Radio X magazine's ranking of the best indie rock albums of 1996

Radio X magazine continues its journey through the decades of rock, picking out what it considers the best albums of each era. This time the focus is on the Nineties and, in particular, on 1996: a year still marked by the dominance of britpop, as reflected in the staff's own tastes, but already opening up to new sonic directions.
Among the most notable releases is yet another triumph from Nick Cave, "Murder Ballads", an album recently celebrated in our 33 RPM Visions column. The new list brings together 25 albums turning thirty in 2026, and above all captures the vibrancy of the indie world, a particularly fertile scene that year.

So here is the ranking of the best indie/alternative albums of 1996, according to Radio X magazine (full feature here).

1. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – “Murder Ballads”
2. The Bluetones – “Expecting To Fly”
3. Shed Seven – “Maximum High”
4. Ocean Colour Scene – “Moseley Shoals”
5. Rage Against The Machine – “Evil Empire”
6. The Divine Comedy – “Casanova”
7. Longpigs – “The Sun Is Often Out”
8. The Cure – “Wild Mood Swings”
9. Ash – “1977”
10. Sleeper – “The It Girl”
11. Super Furry Animals – “Fuzzy Logic”
12. Manic Street Preachers – “Everything Must Go”
13. Belle And Sebastian – “Tigermilk”
14. Dodgy – “Free Peace Sweet”
15. Placebo – “Placebo”
16. Beck – “Odelay”
17. Eels – “Beautiful Freak”
18. Suede – “Coming Up”
19. R.E.M. – “New Adventures In Hi-Fi”
20. The Cardigans – “First Band On The Moon”
21. Kula Shaker – “K”
22. Space – “Spiders”
23. Weezer – “Pinkerton”
24. Skunk Anansie – “Stoosh”
25. Babybird – “Ugly/Beautiful”

In recent months, Radio X also turned its attention to the best songs released that same year, 1996. Curiously, though, it forgot to include any tracks from the number one album on its other list, the one devoted to indie albums. Here is that ranking.

1. Radiohead – Street Spirit (Fade Out)
2. Garbage – Stupid Girl
3. The Bluetones – Slight Return
4. Oasis – Don’t Look Back In Anger
5. Supergrass – Going Out
6. Shed Seven – Going For Gold
7. Cast – Walkaway
8. The Prodigy – Firestarter
9. Pulp – Something Changed
10. Manic Street Preachers – A Design For Life
11. Sleeper – Sale Of The Century
12. Blur – Charmless Man
13. Baddiel & Skinner and The Lightning Seeds – Three Lions
14. Space – Female Of The Species
15. Ocean Colour Scene – The Day We Caught The Train
16. Longpigs – She Said
17. The Divine Comedy – Something For The Weekend
18. Ash – Oh Yeah
19. Kula Shaker – Tattva
20. Suede – Trash
21. Dodgy – Good Enough
22. The Cardigans – Lovefool
23. R.E.M. – E-Bow The Letter
24. The Charlatans – One To Another
25. Babybird – You're Gorgeous

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