Greatest Alternative Rap/Hip-Hop Albums

List editor: Stereo Williams

Criteria: - These albums were ranked based on influence, popularity, innovation, and overall quality of music. Each album demonstrates a deviation from the normal subject matter/approach/aesthetic/themes of hip-hop music at any given time.

1. The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
2. Aquemini - Outkast
3. Critical Beatdown - Ultramagnetic MCs
4. 3 Feet High & Rising - De La Soul
5. '93 Til Infinity - Souls of Mischief
6. Paul's Boutique - The Beastie Boys
7. Things Fall Apart - The Roots
8. Step In the Arena - GangStarr
9. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill
10. One for All - Brand Nubian
11. Midnight Marauders - A Tribe Called Quest
12. Black Star - Black Star
13. All Hail the Queen - Queen Latifah
14. Breaking Atoms - Main Source
15. The Score - The Fugees
16. Bizarre Ride II tha Pharcyde - The Pharcyde
17. southernplayalisticadillacmuzik - Outkast
18. Black On Both Sides - Mos Def
19. I Wish My Brother George Was Here - Del the Funkee Homosapien
20. De La Soul Is Dead - De La Soul
21. Under Construction - Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott
22. Like Water for Chocolate - Common
23. Uptown Saturday Night - Camp Lo
24. Quality Control - Jurassic 5
25. KRS-One - KRS-One
26. Dr. Octagonecologyst - Dr. Octagon/Kool Keith
27. In Full Gear - Stetsasonic
28. Daily Operation - GangStarr
29. ATLiens - Outkast
30. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm - A Tribe Called Quest
31. Sex Packets - Digital Underground
32. Vaudeville Villain - MF Doom
33. 3 Years, 5 Months, & 2 Days In the Life Of... - Arrested Development
34. Sun Rises In the East - Jeru the Damaja
35. Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time & Space) - Digable Planets
36. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below - Outkast
37. Check Your Head - The Beastie Boys
38. Done By the Forces of Nature - Jungle Brothers
39. Supa Dupa Fly - Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott
40. Mecca & the Soul Brother - Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
41. Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
42. Stankonia - Outkast
43. Funcrusher Plus - Company Flow
44. Illadelph Halflife - The Roots
45. Enta Da Stage - Black Moon
46. Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion
47. A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing - Black Sheep
48. Blazing Arrow - Blackilicious
49. Watermelon, Chicken, and Grits - Nappy Roots
50. Art.Official.Intelligence: Bionix - De La Soul
51. Kwame, the Boy Genius feat. A New Beginning - Kwame
52. Do You Want More?!???!!! - The Roots
53. Reflection Eternal - Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek
54. Fantastic Vol. 2 - Slum Village
55. Holy Intellect - Poor Righteous Teachers
56. The Love Movement - A Tribe Called Quest
57. L.I.F.E. (Living In Fear of Extinction) - Nefertiti
58. Still Standing - Goodie MOB
59. A Prince Among Thieves - Prince Paul
60. Blowout Comb - Digable Planets
61. One Day It'll All Make Sense - Common
62. The Cactus Album - 3rd Bass
63. Kollage - Bahamadia
64. Presents The Carnival - Wyclef Jean
65. The Coming - Busta Rhymes
66. Gorillaz - Gorillaz
67. Let's Get Free - Dead Prez
68. Home - Spearhead
69. Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury - Disposable Heroes of HipHoprisy
70. Soul Food - Goodie MOB
71. To the East, Backwards - X-Clan
72. Quality - Talib Kweli
73. Attack of the Attacking Things - Jean Grae
74. Straight Out the Jungle - The Jungle Brothers
75. Handsome Boy Modeling School - Handsome Boy Modeling School
76. The Platform - Dilated Peoples
77. A Future Without A Past - Leaders of the New School
78. The Album - Questionmark Asylum
79. Behind the Front - Black Eyed Peas
80. Of the Heart, Of the Soul and Of the Cross: the Utopian Experience - P.M. Dawn
81. A Much Better Tomorrow - The Automator
82. Chupacabra - Imani Coppola
83. Steal This Album - The Coup
84. Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill
85. Resurrection - Common
86. Foundation - Brand Nubian
87. Black Reign - Queen Latifah
88. Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album - The Boogiemonsters
89. MM...Food? - MF Doom
90. Labor Days - Aesop Rock
91. Fruits of Nature - UMC's
92. Derelicts of Dialect - 3rd Bass
93. From the Roota to the Toota - Field Mob
94. Home - Spearhead
95. Amplified - Q-Tip
96. Gravity - Da Bush Babees
97. Which Doobie UB? - Funkdoobiest
98. Rebel Soul - Isis
99. Hello Nasty - Beastie Boys
100. Chocolate Supahighway - Spearhead

Shouldn't Madvillainy be in the like top 25?

not really sure why the southernplaya album by outkast is in the top 20

Not sure how outkast are alternative... mainstream as you get. Perhaps Aquemini or ATliens could be considered as such but Speakerboxx/Love Below or Stankonia?