Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums

KPH · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 2:59 pm

I mean, I could never do anything like Orthrelm, I am absolutely impressed by it, but I rarely find myself dying to listen to it.

iron_and_beer · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 3:00 pm

KPH Wrote:

- No Broken Social Scene?

I didn't even notice this. Wow.

And I'm still mad about no Edan. That's just BS.

Verbal Intercourse · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 4:04 pm

It's an alright list, better than some that have come out already from other sites.

Albums in their top 20 that suck:

Sufjan
Art Brut (#3?! it's alright, but fuck off)
Wolf Parade
Vitalic (sorry, but it's nothing special. at all.)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Hold Steady (not top 20 material)

I mean there's probably only 15-20 albums I actively like in their whole list, but that's better than I would expect from them.

It seems that they're trying hard to break out of being labeled as a straight "indie" site by including southern rap, doom metal, etc.

Borg166 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 4:21 pm

Vincent Wrote:

Is the Kanye West album really that good? I might have to give it a listen (i.e, steal it from my brother when he gets it on bootleg.)

While not as good as The College Dropout (one of my favorite albums ever), Late Registration easily deserves to be in the Top-10. Kanye is a brilliant artist and every time I think he's finally run out of ideas, he comes back with some of the best music you can buy. I think decades from now people will look back at Kanye's career and view him as sort of a musical genius, just like Timbaland.

Kanye also produced Common's album this year, and I think it's even better than Late Registration. Hmm, scratch that, it's the best album of the year, period.

Bee OK · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:37 pm

Fastnbulbous Wrote:

After coming up with rhythms, riffs and lyrics, I can see how a band would be tempted to say, fuck the vocal melodies, let's just talk. I can respect that, but I'd never rank Art Brut and The Hold Steady in my top 50. I like a good story or joke, but they're only good the first time around. They're just not good for repeat listens.

I think they're buying into Art Brut's sneering outsider status to make up for the embarrssment of rating Interpol and Rapture #1. So they ignore Editors, who improved on Interpol. While they might have obvious influences, so do Wolf Parade and Kanye. I liked Sufjan's Greetings from Michigan, but lately he's a real snore. Meanwhile, My Computer, The Rakes, Field Music, Maximo Park and Dogs are left out in the cold because UK music isn't trendy at the moment. The lack of key metal and Brazilian albums make Pitchfork's scope seem pretty limited.

But no matter how you slice it, it looks like the weakest year in music since about 1992.

I quoted this because he used to be a big poster around here and ties in with Spade today as well.

Bee OK · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:40 pm

contradiction Wrote:

stylus' list will prove to be the best.

popmatters was good. cmg's wasn't very nice. pitchforks is way predicatble.

This list is just OK afterall, love reading what the writers for Pitchfork had to say about this list.

I agree that Stylus will probaly be the best of them all.

So far Popmatters is my favorite.

KPH · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:45 pm

It's great when the ILM/Hip threads about the PFM Top 50 list are better than the list itself.

Wait, did that happen? I'm so disillusioned by the end of the album era I can't tell. Also very busy at work.

Bee OK · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:47 pm

KPH Wrote:

It's great when the ILM/Hip threads about the PFM Top 50 list are better than the list itself.

Wait, did that happen? I'm so disillusioned by the end of the album era I can't tell. Also very busy at work.

You forgot Obner. :wink:

I only have time for ILM outside of Obner but I'm sure Hip is so hip (ha) that they dismissed all 50 albums.

Mr. Mister · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 7:06 pm

not really feeling this list, pitchfork has managed to become way less interesting to me, like so many of you often mention.
also, as previously mentioned in this thread, where the fuck is edan? with all of pfm's jizzing over roc-a-fella records and other rap albums i could care less about, they leave out one of the best records i've heard in a long time.... should be right up their alley, but alas, they pose too much...

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 7:56 pm

CreepingSweens Wrote:

No Akron Family = crap list

Yeah, that was a problem.

But any given person could take issue with the fact that ______ isn't on the list. Why bother? It's a list of averages. It's what most of their writers have in common, and most of their writers suck. Considering that, I think they came away alright.

alongwaltz. · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 9:04 pm

I was disappointed by it, simply for the fact that there's nothing on that list that I'd be interested in that I haven't already heard about. Nothing on there makes me go "wow, that sounds cool" and want to go download it.

I also didn't realise there was no Broken Social Scene. That seems really odd.

zeke the moody drifter · **Joined:** Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:24 pm **Posts:** 557

I know there are a lot of albums missing but no Andrew Bird, Akron/Family, Broken Social Scene, Jens Lekman or M. Ward?[/list]

HaqDiesel · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:31 pm

i didn't think bss's new one was so warmly received...

zeke the moody drifter · **Joined:** Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:24 pm **Posts:** 557

HaqDiesel Wrote:

i didn't think bss's new one was so warmly received...

It got a 8.4 rating from the site. I know this list is more cumulative, but are they saying that there were 50 albums better than that 8.4 rating or are the rating merely arbitrary.

KPH · **Posted:** Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:58 pm

Kanye West
Late Registration
[Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam; 2005]
Rating 9.5

Sufjan Stevens
Illinois
[Asthmatic Kitty; 2005]
Rating 9.2

Wolf Parade
Apologies to the Queen Mary
[Sub Pop; 2005]
Rating 9.2

Various Artists
Run the Road
[679; 2005]
Rating 9.1]

Animal Collective
Feels
[Fat Cat; 2005]
Rating 9.0

Deerhoof
The Runners Four
[Kill Rock Stars; 2005]
Rating 9.0

The New Pornographers
Twin Cinema
[Matador; 2005]
Rating 9.0

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
[Clap Your Hands Say Yeah; 2005]
Rating 9.0

Sleater-Kinney
The Woods
[Sub Pop; 2005]
Rating 9.0

Art Brut
Bang Bang Rock & Roll
[Fierce Panda; 2005]
Rating 8.9

Bloc Party
Silent Alarm
[Wichita/V2; 2005]
Rating 8.9

The Fiery Furnaces
EP
[Rough Trade/Sanctuary; 2005]
Rating 8.9

Sunn 0)))
Black One Rating 8.9

Clipse
We Got It 4 Cheap, Vol. 2
[mixunit.com; 2005]
Rating 8.8

Architecture in Helsinki
In Case We Die
[Bar/None; 2005]
Rating 8.8

Edan
Beauty and the Beat
[Lewis; 2005]
Rating 8.8

Bright Eyes
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
[Saddle Creek; 2005]
Rating 8.7

The Hold Steady
Separation Sunday
[Frenchkiss; 2005]
Rating 8.7

Steven Malkmus
Face the Truth
[Matador; 2005]
Rating 8.7

Love Is All
Nine Times That Same Song
Rating 8.7

The Clientele
Strange Geometry
[Merge; 2005]
Rating 8.6

Serena Maneesh
Serena Maneesh
[Honeymilk; 2005]
Rating 8.6

Common
Be
[Geffen; 2005]
Rating 8.6

Vitalic
OK Cowboy
[PIAS; 2005]
Rating 8.6

M.I.A.
Arular
[XL; 2005]
Rating 8.6

Antony and the Johnsons
I Am a Bird Now
[Secretly Canadian; 2005]
Rating 8.6

M83
Before the Dawn Heals Us
[Gooom/Mute; 2005]
Rating 8.6

Iron & Wine
Woman King EP
[Sub Pop; 2005]
Rating 8.5

Caribou
The Milk of Human Kindness
[Leaf/Domino; 2005]
Rating 8.5

The Boy Least Likely To
The Best Party Ever
[Too Young to Die; 2005]
Rating 8.5

Wilderness
Wilderness
[Jagjaguwar; 2005]
Rating 8.5

Super Furry Animals
Love Kraft
[XL/Beggars; 2005]
Rating 8.5

Vashti Bunyan
Lookaftering
[Fat Cat; 2005]
Rating 8.5

Jens Lekman
Oh You're So Silent Jens
Rating 8.5

Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene
[Arts & Crafts; 2005]
Rating 8.4

Devendra Banhart
Cripple Crow
[XL; 2005]
Rating 8.4

Isolée
We Are Monster
[Playhouse; 2005]
Rating 8.4

Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Matt Sweeney
Superwolf
[Drag City; 2005]
Rating 8.4

The Game
The Documentary
[Shady/Aftermath/Interscope; 2005]
Rating 8.3

Black Mountain
Black Mountain
[Jagjaguwar; 2005]
Rating 8.3

Six Organs of Admittance
School of the Flower
[Drag City; 2005]
Rating 8.3

Shining
In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster
[Rune Grammofon; 2005]
Rating 8.3

The Decemberists
Picaresque
[Kill Rock Stars; 2005]
Rating 8.3

Franz Ferdinand
You Could Have It So Much Better...
[Domino; 2005]
Rating 8.3

LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
[DFA; 2005]
Rating 8.2

Flying Rabbit · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:05 am

STRIKE LIGHTNING, STRIKE Wrote:

Orthrelm rules

Whoop whoop go Maryland!

Kit · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 2:47 pm **Posts:** 3052

It seems everyone has their lips lodged into Kanye's shit dispenser. I mean, Late Registration is a decent disc but jeez....

splates · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:39 am

BeeOK Wrote:

contradiction Wrote:

stylus' list will prove to be the best.

so far so good

also, Kelley Polar should place decently considering hes on their fornt page

Mick · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 5:18 am

Borg166 Wrote:

a musical genius, just like Timbaland.

The only person i've ever heard call Timbaland a genius is Chris Martin.

shiv · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 5:59 am

Flying Rabbit · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:51 am

I think we should discuss this pitchfork list more...

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/features/comments/12-15-05/

Worst records of 2005.

Clap Yr Hands and Say Yeah, Matisyahu, and Fiery Furnaces among others. I disagree with all three being on the list. Matisyahu being the weakest for me to argue. In any event, I actually liked the Fiery Furnaces album that was released this year and put it in my top 20.

HaqDiesel · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:54 am

Rabbit - those are just worst tracks, and I'm somewhat tempted to agree on the CYHSY opener... I can't see myself wanting to hear it often.

Flying Rabbit · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:58 am

Ah, right right. I just skimmed. Still I'm going to hold up that some of the tracks aren't that bad. I could think of a few worse ones if I had my stacks in front of me.

iron_and_beer · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:40 pm

HaqDiesel Wrote:

I'm somewhat tempted to agree on the CYHSY opener... I can't see myself wanting to hear it often.

I half agree with this. Terrible first impression, but I know like the track. When I play it for people, though, I have to tell them to disregard the first track. Pretty ballsy for an unsigned band to begin they're debut album with this.

Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums

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