Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (according to pitchfork...)
- Thread starter Ponder
- Start date
mjp
Founding member
The "best" albums of a given decade are interesting to look at. It shows you pretty clearly when we were creative and when we were coasting on nostalgia or things that have already been done. That's not to say that all the "creative" decades produced great music (hello 1980s!), but it does show you something. I think. Maybe.
I forgot the link: http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5923-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/
Before I posted this thread I saw your 80s comment coming from far away.
My high school teachers told us all the time; repetition is the best exercise!
Anyway, I was thinking to add a comment to my first post but I thought, mjp
will not reply not that quick! But you beat me, you bastard, you.
Imagine the addition: if we look at the 70s, we only listen to 2 albums, uncle Lou
with his Berlin, we skip punk (most Europeans don't say punk rock because rock is a filthy word)
as quickly as possible and then we listen to Unkown pleasures - Joy Division
and then we can leave the 70s, we sigh for a moment, and then we go on doing our own little things.
Another 90s album I like
[This video is unavailable.]
Before I posted this thread I saw your 80s comment coming from far away.
My high school teachers told us all the time; repetition is the best exercise!
Anyway, I was thinking to add a comment to my first post but I thought, mjp
will not reply not that quick! But you beat me, you bastard, you.
Imagine the addition: if we look at the 70s, we only listen to 2 albums, uncle Lou
with his Berlin, we skip punk (most Europeans don't say punk rock because rock is a filthy word)
as quickly as possible and then we listen to Unkown pleasures - Joy Division
and then we can leave the 70s, we sigh for a moment, and then we go on doing our own little things.
Another 90s album I like
[This video is unavailable.]
mjp
Founding member
My predictability is handicapped by my ambition.
a fool and his money alert:
I have 42 of those albums.
what's worse? I have 63 from their '80s list.
fucking hipster.
I have 42 of those albums.
what's worse? I have 63 from their '80s list.
fucking hipster.
mjp
Founding member
Funny, I counted when going through the 90s list too. But we only own about 40 of the 300 they pick from the 90s, 80s and 70s (their 70s list doesn't even make sense - it appears to be compiled by a bunch of people who weren't even alive in the 70s).
Which means we've got about 900 or 1000 albums here that don't rate. With those important taste-makers anyway.
Which means we've got about 900 or 1000 albums here that don't rate. With those important taste-makers anyway.
I didn't see the '70s list at first. 42 of those.
mjp
Founding member
That 70s list...three Iggy albums but only two reggae albums (one of which I'm pretty sure is from 1969), and nothing from the Wailers (any of them)? Throbbing Gristle and Suicide but no "arena" rock (aside from Van Halen's first)? They completely missed the zeitgeist of the 70s and went with a "look at how much I've read about rock history!" list.
Granted, it's a difficult decade to distill into 100 records. But still. Raise your hand if have a Throbbing Gristle album. Now keep your hand up if you've actually listened to it in the past 20 years. Nobody? Huh.
I do like this list though.
Granted, it's a difficult decade to distill into 100 records. But still. Raise your hand if have a Throbbing Gristle album. Now keep your hand up if you've actually listened to it in the past 20 years. Nobody? Huh.
I do like this list though.
I doubt anyone at pitchfork is over forty. nothing wrong with that, music should be propelled by the young, but it makes it mighty hard to make best of lists of music before you were born. I know why they picked Bowie's Low as best of the '70s (the polarizing album where pop music started transitioning from guitar driven to electronic driven; a foot in both the past and future, etc.), but that's a pick that could only be made in hindsight. ask someone in 1982 to choose the best album of the '70s and I'm sure Low wouldn't top the list.
full disclosure:
but I got that from books. heh.
the blue post-its are ones I have, yellow are ones I want.
full disclosure:
but I got that from books. heh.
the blue post-its are ones I have, yellow are ones I want.
both, really. plus it's also a matter of priority and my mood. "I want this Sonics record, but I also want the new (insert crap here that in a year I'll regret not getting the Sonics record)."
odds are I'm not going to stumble across this, but is it that hard to find Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life? no, but I don't want to go on amazon and buy it either. or I don't want to right now, tomorrow I might change my mind and decide I need it immediately. I'm fickle like that.
and I just changed a bunch of yellow to blue. I should look at that book more often.
odds are I'm not going to stumble across this, but is it that hard to find Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life? no, but I don't want to go on amazon and buy it either. or I don't want to right now, tomorrow I might change my mind and decide I need it immediately. I'm fickle like that.
and I just changed a bunch of yellow to blue. I should look at that book more often.
Based on that nugget of information I would pick it as one of the most despicable albums of all time. Then again, I've never heard of it until now. Obviously I know nothing about good music.
mjp
Founding member
Well, it doesn't sound like you should try too hard... "an energetic if standard mid-'60s jug band revival set..." Egad, man!
If I see it I'll pick it up for you. And add a modest finder's fee, of course.
That 90s list really takes me back, I must have about half of those albums. I'd say that even out of the ones I own though that some of them are a bit shit.
mjp
Founding member
Are we far enough removed from the 90s to know if any of those stand the test of time?
Probably, yes. Carol was listening to Arrested Development's 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... the other day, and she said, "I remember this being better..."
Each of these decades has its signature sounds and cliches, and it's funny how two artists can use the same tools and one of them can still sound fresh and vital while the other sounds old and tired. It's all in the execution, I suppose.
Probably, yes. Carol was listening to Arrested Development's 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... the other day, and she said, "I remember this being better..."
Each of these decades has its signature sounds and cliches, and it's funny how two artists can use the same tools and one of them can still sound fresh and vital while the other sounds old and tired. It's all in the execution, I suppose.
I prefer this list:
http://www.factmag.com/2012/09/03/the-100-best-albums-of-the-1990s-100-81/
Definitely trying a bit too hard to be 'out there' but a good list nonetheless.
http://www.factmag.com/2012/09/03/the-100-best-albums-of-the-1990s-100-81/
Definitely trying a bit too hard to be 'out there' but a good list nonetheless.