Many thanks to everyone who recently voted for the greatest third studio albums in hip-hop history as part of Albumism’s readers’ poll series! Check out the consensus results & rankings below and stay tuned for our next readers’ poll coming soon.
Albumism Readers’ Poll Results (10,815 Total Votes):
#1 | A TRIBE CALLED QUEST | Midnight Marauders | 1993 | 757 votes | Read More
#2 | PUBLIC ENEMY | Fear of a Black Planet | 1990 | 703 votes | Read More
#3 | OUTKAST | Aquemini | 1998 | 650 votes | Read More
#4 | MISSY ELLIOTT | Miss E… So Addictive | 2001 | 598 votes
#5 | BEASTIE BOYS | Check Your Head | 1992 | 533 votes | Read More
#6 | KENDRICK LAMAR | To Pimp a Butterfly | 2015 | 511 votes | Read More
#7 | EMINEM | The Marshall Mathers LP | 2000 | 482 votes
#8 | 2PAC | Me Against the World | 1995 | 439 votes | Read More
#9 | RUN-DMC | Raising Hell | 1986 | 395 votes
#10 | DE LA SOUL | Buhlo͞one Mindstate | 1993 | 354 votes | Read More
NOTE: Buhlo͞one Mindstate is not currently available via major streaming platforms
#11 | ICE CUBE | The Predator | 1992 | 346 votes | Read More
#12 | KANYE WEST | Graduation | 2007 | 320 votes | Read More
#13 | THE ROOTS | Illadelph Halflife | 1996 | 287 votes
#14 | EPMD | Business as Usual | 1990 | 249 votes
#15 | JAY-Z | Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life | 1998 | 211 votes
#16 | GANG STARR | Daily Operation | 1992 | 198 votes | Read More
#17 | RUN THE JEWELS | Run the Jewels 3 | 2016 | 192 votes | Read More
#18 | SALT-N-PEPA | Blacks’ Magic | 1990 | 175 votes
#19 | ICE-T | The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech… Just Watch What You Say! | 1989 | 166 votes | Read More
#20 | NAS | I Am… | 1999 | 143 votes
#21 | CYPRESS HILL | Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom | 1995 | 139 votes
#22 | MOBB DEEP | Hell on Earth | 1996 | 137 votes | Read More
#23 | QUEEN LATIFAH | Black Reign | 1993 | 128 votes
#24 | REDMAN | Muddy Waters | 1996 | 120 votes | Read More
#25 | SCARFACE | The Diary | 1994 | 114 votes
#26 | BUSTA RHYMES | E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front | 1998 | 112 votes
#27 | COMMON | One Day It’ll All Make Sense | 1997 | 107 votes | Read More
#28 | ERIC B. & RAKIM | Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em | 1990 | 101 votes | Read More
#29 | LL COOL J | Walking with a Panther | 1989 | 94 votes | Read More
#30 | DJ QUIK | Safe + Sound | 1995 | 93 votes | Read More
#31 | MC LYTE | Act Like You Know | 1991 | 88 votes
#32 | NAUGHTY BY NATURE | 19 Naughty III | 1993 | 85 votes | Read More
#33 | J. COLE | 2014 Forest Hills Drive | 2014 | 80 votes
#34 | PUSHA T | DAYTONA | 2018 | 78 votes | Read More
#35 | WU-TANG CLAN | The W | 2000 | 76 votes
#36 | BOOGIE DOWN PRODUCTIONS | Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop | 1989 | 75 votes | Read More
#37 | DRAKE | Nothing Was the Same | 2013 | 71 votes
#38 | UGK | Ridin’ Dirty | 1996 | 68 votes
#39 | BLACK EYED PEAS | Elephunk | 2003 | 65 votes
#40 | DMX | …And Then There Was X | 1999 | 62 votes
#41 | HEAVY D & THE BOYZ | Peaceful Journey | 1991 | 59 votes
#42 | LIL’ KIM | La Bella Mafia | 2003 | 57 votes
#43 | T.I. | Urban Legend | 2004 | 55 votes
#44 | E-40 | Tha Hall of Game | 1996 | 50 votes
#45 | GETO BOYS | We Can’t Be Stopped | 1991 | 49 votes
#46 | JUVENILE | 400 Degreez | 1998 | 46 votes
#47 | TOO $HORT | Short Dog’s in the House (third major-label album) | 1990 | 43 votes | Read More
#48 | DJ JAZZY JEFF & THE FRESH PRINCE | And in This Corner… | 1989 | 41 votes
#49 | KRS-ONE | I Got Next | 1997 | 38 votes | Read More
#50 | PHAROAHE MONCH | W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) | 2011 | 37 votes
The Next 50:
#51 | EVE | Eve-Olution (2002) (35 votes)
#52(T) | BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY | The Art of War (1997) (33)
#52(T) | CLIPSE | Til the Casket Drops (2009) (33)
#54 | DR. DRE | Compton (2015) (32)
#55 | EARL SWEATSHIRT | Some Rap Songs (2018) (30)
#56 | KOOL MOE DEE | Knowledge Is King (1989) (28)
#57(T) | DA BRAT | Unrestricted (2000) (26)
#57(T) | MF DOOM (as VIKTOR VAUGHAN) | Vaudeville Villain (2003) (26) | Read More
#57(T) | TALIB KWELI | Eardrum (2007) (26) | Read More
#60 | THE COUP | Steal This Album (1998) (24) | Read More
#61 | Q-TIP | Kamaal The Abstract (2009) (23)
#62 | YOUNG JEEZY | The Recession (2008) (21)
#63 | FOXY BROWN | Broken Silence (2001) (20)
#64(T) | ABOVE THE LAW | Uncle Sam’s Curse (1994) (18) | Read More
#64(T) | BIG K.R.I.T. | 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time (2017) (18) | Read More
#64(T) | BIZ MARKIE | I Need a Haircut (1991) (18)
#67 | CAM’RON | Come Home With Me (2002) (17)
#68 | MC HAMMER | Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em (1990) (15)
#69(T) | GHOSTFACE KILLAH | Bulletproof Wallets (2001) (14)
#69(T) | GURU | Guru’s Jazzmatazz Vol. 3: Street Soul (2000) (14)
#69(T) | GZA | Beneath the Surface (1999) (14)
#72(T) | KOOL G RAP & DJ POLO | Live and Let Die (1992) (13) | Read More
#72(T) | SEAN PRICE | Mic Tyson (2012) (13)
#74 | SNOOP DOGGY DOGG | Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998) (12)
#75 | THE BEATNUTS | A Musical Massacre (1999) (10) | Read More
#76(T) | WHODINI | Back in Black (1986) (9)
#76(T) | XZIBIT | Restless (2000) (9)
#76(T) | YO-YO | You Better Ask Somebody (1993) (9)
#79 | A$AP ROCKY | Testing (2018) (8)
#80(T) | CHUBB ROCK | The One (1991) (7)
#80(T) | COMPTON’S MOST WANTED | Music to Driveby (1992) (7) | Read More
#80(T) | BEANIE SIGEL | The B. Coming (2005) (7)
#83 | DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN | Future Development (1997) (6)
#84(T) | EIGHTBALL & MJG | On Top of the World (1995) (5)
#84(T) | EL-P | Cancer 4 Cure (YEAR) (5)
#86(T) | THE SUGARHILL GANG | Rappin’ Down Town (1983) (4)
#86(T) | MASTA ACE | A Long Hot Summer (2004) (4)
#86(T) | METHOD MAN | Tical 0: The Prequel (2004) (4)
#86(T) | LITTLE BROTHER | Getback (2007) (4)
#86(T) | HELTAH SKELTAH | D.I.R.T. (Da Incredible Rap Team) (2008) (4)
#86(T) | JADAKISS | The Last Kiss (2009) (4)
#86(T) | NICKI MINAJ | The Pinkprint (2014) (4)
#86(T) | VINCE STAPLES | FM! (2018) (4)
#94(T) | BIG DADDY KANE | Taste of Chocolate (1990) (3)
#94(T) | WARREN G | I Want It All (1999) (3)
#94(T) | AZ | 9 Lives (2001) (3)
#94(T) | BLACK MOON | Total Eclipse (2003) (3)
#94(T) | BLACKALCIOUS | The Craft (2005) (3)
#94(T) | 50 CENT | Curtis (2007) (3)
#94(T) | DEAD PREZ | Information Age (2012) (3)
VIEW Previous Readers’ Polls here