We all love reading lists. I know I certainly do. I love reading what other people think is “the best”. Maybe its just what they like, rather than what they think is the best. Either way, I find it really intriguing to see what everyone else loves.
2009 is here, and this decade is coming to an end. As expected, everyone is posting lists of their favorite songs/albums of the decade. I won’t get to my list until much later. I haven’t had a chance to listen to everything that I want to (it’s just impossible!). Plus, I think we need to get through 2009 first in order to fully digest the albums, and then to make room for them in the decade list.
Pitchfork loves to make lists. They take pride of their “hip” best of lists. A large chunk of their picks usually make people scratch their heads. People do read these lists though, a lot of people. The people who read these lists, such as myself, may not agree with the list at all. Your favorite band may get left off (like Arctic did for the entire 500 song list!!!). Or pitchfork will add a mainstream rapper that you never saw them pimpin’ before. You start to wonder if they stop being hipsters when it comes to making best song lists.
There is a reason their website is the biggest musical source. They know how to create controversy, while also displaying strong musical knowledge.
Their list of the top 500 songs of the decade was iffy to me. Sure, there are tons of great picks, but there are also plenty of snubs. There are tons of mainstream rap/r&b artists, which makes no sense. I don’t say this because I am against it. I’m not. Rather, I find it strange to see these types of picks when they never praise these artists during regular coverage. Oh well…
With all that said, I think that the top 20 is pretty good. Some things don’t quite belong in the top 20, some could have been replaced by better songs in the artists catalog. Either way, this is probably one of the better lists that you will see.
Enough rambling. Here are pitchfork’s top 20 songs of this decade. You probably know a good chunk of these anyway, but here they are:
#20 | The Walkmen – The Rat
#19 | R. Kelly – Ignition (Remix)
#18 | Hercules and Love Affair – Blind
# 17 | Annie – Heartbeat
# 16 | The Rapture – House Of Jealous Lovers
# 15 | The Knife – Heartbeats
# 14 | Jay-Z – 99 Problems
# 13 | LCD Soundsystem – Losing My Edge
# 12 | Outkast – Hey Ya!
# 11 | Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
# 10 | Arcade Fire – Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
# 9 | Animal Collective – My Girls
# 8 | Radiohead – Idioteque
# 7 | Missy Elliot – Get Ur Freak On
# 6 | Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps
# 5 | Daft Punk – One More Time
# 4 | Beyoncé – Crazy in Love (Feat. Jay-Z)
# 3 | M.I.A. – Paper Planes (Diplo Remx) (Feat. Bun B and Rich Boy)
# 2 | LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends
# 1 | Outkast – B.O.B.
View the list at pitchfork here
10 Comments
I love your blog, and I write a music blog to of very similar music taste. Anyway, this list completely left out Arctic Monkeys and Muse, which is messed up. Atleast Arcade Fire and Animal Collective made the top 10.
I thought Pitchfork did a great job with the list. I think the mainstream rap/R’n'B picks you mention were chosen more for their ubiquity in music, and the way they’ve become cultural reference points (who wouldn’t be able to identify the song from the following nonsense lyrics: ”ella, ‘ella, ‘ella, ey, ey, ey’, for example?). These songs have helped define and shape the decade in music, like it or not, and I think they were right to include them.
I never really thought about the omissions, but you’re right that something from the Arctic Monkey’s should have been included, and if it was a British publication then they would definitely have figured in the list. Indeed, if any complaint is to be made, it’s that British music in general seems slightly underrepresented; the omission of The Coral’s ‘Dreaming of You’ is a testament to that (although America has admittedly had a much better decade where music is concerned).
The songs should have been included your right. My only gripe with them being included is that those were never the type of songs that they applauded through the year. They only add them at the end of the year lists.
But yeah at least “A Certain Romance” should have been added. After all they had it on their best of 2006 list. Also, “Dreaming Of You” definitely deserves a spot.
This list is bollox. I understand the need to include significant songs or genre moving songs but for all the amazing music left out of the top 500 never mind the top 20 this list serves little good to music lovers. R. Kelly? Outkast are great but two songs in the top 15? No way. Pitchfork’s lists are always suspect and I expect blogs like yours to point this fact out.
Kelrock did you not read my post at all?
“Their list of the top 500 songs of the decade was iffy to me. Sure, there are tons of great picks, but there are also plenty of snubs. There are tons of mainstream rap/r&b artists, which makes no sense. I don’t say this because I am against it. I’m not. Rather, I find it strange to see these types of picks when they never praise these artists during regular coverage. Oh well…”
I think this top was kinda a joke. Not even one song in another language than english? Come on, guys. As least, have the decency to name it “top 500 english songs pf the decade”. That’s insulting and saying that the only good music in the world is in english.
Coj was right in his comment: a British publication would have included some Arctic Monkeys…. and i think any other country would do a complete different list, each time including a little bit more local artists. This top was done by american people, let’s not forget it!!
I’m not from the USA and i don’t give a fu’k about r&b and mainstream hip hop. so, every country have their particular artists that reflect social reality, i don’t identify myself with american millionaire gangsta rapers at all and in the age of internet… I mean, in 2009 they have the ways to listen from dizzee rascal to calle 13 so, don’t know why they keep with JAY-Z, but i’m sure that’s not for the quality of his tracks. The rest of tunes is pretty ok. I’d like to see Seven Nation Army on that list (ABSOLUTE MASSIVE TUNE of the decade).
I would have loved to see some Roisin Murphy in there- ‘If we’re in love’ perhaps. I’m glad they included Herbert though.
ps thanks for the mp3s, I didn’t have some of the top20. I’d heard of Animal Collective, but never actually listened to any of their stuff, and My Girls is brilliant. I’m going to have to buy their album now.
Pitchfork made a politically correct move a while back to forcibly insert rap/hip-hop music every time they make up some kind of list even though they really don’t care about those genres at all (and it shows).
I always read their lists by skipping any items from rap/hip-hop, then they are decent lists. I find them quite informative on indie music. If you want to know what’s good to listen on rap/hip-hop, I’m sure there’re better (and more credible) lists out there. Personally I really don’t care, since I don’t listen to rap/hip-hop (find the majority of them quite boring).
I thought putting Missy’s “Get Ur Freak On” at #7 (SO HIGH on a list of 500 of the DECADE!) was ridiculous. (I wouldn’t have minded seeing Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” in her spot.)
I also found Outkast’s super high performance surprising.
and while the order can always be criticized… the 500 songs picked generally represented the (bulk) best of the decade.