100 Greatest Albums of 1996

Criteria: These music albums from the year 1996 were chosen for their immediate and lasting popularity, impact, influence, and acclaim from critics and musicians. This list does not include 'Greatest Hits' albums.

Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'. Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.

1. The Score
Fugees
2. All Eyez on Me
2pac
3. Odelay
Beck
4. Ænima
Tool
5. Sublime
Sublime
6. Reasonable Doubt
Jay-Z
7. Endtroducing...
DJ Shadow
8. Yourself or Someone Like You
Matchbox 20
9. Pinkerton
Weezer
10. ATLiens
Outkast
11. Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
12. Evil Empire
Rage Against the Machine
13. If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle and Sebastian
14. Spice
Spice Girls
15. Tidal
Fiona Apple
16. Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
17. Everything Must Go
Manic Street Preachers
18. New Adventures in Hi-Fi
R.E.M.
19. It Was Written
Nas
20. No Code
Pearl Jam
21. Crash
Dave Matthews Band
22. Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
23. Secrets
Toni Braxton
24. Travelling Without Moving
Jamiroquai
25. Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
26. One in a Million
Aaliyah
27. Beautiful Freak
Eels
28. Bringing Down the Horse
Wallflowers
29. The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
Makaveli
30. Being There
Wilco
31. Richard D. James Album
Aphex Twin
32. Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
33. Roots
Sepultura
34. Ironman
Ghostface Killah
35. Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
36. Unplugged
Alice In Chains
37. Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Stereolab
38. Another Level
Blackstreet
39. Tigermilk
Belle and Sebastian
40. Illadelph Halflife
Roots
41. Placebo
Placebo
42. Load
Metallica
43. Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
44. Hell on Earth
Mobb Deep
45. From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah
Nirvana
46. Down on the Upside
Soundgarden
47. Walking Wounded
Everything but the Girl
48. Ridin' Dirty
UGK
49. First Band on the Moon
Cardigans
50. Pre-Millennium Tension
Tricky
51. Fashion Nugget
Cake
52. Recovering the Satellites
Counting Crows
53. Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat
54. This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About
Modest Mouse
55. Coming Up
Suede
56. Ginuwine...The Bachelor
Ginuwine
57. White Light White Heat White Trash
Social Distortion
58. Older
George Michael
59. Beats, Rhymes and Life
A Tribe Called Quest
60. On Avery Island
Neutral Milk Hotel
61. Hard Core
Lil' Kim
62. Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican
Stone Temple Pilots
63. 1977
Ash
64. In Sides
Orbital
65. Muddy Waters
Redman
66. Second Toughest in the Infants
Underworld
67. Dilate
Ani DiFranco
68. Stakes Is High
De La Soul
69. Turn the Radio Off
Reel Big Fish
70. Emancipation
Prince
71. K
Kula Shaker
72. Wrath of the Math
Jeru the Damaja
73. Moseley Shoals
Ocean Colour Scene
74. Razorblade Suitcase
Bush
75. Lamb
Lamb
76. Peace Beyond Passion
Me'Shell NdegéOcello
77. Dust
Screaming Trees
78. Dru Hill
Dru Hill
79. Revival
Gillian Welch
80. Bow Down
Westside Connection
81. A Few Small Repairs
Shawn Colvin
82. Come Find Yourself
Fun Lovin' Criminals
83. This Fire
Paula Cole
84. 112
112
85. The Jester Race
In Flames
86. Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle
Olivia Tremor Control
87. Trailer Park
Beth Orton
88. Sackcloth 'n' Ashes
16 Horsepower
89. Through Silver in Blood
Neurosis
90. House of Music
Tony Toni Tone
91. The Coming
Busta Rhymes
92. Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
93. The Day
Babyface
94. Blue Is the Colour
Beautiful South
95. Call the Doctor
Sleater-Kinney
96. Home Again
New Edition
97. Great Southern Trendkill
Pantera
98. Nocturnal
Heltah Skeltah
99. To the Faithful Departed
Cranberries
100. Tha Doggfather
Snoop Doggy Dogg
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1996
An unheralded great album from 1996
Brian's choice:
* Seasick
Imperial Teen

Brett's choice:
* Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Hoffs

Ryan's choice:
* Bang, The Earth is Round
The Sugarplastic

Lew's choice:
* Lemon Parade
Tonic
1995   |   1997