeling sinister, although I'm edging more towards the debut. All I know is I'm definitely voting Belle & Sebastian.

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Belle & Sebastian were considered and rejected, mostly because I think those two albums are two of the band's weakest to be honest. Super Furry Animals were omitted because I'm a ****ing forgetful moron who should be brought out back and shot

*Falls off chair*

I hope they make your list in '98 so.

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Originally Posted by jebus

Belle & Sebastian were considered and rejected, mostly because I think those two albums are two of the band's weakest to be honest. Super Furry Animals were omitted because I'm a ****ing forgetful moron who should be brought out back and shot

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Completely forgot Fuzzy Logic. Im relegating Weezer to the bronze position, and sticking this to silver.

Forgot about Supergrass 'In It for the Money' too. Someone shoot me.

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Originally Posted by Pauro 76

Forgot about Supergrass 'In It for the Money' too. Someone shoot me.

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Put that gun away good sir, In It For The Money wasn't released until 1997

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Originally Posted by noby

*Falls off chair*

I hope they make your list in '98 so.

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They will indeed, I'm actually a fan of Belle & Sebastian, just have never thought much of those albums, especially Tigermilk

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Originally Posted by jebus

Put that gun away good sir, In It For The Money wasn't released until 1997

They will indeed, I'm actually a fan of Belle & Sebastian, just have never thought much of those albums, especially Tigermilk

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Had a bit of doubt over that one. The single 'Going Out' was released that year, a good bit before the album, hence the confusion....

OutKast - ATLiens



What a ****ing song! The real video's great too but it can't be embedded.

Not exactly a strong year for music. I can't think of any others really.

MSP & DJ Shadow were ones I liked but have grown out of.

other - super furries

Went for the Manics - Quality throughout.

Honourable mentions to: Ash, Super Furries, Beck.

Kula Shakers "K" hasn't aged that well, mind..............................

From that list voted for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

some of my other favourites from the year include

Sleeper - The It Girl
Sepultura - Roots
Metallica - Load

Other - Underworld - Second Toughest in the Infants

Endtroducing..... is definitely the best! Pure genius. Although that said my favourite (not what I think is strictly best) album is probably the not-all-too-dissimilar Sacreblue by Dimitri From Paris. '96 was a bit of a vintage year for laid-back French house actually with Etienne de Crecy getting his collaboration boots on a couple of times for the Motorbass - Pansoul and Super Discount - Super Discount releases. Now if only something half as good came out of Paris in '97. :p :)


The Beck video is bust there by the way Jebus. Also, what happened the "In The News" feature that you did for a few years. That was good.

Voted for Murder Ballads. Cracking album. Bit surprised that Everything Must Go is doing so well, it has 5 or 6 amazing tracks but a few fairly crap ones as well, especially its opener - really cannot stand the lyrics in that.

Honourable mention for Pearl Jam's No Code, it's among their best. Songs of note are Off He Goes, Smile and Habit. The furious Lukin is class too, which is about some crazy person who stalked Eddie Vedder for a while.

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Originally Posted by monzo

Voted for Murder Ballads. Cracking album. Bit surprised that Everything Must Go is doing so well, it has 5 or 6 amazing tracks but a few fairly crap ones as well, especially its opener - really cannot stand the lyrics in that.

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I honestly can't believe that the Manics are doing so well in this poll, probably should have expected that they would get a high Oasis crossover vote, but still

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Originally Posted by monzo

Voted for Murder Ballads. Cracking album. Bit surprised that Everything Must Go is doing so well, it has 5 or 6 amazing tracks but a few fairly crap ones as well, especially its opener - really cannot stand the lyrics in that.

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I reckon the first track is a stinker, but the rest more than make up for it. and the fact that it's such a completely different album from their previous one. it could have been a mopey album about missing Richey but it's such a positive album. They really should have quit after that, they haven't come close since.

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Originally Posted by monzo

......it has 5 or 6 amazing tracks but a few fairly crap ones as well, especially its opener - really cannot stand the lyrics in that.

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Elvis Impersonator? - good guitar solo though!!

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Originally Posted by Pauro 76

I reckon the first track is a stinker, but the rest more than make up for it. and the fact that it's such a completely different album from their previous one. it could have been a mopey album about missing Richey but it's such a positive album. They really should have quit after that, they haven't come close since.

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I've always thought that "Know your Enemy" was a decent album. A bit of a mixed bag but I think theres some really strong stuff on there. Off the top of my head there's - Found that Soul, So Why so Sad, Baby Elian, Ocean Spray................

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Originally Posted by jebus

I honestly can't believe that the Manics are doing so well in this poll, probably should have expected that they would get a high Oasis crossover vote, but still

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Yeah - I can remember Nicky Wire saying in an interview that when they toured that album there were pockets of the crowd wearing feather boa's and eyeliner, another pocket of the crowd in full military gear and yet another pocket of the crowd in Ben Sherman shirts.

Very close with Odelay, but voted other: Fuzzy Logic by the Super Furry Animals.

Other mentions...
The Boo Radleys - C'mon Kids
Rocket from the Crypt - Scream, Dracula, Scream (Nearly gets the vote for "On A Rope" alone!)
Fun Lovin Criminals - Come Find Yourself
Catatonia - Way To Blue
Underworld - 2nd Toughest in the Infants
And for hardcore Britpoppers, on top of The It Girl, we also had Bluetonic and Free Peace Sweet.

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Originally Posted by Wolfie

I've always thought that "Know your Enemy" was a decent album. A bit of a mixed bag but I think theres some really strong stuff on there. Off the top of my head there's - Found that Soul, So Why so Sad, Baby Elian, Ocean Spray.................

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But for every great song like those listed, there's the likes of Miss Europa Disco Dancer, Royal Correspondent, Wattsville Blues. There are some gems on it though, I do agree, Let Robeson Sing was another great song off it. just too inconsistent to be a great album. This Is My Truth was a journey to dullsville, the very opposite of what they were.

Trash Can Sinatras - A Happy Pocket. Not their best album, but still gets my vote. (As every one of their albums will :cool:) Other than that the Manics it would have to be. Their best album I think.

Another late honourable mention. Placebo's debut.