Originally Posted by Bulldog

And while I'm still hanging around...

38. Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991)

To put the lid on all the trip-hop on this list is the one which started the whole thing (even if the term didn't actually come into use 'til a few years later). Here lies the first album to filter American hip-hop through the British clubbing subculture. Add a dash of dub here and there, shake it up and you've got the musical cocktail that is Blue Lines. I could easily have included the equally brilliant Mezzanine here (and, indeed, was going to 'til about ten minutes ago), but in terms of the sweeping influence it had on dance and pop music, as well as the Unfinished Sympathy factor, this is the album I'd stick in a top albums list such as this.
The best bits: Be Thankful For What You've Got, Unfinished Sypathy, Daydreaming

37. Faith No More - King For a Day, Fool For a Lifetime (1995)

I'm probably in the minority on Faith No More fans who actually prefers their last three albums to the Real Thing and Introduce Yourself, but hey. Of the last three, Angel Dust takes some beating, and I'm a big fan of Album Of the Year too but, mostly for nostalgic reasons (my dog-eared copy of this album's been in my possession for a good 6 or 7 years) this is the one I'd pick. While nowhere near as much of a headf*ck as Angel Dust was, King For a Day... finds FNM making their most musically straightforward release, while containing a dazzling blend of moods, textures and generic blends, from the smooth jazz-funk of Evidence to the bossa nova of Caralho Voador to the heavy metal of Ugly In the Morning and so forth. A sublime album, and frankly bollocks to the popular opinion of it.
The best bits: Ricochet, Cuckoo For a Caca, What a Day

36. Tom Waits - Mule Variations (1999)

Tom Waits' discography is one I've merely skimmed the surface of. While I have a massive amount of respect for him as an artist (having just voted for him in the Hall Of Fame and all), I'm yet to grow into the fully obsessed fan that I've been threatening to become for some time now. 'til then, this would be my favourite work of his. Being probably the lightest and most instantly-accessible item in his back catalogue (certainly from what I've heard anyway), it's as good a starting point as any for curious listeners out there. As for the music itself, it's hard to pin down, which is the beauty of Tom Waits' work. While still being a fairly dark and somber body of work, Mule Variations is certainly a lot less abrasive and light than his other works. For a beginner like me this is, of course, a good thing, and one which makes for one of my favourite ever albums.
The best bits: Get Behind the Mule, What's He Building?, Chocolate Jesus