Pitchfork top 200 albums of the 2000s thread of IMPACT>QUALITY

[Phoenix Dark]

Write-ups
http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7710-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-20-1/

Top 20 for lazy folk

spoiler (click to show/hide)

20. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
19. Spoon - Kill the Moonlight
18. Kanye West - Late Registration
17. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
16. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
15. The Knife - Silent Shout
14. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
13. OutKast - Stankonia
12. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
11. Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele

10. The Avalanches - Since I Left You
9. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
8. Sigur Ros - Ágætis Byrjun
7. The Strokes - Is This It
6. Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antartica
5. Jay-Z - The Blueprint
4. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtro
3. Daft Punk - Discovery
2. Arcade Fire - Funeral
1. Radiohead - Kid A

[close]

Madvillainy at #25, Blueprint at #5...sigh

I can't comment on the other genres on the list but rap wise it seems to focus more on impact than good music. Also odd that while the list is full of indie records from various genres, nearly all the hip hop albums are mainstream releases. I'll never understand why Pitchfork reviews the most underground gutter indie releases no one knows about but won't touch an indie hip hop album unless it's the cool thing to do

[TakingBackSunday]

pitchfork's rap coverage is just a badly hidden reparations program

[Raban]

Top 3 are right, not necessarily in the right order, but right. Everything else I dunno.

[TakingBackSunday]

Everything beyond the top 20 or so, as expected, is a clusterfuck.  It's hard to order things when there's 200 of them.

[Akala]

absolute garbage.

[Mr. Gundam]

Where did The Meadowlands end up? That's probably my favorite album of the decade.

[Dickie Dee]

YHF in the top 5, cool beans.

It's hip-hop list is laughably bad, though I guess that's an accepted Pitchfork quirk by now.

Never got much into Kid A...guess I'll have to keep trying

[Phoenix Dark]

So they gave Dilla's Donuts a 7.9 upon release, then decide to put it at #66 on the list. I don't get it

Also didn't they say Portishead's album was the second best of 08? So why is it #71 on this list lolol

[OptimoPeach]

Also odd that while the list is full of indie records from various genres, nearly all the hip hop albums are mainstream releases. I'll never understand why Pitchfork reviews the most underground gutter indie releases no one knows about but won't touch an indie hip hop album unless it's the cool thing to do

It's to repeal their image as hipster contrarians. "See, we like music made by black people, we aren't skim milk-drinking yuppies after all!" I said it in another thread, but HUGE lol @ The Moon & Antarctica being knocked out of a top 5 spot by The Blueprint to pay lip service to hip-hop. That's one of my favorite albums ever, so I'm probably being a little biased, but come on now.

Anyway, that list is way too big to dissect, but there's not that many objectionable choices in the top 50 or so. Obviously people will nitpick about the ordering a bit, but like BrandNew said, lists these big are always going to be a subjective past a certain point. With a cursory glance at the list I can't think of anything huge that they missed. Then again, I don't listen to nearly as much music as some of you guys.

edit: There's a fucking Cam'ron album on this list

[TakingBackSunday]

Also, PD, this is a staff collaboration with individual write-ups.  So, even if a certain reviewer wasn't fond of an album a couple years ago, the rest of the staff might feel differently and I'm sure some choices were debated at a roundtable due to this.  That's why Andrew W.K is on the list - when it was reviewed, it got a 0.4.

[Himu]

I think the top 20 is pretty solid, actually. The biggest stinker for me is the fact that Blueprint is on it.

I'm shocked that The Strokes made the top 10.

[Mr. Gundam]

The Life Pursuit is ranked higher than The Meadowlands?

 

Don't get me wrong, Life Pursuit was a good album, but The Meadowlands is incredible.

The Wrens

[Himu]

Never heard of a lot of the stuff on this. More music!!!

[Phoenix Dark]

Also, PD, this is a staff collaboration with individual write-ups.  So, even if a certain reviewer wasn't fond of an album a couple years ago, the rest of the staff might feel differently and I'm sure some choices were debated at a roundtable due to this.  That's why Andrew W.K is on the list - when it was reviewed, it got a 0.4.

But if the editorial board/staff ok'd a 0.4 review for Andrew WK and a 6.4 review of Discovery I don't see why they'd ok a greatest albums list that features those albums in prominent positions.

[Mr. Gundam]

I love how their #1 album of 2003 is in the mid 50's on the list.

[MyNameIsMethodis]

Wait, people actually like Andrew W.K.?

[Mr. Gundam]

Origin of Symmetry >>>>>>> at least 190 of these albums.

 

We get it. You love Muse more than life itself.

[Himu]

Origin of Symmetry >>>>>>> at least 190 of these albums.

Uhhhhhhh

No

[Mr. Gundam]

muse sucks get over it libertarians

I actually find their music fun, but rabid Muse fanboys are an interesting lot.

[TakingBackSunday]

Also, PD, this is a staff collaboration with individual write-ups.  So, even if a certain reviewer wasn't fond of an album a couple years ago, the rest of the staff might feel differently and I'm sure some choices were debated at a roundtable due to this.  That's why Andrew W.K is on the list - when it was reviewed, it got a 0.4.

But if the editorial board/staff ok'd a 0.4 review for Andrew WK and a 6.4 review of Discovery I don't see why they'd ok a greatest albums list that features those albums in prominent positions.

I'm pretty sure Pitchfork doesn't work like that.  They Ok a review, regardless of whatever the reviewer has to say about it.  I'm thinking in particular that one JET review:

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/9464-shine-on/

Their reviews don't always reflect the views of the staff as a whole, and that's why they do a collaborative list at the end of each year, with individual lists done a couple weeks after.

Of course, there's always a bit of revisionist history that goes on, much like any publication.  Rolling Stone is worse at this than Pitchfork is.

[Mr. Gundam]

I love their review of Zaireeka:

... wait, what? They don't have it up anymore! Those assholes!!

[Himu]

I love this list only because it is exposing me to even more music! Listening to the clips on the top 20 for the albums I haven't heard.

[Mr. Gundam]

I love this list only because it is exposing me to even more music! Listening to the clips on the top 20 for the albums I haven't heard.

GO BUY THE MEADOWLANDS RIGHT NOW.

[Robo]

Their choice for 2009's AOTY is blatantly obvious now.

[TakingBackSunday]

I cannot believe you compared Muse to fucking Chopin.

[Mr. Gundam]

Their choice for 2009's AOTY is blatantly obvious now.

Merriweather? I sure hope not.

It's good, but not that good.

[TakingBackSunday]

Yeah, honestly.  We all knew it was going to win in January, whether you liked it or not.

edit: I'm not getting butthurt, I'm just dazzled that you picked such an awful analogy in the first place.

[Robo]

Their choice for 2009's AOTY is blatantly obvious now.

it wasn't already?

It was kind of a toss up between Veckatimest and MPP.  I still think they might come up with some ridiculous reason to give it to Veckatimest in spite of this list.

[TakingBackSunday]

Knights of Cydonia is certainly this generation's Nocturne Op. 8 No. 2

[Robo]

The only other 2009 album on the entire list is Dirty Projector's Bitte Orca.

[Himu]

So much music.

[TakingBackSunday]

Are they even going to bother making a 2009 list?  I'd like them to, I'm curious to see what the other albums they pick will be.

We basically know the top 5 already.

For what it's worth, I like Merriweather a shit load more than Person Pitch.

edit: dude, no, because you're still comparing Muse to art music.  DOES NOT COMPUTE

[Himu]

So are there going to be legitimate music sites that make lists that aren't full of stuff like Missy Elliot?

[TakingBackSunday]

I hope AVClub does one.

[Himu]

Me too.

[MyNameIsMethodis]

Pitchfork's list has Leviathan over Blood Mountain FFS. That alone is wrong.

[Robo]

When did Muse fans start stealing talking points from Tool fans?

[Himu]

I'm going to finish my 60's-80's music binge and then start on 90's and 00's

[Mr. Gundam]

I'm going to finish my 60's-80's music binge and then start on 90's and 00's

Meadowlands. Now.

Oh, as for their best of 09 list, Pains of Being Pure at Heart better be high up on it.

[Phoenix Dark]

When did Muse fans start stealing talking points from Tool fans?

Dat complexity 

[TakingBackSunday]

I'm going to finish my 60's-80's music binge and then start on 90's and 00's

Meadowlands. Now.

Oh, as for their best of 09 list, Pains of Being Pure at Heart better be high up on it.

'Tis truth, all of this post.

[OptimoPeach]

Pitchfork's list has Leviathan over Blood Mountain FFS. That alone is wrong.

Naw, Blood Mountain was pretty underwhelming. Fortunately, Crack the Skye made up for it

I'd rather they didn't even include metal on their lists. Throwing a single album on there like an afterthought is almost more aggravating than ignoring the genre completely.

[Mr. Gundam]

I'm going to finish my 60's-80's music binge and then start on 90's and 00's

Meadowlands. Now.

Oh, as for their best of 09 list, Pains of Being Pure at Heart better be high up on it.

'Tis truth, all of this post.

It's much more enjoyable than Merriweather and Vecktimest, but seeing how it's more accessible to mainstream listeners, it'll probably be in the high teens or something.

[TakingBackSunday]

Oh, well, more enjoyable than Vecktimest, sure, but damn does Merriweather got a buncha hate  :'(

Merriweather is still my album of the year, sure thing.  No album in the last few years of my serious enjoyment of music has swept me up like that.  In fact I would've put Merriweather higher on this list, tbh.

[Mr. Gundam]

Oh, well, more enjoyable than Vecktimest, sure, but damn does Merriweather got a buncha hate  :'(

Merriweather is still my album of the year, sure thing.  No album in the last few years of my serious enjoyment of music has swept me up like that.  In fact I would've put Merriweather higher on this list, tbh.

I don't hate Merriweather, I like Animal Collective a whole lot, but I also don't understand what is so AOTY-incredible about it either.

[Joe Molotov]

At least Willco's album made the list, now he can afford to keep Evilbore open.

[TakingBackSunday]

Oh, well, more enjoyable than Vecktimest, sure, but damn does Merriweather got a buncha hate  :'(

Merriweather is still my album of the year, sure thing.  No album in the last few years of my serious enjoyment of music has swept me up like that.  In fact I would've put Merriweather higher on this list, tbh.

I don't hate Merriweather, I like Animal Collective a whole lot, but I also don't understand what is so AOTY-incredible about it either.

For me it was just a really personal experience when I first heard it.  I remember, it was Christmas day when it leaked and I was up in my room fucking around with my gifts (new headphones, an axiom keyboard) when I saw it on what.  I hadn't heard anything about it leading up to that day, and I remember I kinda liked Strawberry Jam but not enough to constantly keep it playing.  As soon as In the Flowers culminated halfway through the song I knew I was going to be blown away by it, and I was.  I listened to it so fucking much that night, I've never done that before with a new music release.  I immediately ordered it on vinyl the next day.

In the Flower, My Girls, Summertime Clothes, Also Frightened, Brothersport are just all fantastic pop songs that summed up the entire decade for me and what I realized I valued most in music: melody and depth.  It holds a very special place in my heart, even though it only came out 8 months ago.

edit: No, Strawberry Jam isn't on there, which I agree with, but I'm sure they would've wanted to put it on there.  They already had Sung Tongs and Feels on the list.

[BlueTsunami]

I've been so into Trip-Hop/Jazz - Lounge that I look at this list and am totally lost (aside from the massive albums whose knowledge of their existence cannot be avoided).

MY MUSIC TASTE VS. THE WORLD

[MyNameIsMethodis]

Also the lack of Deer Tick and Frightened Rabbit is criminal.

[Human Snorenado]

lol pitchfork lol

Also, mega lulz @ GS for committing the prog rock tard's original sin of confusing technical proficiency with good music.  There's a reason why Steely Dan and Rush aren't the biggest bands of all time ever- because you have to be an anti-social dillweed to care about prog rock.

[Phoenix Dark]

If Muse is Chopin, wouldn't Rush be _____

sounds like an SAT question

[Human Snorenado]

GS- But never at the expense of creating listenable music.

PD- Rush would be Bach.  For his time period, Bach was like a space alien as far as his music is concerned.

[Phoenix Dark]

Songwriting...Muse? I'm confused

[Phoenix Dark]

Not really, and I like the album. I can't think of any their songs that blow me away in terms of songwriting. Overall most of them are hard rock songs. Good of course, but nothing that makes me take note

[MyNameIsMethodis]

NO ONES GOING TO TAKE ME ALIVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[Phoenix Dark]

[youtube=560,345]QuV2KyGT_D8[/youtube]

[Human Snorenado]

Wow, from Muse to Linkin Park.  That's like going from the kiddie pool to the distinguished mentally-challenged fellow pool as far as depth in songwriting goes.  WTF Maurice.

[TakingBackSunday]

I'm fairly certain he's kidding.

[Phoenix Dark]

 

Just pointing out while better musicians, Muse's stuff usually boils down to an over used pattern like LK

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

At least they picked the right Outkast album to be in the Top 20.  Their 2003 album, especially The Love Below, is one of the most overrated rap albums of all time.