Publication: Music Central [Internet]
Date: December 15-21, 1996
Section:
Page Number(s):
Length:
Title: "Music Central's Critics' Poll"
Written By: Staff

The Artist Informally Known As Prince (to make life easier for the journalistic fraternity) swept the first annual Music Central Critics' Poll, covering current albums released in 1996. Emancipation bested Beck's Odelay, with Steve Earle's I Feel Alright holding down third. The remainder of the Top 10, as well as the highest-scoring runners-up, are depicted below.

Earle's was the only album to score more than one first-place vote, underscoring the poll's diversity. Eleven regular Music Central reviewers took part in the poll and named 81 different albums. Just one album (Prince's) showed up on five of the contributors' lists (less than half); three others made it on to four lists (Beck, R.E.M., Richard Thompson), while Earle, Iris Dement, and Aimee Mann scored on three lists.

Which means the typical accusation that critics think alike (the "critical mass" or "herd mentality" syndrome) does not apply to this eclectic group. ("Last-heard mentality," the syndrome of placing trendy end-of-the-year releases high on lists, may apply in the case of Prince, but certainly not to the rest of the Top 10.)

Individual critics' comments on their choices can be examined on a following page (Critics' Top 10 Lists), including two separate lists from Tom Moon, who didn't feel he could rate his pop and jazz picks together. (For the consolidated poll results, only the pop list was used; otherwise the diverse overall album list would have been even more scattered.)

Since the topic of methodology just emerged, here's a few other points for those interested in how we compiled this unimpeachable distillation of America's ideal music tastes. A simple reverse point system was applied to the Top 10 lists (with a few extra points for a No. 1 pick). Ties were broken first by number of lists the album appeared on, then (if that was a tie) the highest position achieved on a list. Any further ties were given to our fathers as early Christmas presents (what could be more thoughtful than a tie for the holidays?).

1. The Artist Formerly Known As Prince Emancipation (NPG/EMI)

2. Beck Odelay (DGC)

3. Steve Earle I Feel Alright (E2/Warner Bros.)

4. R.E.M. New Adventures In Hi-Fi (Warner Bros.)

5. Aimee Mann I'm With Stupid (DGC)

6. Elvis Costello & The Attractions All This Useless Beauty (Warner Bros.)

7. Gillian Welch Revival (Almo Sounds/Geffen)

8. Amy Rigby Diary Of A Mod Housewife (Koch)

9. Richard Thompson You? Me? Us? (Capitol)

10. Various Artists Rig Rock Deluxe (Diesel Only)

11. Shaver Highway Of Life (Justice)

12. Curtis Mayfield New World Order (Warner Bros.)

13. (tie) Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve Costello & Nieve (Warner Bros.)

Willy DeVille Loup Garou (Discovery)

Pete Droge & The Sinners Find A Door (American)

16. Lyle Lovett The Road To Ensenada (Curb/MCA)

New Moon Daughter Graphics Border 17. Cassandra Wilson New Moon Daughter (Blue Note)

18. (tie) BR5-49BR5-49 (Arista)

Johnny Cash Unchained (American)

Alejandro Escovedo With These Hands (Rykodisc)

Nearly God (aka Tricky) Nearly God (4th & Broadway/Island)

Sebadoh Harmacy (Sub Pop)

Tony! Toni! Tone! House Of Music (Mercury)