"Placebo" was one of the best first albums to come out of the terminally over-hyped UK punk-rock underground.

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A groundbreaking techno import that has whetted the appetite for a 1997 stateside release.

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Vega's latest release puts all other comebacks to shame; and the competition was fierce with Patti Smith, Donovan, Johnny Cash and numerous other geezers weighing in.

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Building the much-anticipated bridge between rock and techno, "Setting Son" was a stunning single, well-positioned for major rotation with singer/co-writer Noel Gallagher on loan from an Oasis on the brink of dissolution.

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While more a contribution to contemporary chamber music than alternative rock, "Music for Egon Schiele" was a brilliant measuring stick for the crossover of stringed instruments into the pop mainstream, from Tracy Bonham and Dave Matthews to Yum Yum.

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Writers and pundits reclaiming and refinishing punk-rock history largely ignored the brilliant new folk of Penelope Houston, founding member of the legendary So-Cal punk band the Avengers. Her 1996 album "Cut You" (Reprise) may be irrelevant to Green Day and Offspring, but that should tell you something.

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Consciousness of digital sampling has never been higher, and Young Beck (as Allen Ginsberg calls the gifted poet) proved that live performance can be programmed to sound exactly like his ingenuous "Odelay" (Geffen), without subverting his credibility a la Milli Vanilli.

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Proving that even the most inane and tired '90s aesthetic can be put to the task of brand extension and moving units, the self-titled "Gravity Kills" (TVT) ripped off NIN, just as 311 repurposed "Fight for Your Right"-era Beastie Boys.

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For all their predictable media manipulation (and the fact that time off actually improved their playing), the Sex Pistols were edged out by Kiss for the most blatant money grab.

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Ethel Merman meets Suzanne Vega at CBGB's.