My final 1993 selection comes from an artist I’ve tried to like without much success. Bjork last made a Decades appearance with her 2001 album Vespertine, an avant-garde sonic experiment that did nothing for me.

Back in 1993, Bjork released her debut album, called (appropriately enough) Debut. This was her first solo effort following a stint with the band The Sugarcubes. The band’s music was more conventional than her muse, prompting her to branch off on her own.

Debut is idiosyncratic, no doubt, but it’s far more accessible than other Bjork albums I’ve heard. Much of the record embraces house and dance music, but with a cerebral twist that works pretty well. It’s obvious why this remains her top-selling album to date.

I’m intrigued by artists who clearly have the ability to succeed by playing it straight but insist on narrowing their appeal by chasing something weirder. I guess that’s commendable, though if I don’t like the result it feels more like a waste of time and talent.

Bjork has certainly found plenty of critical acclaim following the path she’s on, at the expense of higher sales. I like this album enough to wish she’d be more of a sell-out.

This concludes my look back at 1993. Stay tuned for my next installment of the Decades series, when I’ll tackle 2003.