Flood

Their commercial peak and the album that made them more than a college-radio cult act. Flood is dense, tuneful, and weirder than the singles let on — "Birdhouse in Your Soul" and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" are the obvious entry points, but the real character lives in the deep cuts: the apocalyptic ennui of "Dead," the vengeful "Your Racist Friend," the sub-90-second sketches like "Minimum Wage" and "Hot Cha." Nineteen tracks, almost no filler — the rare best-selling album that's also the best argument for the band.