The Top Twenty Albums of 1993

1993 brought a mix of classics from both established artists and fresh new faces that shook up the scene by taking rock, pop, alternative and hip-hop in so many wildly creative directions. Another massively creative year calls for another list of twenty high achieving projects. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of these landmark albums I've chosen to count down my twenty favorite records that made the year such a magical time.

Let's dive right in!

#20) Organix - The Roots (1 hour and 2 minutes, East Coast Hip-Hop/Jazz Rap)

The Roots debut album is a profoundly lo-fi experience, earning only a very limited release. In some places, it feels a little bit more like a demo than a full fledged, polished album but there lies its ramshackle charms. This record feels like if the group decided to play an intimate club set just for you, delivering some funky, jazzy instrumentals over which Black Thought spits some very sharp verses full of social insight and clever wordplay while Malik B plays the lovable sidekick to Thought's verbal assassain. The group would continue to grow and improve over the next two decades, but even in their most basic form the band was one of a kind in hip-hop and deserve a good listen.

Essential Tracks: "Pass the Popcorn" "I'm Out Deah"

#19) Duran Duran/The Wedding Album - Duran Duran (1 hour and 3 minutes, Alternative/Pop-Rock)

Duran Duran were barely a passing concern in 1993, they were a decade past their artistic peak, what could an aging new wave band still have left to say? According to this album quite a bit. While LeBon and company's over the top style will always be associated with the 80s, this album shows the band acclimating well to the times and delivering a subtle, textured alternative album that showcases the group's sense of melody while pivoting from glam-rock to slightly more grungey and dreamy vibes. While the rockers are well done, it is the ballads that really show off the group's strengths, as LeBon's voice still shines through as one of the band's greatest strengths, soaring to new heights. This is a very atypical Duran Duran album, and while it's never the first I reach for, it stands tall as a late career highlight for a band everyone counted out too soon.

Essential Tracks: "Ordinary World" "Come Undone"

#18) The Juliet Letters - Elvis Costello with The Brodsky Quartet (1 hour and 2 minutes, Baroque-Pop/Classical)

Elvis Costello is never one to shy away from a challenge, but even for him this album is quite ambitious. Here he teams up with one of the preeminent string quartets of the time and delivers an album that fuses classical music and his typical pop-rock songwriting to create an album that feels distinctly fresh and unique in his catalog. The string quartet play beautifully across the album and oddly enough their sharp, staccato playing fits Costello's unusual voice beautifully, creating new textures that benefit these frenetic compositions. The ballads are even more of a stretch from the usual for Costello, feeling almost like arias in places and he definitely pushes his voice past the limit, the wild creative spirit, and unique concept, where each song functions as a letter to Shakespeare's tragic protagonist, is unique and truly original. This album is a big swing, and for the most part, a smashing success.

Essential Tracks: "I Almost Had a Weakness" "Jacksons, Monk and Rowe" "This Offer Is Unrepeatable"

#17) Pablo Honey - Radiohead (42 minutes, Alternative/Grunge)

Radiohead's debut album is a relatively normal album for a band who would become the poster boys for weird, boundary pushing alternative music. As it stands, most of this feels like typical grunge-influenced alt-rock fare, with fuzzy guitar licks and self-loathing lyrics aplenty, but in the most inspired moments the band shows early signs of brilliance whether it be all-time classic anthems that truly define the genre of depression-rock or more experimental tracks that hint to their ambient, atmospheric future. This album proves that even when Radiohead were following trends as opposed to blazing trails in alternative rock they still could make a damn fine album.

Essential Tracks: "Creep" "Anyone Can Play Guitar" "Blow Out"

#16) Strictly 4 My N.*.*.*.*.Z. - 2Pac (1 hour and 3 minutes, West Coast Hip-Hop/Conscious Rap)

2Pac's sophomore album takes the conscious rap of his virtuosic debut and ups the ante in every way, turning in a set of performances that blend social consciousness with gangsta braggadocio both fitting his smooth, effortlessly charismatic delivery like a glove. If his debut was firmly entrenched in the political, this is where we start to get a sense of the duality that made Pac such a compelling figure in rap, where on one side he was preaching and the other he was hustling, one side wouldn't be quite so fascinating without the other to counterbalance it. The beats radiate a mix of laid back East Coast consciousness and more overtly Californian G-funk trunk-rattlers to give the set some stylistic diversity. Pac hadn't quite hit his lyrical peak or found his most sympathetic producers, but this is the emergence of 2Pac's defining sound and home to some of his most iconic hits nonetheless.

Essential Tracks: "Keep Ya Head Up" "Holler If Ya Hear Me" "I Get Around"

#15) Modern Life Is Rubbish - Blur (58 minutes, Britpop/Indie Rock)

Blur's sophomore record is arguably the first real tride and true Brit-pop album, taking the very quintessentially English pop of the 60s like The Kinks, The Beatles and Bowie and melding it with heavier alternative rock of the day, making some of the era's most memorable melodies in the process. This album in particular feels very endebted to Blur's idols, with hints of Ray Davies and Andy Patridge all over the record's hummable tunes, chugging guitar riffs and whimsical yet mundanely British lyrics, but you can tell that frontman Damon Albarn is coming into his own as a distinctly idiosyncratic songwriter. Blur hadn't quite nailed the art of the pop hit yet, but as the first installment of their iconic Brit-pop trilogy they laid the groundwork for their follow-up to be the genre defining masterpiece it would be.

Essential Tracks: "Chemical World" "For Tomorrow" "Star Shaped"

#14) Music Box - Mariah Carey (42 minutes, Pop/R&B)

Mariah Carey's third album is full of ballads, it is her chief diva record with almost every song here being a showcase for her unstoppable, powerhouse pipes, very little in the way of stylistic diversity, but when you have a voice as golden as hers it's hard to blame her. This set of tunes perfectly showcases the nuances and pure emotional power of her vocals, with each song giving her ample room to show off and deliver knockout riffs and soaring whistle notes. Mariah has always been a preeminent pop balladeer and she leans into that persona here, crafting a veritable masterclass in how to emote vocally. The hints of gospel and soul on here give depth to the proceedings but overall this is a proud pop album, and while it is far from Mariah's most interesting or representative outing, it even feels a bit overly sanitized in places, no other album is a testament to her once in a generation voice like this one.

Essential Tracks: "Dreamlover" "Without You" "Anytime I Need a Friend"

#13) Lethal Injection - Ice Cube (56 minutes, West Coast Hip-Hop/Gangsta Rap)

Ice Cube's fourth record in as many years is his last hurrah when it came to being the greatest gangsra rapper to dominate the game, truly defining what the genre could be blending effortless brags and threats with a genuine social consciousness and vicious political messaging. He emphasizes his beats here more than ever, delivering a set of knocking G-funk grooves to try and rival his former partner Dr. Dre and while the production isn't quite up to that level, his rhymes are as fiery as ever, delivering captivating performances with cutting lyrics and a biting delivery. Cube is still batting at 1000 here, writing diatribes against police violence and political corruption all while showing he's the hardest guy around without ever breaking a sweat. Cube would soon become a movie star and lose the fire he had for rapping, but as the final act in an utterly devastating four album run, it closes the book nicely on the career of an all-time great MC.

Essential Tracks: "You Know How We Do It" "Ghetto Bird" "Really Doe"

#12) Pussy Whipped - Bikini Kill (25 minutes, Riot Grrrl/Punk Rock)

Bikini Kill's third project feels like a culmination of everything good about their early records, a raw, punchy and utterly bewildiering punk album full of brief yet thunderous screeds against the patriarchy and internalized misogyny. Feminist punk is a vital genre, particularly in the era of Riot Grrrls, but this album proved that Kathleen Hanna was by far the best artist to come from that movement, with her vocal performances feeling absolutely torrential, filled with raw aggression over sharp, jagged punk instrumentation. The group writes mantras more often than they do traditional songs, but the more experimental moments here like the closing ballad prove the versatility of this outfit. Bands like this are usually short-lived, punk bands burn bright and then tend to burn out, but here Hanna and company spearhead a movement that remains urgently necessary to this day. This album beats the shit out of you in the best possible way.

Essential Tracks: "Rebel Girl" "Lil' Red" "Alien She"

#11) Bulhoone Mindstate - De La Soul (48 minutes, East Coast Hip-Hop/Jazz Rap)

De La Soul's third album is yet another departure for the trio, after making their name in psychedelic sample-heavy positive hippy-hop they then completely eschewed that sound for a grimier rap sound, but here they transform again into a smooth, yet still dark jazz rap outfit rapping over superbly murky beats and live instrumentation. Maseo and Posdunous turn in some incredible verses and pair well with a litany of great guest verses from artists like Guru and Biz Markie, adding new textures to their sound. Prince Paul's beats feel expansive and nocturnal, proving that he is by far the best producer for De La, in the final project from their brilliant three album run together. The addition of live instrumentation from jazz and funk legends like Maceo Parker makes the album feel even more authentic. De La has rapped better elsewhere, but more than any other album in their catalog, this is all about Prince Paul's production, which is rarely better than it is here.

Essential Tracks: "Breakadawn" "Ego Trippin' Part Two" "Patti Dooke"

#10) Together Alone - Crowded House (51 minutes, Pop-Rock/Indie)

Crowded House's fourth album is a testament to what a brilliant melodicist Neil Finn was at his best. Crowded House were a bit of a band out of time, a group making warm Beatlesque pop-rock in the era of alternative and grunge, but Finn's effortless sense of hooks, melodies and charming lyrics kept this style feeling not just fresh but rather innovative. This album, the last of the band's imperial era before taking a long hiatus, is by far their most ambitious, adding in some indigenous Maori elements of the music, making this a very rich and New Zealand pop record. While this may lack the big knockout singles of their earlier album, Finn in particular excels at his ballads here, with superb vocal performances and enthralling, atmospheric instrumentation that makes the album feel like a warm embrace. This is easily the group's most consistent effort, putting a cherry on top of Finn's illustrious career as the most underrated songwriter down under.

Essential Tracks: "Distant Sun" "Nails in My Feet" "Private Universe"

#9) Emergency on Planet Earth - Jamiroquai (55 minutes, Funk/Acid Jazz)

Jamiroquai's first album was unlike anything else going on in music in 1993. Lead by the enigamtic and off-kilter Jay Kay, the band brought together elements of psychedelic acid jazz, heavy funk, hints of disco and Kay's remarkably Stevie Wonder-esque vocals to create an album that sounded like the past and the future at the same time. British funk music is generally a weird proposation, but on this record Jamiroquai lay down some heavy, mind-melting grooves with thunderous bass lines and some of Kay's most charged, political lyrics. On top of it all, this is a very pointed environmentalist record, delivering anthems of social protest over ridiculously groovy instrumentals. Jamiroquai would polish their sound and soon become the best jazzy disco-funk revival act on the planet, but they would never again be this emphatically heavy, lyrically or musically. To say this album makes a statement is putting it lightly.

Essential Tracks: "When You Gonna Learn" "Emergency on Planet Earth" "Hooked Up"

#8) Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We - The Cranberries (40 minutes, Dream-Pop/Indie)

The debut album from Irish alternative band The Cranberries is a wistful record, a thing of quiet beauty, unlike most of the other louder alt-rock of the time. Lead by the gorgeous, textured vocals of Dolores O'Riordan whose haunted voice gives so much depth and emotionality to these songs and the subtle, jangly guitar work from Noel Hogan providing a light counterbalance. This set of songs is full of quietly dark pop-rock songs and ethereal, dreamy ballads all meant to spotlight Dolores' dulcet tones is a very moody record, but it is that inherent quietness that gives it such raw emotional power. The band would diversify their sound on future records, but on this debut they found their niche and made a beautifully nuanced record in the process.

Essential Tracks: "Dreams" "Linger" "Sunday"

#7) Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space) - Digable Planets (56 minutes, Alternative Hip-Hop/Jazz Rap)

The debut record from jazzy hip-hop hipsters Digable Planets feel like the burgeoning jazz-rap scene found their new superhero team, with this delightfully witty and spiritually minded trio of MCs having immediate chemistry and showing off their remarkable skills over smooth, vibe-y beats that pair well with their low-key flows. Each MC brings a distinct flavor to the group from Butterfly's confident spiritual flows, Ladybug Mecca's vibrant lyrics and fabulous delivery and Doodlebug's infectious personality giving the record a balance between three very talent voices. The beats are silky smooth, providing immaculately jazzy atmosphere but unlike on their sophomore album, the MCs are always the focal point, making it the stronger album in my view. They rap about everything from social ills, their hometown spirit and how laid back and chill they are with uncompromising prowess. Digables feel like the final evolution of the jazz rap scene, cool personified.

Essential Tracks: "Where I'm From" "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" "La Femme Fetal" "Pacifics"

#6) Ten Summoner's Tales - Sting (52 minutes, Pop-Rock/Adult Alternative)

Sting's fourth solo album is the sound of a renowned, innovative artist getting bored of his typical bag of tricks, going into the studio and having the most fun possible writing songs in every genre and niche he can think of. Sting's career, solo and otherwise has spanned so many different sounds from punk to reggae, pop to jazz and so much more, and just when he was starting to settle down his restless spirit turns in this varied and extremely fun set of songs. His muse takes him everywhere from light funk to country, Celtic folk to Spanish guitar, jazzy serenades to baroque-inflected rock. The album feels like Sting spinning as many disparate tales as possible, but it is a testament to his artistry that songs these varied come together to form a well-rounded and compelling whole. This is Sting's last truly essential album, and its breadth deserves to be celebrated. A triumphant artist aging gracefully into the next phase of his career.

Essential Tracks: "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" "Shape of My Heart" "Fields of Gold" "Epilogue (Nothin' Bout Me)"

#5) - In Utero - Nirvana (41 minutes, Grunge/Noise Rock)

Nirvana's third and final studio album feels like goodbye, whether that be intentional or accidental, and it is that gruesome, unfailingly emotional sense of finality that makes this record so endlessly compelling. Kurt Cobain's tortured muse pivots away from the more melodic and accessible grunge rock of the band's monumental breakthrough "Nevermind" and returns to the ugly, abrasive noise rock that he always wanted to be making. This album is ugly, but nonetheless Cobain remains a fantastic songwriter, turning in great melodies to be played with the maximum fuzzy distortion and pounding drums. Dave Grohl's performance on the drums in particular deserves to be lauded for giving the record a sense of ferocity and forward motion. Cobain doesn't only deliver noisy screeds and palpably heavy rockers, in fact it is the quieter moments that make the record all the more compelling. It is in these moments of desperation and hurt that Cobain's wounded soul shines through the brightest. This album finds Nirvana at the peak of their artistry and the end of the line. Grunge would never again reach these dizzy heights.

Essential Tracks: "All Apologies" "Heart Shaped Box" "Pennyroyal Tea" "Serve the Servants"

#4) Spilt Milk - Jellyfish (46 minutes, Power-Pop/Indie-Rock)

Jellyfish's second and unfortunately final album finds Roger Manning and Andy Sturmer pushing the delightfully timeless power-pop sound of their debut to the brink, delivering a set of incredibly hook filled pop songs that have the scope, ambition and scale of some of classic rock's most innovative and influential acts. Jellyfish combines the harmonies and bombast of groups like Queen and ELO with the unmatched melodicism of The Beach Boys and The Beatles all while having the same hard rock edge and bite of a group like Cheap Trick, sounding both like all and none of those bands. the genius of Jellyfish is turning this gumbo of influences into something utterly, confoundingly original putting other power-pop bands to shame with their genius songwriting. The cherry on top is the album's loose conceptual feel where the group bemoans their whiffs of almost success in the music industry with some biting critiques of commercialism and how it soured their innocent, childish love of their rock and roll heroes. Every song here feels like an event due to these brilliant arrangements. One of the great tragedies of music is that this dynamic duo never got it together to record another album, but maybe not cause it feels nearly impossible to better an album like this.

Essential Tracks: "Joining a Fan Club" "New Mistake" "The Ghost at Number One" "Bye, Bye, Bye":

#3) Songs of Faith and Devotion - Depeche Mode (47 minutes, Alternative Rock/Synth-Pop)

How do you follow-up a genre-defining, brilliant classic album like "Violator", and album that more or less perfected synth-pop? If you're Depeche Mode you completely abandon the glistening, gorgeously nocturnal synth-pop sound that made you famous and instead deliver a raw, ugly electro-rock album that takes elements from grunge, industrial and gospel music to create a blisteringly unsettling worship album. Dave Gahan has always had a remarkably soulful voice, but on this album he shows off, pushing his seedy baritone to the absolute limit turning in some gut-wrenchingly powerful performances. Martin Gore's songwriting has always been obsessed with religion more or less, but on this album he centers the entire set around faith, devotion and unhealthy obsession with god, with sex and with the self. The entire album feels purposefully ugly, and that's what makes it so devastatingly brilliant. Gore and Gahan's work had never felt quite as vital as it does here, delivering an album that radiates sinister charm in the way only they can.

Essential Tracks: "Condemnation" "Walking in My Shoes" "I Feel You" In Your Room" "Mercy in You"

#2) Janet. - Janet Jackson (1 hour and 15 minutes, R&B)

Janet Jackson's self-titled album is at its core a concept album. Over these 75 minutes Janet explores love, sex, romance and pleasure in such immersive depth and nuance that it feels all-consuming, rarely has anyone made music that embodies sexuality and the joy of love the way this set of songs does so effortlessly. Janet's vocal performances coo and seduce so naturally, fitting her uniquely beautiful voice like a glove, and the production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis is lush, gorgeous and steamy, adding subtle hip-hop elements to this smooth, silky set of R&B songs. From the obvious bedroom anthems to the more in-your-face dance songs and the quiet, heart-rending ballads Janet does it all here. Even when she pivots away from the main focus to deliver a "Rhythm Nation"-esque political funk jam or a jazzy house track, it fits the album's nocturnal vibe perfectly. This is not an album you can just listen to a single track from, it must be experienced as a full whole as each track flows into the next so seamlessly. It is hard to pick out Janet's best work, as this comes in the midst her unbelievable four album from 1986-1997, all of which are masterpieces, but this one makes a strong case as this feels like Janet in her natural element, seducing the listener, making me fall in love with each and every spin.

Essential Tracks: "You Want This" "Any Time, Any Place" "If" "That's the Way Love Goes" "Funky Big Band"

#1) Midnight Marauders - A Tribe Called Quest (51 minutes, Alternative Hip-Hop/Jazz Rap)

The third album from alternative rap superstars A Tribe Called Quest is a celebration of everything this trio do better than anybody else in the game, with this set feeling like a nocturnal drive through the city in the most evocative and brilliant way possible. Ali Shaheed Muhammad delivers his career-best production with each track featuring a smooth, relaxed beat with jazzy rhythms, punchy horn samples and overall the pitch-perfect nocturnal vibes to compliment the MCs. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg are on top of their game as well here, with this being their best performance chemistry wise, bouncing off each other with effortless cool and charisma. Phife in particular is spitting spectacular verses that show off his ridiculously charming braggadocio and reggae-inflected flows while Q-Tip is as silk as ever, dropping icy cold bars on every topic from inner-city living, hook-up culture and his feelings on the "N word" with flair and style. A Tribe Called Quest were always a group with no peer, delivering rap that can make any listener feel cooler than they've ever been, and here the group takes their winning fomula to new heights. A victory lap for hip-hop's most lovable and talented trio.

Essential Tracks: "Award Tour" "Electric Relaxation" "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" "Oh My God" "Lyrics to Go"

Thanks for going on this musical journey through 1993 with me to celebrate 30 years of these amazing albums! Look out for the Top Ten Albums of 2003 very soon!

Happy 30th Anniversary to some truly excellent albums!