The Best Rock Albums of 1996

Selected by piero scaruffi | Selezionati da piero scaruffi
Reviews of 1996 albums | Best albums of all time | Bands (USA) | Bands (non-US) | Back to music
Recensioni del 1996 | Migliori album di sempre | Musicisti (USA) | Musicisti (altri) | Torna alla musica
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Best of the 1960's Best of the 1970's Best of the 1980's Best of the 1990's Best of the 2000's
TM, ®, Copyright © 1998 Piero Scaruffi
1996

 (Compiled by Mauro Bondoni based on my ratings)
  1. Black Tape For A Blue Girl: Remnants Of A Deeper Purity (Projekt) (8.5)
  2. Neurosis: Through Silver In Blood (Relapse) (8.5)
  3. Tortoise: Millions Now Living Will Never Die (Thrill Jockey) (8.5)
  4. Supreme Dicks: The Emotional Plague (Homestead) (8.5)
  5. Labradford: Labradford (Kranky) (8)
  6. Windy & Carl: Drawing Of Sound (Icon) (8)
  7. For Carnation: Marshmallows (Matador) (8)
  8. Vas Deferens Organization: Transcontinental Conspiracy (Quaquaversal Vinyl) (8)
  9. Polvo: Exploded Drawing (Touch & Go) (8)
  10. Run On: Start Packing (Matador) (8)
  11. Cul De Sac: China Gate (Thirsty Ear) (8)
  12. Sepultura: Roots (Roadrunner) (8)
  13. Lullaby For The Working Class: Blanket Warm (Bar/None) (8)
  14. Church: Magician Among The Spirits (Deep Karma) (8)
  15. Paul Haslinger: World Without Rules (RGB) (8)
  16. Swans: Soundtracks For The Blind (Young God) (8)
  17. Steve Roach : The Magnificent Void (Fathom) (8)
  18. Ghost: Lama Rabi Rabi (Drag City) (8)
  19. Lisa Germano: Excerpts From A Love Circus (4AD) (8)
  20. Mainliner: Mellow Out (Charnel) (8)
  21. Mazinga Phaser: Cruising In The Neon Glories (Aether) (8)
  22. Sixteen Horsepower: Sackcloth & Ashes (A&M) (8)
  23. Cardiacs: Sing to God (Alphabet Business Concern) (7.5)
  24. Portraits of Past: 01010101 (Ebullition)
  25. Vampire Rodents: Gravity's Rim (Fifth Column) (7.5)
  26. Dirty Three: Horse Stories (Touch & Go) (7.5)
  27. Eels: Beautiful Freak (Dreamworks) (7.5)
  28. Vas Deferens Organization: Saturation (VDO) (7.5)
  29. Cat Power: What Would The Community Think (Matador) (7.5)
  30. Olivia Tremor Control: Dusk at Cubist Castle (Flydaddy) (7.5)
  31. Orbital: In Sides (FFRR) (7.5)
  32. Windsor For The Derby: Calm Hades Float (Trance Syndicate) (7.5)
  33. GodHeadSilo: Skyward In Triumph (SubPop) (7.5)
  34. Today is The Day: Self-titled (Amphetamine Reptile) (7.5)
  35. The Flying Luttenbachers: Revenge (Skin Graft) (7.5)
  36. Richard Bone: Eternal Now (Quirkworks) (7.5)
  37. D.J. Shadow: Endtroducing (Mo' Wax) (7.5)
  38. Belle And Sebastian: If You're Feeling Sinister (Enclave) (7.5)
  39. Miss Murgatroid: Myoclyonic Melodies (Worrybird) (7.5)
  40. June Of 44: Tropics And Meridians (Quarterstick) (7.5)
  41. Tarwater: 11/6 12/10 (Kitty-Yo) (7.5)
  42. Beck: Odelay (DGC) (7.5)
  43. Main: Hz (Beggars Banquet) (7.5)
  44. Burger/Ink: Las Vegas (Harvest) (7.5)
  45. Brainiac: Hissing Prigs In Static Couture (Touch & Go) (7.5)
  46. Mike Johnson: Year Of Mondays (Atlantic) (7.5)
  47. Ikue Mori : Garden (Tzadik) (7.5)
  48. Merzbow: Magnesia Nova (Staalplaat) (7.5)
  49. Belle And Sebastian: If You're Feeling Sinister (Enclave)
  50. Tool: Aenima (Zoo) (7)
  51. Subarachnoid Space: Delicate Membrane (Charnel Music) (7)
  52. No-Neck Blues Band: Letters From The Earth (Sound@one) (7)
  53. Bedhead: Beheaded (Trance Syndicate) (7)
  54. Ani DiFranco: Dilate (Righteous Babe) (7)
  55. Dr Octagon: Dr Octagon (Bulk) (7)
  56. Bob Mould (Rykodisc) (7)
  57. Tricky: Pre-Millenium Tension (Mercury) (7)
  58. Autechre: Tri Repetae (Warp) (7)
  59. Boris: Absolutego (Fangs Anal Satan) (7)
  60. Opeth: Morningrise (Candlelight) (7)
  61. Magic Hour: Secession '96 (Twisted Village) (7)
  62. Faithless: Reverence (Cheeky) (7)
  63. Jessamine: The Long Arm Of Coincidence (Kranky) (7)
  64. Stereolab: Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Elektra) (7)
  65. Bugskull: Snakland (Scratch) (7)
  66. Alec Empire: The Destroyer (Digital Hardcore) (7)
  67. Richard Davies: There's Never Been A Crowd Like This (Flydaddy) (7)
  68. Bel Canto: Magic Box (Lava) (7)
  69. Man Or Astroman: Experiment Zero (Touch & Go) (7)
  70. Gastr Del Sol: Upgrade & Afterlife (Drag City) (7)
  71. David Shea: Hsi-yu Chi (Tzadik) (7)
  72. Fugees: The Score (1996) (7)
  73. Scissor Girls: We People Space With Phantoms (Atavistic) (7)
  74. Silkworm: Firewater (Matador) (7)
  75. Michelle Shocked: Kind Hearted Woman (Private) (7)
  76. Low: The Curtain Hits The Cast (Vernon Yard) (7)
  77. Ubzub: Alien Manna For Sleeping Monkeys (Electromotive) (7)
  78. Tori Amos: Boys For Pele (Atlantic) (7)
  79. His Name Is Alive: Stars On E.S.P. (4AD) (7)
  80. Scenic: Aquatica (World Domination) (7)
  81. Mo Boma: Myths Of The Near Future Part III (Extreme) (7)
  82. Rapoon: Darker By Light (Soleilmoon) (7)
  83. Bowery Electric: Beat (Kranky) (7)
  84. Make-Up: Destination Love (Dischord) (7)
  85. Village Of Savoonga: Philipp Schatz (Hausmusik) (7)
  86. Buckethead: Day Of The Robot (Submeta) (7)
  87. Underworld: Second Toughest In The Infants (Wax Trax) (7)
  88. Medusa Cyclone: Medusa Cyclone (Third Gear) (7)
  89. Burzum: Filosofem (1996) (7)
  90. Red Snapper: Prince Blimey (Warp, 1996) (7)
  91. Wilco: Being There (Reprise) (7)
  92. Liquid Mind: Slow World (Real Music)
  93. Makers: Makers (Estrus) (7)
  94. Brian Jonestown Massacre: Thank God For Mental Illness (Bomp) (7)
  95. C17H19NO3: Terra Damnata (Fifth Column) (7)
  96. Roy Montgomery: Temple IV (Kranky) (7)
  97. Iceburn: Meditavolutions (Revelation) (7)
  98. Brother JT: Music For The Other Head (Siltbreeze) (7)
  99. Land Of The Loops: Bundle Of Joy (Up) (7)
  100. Moonshake: Dirty & Divine (C/Z) (7)
  101. Rake: Intelligence Agent (Squealer) (7)
  102. Cibo Matto: Viva La Woman (Warner) (7)
  103. Spatula: Under the Veil of Health (Squealer) (7)
  104. Belle & Sebastian: Tigermilk (Electric Honey) (7)
  105. Melt-Banana: Scratch Or Stitch (Skin Graft) (7)
  106. Cujo: Adventures in Foam (Ninjatune) (7)
  107. Neutral Milk Hotel: On Avery Island (Merge)
  108. Lycia: Cold (Projekt) (7)
  109. DJ Spooky: Songs Of A Dead Dreamer (Asphodel) (7)
  110. Lotion: Nobody's Cool (Spinart) (7)
  111. Hellacopters: Supershitty To The Max (White Jazz) (7)
  112. Nels Cline: Chest (Little Brother) (7)
  113. Soul Coughing: Irresistible Bliss (Slash) (7)
  114. Rex: C (Southern) (7)
  115. Spring Heel Jack: 68 Million Shades (Island) (7)
  116. Alboth: Ali (Submission) (7)
  117. Modest Mouse: This Is A Long Drive (Up) (7)
  118. Edge Of Sanity: Crimson (Black Mark)
  119. Gerald Collier: I Had To Laugh Like Hell (C/Z) (7)
  120. Rasputina: Thanks For The Ether (Columbia) (7)
  121. Flies Inside The Sun: Flies Inside The Sun (Metonymic) (7)
  122. Screaming Trees: Dust (Epic) (7)
  123. Duncan Sheik: Duncan Sheik (Atlantic) (7)
  124. High Llamas: Hawaii (Alpaca) (7)
  125. Neotropic: 15 Levels Of Magnification (Ntone) (7)
  126. Home: X (Trance Syndicate) (7)
  127. Inade: Aldebaran (Cold Spring) (7)
  128. Harvey Milk: My Love Is Higher (Yesha) (7)
  129. Joe Henry: Trampoline (Mammoth) (7)
  130. Thievery Corporation: Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi (Eighteenth Street Lounge) (7)
  131. Fatboy Slim: Better Living Through Chemistry (Astralwerks) (7)
  132. Eyehategod: Dopesick (Century Media)
  133. Possession + African Dub: Off World One (SubMeta) (7)
  134. Jay-Z: Reasonable Doubt () (7)
  135. Sun City Girls: 330,003 Cross Dressers From Beyond The Rig Veda (Abduction)
  136. Haujobb: Solutions for a Small Planet (Offbeat)
  137. Frodus: F-Letter (Lovitt)
  138. Nonplace Urban Field: Raum Fuer Notizen (1996)
  139. No-Man: Wild Opera (3rd Stone)
  140. Pita: Seven Tons For Free (Mego)
  141. Jackie-O Motherfucker: Cross Pollinate (Imp)
  142. Deathprod: Imaginary Songs From Tristan Da Cunha (dBUT interambience)
  143. Fibreforms: Treedrums (Earth Tone) (7)

Songs
(Mostly selected by Austin Krentz, based on my album reviews)
( Click here to play them on Spotify (thank you Luke!))
  1. Lisa Germano: I Love a Snot
  2. Flying Luttenbachers: Storm of Shit
  3. Third Eye Blind: Semi-Charmed Life (1996)
  4. Eels: Susan's House
  5. Polvo: Fast Canoe
  6. Today is the Day: Realization
  7. Lullaby For The Working Class: Queen Of The Long-Legged Insects
  8. Vampire Rodents: Goatweed
  9. Sixteen Horsepower: Prison Shoe Romp
  10. Oblivians: Christina
  11. The Church: Grandiose
  12. The For Carnation: Salo
  13. Cardiacs: Dog-Like Sparky
  14. Andrea Parker: The Rocking Chair
  15. Stereolab: OLV 26
  16. Alec Empire: The Peak
  17. Sepultura: Ratamahatta
  18. Bedhead: What's Missing
  19. Andrea Parker: The Rocking Chair
  20. Ghost: Marrakech
  21. Run On: Go There
  22. Cat Power: We All Die
  23. Modest Mouse: Dramamine
  24. Supreme Dicks: Swell Song
  25. Tarwater: Elbow on the Quilt
  26. Tool: Stinkfist
  27. Dirty Three: Hope
  28. Alec Empire: We All Die
  29. Brainiac: Vincent Come On Down
  30. Fishmans: Sunny Blue
  31. Flying Luttenbachers: Storm Of Shit
  32. Iron Lung Corp: Join In The Murderous Chant
  33. Nick Cave: Stagger Lee
  34. Wilco: Misunderstood
  35. Rage Against the Machine: Bulls on Parade
  36. Man or Astroman: 9 Volt
  37. Faithless: Don't Leave
  38. Harvey Milk: All the Livelong Day
  39. David Gray: Faster Sooner Now
  40. Nicolai Dunger: Whispering Song
  41. Gerald Collier: God Never Lived in My Neighborhood
  42. Fugees: Family Business
  43. DJ Shadow: Midnight in a Perfect World
  44. Moonshake: Exotic Siren Song
  45. Brian Jonestown Massacre: Who
  46. Ani DiFranco: Shameless
  47. Tori Amos: Father Lucifer
  48. Tricky: Make a Change
  49. Subarachnoid Space: Don't Look In The Trunk
  50. Bowery Electric: Fear of Flying
  51. Cujo: The Brazilianaire
  52. Bad Religion: Punk Rock Song
  53. Soul Coughing: Lazybones
  54. Bob Mould: Egoverride
  55. Cujo: Traffic
  56. Pan Sonic: Murto
  57. Fiona Apple: Criminal
  58. High Llamas: Doo-Wop Property
  59. Cibo Matto: Sugar Water
  60. Dr. Octagon: Earth People
  61. Daft Punk: Around The World
  62. Thievery Corporation: Universal Highness
  63. Korn: Twist
  64. Red Krayola: GAO
  65. Eels: Novocaine for the Soul
  66. Butthole Surfers: Pepper
  67. Gastr Del Sol: Rebecca Sylvester
  68. Cake: The Distance
  69. Belle & Sebastian: Electronic Renaissance
  70. Jay-Z: Can't Knock the Hustle
  71. Eels: Novocaine For The Soul
  72. Sublime: What I Got
  73. Makers: Please Kill Yourself
  74. Burger/Ink: Elvism
  75. Ayreon: Beyond The Last Horizon
  76. Ulver: Hymne VII - Wolf and Destiny
  77. Brendan Benson : Tea
  78. No-Man: Sinister Jazz
  79. Neutral Milk Hotel: Gardenhead/ Leave Me Alone
  80. Alec Empire: Chilling Through the Lives
  81. Dr Octagon: Earth People
  82. Jay-Z: Dead Presidents II
Extended tracks
(Mostly selected by Austin Krentz, based on my album reviews)
  1. Tortoise: Djed
  2. Swans: Helpless Child
  3. Black Tape for a Blue Girl: For You Will Burn Your Wings Upon the Sun
  4. Roy Montgomery: The Passage Of Forms
  5. Mainliner: M
  6. Windy & Carl: Lighthouse
  7. Cul De Sac: Sakhalin
  8. Magic Hour: Rosebud
  9. Fishmans: Long Season
  10. Vas Deferens Organization: First Plane Not To Plummet Seaward
  11. Boris: Absolutego
  12. Polvo: When Will You Die For The Last Time In My Dreams
  13. Godheadsilo: Guardians of the Threshold
  14. Burzum: Rundtgaing Av Den Transcendentale Egenhetens Stotte
  15. Opeth: Black Rose Immortal
  16. Miss Murgatroid: Below The Bellows
  17. Vas Deferens Organization: Amon Doo & Popol Poo
  18. Richard Bone: Zone
  19. Labradford: Battered
  20. Rake: Chair Throwing Incident
  21. Neurosis: Through Silver In Blood
  22. Scenic: Modula Raga
  23. Nels Cline: Bath
  24. Flies Inside The Sun: Detour
  25. June Of 44: Anisette
  26. Iceburn: Sphinx
  27. Sun City Girls: Ghost Ghat Trespass
  28. Burger/Ink: Love Is The Drug Paris Texas
  29. Flies Inside the Sun: Detour
  30. Amp: Frieze
  31. Underworld: Juanita
  32. Brian Jonestown Massacre: Straight Up And Down
  33. Buckethead: Flying Guillotine
  34. Deathprod: The Contraceptive Briefcase II
  35. Merzbow: Rituale Lucis - Magnesia Nova
  36. Liquid Mind: Mirror Veil
  37. Merzbow: Worms Plastic Earthbound
  38. Experimental Audio Research: In The Cold Light
  39. Richard Youngs & Simon Wickham-Smith: More Urban Music for the Middle Of Nowhere
  40. Circle: Bonoroid
  41. Portraits of Past: Bang Yer Head
  42. Pita: Seven Tons Revised
  43. Jackie-O Motherfucker: Spanish Massacre
  44. Merzbow: Electricwatersheep

Songwriters
  1. Cat Power: What Would The Community Think (Matador)
  2. Bob Mould (Rykodisc)
  3. Lisa Germano: Excerpts From A Love Circus (4AD)
  4. Richard Davies: There's Never Been A Crowd Like This (Flydaddy)
  5. Nick Cave: Murder Ballads (Reprise)
  6. Michelle Shocked: Kind Hearted Woman (Private)
  7. Beck: Odelay (DGC)
  8. Tori Amos: Boys For Pele (Atlantic)
  9. Joe Henry: Trampoline (Mammoth)
  10. Duncan Sheik: Duncan Sheik (Atlantic)
  11. Gerald Collier: I Had To Laugh Like Hell (C/Z)

Industrial
  1. Iron Lung Corp: Big Shiny Spears (Cargo)

Electronica

Gothic

Heavy rock

Psychedelia
  1. King Black Acid: Sunlit (Cavity Search)

Instrumental
  1. Fibreforms: Treedrums (Earth Tone)

Progressive

Britain

Germany
  1. Tarwater: 11/6 12/10 (Kitty-Yo)

Japan

France & Belgium

Australia

Canada

TM, ®, Copyright © 1998 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved.
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Best of the 1960's Best of the 1970's Best of the 1980's Best of the 1990's Best of the 2000's