A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders

Released in November 1993, on the same day as Enter The Wu-Tang and Doggystyle, Midnight Marauders is the warmest record A Tribe Called Quest made and arguably the most perfectly built. Where The Low End Theory was austere, this one is generous — more samples, more colour, a synthesised tour guide narrating between tracks like a museum audio guide for the album itself.

Phife Dawg is the star. "Award Tour," "Electric Relaxation" and "Oh My God" all belong to him more than to Q-Tip, and the chemistry between the two has never been looser. Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Q-Tip's production leans on Kool & The Gang, Weather Report and Grady Tate without ever letting a loop overstay. "Lyrics To Go" and "God Lives Through" close the record with the two most hypnotic beats in the catalog.

The cover — the grid of red-headphoned faces, dozens of them, from Chuck D to Kool Herc — is the other reason people own this record. It is a group photograph of a scene at the exact moment it was most sure of itself.