pitchfork is dumb (#34985859340293849494 in a series.)

Noticed a few album blurbs by critics who were writing for mainstream pubs in the 1990s: Simon Reynolds, Will Hermes, Alan Light.

I'm only four albums in but The Bodyguard?? Wow

People keep accusing Pfork of being too poptimist but they rated Liz Phair over Alanis Morissette in both tracks and album polls which is both wrong and indie-cred-damaged.

I'm only four albums in but The Bodyguard?? Wow

― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, September 28, 2022 9:09 AM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

Not only that, but a reference to the Kenny G song as a "worthwhile" non-Whitney cut.

All they had to do was include Sing To God and I'd be recanting every word right now

there's nothing that the 90s kids loved more than kenny g and joe cocker

there's nothing that the 90s kids loved more than kenny g and joe cocker

one more time for the folks in the back

lol that Fear of a Black Planet ranks lower than live through this. Nice to see American Water high in the list though.

lol at garbage above gbv

Main thing I'm perplexed about is the Gang Starr-oatmeal cookie comparison.

Honestly not surprised people like the Cranberries album, it's that I don't think I've ever seen it on a list before.

Lil Kim- Hardcore as the 8th best Hip Hop album of the 90s is something else

Jason King wrote The Bodyguard blurb, and I tend to trust him on R&B matters (though whether that soundtrack counts as R&B is another matter).

Yeah Violator for 1993 stood out for me as well. I don't get how these things don't get noticed.

I guess I just wasn't expecting The Bodyguard because I Will Always Love You seemed to fill that quota in the songs list.

Maybe it was always that way, did 'zines bother to criticize the lists that Rolling Stone or Spin published in the 1980s?

Rolling Stone’s 1989 list of best songs of all-time was so terrible that Spin went and made their own in response (the one with “It Takes Two” at #1).

I theorised Miseducation might top and it was second. Nice.

retrospective reviews of OK Computer are always so wild.

Agree:re Liz Phair reappraisal seeming a lot more pronounced of late. Possibly this is just a reflection of who my friends are/their friends are/etc but I feel like Exile in Guyville took a back seat for quite along time and now its stumbling back. I haven't heard it for maybe 7-8 years so this has reminded me to hear it again.

I remember a lot of renewed hype when she did that anniversary tour a few years back.

pretty strong contingent of artists who have had relatively recent critical reappraisals, toured in the past few years (omitting 2020-2021), or otherwise appeared in the public eye
(wrote this before seeing the liz phair comments and that hits the mark -- she headlined a local music festival here in 2019 and not as a retro act)

Like every new rock band sounds like some combination of Liz Phair and Pavement, this isn't hard, guys

I saw the Chemical Brothers a few weeks ago playing to an enthralled audience of mostly 20 and 30 somethings but alas :(

i'm happy jordan: the comeback made it

my favourite new inclusion tbh!

interesting the general lack of dance music- none of the UK big hitters e.g. Orbital/Underworld/Chems/Prodigy but instead Autechre, KLF and Roni Size (all good records!), little in the way of Detroit (only Drexciya) or for that matter any other North American records. Then there's the obligatory Daft Punk and, slightly weirdly, Oval.

orbital were on the tracks list

I haven't scrolled through the albums yet - too much content too quickly.

A few months after they posted their 200 80s albums, I had a pretty fun time challenging myself over the span of a few weeks to listen through the entire playlist (to help pass the time while doing gig work food deliveries). It's a surprisingly dope list overall. Loads of stuff that I dug right away. It was my first time hearing Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, or reggae stuff like The Scientist or Horace Andy. That might have been my first time listening all the way through Songs from the Big Chair or Sandanista or Youth of America or the 1st Lucinda Williams album. All great choices.

The biggest WTF that still sticks with me is the self-titled Whitney Houston, which was obviously only chosen because it's Whitney Houston despite that it's actually a terrible album. Doesn't surprise me in the slightest that they would include The Bodyguard soundtrack in the 90s list. I get why they would include Private Dancer for sure. It actually rules. I get why Anita Baker is in there to a degree. But Whitney Houston is just not an albums artist. Sorry guys.

I guess I will probably do the same with this 90s list eventually.

The dance music contingent seemed more interested in getting stuff on the tracks poll than the albums poll.

What's also surprising is of the two AFX albums neither is SAW 85-92!

Wilson Philips and Celine Dion are inclusive choices. Karens are people too. Free your mind, people.

Siamese Dream feels direly underranked to me, especially compared to some of the LPs immediately above it (No Doubt? Weezer?)... but it's a current obsession of mine, so my view may not be clear.

The biggest WTF that still sticks with me is the self-titled Whitney Houston, which was obviously only chosen because it's Whitney Houston despite that it's actually a terrible album. Doesn't surprise me in the slightest that they would include The Bodyguard soundtrack in the 90s list. I get why they would include Private Dancer for sure. It actually rules. I get why Anita Baker is in there to a degree. But Whitney Houston is just not an albums artist. Sorry guys.

― billstevejim, Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Must be the fault of those lazy paid influencers.

xxxp as were Underworld. Looking at the 2003 list none of those acts featured either, but The Orb were at #100!

interesting the general lack of dance music- none of the UK big hitters e.g. Orbital/Underworld/Chems/Prodigy but instead Autechre, KLF and Roni Size (all good records!), little in the way of Detroit (only Drexciya) or for that matter any other North American records. Then there's the obligatory Daft Punk and, slightly weirdly, Oval.

― Critique of the Goth Programme (Neil S), Wednesday, September 28, 2022 9:53 AM (five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

oval is a mark richardson hobby horse, good to see as a remnant of the old guard lol

would wilson philips have made the tracks list without bridesmaids

xp haha nice!

xp Bridesmaids was the first thing I thought of when I saw them on there. That was before artists started getting a bump from TikToks.

Honestly the first thing I thought of when I saw Wilson Phillips, was HAIM.

Dixie Chicks at #82 is quite a turnaround for a site that once stated "Pitchfork does not review Country."

Perhaps more current contributors owe it to themselves as paid influencers to bother listening through the entirety of previous lists before settling on their choices. But they don't, because they're lazy.
― billstevejim, Wednesday, September 28, 2022 2:43 AM (six hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

I logged in just to tell you to fuck off
― like, I’m eating an elephant head (katherine), Wednesday, September 28, 2022 2:47 AM (six hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

I cannot describe the warm nostalgic glow this exchange gave me but I thank you so much
― J Edgar Noothgrush (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Wednesday, September 28, 2022 9:28 AM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

I mean, if this is in reference to me saying the current contributors should be familiar with as much as they can before claiming to be influential experts, then I guess you can go straight to hell and eat shit.

Supa Dupa Fly is quite low after The Rain did so well yesterday. I was expecting Homework to maybe be like that but nah.

self-titled whitney album is genuinely great imo, it's not just a commercial powerhouse shoehorned in like 'the bodyguard'

xps to billstevejim

Though I also had a feeling Wilson Philips would show up on the list because "Hold On" was present in the autocomplete of their Reader's Poll. Whereas I had to type in "I Love You Always Forever" to vote for that.

Though I also had a feeling Wilson Philips would show up on the list because "Hold On" was present in the autocomplete of their Reader's Poll. Whereas I had to type in "I Love You Always Forever" to vote for that.

I don't wanna play the "can't believe X didn't make it" game but yeah SAW 85-92 and Dig Your Own Hole not being on the list surprises me

Orbital & Underworld probably would notch 2 albums apiece in my personal Top 10 but I can understand those omissions. Oval making it is actually kind of awesome

I mean, if this is in reference to me saying the current contributors should be familiar with as much as they can before claiming to be influential experts, then I guess you can go straight to hell and eat shit.

― billstevejim

you just don't know when to quit, eh. Next you'll be posting, I DO MY OWN RESEARCH.

omitting saw 85-92 is straight up incorrect

inevitably i have more issues with the albums list than tracks though