Pitchfork's Top 200 Tracks of the 1990's

[Ryvicke]

Yikes (http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7854-the-top-200-tracks-of-the-1990s-200-151/)

If only I had been raised as a super hipster from 8 years old I may have heard half of this in the actual decade it was released.

Still though--my friends are going nuts: Gold Soundz?!?! As number 1?? The number of times I've listened to that record and never thought to myself that that was some type of "great song."

I GUESS I WAS WRONG.

Although, I'm giving them semi-props for their "See Also" underneath each track. They put some decidedly un-Pitchfork recommendations there in a lot of the songs.

[Warriorbird]

Ha ha. Sometimes Pitchfork is RIGHT ON. Sometimes NOT.

[Cephalopod]

"Top 200 Pretentious Tracks of the 90s"

[Warriorbird]

It's like they get a bunch of great artists right. They just then fail on track identification completely.

[Drew]

Not that I agree with the list but they hit a lot of good songs, I like every song in the top 10 except number 1.

And throughout the list they hit a lot of songs that weren't huge hits but were hugely influential to a lot of people:

20. DJ Shadow
"Midnight in a Perfect World"

23. Spiritualized
"Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (Elvis Version)"

27. Elliott Smith
"Needle in the Hay"

32. Bonnie "Prince" Billy
"I See a Darkness"

36. Guided by Voices
"Game of Pricks"

49. Yo La Tengo
"Autumn Sweater"

56. Godspeed You Black Emperor!
"Moya"

58. Fugazi
"Repeater"

80. The KLF
"Wichita Lineman Was a Song I Once Heard"

154. Pharoahe Monch
"Simon Says"

187. Arab Strap
"The First Big Weekend"

191. Digable Planets
"9th Wonder (Blackitolism)"

197. Danzig
"Mother '93"



Personally I listened to all those songs at least 100 times when I was younger, and they influenced me musically and a lot of the bands I enjoy today were influenced by them.


But I understand if other people don't like them, I've always thought arguing over music is the dumbest thing ever (except for Ke$ha, we can all agree she needs to die).

[Warriorbird]

I guess. I just preferred a bunch of the 'other tracks' to the actual selections.

[Latrinsorm]

Rating any Jeff Buckley song above his cover of Hallelujah is ridiculous, but not quite as ridiculous as using the words "meta-narrative". Of course it's overplayed - it's by far his best song.

I'm taking their not including U2 (but including Brian Eno!) in a list of the top 200 "tracks" from the 1990s as a sign that they would really much rather not be taken seriously.

[peam]

No qualms with this list.

They have some quality music on there, and obviously it's a typical case of Pitchfork being Pitchfork.

[Paradii]

I think they completely omitted a few genre's of music. I mean the recognized certain post-rock acts like Mogwai and God Speed You Black Emperor, but no love for melo death? I'd think something from In Flames "The Jester Race" or At the Gates "slaughter of the soul" would have made it, but hey at least A tribe called quest got a few nods.

[Tyrath]

Pitchfork is a horrendous site. Half of their reviews seem to be somewhat relevant, while the other half seem like they're just trolling people to get publicity.

[DCSL]

Um yeah, artists right, tracks wrong.

Although the list did make me re-download a bunch of Aphex Twin in fond remembrance of my yesteryears.

[Warriorbird]

I cranked 'Nannou' at a party a bit back and people loved it. There's some stunning stuff in his catalog.

[Drew]

Rating any Jeff Buckley song above his cover of Hallelujah is ridiculous, but not quite as ridiculous as using the words "meta-narrative". Of course it's overplayed - it's by far his best song.

I think it's because the song was written in the 80s. It's clearly his best song, one of the best ever.