Pazz and Jop.

Per Ragged Glory, here's 1990 (as hell, with a lot of strong stuff, which may also incl. ones that seem a bit startling in the nether regions, but that's good in principle, just going for personal faves dammit, never mind the prevailing winds)

This poll compiles ballots from 289 critics, who divided 100 points among 10 1990 albums. Points determined placement, with total mentions (indicated in parentheses) used for tie-breaking. Maximum per album: 30. Minimum: 5.

*Includes 1989 votes: Queen Latifah 173 (18), 3rd Bass 77 (9), Faith No More 67 (5)

1. Neil Young: Ragged Glory (Reprise) 1282 (104)
2. Sinéad O'Connor: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (Chrysalis) 1070 (87)
3. Public Enemy: Fear of a Black Planet (Def Jam) 1026 (82)
4. Sonic Youth: Goo (DGC) 659 (63)
5. Living Colour: Time's Up (Epic) 606 (51)
6. Ice Cube: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (Priority) 533 (45)
7. Paul Simon: The Rhythm of the Saints (Warner Bros.) 486 (42)
8. Rosanne Cash: Interiors (Columbia) 461 (42)
9. L.L. Cool J: Mama Said Knock You Out (Def Jam) 457 (40)
10. Prince: Graffiti Bridge (Paisley Park) 417 (43)
11. Replacements: All Shook Down (Sire/Reprise) 366 (36)
12. The Chills: Submarine Bells (Slash/Warner Bros.)349 (25)
13. Deee-Lite: World Clique (Elektra) 327 (36)
14. Queen Latifah: All Hail the Queen (Tommy Boy) 278 (29) *
15. World Party: Goodbye Jumbo (Chrysalis) 259 (23)
16. Red Hot and Blue (Chrysalis) 255 (23)
17. Lou Reed/John Cale: Songs for Drella (Sire/Warner Bros.)249 (24)
18. A Tribe Called Quest: People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (Jive)
247 (27)
19. Yo La Tengo: Fakebook (Restless/Bar/None) 242 (25)
20. Digital Underground: Sex Packets (Tommy Boy) 229 (27)
21. Los Lobos: The Neighborhood (Slash/Warner Bros.)234 (23)
22. Lisa Stansfield: Affection (Arista) 218 (22)
23. The Carl Stalling Project (Warner Bros.) 202 (22)
24. Jane's Addiction: Ritual de lo Habitual (Warner Bros.) 198 (19)
25. Youssou N'Dour: Set (Virgin) 188 (20)
26. Iggy Pop: Brick by Brick (Virgin) 188 (19)
27. Faith No More: The Real Thing (Slash/Warner Bros.)186 (14) *
28. Van Morrison: Enlightenment (Mercury) 182 (18)
29. Pixies: Bossanova (4AD/Elektra) 168 (18)
30. The Neville Brothers: Brother's Keeper (A&M) 164 (17)
31. The Black Crowes: Shake Your Money Maker (Def American) 160 (14)
32. Robin Holcomb: Robin Holcomb (Elektra Musician) 159 (11)
33. 3rd Bass: The Cactus Album (Def Jam) 150 (16) *
34. Guy: The Future (MCA) 149 (15)
35. Pet Shop Boys: Behaviour (EMI) 141 (13)
36. Was (Not Was): Are You Okay? (Chrysalis) 139 (17)
37. Texas Tornados: Texas Tornados (Reprise) 139 (14)
38. Eno/Cale: Wrong Way Up (Opal/Warner Bros.) 138 (16)
39. Bob Dylan: Under the Red Sky (Columbia) 133 (10)
40. Midnight Oil: Blue Sky Mining (Columbia) 129 (13)

On the same page: Singles, EPs, Reissues, Videos:
https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres90.php

Man those Prince and Replacements albums really riding on goodwill. (They're both OK, but not top 10 or 11.)

I love World Party being at 15.

Don't remember or haven't heard some of these, but think my Top Ten would have incl. (def the first two):

Red Hot and Blue
The Chills: Submarine Bells
Neil Young: Ragged Glory
Sinéad O'Connor: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (87)
Public Enemy: Fear of a Black Planet

Texas Tornados: Texas Tornados (Reprise)
Eno/Cale: Wrong Way Up (Opal/Warner Bros.)
Bob Dylan: Under the Red Sky

My absent favourites of 1990: Chill Out, Armed Audio Warfare, Listen Without Prejudice, Rebel Music, Mixed Up, Let Them Eat Bingo, Boomania, Jordan, En-Tact, Cure for Sanity, Song (It's Immaterial), City: Works of Fiction, Pills n Thrills, Skellington

(To state the obvious, most of these weren't ever likely to be troubling P&J. Half of them were unlikely to be troubling UK lists either. And some weren't released in the US.)

Albums I actually owned:

1. Neil Young: Ragged Glory (Reprise) 1282 (104)
2. Sinéad O'Connor: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (Chrysalis) 1070 (87)
3. Public Enemy: Fear of a Black Planet (Def Jam) 1026 (82)
4. Sonic Youth: Goo (DGC) 659 (63)
5. Living Colour: Time's Up (Epic) 606 (51)
6. Ice Cube: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (Priority) 533 (45)
10. Prince: Graffiti Bridge (Paisley Park) 417 (43)
14. Queen Latifah: All Hail the Queen (Tommy Boy) 278 (29) *
17. Lou Reed/John Cale: Songs for Drella (Sire/Warner Bros.)249 (24)
18. A Tribe Called Quest: People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (Jive)
247 (27)
20. Digital Underground: Sex Packets (Tommy Boy) 229 (27)
23. The Carl Stalling Project (Warner Bros.) 202 (22)
24. Jane's Addiction: Ritual de lo Habitual (Warner Bros.) 198 (19)
33. 3rd Bass: The Cactus Album (Def Jam) 150 (16) *

Albums I did not own, but heard:

7. Paul Simon: The Rhythm of the Saints (Warner Bros.) 486 (42)
9. L.L. Cool J: Mama Said Knock You Out (Def Jam) 457 (40)
13. Deee-Lite: World Clique (Elektra) 327 (36)
26. Iggy Pop: Brick by Brick (Virgin) 188 (19)
27. Faith No More: The Real Thing (Slash/Warner Bros.)186 (14) *
31. The Black Crowes: Shake Your Money Maker (Def American) 160 (14)
35. Pet Shop Boys: Behaviour (EMI) 141 (13)

If I'd been voting back then my top 5 would probably have been (based on actual time spent listening) Ice Cube, Public Enemy, Jane's Addiction, Living Colour, Neil Young.

Absent favorites:

Suicidal Tendencies - Lights, Camera, Revolution
Ministry - The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste
Tad - Salt Lick

I was about 15 in 1990 and remember Ragged Glory as a Big Deal in the boomer press: Freedom as the solid comeback, this the culmination.

I was 14 and in my transitionary period between Def Leppard and Nirvana. Looking at that list, I only remember listening to lots of Public Enemy, Living Colour, LL Cool J, ATCQ, Digital Underground and Faith No More.