Each year when Pitchfork posts their annual Top 100 Songs Of XXXX you can be sure to find a number of hip-hop and popular radio tracks filtered into the electronic and indie stuff. Makes sense: Those genres and/or sensibilities can result in great singles. You generally see less harsh noise or heavy metal or whatever… This year you see no metal. Not even the more popular stuff. Which is strange when you consider how good certain individual tracks are on Blue Record (or how much some folks love Crack The Skye), but not surprising. What’s also not surprising is which song landed at No. 1. We like to joke about the Animal Collective > Grizzly Bear thing, but it comes into play heavily when you hit the Top 25. As do Phoenix. Personally, I’m glad a darker (and at times gothier) vibe reared its head again in ’09 via popular artists like Fever Ray, Bat For Lashes, HEALTH, Pictureplane, etc. I’m also happy to see Destroyer’s “Bay Of Pigs” because that song’s incredible. Girls make a deservedly strong showing. tUnE-yArDs pops up on the heels of her ecstatic Dirty Projectors opening sets. (Of course, DP are in there, too.) If you find yourself stressing the results, no worries: You’ll get plenty of “chillwave” to calm you down.
100 Darkstar – “Aidy’s Girl’s a Computer”
99 Julianna Barwick – “Bode”
98 Future of the Left – “Arming Eritrea”
97 The Smith Westerns – “Be My Girl”
96 Gucci Mane [Feat. Plies] – “Wasted”
95 The Thermals – “Now We Can See”
94 Best Coast – “Sun Was High (So Was I)”
93 Morrissey – “Something is Squeezing My Skull”
92 Cam’ron – “I Hate My Job”
91 HEALTH – “Die Slow”
90 The-Dream – “Rockin’ That Shit”
89 No Age – “You’re a Target”
88 Passion Pit – “Moth’s Wings”
87 Here We Go Magic – “Fangela”
86 Drake – “Best I Ever Had”
85 Wavves – “No Hope Kids”
84 Junior Boys – “Parallel Lines”
83 Lady Gaga – “Paparazzi”
82 DJ Kaos – “Love the Nite Away (Tiedye remix)”
81 Bowerbirds – “Northern Lights”
80 YACHT – “Psychic City (Voodoo City)”
79 Pictureplane – “Goth Star”
78 Charlotte Gainsbourg – “IRM”
77 Frida Hyvönen – “Jesus Was a Cross Maker”
76 The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Don’t Haunt This Place”
75 Gold Panda – “Quitter’s Raga”
74 Neon Indian – “Should Have Taken Acid With You”
73 Woods – “Rain On”
72 Matt & Kim – “Daylight”
71 A Sunny Day in Glasgow – “Close Chorus”
70 Discovery – “Orange Shirt”
69 Taylor Swift – “You Belong With Me”
68 Röyksopp [Feat. Robyn] – “The Girl and the Robot”
67 Arctic Monkeys – “Cornerstone”
66 Julian Casablancas – “11th Dimension”
65 The Tough Alliance – “A New Chance (The Juan MacLean Remix)”
64 Annie – “Songs Remind Me of You”
63 Real Estate – “Fake Blues”
62 Volcano Choir – “Island, IS”
61 Atlas Sound [Feat. Lætitia Sadier] – “Quick Canal”
60 Kurt Vile – “Freeway”
59 tUnE-yArDs – “Sunlight”
58 Fever Ray – “If I Had a Heart”
57 Sleigh Bells – “Crown on the Ground”
56 John Talabot – “Sunshine”
55 Bat For Lashes – “Glass”
54 Joker & Ginz – “Purple City”
53 The xx – “Islands”
52 St. Vincent – “Actor Out of Work”
51 Antony and the Johnsons – “Aeon”
50 Matias Aguayo – “Rollerskate”
49 Yo La Tengo – “Here to Fall”
48 Destroyer – “Bay of Pigs”
47 Yeah Yeah Yeahs -”Heads Will Roll”
46 Memory Tapes – “Bicycle”
45 The Flaming Lips [Feat. Karen O] – “Watching the Planets”
44 Jay-Z [Feat. Alicia Keys] – “Empire State of Mind”
43 Camera Obscura – “French Navy”
42 The Big Pink – “Velvet”
41 Major Lazer [Feat. Nina Sky and Ricky Blaze] – “Keep It Goin’ Louder”
40 Bear in Heaven – “Lovesick Teenagers”
39 Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance”
38 Dirty Projectors and David Byrne -”Knotty Pine”
37 Surfer Blood – “Swim”
36 Fever Ray – “When I Grow Up”
35 Micachu and the Shapes – “Golden Phone”
34 Atlas Sound [Feat. Noah Lennox] – “Walkabout”
33 DJ Quik and Kurupt – “9x’s Outta 10″
32 The Very Best [Feat. Ezra Koenig] – “Warm Heart of Africa”
31 Lily Allen – “The Fear”
30 The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “Young Adult Friction”
29 jj – “Ecstasy”
28 Neko Case – “This Tornado Loves You”
27 Four Tet – “Love Cry”
26 Bon Iver – “Blood Bank”
25 Cass McCombs – “You Saved My Life”
24 Basement Jaxx – “Raindrops”
23 Animal Collective – “Brother Sport”
22 Delorean – “Seasun”
21 Raekwon [Feat. Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, & Method Man] – “House of Flying Daggers”
20 Japandroids – “Young Hearts Spark Fire”
19 Joker – “Digidesgin”
18 The Big Pink – “Dominos”
17 Fuck Buttons – “Surf Solar”
16 The xx – “Crystalised”
15 Girls – “Hellhole Ratrace”
14 Joy Orbison – “Hyph Mngo”
13 Neon Indian – “Deadbeat Summer”
12 Grizzly Bear – “While You Wait for the Others”
11 Animal Collective – “What Would I Want? Sky”
10 Washed Out – “Feel It All Around”
09 Girls – “Lust for Life”
08 Phoenix – “Lisztomania”
07 Big Boi [Feat. Gucci Mane] – “Shine Blockas”
06 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Zero”
05 Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks”
04 Bat For Lashes – “Daniel”
03 Phoenix – “1901″
02 Dirty Projectors – “Stillness Is the Move”
01 Animal Collective – “My Girls”
You can dig into the accompanying blurbs at P4K.
You Might Also Like
 Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums, Songs Of The ’00s |  Amazon’s 100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums Of All Time |  VH1′s 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs |  Pitchfork’s Top 100 Tracks Of 2008 |
 |
 |
Girls continue to get love with blah music that 15+ other bands in SF can do better.
I thought “No Intention” was the best track off Bitte Orca, yet no one seems to agree….if you like “Useful Chamber” better i’ll give you a pass.
Further proof that this was one of the worst year’s in music, quite possibly ever. Animal Collective is trippy for the sake of being trippy. I’m not sure what’s worse, them grabbing 3 of the top 25 or that steaming pile of shit at #2 (that song flat out sucks). I guess if you throw enough shit on a wall, some of it will stick. But there’s are no great songs, a handful of decent songs and a heapload of shit. I can’t ever remember disliking a year in music this much. In the prophetic words of BRMC, whatever happened to my Rock & Roll?
lol what do you listen to…if you like the music posted here, then you would probably think this year has been amazing, in my opinion.
Wow. I just realized how much this year sucks.
I thought “All for the Best” cover that Thom Yorke did was great this year but I know it doesn’t count for 2009 since it is a cover…but thought i’d point that out.
“12 Grizzly Bear – “While You Wait for the Others”
I sure hope that Pitchfork means the version featuring Michael McDonald. The original version is just isn’t as smooth.
I think this is a pretty decent list! its pretty representative of what was an absolutey fantastic year for music.
However, I feel that p4k usually picks the “big” or first single from a great album, rather than put some thought into the choice, and pick the real album standout or the real crowd-pleasers from a band’s live set.
I do love how they picked some key tracks from the seemingly “trendy” sub-genres that had a particularly creative/breakout year (glo-fi, dubstep)… they’re picks are mostly on-point, but I would have made some switches in placement.
With that said, here a few quick thoughts on changes I’d make to improve the list from my perspective:
Omissions (Where is?!?!)
Burial & Four Tet – Moth
Burial – Fostercare
Dan Deacon – Snookered
Hot Chip – I know they’re new, but their two new songs are fantastic
Yeasayer – Ambling Alp (too new?)
Should Be Highers
Fever Ray – Should be in the Top 10, the album is so unique and cohesive, you could really pick any song. I’m guessing they’ll place her album very high to reflect this tho.
Royksopp – Girl & Robot, and include ‘This Must Be It’ while you’re at it, its the best track on the album
Darkstar – Aidy’s Girl…. This song sounds like nothing else this year, I’d trade spots with Joker’s Digidesign
Memory Tapes – Bicycle, this is top 10, easily. Trade spots with Washed Out or Neon Indian
The xx – Islands, but any song from their album could be Top 10, same as Fever Ray
Switch Songs:
jj – Ecstacy is prob my least fave song on the album, From Africa… or Are You Still in Vallda? are better
AC – My Girls, yes it was the first single, Summertime Clothes and Brothersport are better
YYYs- Switch out Zero with Skeletons
Fuck Buttons- Surf Solar is great, but tracks 3,4, 6, and 7 from Tarot Sport are all better
Atlas Sound – Switch Quick Canals and Walkabout. QC is the album standout.
I also think some of their inclusions are stuck in there, out of obligation to justify the amount of hype they put on the artists earlier in the year, or during previous albums (Girls, Wavves, Arctic Monkeys, No Age) or maybe I just can’t stand lo-fi crap, which is totally possible!
I do love tho they included some newer, left-field kinda artists (the dubstep singles, gold panda, etc), and quite a bit of electronic stuff. Basement Jaxx, Royksopp, Fever Ray, Four Tet, Joy Orbison, Darkstar, Memory Tapes, Junior Boys, Fuck Buttons, Annie, etc… any list that has all of these I can get on board with.
I don’t even mind that Gaga made the list. Bad Romance is undeniably catchy. But Taylor Swift? WTF? Why include generic major label pop radio wal-mart music?
Oh man, maybe I should just make my own list.
dude i like what your saying but thats alot of words…
pitchforks top 25 albums are going to be listed tomorrow!
better have:
1.sunset rubdown
2.wild beasts
3.tegan and sara
hopefully have but doubt it:
4.handsome furs
5.monsters of folk
Anyone really disappointed with the top 20 is kidding themselves. My Girls was always going to be no.1 and AC, Phoenix and Grizzly Bear deserved to be represented the way they were.
I would have liked to see some Mew in there somewhere but the album’s best four tracks (New Terrain, Beach, Introducing Palace Players and Repeaterbeater) are so damn even that I can understand if they rate the album instead of its individual parts – I assume it will feature in their top 25 albums and hopefully somewhere close to the top 10.
12 while you wait for the others – grizzly bear
….
09 lust for life – girls
yet grizzly bear received a 10 in its single review, whereas girls got a 9
consistent.
Lust for life is a song, not an album.
Some of these should have made it……
VEGA – NO REASONS
LOCAL NATIVE – SUN HANDS
FUTURE ISLANDS – LITTLE DREAMER (JONES REMIX)
BEACH HOUSE – NORWAY
FABIAN – HEATWAVE
ARMY NAVY – SAINTS
TORI Y MOI – BLESSA
ZERO 7 – GHOST SYMBOL
DEAD MAN’S BONES – PA PA POWER
EDWARD SHARP – HOME / JANGLIN’ / 40 DAYS DREAMIN’
JACK PENATE – TONIGHT’S TODAY
PORT O’BRIEN – MY WILL IS GOOD
MEW – INTRODUCING PALACE PLAYERS
SMALL BLACK – DESPICABLE DOGS
DRUMMER – DIAMONDS TO SHAKE
BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW – BORN ON A DAY THE SUN DIDN’T RISE
Edward Sharpe and the magnetic zeros- Home. I think should be on there. Regrdless of what you think of them as a band that song is killer (as long as you do your best to ignor the spoken word breakdown bs…thats never a good idea.)
I feel like Pitchfork, for one reason or another, feels obligated to throw in a few random hip/hop tracks whenever they come up with these “best of __” lists. Kind of strange when you know they’re absolutely drooling over bands like Grizzly Bear, Phoenix, and Animal Collective. I mean, Gucci Mane? Seriously?
Animal Collective: Summertime Clothes
Dirty Projectors: Cannibal Resource
The Phantom Band: Throwing Bones
The Veils: Sit Down By The Fire
The Antlers: Bear
Heartless Bastards: Sway
Wild Beasts: All The Kings Men
The Dead Weather: So Far From Your Weapon
The Very Best: Mfamu
every time p4k makes a list people here freak out. Everyone seems to have different complaints, its almost like enjoying music and what a person thinks is best is personal and subjective….
that being said where the &$^# is pon de floor, am I the only one who loves that track?
I would’ve liked to see a Merriweather track other than Brother Sport and My Girls on there, but What Would I Want? Sky is as good as or better than any other Animal Collective song released this year.
I usually get on here around christmas and find new music…I must say that so far all the music from the comments edges out the music from the list I liked……There were maybe 20 or so songs on the top 100 list that I enjoyed…and probably 25 from the comments…sooo….thanks guys!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING. mmp and veckatimest both put me to sleep.
WHEN DID INDIE REFER TO PUSSIES AFRAID OF AMPS!?!?!?
what was the last album you made…….don’t be a snob, sure no one cares what the fuck you say.
dood I made six albums this year
ALSO YOU LIKE SONDRE LERCHE AND SUFJAN STEVENS!?!?!?!?
CAN WE BE FRIENDSTER FRIENDS?
MAYBE YOUD LIKE TO LISTEN TO THE BRIGHT EYES CD’S YOU LOVED IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT I ALSO LOVED
THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW UNDERAPPRECIATED MINERAL IS!
MAYBE YOU CAN PLAY THE TAM BOU ON MY LIVE ALBUM IN YOUR KITCHEN!?!?!?!?!
IF YOU DON”T CARE THEN WHY DID YOU REPLY?
TWO WAY MONOLOGUE IS THE BEST!
bluish:)
The great thing about the digital revolution/internet is that these kind of lists are no longer static. I hate to sound all touchy-feely, but all these comments aggregate into a fluid list. Never before have I been so empowered in finding and promoting amazing music, and it usually has nothing to do with whatever music critic’s idea of what is good. 2009 has been the best year in music, for me, because of the amazing bands, and you guys talking about them on this blog.
Noah and the Whale?
A little bummed to see Animal Collective represented so many times in the top tracks. There were enough good bands, albums, and tracks this year to let Animal Collective shine at #1 and then make way for other deserving gems in the other top notches where AC tracks are awarded.
Are you people serious? These lists are based on at least 25 critics putting in their own top 25 so to pretend there is politics behind the selections is pure folly. Does anyone recalll last year’s number one? Now that was a stinker – but again, based on consensus.
The only thing I concur (con*quer) with is the rap songs because the last five years have been bad ones for that genre.
If anything, I am surprised there were not more Animal Collective tracks on the list – an EP of cast offs from the album still managed to produced five classics and they were clearly the year’s best band.
For the record, my five were:
1901
What Would I Want? Sky?
Introducing Palace Players (Mew)
While You Wait For The Others
My Girls
omg that top 10 is making me cringe
We’re not done yet with these list thing? I thought we’ve culminated with Rolling Stones? P4K is so anti-climatic. Well, we still have a week or so for some music site to submit their yearend’s best or worse.
Really P4K? You expect us to believe that you actually liked Taylor Swift, The Gaga, or Lily Allen over say, Radiohead’s Harry Partch or the Horrors’,Bob Dylan’s, Jarvis Cocker”s 2009 releases? Two Girls song deserved 2 spots over, say, Morrissey? Charlotte’s Gainsbourg’s IRM over Heaven Can Wait. Not even released in the States yet. Bah! BAH!
Somewhere band x or singer X is just happy not to be included in P4K Best of.
I’m not entirely sure, but wasn’t Freeway on Kurt Vile’s 2008 album? Why is it on P4k’s 2009 list?
Definitely some good tracks on this list.
But that theory will be blown away tomorrow when Sunset Rubdown mearly gets an Honorable Mention from the fork before the list even starts.
ogame oyun oyna
film izle
maybe if you ask again it will appear!