# Best Pazz & Jop Critics Poll Album 1996 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1996/707676 "2014-12-19T16:59:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1996/707676/1 "2014-12-19T16:59:46Z")
Another strong year - for me it was a tough choice between Beck, DJ Shadow, Stereolab and Pulp - I love Sleater-Kinney, but they wouldn’t really hit their stride until Janet Weiss came on board for their next record. Tossing a coin, I’m going with Stereolab, but there are plenty of good options here. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1996/707676/2 "2014-12-19T17:14:37Z")
I have almost everything on this list, but albums that I used to think were fantastic (see: **Odelay** ) wore out their welcomes. It came down to three: **Sleater-Kinney: Call the Doctor**. It’s not quite All Hands on the Bad One, but I do like it a lot and still listen to it. **Stereolab: Emperor Tomato Ketchup**. I just relistened to this after the other poll…it really is remarkable, and I can’t think of much else like it. This gets my vote. **Wilco: Being There**. A really good album from a band about to stumble into greatness. Bring on **Summerteeth** (in 3 years)! ETA: PS Hey, **woodstockbirdybird** …thanks for putting these polls together! They’re making me dig out music I haven’t thought of in a while, to good effect. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1996/707676/3 "2014-12-19T17:27:44Z")
My pleasure! ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1996/707676/4 "2014-12-19T18:49:02Z")
Sleater-Kinney, I think. Maybe not the best but I still go back to that album more than most. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1996/707676/5 "2014-12-19T18:59:12Z")
Great list! Went with Beck. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1996/707676/6 "2014-12-19T19:25:23Z")
**Pulp** : _Different Class_ Pulp was pretty much the only Britpop band that I liked at the time and that album still holds up. I found **Blur** ’s music silly and hated, hated, hated **Oasis** which I considered on of the most overestimated bands in history (and still do). ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1996/707676/7 "2014-12-19T19:39:10Z")
For me, ultimately, this came down to two stellar fucking LPs: _Different Class_ and _Odelay_. And ultimately, it took just one - ONE - song to make my decision for me. So. As good as _Odelay_ is (and it’s REALLY fucking GOOD), it doesn’t boast a song as transcendent, as bloody _perfect_ as “Sorted for E’s & Wizz”. So I had, just HAD, to go with Pulp. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1996/707676/8 "2014-12-19T19:40:10Z")
Good list, I voted for Everything But The Girl. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1996/707676/9 "2014-12-19T20:03:03Z")
Pulp for me, not just one of the best albums of '96, but the whole decade. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1996/707676/10 "2014-12-19T20:53:01Z")
> [@Eddie\_F](#): > > For me, ultimately, this came down to two stellar fucking LPs: _Different Class_ and _Odelay_. And ultimately, it took just one - ONE - song to make my decision for me. So. As good as _Odelay_ is (and it’s REALLY fucking GOOD), it doesn’t boast a song as transcendent, as bloody _perfect_ as “Sorted for E’s & Wizz”. So I had, just HAD, to go with Pulp. I think you misspelled “Common People”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1996/707676/11 "2014-12-19T21:39:59Z")
So tough here. I went with S-K, perhaps my favorite band of the last 20 years. (And despite it lacking Weiss on that album, it may well be my favorite, although Dig Me Out and the Woods are close.) The Stereolab album is my second favorite, with Beck, Dj Shadow, and Pulp just behind.