THE BEST MUSIC OF 1993

1 Tony Toni Tone, Sons of Soul (Wing/Mercury). This trio may hail from Southern California, but their homage-packed soul songs prove they left their hearts in Motown. The Tonyies, who are all in their 20s, evoke past greats such as the Jackson Five with vibrant vocals and melodies, but they never settle for mere imitation. Radio is rotten with musical hacks who fake the funk with computer- generated beats, but the Tonyies are a real band, with real instruments, who have succeeded in bringing the art of R.-and-B. songwriting back to the future.

2 Billy Joel River of Dreams (Columbia). The Piano Man time-travels through a song cycle that begins on the emotional edge and ends baptized in hope. Totally '90s in its preoccupation with angst and property values, River also revives a pop era when hooks were called melodies and a strong man could show a sweet side.

3 Ella Fitzgerald The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books (Verve). Porter, Ellington, Berlin, the Gershwins: Fitzgerald honored them all and set herself up not only as a great jazz vocalist but as a trusted custodian of some of American pop's richest treasure. This elegantly turned-out set collects all eight Fitzgerald songbooks for the first time. Singly they were remarkable. Together they're a monument.

4 Handel: Water Music John Eliot Gardiner Conducting the English Baroque Soloists (Philips). Gardiner's original-instruments essay of Handel's ebullient suite excels not only for the unerring intonation of the playing but for its irresistible rhythmic energy. King George I never heard it like this.

5 Digable Planets Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space) (Pendulum). Combining upscale jazz and proletarian hip hop, Digable Planets has brought two sides of the black experience together, uniting buppies and b-boys from Howard University to Howard Beach.

6 Gavin Bryars Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (Point Music). Take one old derelict singing a strophe of a religious anthem in a raspy voice. Add one avant-garde composer (Bryars) accompanying an hour-long loop of the man's song with a kaleidoscopic underpinning of strings, winds and horns. Mix in Tom Waits for a closing 10-minute duet of almost mystic poignancy. The new-music album of the year.

7 Emmylou Harris Cowgirl's Prayer (Asylum). In her 22nd album country music's hippest traditionalist turns to God as the best part of life: wise parent, firm friend, ultimate beau. This sheaf of fine songs, intimate readings and delicately powerful melodies makes divine love sound like a kiss in the back of a pickup. If there's a honky-tonk in heaven, Harris will be the star act on stage.

8 Smashing Pumpkins . Siamese Dream (Virgin). Pearl Jam, Nirvana and other alternative bands released first-rate albums in '93; this co-ed group stood out because it dared criticize the sometimes pretentious nature of the alternative world itself. Cool albums tend to date as quickly as milk in a convenience store; Siamese remains compelling after repeated listening.

9 Dvorak: Four Piano Trios The Lanier Trio (Gasparo). The Dvorak piano trios are four of the glories of the chamber-music literature; the sorrow and the pity is that they are not known to a wider audience. The Lanier Trio -- William Preucil, violin; Dorothy Lewis, cello; and Cary Lewis, piano -- lavish impeccable ensemble and golden tone on each piece.

10 Ice Cube Lethal Injection (Priority). Ice Cube's raps about police brutality and white immorality enter the ear and expand in the brain like a Black Talon bullet; his lyrics are sometimes inexcusable, but his logic is often inescapable. Ignore his high-caliber insights at your peril.

...And the Worst

More Songs for Sleepless Nights (Epic Soundtrax). The movie-sound-track boom is getting out of hand. The nostalgia-laden Sleepless in Seattle album contained actual songs from the movie, like Louis Armstrong's classy A Kiss to Build a Dream On. This shameless Sleepless sequel, featuring selections like Al Jolson's Sonny Boy, includes a disclaimer: ''None of the recordings in this collection appear in the motion picture Sleepless in Seattle.'' Is the audience asleep?