It’s almost January, which means we’ve seen plenty of Year End Lists. A few offered ridiculous #1s (and numbers in between), but they all have at least one thing going for them: They’re slightly different, even if at times it seems like every music writer in the the world owns an iPod that only allows the same 50 records to be played over and over. To the matter at hand: You’ll see a bit of a correlation between Pitchfork’s top 50 albums and their 100 Tracks Of 2008, but tracks are different than albums, so there’s no real reason for their to be that much overlap. This list includes a couple of my own favorites in the 45-50 range (Crystal Stilts, High Places) and also gives deserved nods to Fennesz, Fuck Buttons, Vivian Girls, and especially Grouper, Fucked Up, and Gang Gang Dance. But hey, still no metal — like no Krallice, Enslaved, Nachtmystium, or even Torche and Harvey Milk, who both had to content themselves with an Honorable Mention a couple days ago. (Full disclosure: I write about metal for Pitchfork, but did not vote in this list … obviously.) While we’re talking about things that are missing, keep your eyes peeled for Will Sheff. But hey, the band at the no.1 spot looks awfully familiar.
50 Ponytail – Ice Cream Spiritual
49 Crystal Stilts – Alight Of Night
48 High Places – High Places
47 The Tallest Man on Earth – Shallow Grave
46 Beach House – Devotion
45 Lykke Li – Youth Novels
44 Marnie Stern – This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That
43 Shearwater – Rook
42 Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Lie Down in the Light
41 David Byrne and Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
40 The Very Best – Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit are the Very Best
39 Times New Viking – Rip It Off
38 The Bug – London Zoo
37 Grouper – Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
36 Wale – The Mixtape About Nothing
35 Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
34 Arthur Russell – Love Is Overtaking Me
33 Frightened Rabbit – Midnight Organ Fight
32 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
31 Fennesz – Black Sea
30 Los Campesinos! – Hold on Now, Youngster…
29 The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
28 Flying Lotus – Los Angeles
27 Max Tundra – Parallax Error Beheads You
26 Atlas Sound – Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
25 Titus Andronicus – The Airing of Grievances
24 Gang Gang Dance – Saint Dymphna
23 Hot Chip – Made in the Dark
22 Santogold – Santogold
21 Kanye West – 808s and Heartbreak
20 Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing
19 The Walkmen – You & Me
18 The Mae Shi – HLLLYH
17 Fucked Up – The Chemistry of Common Life
16 Vivian Girls – Vivian Girls
15 Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles
14 Air France – No Way Down
13 Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
12 Lindstrøm – Where You Go I Go Too
11 Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III
10 DJ/rupture – Uproot
09 Hercules and Love Affair – Hercules and Love Affair
08 M83 – Saturdays=Youth
07 Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
06 TV On The Radio – Dear Science
05 Deerhunter – Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.
04 Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours
03 No Age – Nouns
02 Portishead – Third
01 Fleet Foxes – Sun Giant EP/Fleet Foxes
That’s right, readers, you agreed with Pitchfork. Read the accompanying blurbs here. I like Scott Plagenhoef’s thoughts on this years Gummy-winning Most Overrated Act:
In a time when other populist groups like Spoon, Arcade Fire, and the Hold Steady– potential radio staples at certain points in rock history — have commercial ceilings somewhere between “an appearance on ‘SNL’” and “gold record,” I can’t find myself rooting against Vampire Weekend’s relative success.
Anywhere near a gold record is probably too optimistic, but point well taken.
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Glad someone else noticed the lack of Evangelicals in any lists! Such a travesty, The Evening Descends was an amazing release, I was expecting at least an honourable mention.
The same goes with The Ruby Suns, I haven’t seen them on any lists this year?
Also The Drones were a bit unlucky. Havilah got an Australian release so I was lucky enough to pick it up, but I don’t think it’s out internationally yet? Definitely a top 50 album, when it drops in the states Pitchfork will eat it up
This list is pretty tasty though, nice to see No Age with a high placing.
I don’t agree with everything on this list, but I like it anyway. I think that 808s and Heartbreak is in the perfect place. Probably no one agrees with me, but that album was great.
oh and Wye Oak also definitely missed out big time, If Children was a stunner.
and Why? was real unlucky to only end up in honourable mentions
I’m really suprised Okkervil River isn’t mentioned on the list , I think they should definitely have been mention in the top 50 somewhere.
Also I think Conor Oberst and Noah and the Whale deserved a mention.
No suprises there with Fleet Foxes being number one, it seems they’re topping every end of year list!
F*** Fleet Foxes…If I wanted to hear rehashed early My Morning Jacket I would just listen to early My Morning Jacket…Nothing like Pitchfork to give a rip off band more props than the band they rip off…(though Evil Urges does suck!)
spot on. see: ‘At Dawn’ demos.
Everyone is so emotional. Its just a list of Pitchfork’s compiled favorites of the year. This list doesn’t change anything about these albums, so stop complaining. You’re still allowed to enjoy them- it doesn’t matter what Pitchfork says, ever. Just thank them for (likely) introducing you to a bunch of these great new bands or new albums. I was, however, surprised to see that Spiritualized didn’t even make an honorable mention, but it hasn’t stopped me from loving that album and putting it in my top ten. Also, everyone’s tastes are different, so stop arguing about nothing. What else…oh, way earlier James was upset that he got “mixed messages” from Pitchfork about albums with 7 scores. First of all read the review but make your own opinion- yours doesn’t have to be whatever a Pitchfork writer tells you it is, and so what if you overlooked it due to a not so exciting review, then took more notice when it placed highly in a year end list? You haven’t missed any opportunities besides maybe some concerts you didn’t consider earlier. The albums are still in print if you’re interested at all. Calm down.
One more thing:
Pitchfork didn’t write YOUR favorite 50 of 2008, they wrote THEIR favorite 50 of 2008.
Remember that people. Let them have their opinions. Its not supposed to change yours.
conor oberst?
mike jones?
WHO?
Keith Murray?
I’ve been surprised to not see The Raveonettes’ Lust Lust Lust on more year end lists. I played that shit out of that one, but I’m sure people have their reasons
black mountain – in the future, okkervil river – the stand ins, and dungen – 4 have been ignored on too many lists.
i do not get the mae shi… does anyone agree or am i just missing something
like their alright but i don’t understand the big fuss
omg i hadnt given the walkmens album a listen because i was so dissapointed with their last two releases but “You and Me” is becoming one of my favorites this year,
the whole theme of sobbering up from your younger years hits home with me, i love this record
Yeah- I agree French Kicks should be on there because their pretty great, but i agree with the list pretty well, though Lil’ Wayne is just…Im not going to say “bad” for say because I don’t know much to anything about rap but i think there are a lot of bands that deserve the spot more. the top 3 choices is dead on for me.
holy shit. do none of you realize your heads are so far up your musical assholes you cant see how silly these comments are?
everyone who is complaining that their list is bullshit because what was number 40 should be in the top ten and number 7 should just be an honorable mention…..do you see that you are still reading a list which is insanely close to exactly what youve been listening to? with all the music and people that are out there, lists full of music that is under the radar for the majority of the public that you enjoy should be an enjoyable read and nothing more.
but to complain that someone doesn’t know what the fuck they are talking about because they put cut copy at number 4 and not the mid-30s? really?
toss in The Dodos, Department of Eagles, and Why? somewhere in the top ten, and I”d approve of the list as a whole.
still, may as well argue top fifty colors of 2008. there’s not really going to be a conseusus.
I would have put Passion Pit somewhere on the list, even if an honorable mention. I felt even though it was an EP, it was a solid, lengthy one. I think they gave it a good review, too, with the “Recommended” label and since its their debut, its surprising it got no recognition. I’m not even sure if “Sleepyhead” made the cut on their top tracks list, either.
The Foals’ Antidotes and SM + the Jicks’ Real Emotional Trash were both solid, underrated records. Pitchdork flubbed those reviews. I also like how they put DJ/rupture in the top 10 just to suck up to The Wire magazine.
Why aren’t ting tings in nobody’s list?? hehe…just kiddin’…
Crystal Castles, M83, and the unmentioned MGMT and metronomy and ladyhawke and all this fake “experimental” “electro” bs is the worst shit I’ve ever heard. The killers fucking suck, but at least on mr brightside and when we or you? were young or whatever at least they had fucking guitars and hooks, not just bullshit ass synth. These guys make new order look butch.
This might actually be the dumbest comment I’ve read in this thread. Kudos.
I applaud the recognition of Cut Copy, it’s about damn time some end of the year list had them
the rest of the list is like some people said, “predictable”, too bad Bloc Party didn’t make it, they had a completely different sound than anyone else
Observation #1: You’re all fucking music snobs and I loathe you for it. Lighten up and enjoy that someone’s compiled all of this music for you!
Observation #2: Doesn’t all this banter seem like a few music snobs battling over whose got the biggest dick?
this is stereogum/pitchfork territory so clearly these commenters take music more seriously that your average listener
the fact that people are educated about modern music and want to discuss it with other people/argue is a perfectly healthy thing to do, people who take music seriously find it fun. thats why we’re all here…
don’t ruin our fun with your derogatory post.
NO!!! to all.
NO!!!!!
2007 had ‘Person Pitch’, ‘From Here We Go Sublime’, etc.
Even ‘Graduation’ and ‘The Reminder’ are better than this crap.
Am I alone in thinking 2008 was an uninspired, uninspiirng year for Pop albums?
Or is it just Pitchfork-approved albums…?
Ruby Suns and Evangelicals needed to be on this list.
Portishead is so boring. I wanted to like it but I am very dissapointed. The sparse arrangements and lack of melodies only highlight Beth’s blah lyrics. She is about as good a lyricyst as Chris Martin. This has always been the case but we were to busy humming along to notice.
In the end….no list is perfect, but this is the closest one Ive seen to my personal taste.
To all the haters and spoiled brats. Just remember, Pitchfork is a free site with nothing but good intentions. So just drop it.
If you liked the Vivian Girls album, you’re in luck: I plan on breaking a bunch of instruments, giving them to some kids under the age of 10, and recording the resulting sonic explosion on an old refurbished dictaphone. Let me know if you want a copy since it will essentially be a sequel to the Vivian Girls album.
Most of the selections I agree with, though I am disappointed that Lil Wayne even got up there and that MGMT and Metronomy didn’t get up there. Crystal Castles. A name I haven’t heard in a while. I truly believe that they belong up there, if not, even higher. Next year, I hope to see The Strokes’ new album up there.
Not a single one of those albums deserved to be on the list. I would rather listen to the shitty billboard charts than this collection of absolute trash. This selection can hardly even be called music.
I’m not arguing that they should e in the top 10 – or even necessarily the top 20, or whatever – but not having of Montreal in the top 50 albums of the year would suggest to me that either a) the writers at Pitchfork do not enjoy fun, or b) they have absoutely no libidos worth speaking of. or perhaps, most likely, c) both. only people who could listen to all of skeletal lamping and not crack one smile or feel even the slightest bit turned on could really believe that that portishead album was the second best album of the year
seconds, thirds, fourths and fifths to evangelicals’ ‘the evening descends’ – it’s the record i’ve listened to most consistently all the way through this year. it’s a triumph by any stretch – ‘midnight vignette,’ ‘skeleton man,’ ‘bloodstream’! seriously! i’ve been ticked not to see ev’s on any lists.
also shocked not to see mountain goats’ ‘heretic pride’ or the wonderful ‘satanic messiah’ ep anywhere.
I just keep wishing I’d see some sort of props to Children 18:3 for making a ridiculously fun, infectious rock record. Unlikely, but I can dream.
I called either Fleet Foxes or Microcastles to be #1 on the list. I’m not to dissatisfied with Pitchfork’s decisions, but it did seem a little predictable. Fleet Foxes are enjoyable and put out a good album, but as far as number one goes, I can name several albums released this year on the list that were better. I wish The Walkmen would have broken the top ten, as You & Me was quite an amazing effort.
One thing that really disappointed me about this year though was that a lot of really good albums received at best lukewarm attention from critics. It seems as if it’s almost passe or a bad thing for a band to try and expand their sound. The main example of this was when Pitchfork gave the new British Sea Power album a “U.2″ rating. I personally thought that this was a very good release, and found that some of the songs benefited from the bigger sound. But it seems as though some critics will automatically assume that the band has lost track of their roots, etc., etc, and will therefor criticize or even completely bash a band based on their ambitions. And then when a band tries to keep a sound from a previous album, they call it unoriginal. It seems there is a double standard at work with certain artists come review time. Of course, I know there are many other factors that go in to a review, but I was really disappointed to see efforts by British Sea Power, Islands, Wolf Parade, and a few others fall by the wayside because of this sort of double standard.
Just an observation though. Overall I don’t have too many gripes with their list. Allowed me to discover some artists like Wale and M83.
First of all, Fleet Foxes are really overated,
Secondly, where’s Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson?
Best album this year
No love for Man Man? =(
R.E.M.??? Really? Pitchfork is officially over.
R.E.M.??? Really? Pitchfork is officially over.
Has anyone on here heard of the Silver Jews?!
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postrock/2008/12/best_of_2008_our_albums_and_si.html
Number 10 on one of the two lists. Both critics also list Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, since we’re bringing up artists who have been shafted on year end lists.
yeah, I’ve been loving Ode to Sunshine. and i hear their live show is pretty great as well.
the list is quite predictable for ’08…I’m just glad Lindstrom was placed somewhere on it.
To the people arguing over Pitchfork snubbing Of Montreal: If you don’t realize how great Skeletal Lamping is then you just don’t have a good ear. It’s that simple. It is one of the most complex achievements in music in a long time, let alone 2008. History will be the judge. I agree it may be inaccesssible at first, but it truly works. And the live experience brings it all together. Pitchfork has lost all credibility and should no longer be considered a credible voice in the music scene. They’ve clearly lost it.
What is strange is that Skeletal Lamping was on many Pitchfork staff member top 25 lists, so I don’t see how it missed the top 50. I think it belongs squarely in the top 5, and should probably be number one. It does things no other album could dream of doing.
I think the quote above is very sad all three bands spoon, hold steady, and arcade fire deserve to sell more records.
I also wonder how many people complaining about certain records have actually bought the record. This is a problem and I think records will get worse and worse as long as we don’t all support good bands.
ogame oyun oyna
film izle
THA CARTER 3 , shouldve ATLEAST cracked the top 10 if not top 5 that was the best rap album of the decade ( only other aguable one is the blueprint 3 ) but i see these people give lil wayne NO respect