In addition to receiving mostly favorable reviews upon it's release, the album has garnered a considerable amount of acclaim over the years, with many music critics and publications noting it as one of the greatest albums of the 1990s, as well as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. On October 3, 1997, The Score was certified six times platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The singles "Killing Me Softly, " "Fu-Gee-La, " and "Ready or Not" also achieved notable chart success, and helped the group achieve worldwide recognition. Most versions of the album feature four bonus tracks, including three remixes of "Fu-Gee-La", and a short acoustic Wyclef Jean solo track entitled "Mista Mista." Upon it's release, The Score was a commercial success, peaking at the number one spot on both the Billboard 200, and the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart (it was a number-one album on the latter in 1996 on the year-end chart). The album plays extremely smoothly and cohesively, without much (if any) filler material. Where Nas’ Illmatic and Common Sense’s Resurrection succeeded in producing top-notch material but ultimately failed to achieve any sort of crossover success, The Score did both. The album's guest raps are from Outsidaz' members Rah Digga, Young Zee and Pacewon, as well as Omega, John Forté, and Diamond D. It’s more like The Fugees did almost everything right here. The Score's production was handled mostly by the Fugees themselves and Jerry Duplessis, with additional production from Salaam Remi, John Forté, Diamond D, and Shawn King.
The sophomore album quickly exploded in popularity, eventually picking up a pair of Grammy. The album features a wide range of samples and instrumentation, with many aspects of alternative hip hop that would come to dominate the hip hop music scene in the mid-late 1990s. Fugees released their debut, Blunted on Reality, in 1994 and returned with The Score two years later. The Score is the second and final studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees, released worldwide Februon Columbia Records.