To celebrate our 30th anniversary and all the great music that made the past three decades special, MAGNET contributors past and present chose their 30 favorite albums released between 1993 and 2022. The only rules were that each record has to be a full-length and that no artist could be represented more than once in the same incarnation. We’re posting these lists throughout the rest of the year.
Dan Weiss, contributing writer
1) Sonic Youth A Thousand Leaves (DGC), 1998
2) DJ Shadow Endtroducing….. (Mo’ Wax), 1996
3) Liz Phair Exile In Guyville (Matador), 1993
4) The Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs (Merge), 1999
5) Tricky Maxinquaye (4th & B’Way), 1995
6) Wussy Funeral Dress (Shake It), 2005
7) PJ Harvey Rid Of Me (Island), 1993
8) The Notorious B.I.G. Life After Death (Bad Boy/Arista), 1997
9) Pistol Annies Hell On Heels (Columbia Nashville), 2011
10) Aphex Twin Richard D. James Album (Sire/Elektra), 1997
11) OutKast Stankonia (LaFace/Arista), 2000
12) Nirvana In Utero (DGC), 1993
13) Burial Untrue (Hyperdub), 2007
14) Clipse Hell Hath No Fury (Jive), 2006
15) Jay-Z Vol. 3…The Life And Times Of S. Carter (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam), 1999
16) Yo La Tengo Electr-O-Pura (Matador), 1995
17) Lil Wayne Tha Carter III (Cash Money/Universal Motown/Young Money), 2008
18) Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires Of The City (XL), 2013
19) Archers Of Loaf Icky Mettle (Alias), 1993
20) Boards Of Canada Music Has The Right To Children (Matador), 1998
21) Sleater-Kinney The Woods (Sub Pop), 2005
22) Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP (Aftermath/Interscope), 2000
23) The Knife Shaking The Habitual (Rabid), 2013
24) Ghostface Killah Fishscale (Def Jam), 2006
25) The Dismemberment Plan Emergency & I (DeSoto), 1999
26) Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly (Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope), 2015
27) Be Your Own Pet Get Awkward (XL/Ecstatic Peace), 2008
28) Grimes Art Angels (4AD), 2015
29) Le Tigre Le Tigre (Mr. Lady), 1999
30) Sophie Product (Numbers), 2015
