Over what will likely be the next few years I’m going to be ranking and reviewing the top 5 albums - plus a fair few extras - according to users on rateyourmusic.com (think IMDB for music) from every year from 1960 to the present. If you want to know more, I wrote an introduction to the ‘challenge’ here. You can also read all the other entries I’ve written so far by heading to the lovely index page here.

Welcome to 1996 y’all, the year Britain was alarmed by an outbreak of mad cow disease, the world’s first sheep was cloned and named Dolly, Tupac Shakur was shot, and Clinton appointed the first female US secretary of state, Madeleine Albright.

Here’s rateyourmusic.com users’ top 5 albums of the year:

#1 Fishmans - Long Season
#2 DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
#3 Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind
#4 Outkast - ALiens
#5 Belle and Sebastian - If You’re Feeling Sinister

Obviously 5 isn’t enough now is it? So I’ve grabbed this lot from further down the list:

#6 Cryptopsy - None So Vile
#7 Burzum - Filosofem
#8 Unwound - Repetition
#9 Tool - Aenima
#10 Weezer - Pinkerton
#11 Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album
#16 Ruyichi Sakamoto - 1996
#26 Modest Mouse - This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About
#17 Tori Amos - Boys for Pele

And finally, One in a Million by Aaliyah, the only album from the year on NPR’s best albums of all time by women list that I haven’t already got in the mix.

Right, let’s go.

As smooth as those secret agent sunglasses she’s wearing on the cover, One in a Million is a remarkably mature effort considering Aaliyah was only 15 at the time. At times this maturity is somewhat alarming, considering the topics she is singing about. Linked to that, I’ll not mention the producer of this album, who is thankfully now in prison, but I will mention Timbaland who’s simple and effective beats work a treat with Aaliyah’s great vocals. Looked at purely from a musical perspective, One in a Million is a real treat.

Song Picks: Choosey Lover

8/10

“Filosofem (Norwegian for "Philosopheme") is the fourth studio album by Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum. It was recorded in March 1993 and was the last recording before Varg Vikernes was sentenced to prison in 1994; the album was not released until January 1996, however. It was released through Misanthropy Records and Vikernes's own record label, Cymophane Productions. The album is noted for its experimental sound when compared to most other second wave black metal. Vikernes considers Filosofem an "anti-trend album." - Wikipedia

Imprisoned for stabbing another leading guitarist in the Norwegian black metal scene and burning down three churches, and notorious for his controversial views and a period of neo-Nazism, Varg Vikernes is hardly someone you want to model yourself on. All that aside though, and knowing close to nothing about the Norwegian black metal movement (other than it seems a bit mad), this is an album of pulverising riffs and screams, all seemingly routed through a distortion pedal with the drive knob on max. It’s a fuzzy sandstorm, where Vikernes’ screams are indecipherable above the din, which is probably for the best. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this, it’s fuzziness seemingly the equivalent of drinking a pint through a straw, it goes to your head that much quicker.

It will also now forever remind me of a time at Rock Im Park festival when a Norwegian bloke was brought back to our campsite after a Rage Against the Machine gig. He spent the next morning charging around the campsite naked screaming ‘let’s burn churches!!’ while throwing peoples’ tents around before being arrested.

Song Picks: Jesus’ Tod, Erblicket die Tochter des Firmaments

8/10

13. This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About

Modest Mouse

“This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About is the debut studio album by American rock band Modest Mouse. Many of the album's tracks focus on traveling by automobile and the loneliness associated with rural life.” - Wikipedia

Modest Mouse’s debut is long, simple and repetitive musically. But it’s also full of Isaac Brock’s unique vocals, and lyrics of loneliness and long journeys. It rumbles along like a rusty car along a long, empty American highway. Reflections of the past and visions of the future like alternating magnets to the mind.

Song Picks: Dramamine, Tundra/Desert

8/10

“Ænima is the second studio album by the American rock band Tool. It is the first album by Tool to feature bassist Justin Chancellor, who replaced original bassist Paul D'Amour the year prior. In 2003, Ænima was ranked the sixth most influential album of all time by Kerrang!, Rolling Stone listed the album at No. 18 on its list of The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.” - Wikipedia

Weird time signatures, pulverising riffs and drum beats that pound like a blue whale’s heart. This is a powerful album from a band on the way up. The album is clearly hugely influential, so much so that listening now it all sounds a bit generic. Effective, head bangingly enjoyable, and with a satisfying ‘mathiness’ to it, Ænima is a little too repetitive to blow my socks off completely, but they have been slightly dislodged.

Song Picks: Stinkfist, Forty Six & 2

8/10

“None So Vile is the second studio album by Canadian death metal band Cryptopsy, None So Vile is the first album to feature bassist Eric Langlois, and the last to feature vocalist Lord Worm, until his return on 2005's Once Was Not. The art featured on the cover of the album is a painting by Italian Baroque painter Elisabetta Sirani titled Herodias with the Head of John the Baptist, reversed. None So Vile is critically acclaimed as one of the most influential death metal albums of the 1990s, influencing many later acts and musicians in both technical death and brutal death metal subgenres.” - Wikipedia

I think I’ve called albums a barrage of noise before, but forget I ever said that, this album makes those feel like your ear being tickled. The bass drum barely stops bashing out 16th notes, there’s roaring, guitars churning hyperactive riffs and general ordered chaos. A slice of relentless brutality.

Song Picks: Crown of Horns, Slit Your Guts, Orgiastic Disembolwment

8.5/10

“1996 is a 1996 album by Japanese composer and pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto. It contains a selection of Sakamoto's most popular compositions plus two new compositions, all arranged for a standard piano trio. The arrangement of "Bibo no Aozora" that appears on this album has appeared in several film and television projects; one notable example is the film Babel, whose soundtrack features both the 1996 version and the /04 version of the song.” - Wikipedia

Where this could have been in danger of sounding like a greatest hits collection, the re-arrangement of songs for a standard piano trio means there is a real cohesiveness in the sound throughout the album, which helps to reign in some of the thematic inconsistencies. This is a wonderful collection of evocative and yet understated soundtrack pieces.

Song Picks: Bibo No Aozora, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence

8.5/10

“ATLiens is the second studio album by the American hip hop duo Outkast. The record features outer space-inspired production sounds, with Outkast and producers Organized Noize incorporating elements of dub and gospel into the compositions. Several songs feature the duo's first attempts at producing music by themselves. Lyrically, the group discusses a wide range of topics including urban life as hustlers, existential introspection, and extraterrestrial life. The album's title is a portmanteau of "ATL" (an abbreviation of Atlanta, Georgia, the duo’s hometown) and "aliens", which has been interpreted by critics as a commentary about the feeling of being isolated from American culture. Since its release, ATLiens has been listed by several magazines and critics as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.” - Wikipedia

I bloody love 90s hip-hop, and this album encapsulates why. Smooth beats, slick rhymes, not taking itself to seriously - and space noises. Okay the last one is specific to this album. It’s a bit long, and front loaded - though more in a first half is magical, second half just great kind of a way. I didn’t think I’d ever rate an album with the lines ‘put your hands in the air and wave them like you just don’t care’ this highly, but it’s delivered with a knowing wink and the larger-than-life personality that’s spread thick throughout this odyssey.

Song Picks: "Two Dope Boyz (In a Cadillac)", “ATLiens“

8.5/10

“Repetition is the fifth studio album by the American post-hardcore band Unwound, the album has been hailed as a masterpiece among those in the punk rock scene.” - Wikipedia

Taking a more studio-orientated approach than is perhaps common in punk, Repetition goes far beyond the usual ‘three chords and the truth’, live oriented sound of the genre, with sleek production and intricately thought out arrangements. The title is apt, as songs often feature repetitive, rumbling bass which create a foundation for the album’s more experimental guitar screeches, synth drones, gongs and bells. Repetition can be as emotional (Lady Elect) as it is energetic (Corpse Pose), and it’s easily one of the most interesting and varied punk albums I’ve heard.

Song Picks: Corpse Pose, Lady Elect, For Your Entertainment

8.5/10

“Pinkerton is the second studio album by the American rock band Weezer. The guitarist and vocalist Rivers Cuomo wrote most of Pinkerton while studying at Harvard University, after abandoning plans for a rock opera, Songs from the Black Hole. It was the last Weezer album to feature bassist Matt Sharp, who left the group in 1998.

To better capture their live sound, Weezer self-produced Pinkerton, creating a darker, more abrasive album than their self-titled 1994 debut. Cuomo's lyrics express loneliness and disillusionment with the rock lifestyle; the album is named after the character BF Pinkerton from Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera Madama Butterfly, whom Cuomo described as an ‘asshole American sailor similar to a touring rock star’”. - Wikipedia

Voted the third worst album of the year by Rolling Stone readers at the time, it has since become known as a masterpiece, and a huge influence on the emo scene. Pinkerton’s lyrics are simple, at times cringeworthy in content (sniffing an 18 year old fan’s knickers anyone?), but I feel like that’s the point. It’s written from the perspective of the asshole touring rockstar Cuomo is referring to, which is of course him. Matt Sharp’s bass rumbles throughout, determined to make his last album with the band count. The guitars saw, and the drums sound massive. It’s an album that sounds raw, but that hits hard, a perfect backdrop to Cuomo’s self-pitying, immature musings, which are sung to an endless selection of catchy melodies.

I have no desire to be friends with the Cuomo who wrote Pinkerton, he sounds insufferable. But I do appreciate how honest he is about it, and how his and the band’s energy practically explodes off the disc, or cloud streaming service - whatever the case may be.

Song Picks: Why Bother?, Butterfly, El Scorcho

8.9/10

“Richard D. James Album is the eponymous fourth studio album by Irish-British electronic musician Richard D. James, under his pseudonym Aphex Twin. Richard D. James Album was composed by James on his Macintosh computer, and took longer to complete than his previous efforts. The album features faster breakbeats and intricate drum programming which draw influence from jungle and drum and bass, combined with lush string arrangements, unstable time signatures, and slow ambient melodies reminiscent of James' earlier work, as well as modulated vocals by James.” - Wikipedia

32 minutes of electronic madness. The beats sound like a drum machine becoming sentient and expressing a complex bewilderment with the world. The instrumentation goes from ambient (though with notes not quite starting or finishing when you’d expect) to completely off the wall (Carn Marth). The cover would have you believe this is somehow sinister. It isn’t, it’s just completely unpredictable and glorious fun, and the final salvo of tracks are some of the most life-affirming I’ve heard for a while.

Song Picks: To Cure a Weakling Child, ‘4’, Goon Gumpas, Girl/Boy Song

9/10

“Boys for Pele is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Tori Amos. P Despite the album being Amos's least radio friendly material to date, Boys for Pele debuted at number two on both the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart, making it her biggest simultaneous transatlantic debut, her first Billboard top 10 debut, and the highest-charting US debut of her career to date.

Boys for Pele was recorded in rural Ireland and Louisiana and features 18 songs that incorporate harpsichord, clavichord, harmonium, gospel choirs, brass bands and full orchestras. Amos wrote all of the tracks, and for the first time, she served as sole producer for her own album. For Amos, the album was a step into a different direction, in terms of singing, songwriting, and recording, and is experimental in comparison to her previous work.” - Wikipedia

70 minutes of varied instrumentation, wonderful songwriting, and vocals that are constantly engaging, with melodies seemingly falling to Tori like raindrops in a British drizzle. Boys for Pele captivates for its full, significant running length.

Song Picks: Beauty Queen/Horses, Father Lucifer

9/10

4. If You’re Feeling Sinister

Belle and Sebastian

“If You're Feeling Sinister is the second album by the Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian. It is often ranked among the best albums of the 1990s, including being ranked #14 in Pitchfork's list of Top 100 Albums of the 1990s. Band leader Stuart Murdoch said If You're Feeling Sinister is probably his best collection of songs in 2005.” - Wikipedia

Murdoch’s vocals are understated, sung shyly, and atop gorgeous arrangements that bounce along like a more relaxed Blonde on Blonde. All that considered. it’s pretty remarkable that his vocals demand your attention, and that is a testament to his great lyricism, story telling, and subtle expression. I hadn’t realised how far ahead they were (in terms of timeline) of obvious bands they’ve influenced like the Shins, Death Cab for Cutie, and pretty much any indie-pop band that followed them. They set a template here, but they also made an album that more than stands the test of time almost 30 years on.

Song Picks: Get Me Away from Here I’m Dying, The Stars of Track and Field, Seeing Other People. Me and the Major, If You’re Feeling Sinister

9.5/10

“Endtroducing..... is the debut studio album by American music producer DJ Shadow. It is an instrumental hip hop work composed almost entirely of samples from vinyl records. DJ Shadow produced Endtroducing over two years, using an Akai MPC60 sampler and little other equipment. He edited and layered samples to create new tracks of varying moods and tempos.

Endtroducing was ranked highly on various lists of the best albums of 1996, and has been acclaimed by critics as one of the greatest albums of the 1990s. It is considered a landmark recording in instrumental hip hop, with DJ Shadow's sampling techniques and arrangements leaving a lasting influence. In 2020, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Endtroducing 329th on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.” - Wikipedia

There’s not much left to say about DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing that hasn’t already been said. A masterpiece of sampling, clearly ahead of its time, and put together with a level of research akin to a PhD thesis. It continues to influence music across the spectrum today, while maintaining an alluring individuality that hums under its atmospheric beats and instrumental lines.

Song Picks: Building Steam With a Grain of Salt, The Number Song, Mutual Slump, Midnight in a Perfect World

9.5/10

“Long Season is the sixth studio album by Japanese musical group Fishmans. It consists of a single 35-minute composition based on the band's earlier song "Season". The album was released to modest success in the Japanese alternative scene, but was scarcely known outside Japan until the 2010s, and has since garnered critical acclaim and online media attention. Fishmans performed the entire Long Season album as one piece during their final live shows in December 1998, a recording of which was included on the album 98.12.28 男達の別れ.” - Wikipedia

Long Season feels like a 3 part symphony to me (though it is split into 5 sections on certain issues). It starts as a meditative walk through the park with your favourite album playing; reliably comforting. The middle section feels like a frantic distraction - you check your phone and the state of the world shatters your peace; Motegi’s drums are quiet but chaotic like the background hum of everything happening out of sight and earshot. Finally, you catch yourself, put the phone away, and look at the path winding off into the distance. There’s a feeling of elation as your favourite song comes on, but now you let the birds in as well as the shuffling stream. It’s all too much, you start running for no reason other than you feel too elated to stand still. There’s no one else around, you laugh, you collapse on a patch of grass, you feel about as happy as you ever have, maybe as happy as you ever will. You thank your fellow humans for the music, for without it you’re not sure you’d feel very much at all.

9.5/10

“Soundtracks for the Blind is the tenth studio album by Swans. It was intended, as suggested by the title, to function as a "soundtrack for a non-existent film." Upon its release, it received critical acclaim, but was the last studio album released by the band until 2010's My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky.” - Wikipedia

Regularly listed among the 90s’ best albums, Soundtracks for the Blind’s Brian Eno influence is obvious. This is more in the ambient category than previous crushing efforts of theirs. In its over two hour running length it builds a whole new world around you through its numerous samples, grainy conversations and the occasional cathartic release. It sounds huge, but without stacking instrument upon instrument to create a wall of sound. Rather it creates these grinding, industrial soundscapes that are surprisingly tuneful. If the film this thing soundtracked did exist, I’d be very keen to see it. I imagine it as a tale of isolation, a factory worker taking the floor day by day with thousands of others, trying to restrain his soul from bursting through his enforced mechanical exterior. The machines rattle around him, he turns their noise pollution into melodies, and imagines talking over the top, or the odd scream.

Soundtracks for the Blind is completely unique, and completely unforgettable. Its not the kind of album you’ll be recommending to everyone necessarily, but for those among us seeking inventive, atmospheric music that goes beyond an idea of songs to focus more on creating an atmosphere than a set of hits, then you’ll be hard pressed to find another album that does that better than this.