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{{short description|2008 music compilation book}}
{{short description|2008 music compilation book}}
{{Infobox book
{{primary sources|date=May 2011}}
| name = The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present
{{italic title}}
| image =
'''''The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present''''' is a book compiling the greatest songs from 1977 to 2006, published in 2008 by [[Pitchfork Media]]. The book focuses on specific genres including [[indie rock]], [[hip-hop]], [[electronic music|electronic]], [[pop music|pop]], [[heavy metal music|metal]], and experimental underground. The book is broken down into 9 chronological periods, each period beginning with a description of the music scene before the featured artists, and how those artists changed the music scene.<ref>[http://thepitchfork500.com/about/] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227055704/http://thepitchfork500.com/about/ |date=February 27, 2009 }}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' described the book as having "42 critics to cover 30 years of music, from 1977 punk to 2006 crunk, and all the starry-eyed, acoustic acts in between."<ref name="TIME">Claire Suddath, [http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1862151,00.html#ixzz1l6F6fPRu "The Skimmer: ''The Pitchfork 500''"], ''[[TIME]]'', November 26, 2008.</ref>
| alt =
| caption =
| editors = Scott Plagenhoef<br>Ryan Schreiber
| cover_artist = Chris Capuozzo (illustration)
| language = English
| subject = Music
| publisher = [[Fireside Books]]
| pub_date = 11 November 2008
| pub_place = New York
| media_type = Print (paperback)
| pages = 208
| isbn = 978-1-4165-6202-3
| isbn_note =
| oclc =
| dewey =
| congress =
}}
'''''The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present''''' is a book compiling the greatest songs from 1977 to 2006, published in 2008 by [[Pitchfork Media]]. The book focuses on specific genres including [[indie rock]], [[hip-hop]], [[electronic music|electronic]], [[pop music|pop]], [[heavy metal music|metal]], and experimental underground. The book is broken down into 9 chronological periods, each period beginning with a description of the music scene before the featured artists, and how those artists changed the music scene.<ref>[http://thepitchfork500.com/about/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227055704/http://thepitchfork500.com/about/|date=February 27, 2009}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' described the book as having "42 critics to cover 30 years of music, from 1977 punk to 2006 crunk, and all the starry-eyed, acoustic acts in between."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Suddath |first=Claire |date=2008-11-26 |title=Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews |url=https://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1862151,00.html |access-date=2024-02-10 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |language=en-US |issn=0040-781X}}</ref>


==Critical reception==
==Critical reception==
The book received attention and criticism from [[mainstream media|mainstream]] and [[alternative media]]. ''[[TIME]]'' commented that the book's record reviews "have been pleasantly stripped of their supercilious phrases" and that "its tributes to popular songs are exquisite" but concluded, "the project comes off like a personal message that [[High Fidelity (film)|High Fidelity]]'s Rob Gordon might obsessively attach to a mix-tape."<ref name="TIME"/> The ''[[Washington City Paper]]'' called it ''Pitchfork'''s "boomer-like shot at print-based respectability, a coffee-table book..."<ref>Matthew Siblo, [http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/38235/pitchforks-list-to-end-all-lists-should-in-fact-end "Rank Bullshit: Pitchfork's list to end all lists should, in fact, end all lists."] ''[[Washington City Paper]]'', December 18, 2009.</ref> ''[[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under the Radar]]'' gave the book a 7/10 rating, noting that Pitchfork "has emerged as arguably the preeminent music criticism source of its time while fashioning itself into a multimedia powerhouse".<ref>Evan Rytlewski, [http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/the_pitchfork_500_our_guide_to_the_greatest_songs_from_punk_to_present/ "Reviews"], ''[[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under the Radar]]'', November 1, 2008.</ref>
The book received attention and criticism from [[mainstream media|mainstream]] and [[alternative media]]. ''[[TIME]]'' commented that the book's record reviews "have been pleasantly stripped of their supercilious phrases" and that "its tributes to popular songs are exquisite" but concluded, "the project comes off like a personal message that [[High Fidelity (film)|High Fidelity]]'s Rob Gordon might obsessively attach to a mix-tape."<ref name=":0" /> The ''[[Washington City Paper]]'' called it ''Pitchfork'''s "boomer-like shot at print-based respectability, a coffee-table book..."<ref>Matthew Siblo, [http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/38235/pitchforks-list-to-end-all-lists-should-in-fact-end "Rank Bullshit: Pitchfork's list to end all lists should, in fact, end all lists."] ''[[Washington City Paper]]'', December 18, 2009.</ref> ''[[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under the Radar]]'' gave the book a 7/10 rating, noting that Pitchfork "has emerged as arguably the preeminent music criticism source of its time while fashioning itself into a multimedia powerhouse".<ref>Evan Rytlewski, [http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/the_pitchfork_500_our_guide_to_the_greatest_songs_from_punk_to_present/ "Reviews"], ''[[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under the Radar]]'', November 1, 2008.</ref>


On the other hand, the ''[[Houston Press]]'' criticized the book for what it saw as its unwarranted disregard for Latin, country, funk, soul, and classic rock, opining that ''Pitchfork'''s "school of criticism has always relied more on trendy perceptions than actual musical merit and song structure."<ref>John Nova Lomax, [http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2008/11/get_lit_the_pitchfork_500.php "Get Lit: The Pitchfork 500"], ''[[Houston Press]]'', November 12, 2008.</ref> And ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]] Chicago'' called the book "a slow, meandering walk through the arbitrary tastes of the site’s editors and authors" and "a wasted opportunity".<ref>Jonathan Messinger, [http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/books/60329/the-pitchfork-500 "Books: ''The Pitchfork 500''"], ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]] Chicago'', November 17, 2008.</ref>
On the other hand, the ''[[Houston Press]]'' criticized the book for what it saw as its unwarranted disregard for Latin, country, funk, soul, and classic rock, opining that ''Pitchfork'''s "school of criticism has always relied more on trendy perceptions than actual musical merit and song structure."<ref>{{Cite web |first=John Nova |last=Lomax |url=http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2008/11/get_lit_the_pitchfork_500.php |title=Get Lit: The Pitchfork 500 |website=[[Houston Press]] |date=November 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707102204/http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2008/11/get_lit_the_pitchfork_500.php |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> And ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]] Chicago'' called the book "a slow, meandering walk through the arbitrary tastes of the site's editors and authors" and "a wasted opportunity".<ref>{{Cite magazine |first=Jonathan |last=Messinger |url=http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/books/60329/the-pitchfork-500 |title=Books: The Pitchfork 500 |magazine=[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]] Chicago |date=November 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715141326/http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/books/60329/the-pitchfork-500 |archive-date=July 15, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


== Statistics ==
== Statistics ==
Line 48: Line 66:
* [[Misfits (band)|Misfits]] – "[[Night of the Living Dead (song)|Night of the Living Dead]]"
* [[Misfits (band)|Misfits]] – "[[Night of the Living Dead (song)|Night of the Living Dead]]"
* [[Wire (band)|Wire]] – "[[Outdoor Miner]]"
* [[Wire (band)|Wire]] – "[[Outdoor Miner]]"
* [[Joy Division]] – "[[Unknown Pleasures|Disorder]]"
* [[Joy Division]] – "[[Disorder (song)]]"
* [[Althea & Donna]] – "[[Uptown Top Ranking]]"
* [[Althea & Donna]] – "[[Uptown Top Ranking]]"
* [[Lee "Scratch" Perry|Lee Perry]] – "[[Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread|Roast Fish & Cornbread]]"
* [[Lee "Scratch" Perry|Lee Perry]] – "[[Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread|Roast Fish & Cornbread]]"
Line 106: Line 124:
* [[Joy Division]] – "[[Atmosphere (Joy Division song)|Atmosphere]]"
* [[Joy Division]] – "[[Atmosphere (Joy Division song)|Atmosphere]]"
* [[The Fall (band)|The Fall]] – "[[Totally Wired]]"
* [[The Fall (band)|The Fall]] – "[[Totally Wired]]"
* [[Elvis Costello|Elvis Costello and the Attractions]] – "[[Imperial Bedroom|Beyond Belief]]"
* [[Elvis Costello|Elvis Costello and the Attractions]] – "[[Beyond Belief (song)]]"
* [[The Pretenders]] – "[[Back on the Chain Gang]]"
* [[The Pretenders]] – "[[Back on the Chain Gang]]"
* [[The B-52's]] – "[[Private Idaho]]"
* [[The B-52's]] – "[[Private Idaho]]"
* [[Dexys Midnight Runners]] – "[[Searching for the Young Soul Rebels|There, There, My Dear]]"
* [[Dexys Midnight Runners]] – "[[There, There, My Dear]]"
* [[Young Marble Giants]] – "[[Colossal Youth|Final Day]]"
* [[Young Marble Giants]] – "[[Colossal Youth|Final Day]]"
* [[Altered Images]] – "[[Happy Birthday (Altered Images song)|Happy Birthday]]"
* [[Altered Images]] – "[[Happy Birthday (Altered Images song)|Happy Birthday]]"
* [[The Specials]] – "[[Ghost Town (Specials song)|Ghost Town]]"
* [[The Specials]] – "[[Ghost Town (Specials song)|Ghost Town]]"
* [[Robert Wyatt]] – "[[Shipbuilding (song)|Shipbuilding]]"
* [[Robert Wyatt]] – "[[Shipbuilding (song)|Shipbuilding]]"
* [[Bauhaus (band)|Bauhaus]] – "[[Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)|Third Uncle]]"
* [[Bauhaus (band)|Bauhaus]] – "[[Third Uncle]]"
* [[Adam and the Ants]] – "[[Kings of the Wild Frontier (Adam and the Ants song)|Kings of the Wild Frontier]]"
* [[Adam and the Ants]] – "[[Kings of the Wild Frontier (Adam and the Ants song)|Kings of the Wild Frontier]]"
* [[Scritti Politti]] – "[[The "Sweetest Girl"]]"
* [[Scritti Politti]] – "[[The "Sweetest Girl"]]"
Line 138: Line 156:
* [[Minor Threat]] – "[[Minor Threat (album)|Minor Threat]]"
* [[Minor Threat]] – "[[Minor Threat (album)|Minor Threat]]"
* [[Dead Kennedys]] – "[[Holiday in Cambodia]]"
* [[Dead Kennedys]] – "[[Holiday in Cambodia]]"
* [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]] – "[[Rise Above (song)|Rise Above]]"
* [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]] – "[[Rise Above (Black Flag song)|Rise Above]]"
* [[Wipers]] – "[[Youth of America]]"
* [[Wipers (band)|Wipers]] – "[[Youth of America]]"
* [[Flipper (band)|Flipper]] – "[[Album – Generic Flipper|Sex Bomb]]"
* [[Flipper (band)|Flipper]] – "[[Album – Generic Flipper|Sex Bomb]]"
* [[Motörhead]] – "[[Ace of Spades (song)|Ace of Spades]]"
* [[Motörhead]] – "[[Ace of Spades (song)|Ace of Spades]]"
Line 175: Line 193:
* [[U2]] – "[[New Year's Day (U2 song)|New Year's Day]]"
* [[U2]] – "[[New Year's Day (U2 song)|New Year's Day]]"
* [[Simple Minds]] – "[[Don't You (Forget About Me)]]"
* [[Simple Minds]] – "[[Don't You (Forget About Me)]]"
* [[The Replacements (band)|The Replacements]] – "[[Tim (The Replacements album)|Bastards of Young]]"
* [[The Replacements (band)|The Replacements]] – "[[Bastards of Young]]"
* [[The Mekons]] – "[[Fear and Whiskey|Last Dance]]"
* [[The Mekons]] – "[[Fear and Whiskey|Last Dance]]"
* [[Big Black]] – "[[Atomizer (album)|Kerosene]]"
* [[Big Black]] – "[[Atomizer (album)|Kerosene]]"
Line 184: Line 202:
* [[New Order (band)|New Order]] – "[[Bizarre Love Triangle]]"
* [[New Order (band)|New Order]] – "[[Bizarre Love Triangle]]"
* [[Billy Bragg]] – "[[A New England]]"
* [[Billy Bragg]] – "[[A New England]]"
* [[Metallica]] – "[[Battery (song)|Battery]]"
* [[Metallica]] – "[[Battery (song)]]"
* [[Slayer]] – "[[Angel of Death (Slayer song)|Angel of Death]]"
* [[Slayer]] – "[[Angel of Death (Slayer song)|Angel of Death]]"
* [[Saint Vitus (band)|Saint Vitus]] – "[[Born Too Late|Clear Windowpane]]"
* [[Saint Vitus (band)|Saint Vitus]] – "[[Born Too Late|Clear Windowpane]]"
Line 213: Line 231:
* [[Wayne Smith (musician)|Wayne Smith]] – "[[Under Me Sleng Teng]]"
* [[Wayne Smith (musician)|Wayne Smith]] – "[[Under Me Sleng Teng]]"
* [[Anthony Red Rose]] – "Tempo"
* [[Anthony Red Rose]] – "Tempo"
* [[Juan Atkins|Model 500]] – "No UFO's"
* [[Juan Atkins|Model 500]] – "[[No UFO's]]"
{{Div col end}}
{{Div col end}}


Line 251: Line 269:
* [[The La's]] – "[[There She Goes (The La's song)|There She Goes]]"
* [[The La's]] – "[[There She Goes (The La's song)|There She Goes]]"
* [[They Might Be Giants]] – "[[Birdhouse in Your Soul]]"
* [[They Might Be Giants]] – "[[Birdhouse in Your Soul]]"
* [[Superchunk]] – "[[Superchunk (album)|Slack Motherfucker]]"
* [[Superchunk]] – "[[Slack Motherfucker]]"
* [[Fugazi]] – "[[Repeater (album)|Merchandise]]"
* [[Fugazi]] – "[[Repeater (album)|Merchandise]]"
* [[The Jesus Lizard]] – "[[Mouth Breather]]"
* [[The Jesus Lizard]] – "[[Mouth Breather]]"
Line 280: Line 298:
* [[Daniel Johnston]] – "[[1990 (Daniel Johnston album)|Some Things Last a Long Time]]"
* [[Daniel Johnston]] – "[[1990 (Daniel Johnston album)|Some Things Last a Long Time]]"
* [[Mudhoney]] – "[[Touch Me I'm Sick]]"
* [[Mudhoney]] – "[[Touch Me I'm Sick]]"
* [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]] – "[[Doolittle (album)|Wave of Mutilation]]"
* [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]] – "[[Wave of Mutilation]]"
{{Div col end}}
{{Div col end}}


Line 287: Line 305:
* [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] – "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]"
* [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] – "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]"
* [[Pavement (band)|Pavement]] – "[[Summer Babe (Winter Version)|Summer Babe]]"
* [[Pavement (band)|Pavement]] – "[[Summer Babe (Winter Version)|Summer Babe]]"
* [[Archers of Loaf]] – "[[Icky Mettle|Web in Front]]"
* [[Archers of Loaf]] – "[[Web in Front]]"
* [[Yo La Tengo]] – "[[Painful (album)|From a Motel 6]]"
* [[Yo La Tengo]] – "[[Painful (album)|From a Motel 6]]"
* [[Sebadoh]] – "[[Sebadoh III|The Freed Pig]]"
* [[Sebadoh]] – "[[Sebadoh III|The Freed Pig]]"
Line 307: Line 325:
* [[Human Resource (band)|Human Resource]] – "[[Dominator (Human Resource song)|Dominator]] ([[Joey Beltram]] Mix)"
* [[Human Resource (band)|Human Resource]] – "[[Dominator (Human Resource song)|Dominator]] ([[Joey Beltram]] Mix)"
* [[Metalheadz]] – "Terminator"
* [[Metalheadz]] – "Terminator"
* [[Rob Haigh|Omni Trio]] – "Renegade Snares"
* [[Robert Haigh (musician)|Omni Trio]] – "Renegade Snares"
* [[Red House Painters]] – "[[Red House Painters (Rollercoaster)|New Jersey]]"
* [[Red House Painters]] – "[[Red House Painters (Rollercoaster)|New Jersey]]"
* [[Teenage Fanclub]] – "[[Bandwagonesque|The Concept]]"
* [[Teenage Fanclub]] – "[[The Concept (song)]]"
* [[Heavenly (British band)|Heavenly]] – "[[Le Jardin de Heavenly|C Is the Heavenly Option]]"
* [[Heavenly (British band)|Heavenly]] – "[[Le Jardin de Heavenly|C Is the Heavenly Option]]"
* [[Tindersticks]] – "[[Tindersticks (1993 album)|City Sickness]]"
* [[Tindersticks]] – "[[Tindersticks (1993 album)|City Sickness]]"
Line 317: Line 335:
* [[Ice Cube]] – "[[It Was a Good Day]]"
* [[Ice Cube]] – "[[It Was a Good Day]]"
* [[2Pac]] – "[[I Get Around (2Pac song)|I Get Around]]"
* [[2Pac]] – "[[I Get Around (2Pac song)|I Get Around]]"
* [[Souls of Mischief]] – "[[93 'til Infinity]]"
* [[Souls of Mischief]] – "[[93 'til Infinity (song)]]"
* [[Suede (band)|Suede]] – "[[The Drowners]]"
* [[Suede (band)|Suede]] – "[[The Drowners]]"
* [[Blur (band)|Blur]] – "[[For Tomorrow]]"
* [[Blur (band)|Blur]] – "[[For Tomorrow (song)|For Tomorrow]]"
* [[Elastica]] – "[[Stutter (Elastica song)|Stutter]]"
* [[Elastica]] – "[[Stutter (Elastica song)|Stutter]]"
* [[Ween]] – "[[The Pod|Dr. Rock]]"
* [[Ween]] – "[[The Pod|Dr. Rock]]"
Line 333: Line 351:
* [[The Afghan Whigs]] – "[[Gentlemen (album)|Debonair]]"
* [[The Afghan Whigs]] – "[[Gentlemen (album)|Debonair]]"
* [[Rage Against the Machine]] – "[[Killing in the Name]]"
* [[Rage Against the Machine]] – "[[Killing in the Name]]"
* [[The Lemonheads]] – "[[It's a Shame About Ray]]"
* [[The Lemonheads]] – "[[It's a Shame About Ray (song)]]"
* [[Beck]] – "[[Loser (Beck song)|Loser]]"
* [[Beck]] – "[[Loser (Beck song)|Loser]]"
* [[The Breeders]] – "[[Cannonball (The Breeders song)|Cannonball]]"
* [[The Breeders]] – "[[Cannonball (The Breeders song)|Cannonball]]"
Line 351: Line 369:
* [[Nas]] – "[[It Ain't Hard to Tell]]"
* [[Nas]] – "[[It Ain't Hard to Tell]]"
* [[Mobb Deep]] – "[[Shook Ones (Part II)]]"
* [[Mobb Deep]] – "[[Shook Ones (Part II)]]"
* [[GZA]] – "[[Liquid Swords|4th Chamber]]"
* [[GZA]] – "[[4th Chamber]]"
* [[Pavement (band)|Pavement]] – "[[Gold Soundz]]"
* [[Pavement (band)|Pavement]] – "[[Gold Soundz]]"
* [[Built to Spill]] – "[[There's Nothing Wrong with Love|Car]]"
* [[Built to Spill]] – "[[There's Nothing Wrong with Love|Car]]"
* [[Modest Mouse]] – "[[Broke (Modest Mouse song)|Broke]]"
* [[Modest Mouse]] – "[[Broke (Modest Mouse song)|Broke]]"
* [[Frank Black]] – "[[Teenager of the Year (album)|Headache]]"
* [[Frank Black]] – "[[Headache (song)]]"
* [[Jon Spencer Blues Explosion|The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion]] – "[[Orange (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)|Bellbottoms]]"
* [[Jon Spencer Blues Explosion|The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion]] – "[[Orange (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)|Bellbottoms]]"
* [[Guided by Voices]] – "[[I Am a Scientist]]"
* [[Guided by Voices]] – "[[I Am a Scientist]]"
Line 378: Line 396:
* [[Napalm Death]] – "[[Fear, Emptiness, Despair|Twist the Knife (Slowly)]]"
* [[Napalm Death]] – "[[Fear, Emptiness, Despair|Twist the Knife (Slowly)]]"
* [[Darkthrone]] – "[[Transilvanian Hunger|En ås i dype skogen]]"
* [[Darkthrone]] – "[[Transilvanian Hunger|En ås i dype skogen]]"
* [[Ol' Dirty Bastard]] – "[[Brooklyn Zoo]]"
* [[Ol' Dirty Bastard]] – "[[Brooklyn Zoo (song)|Brooklyn Zoo]]"
* [[Snoop Dogg|Snoop Doggy Dogg]] – "[[Gin and Juice]]"
* [[Snoop Dogg|Snoop Doggy Dogg]] – "[[Gin and Juice]]"
* [[Luniz]] – "[[I Got 5 on It]]"
* [[Luniz]] – "[[I Got 5 on It]]"
Line 413: Line 431:
* [[Matthew Herbert|Herbert]] – "[[Around the House|So Now]]"
* [[Matthew Herbert|Herbert]] – "[[Around the House|So Now]]"
* [[Aphex Twin]] – "[[Windowlicker]]"
* [[Aphex Twin]] – "[[Windowlicker]]"
* [[Uilab]] – "[[Another Green World|St. Elmo's Fire]]"
* [[Uilab]] – "St. Elmo's Fire"
* [[Air (French band)|Air]] – "[[Premiers Symptômes|Le soleil est près de moi]]"
* [[Air (French band)|Air]] – "[[Premiers Symptômes|Le soleil est près de moi]]"
* [[Massive Attack]] – "[[Teardrop (Massive Attack song)|Teardrop]]"
* [[Massive Attack]] – "[[Teardrop (Massive Attack song)|Teardrop]]"
Line 422: Line 440:
* [[The Flaming Lips]] – "[[Waitin' for a Superman]]"
* [[The Flaming Lips]] – "[[Waitin' for a Superman]]"
* [[The Beta Band]] – "[[Champion Versions|Dry the Rain]]"
* [[The Beta Band]] – "[[Champion Versions|Dry the Rain]]"
* [[The Olivia Tremor Control]] – "[[Hideway]]"
* [[The Olivia Tremor Control]] – "[[Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One|Hideaway]]"
* [[Neutral Milk Hotel]] – "[[Holland, 1945]]"
* [[Neutral Milk Hotel]] – "[[Holland, 1945]]"
* [[Super Furry Animals]] – "[[Ice Hockey Hair]]"
* [[Super Furry Animals]] – "[[Ice Hockey Hair]]"
Line 492: Line 510:
* [[Clipse]] – "[[Grindin']]"
* [[Clipse]] – "[[Grindin']]"
* [[Talib Kweli]] – "[[Get By]]"
* [[Talib Kweli]] – "[[Get By]]"
* [[Jay-Z]] – "[[Takeover (song)|Takeover]]"
* [[Jay-Z]] – "[[Takeover (Jay-Z song)|Takeover]]"
{{Div col end}}
{{Div col end}}


Line 561: Line 579:
[[Category:2008 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:2008 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:Lists of rated songs]]
[[Category:Lists of rated songs]]
[[Category:Simon & Schuster books]]

Latest revision as of 22:52, 5 December 2024

The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present
EditorsScott Plagenhoef
Ryan Schreiber
Cover artistChris Capuozzo (illustration)
LanguageEnglish
SubjectMusic
PublisherFireside Books
Publication date
11 November 2008
Publication placeNew York
Media typePrint (paperback)
Pages208
ISBN978-1-4165-6202-3

The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present is a book compiling the greatest songs from 1977 to 2006, published in 2008 by Pitchfork Media. The book focuses on specific genres including indie rock, hip-hop, electronic, pop, metal, and experimental underground. The book is broken down into 9 chronological periods, each period beginning with a description of the music scene before the featured artists, and how those artists changed the music scene.[1] Time described the book as having "42 critics to cover 30 years of music, from 1977 punk to 2006 crunk, and all the starry-eyed, acoustic acts in between."[2]

Critical reception

[edit]

The book received attention and criticism from mainstream and alternative media. TIME commented that the book's record reviews "have been pleasantly stripped of their supercilious phrases" and that "its tributes to popular songs are exquisite" but concluded, "the project comes off like a personal message that High Fidelity's Rob Gordon might obsessively attach to a mix-tape."[2] The Washington City Paper called it Pitchfork's "boomer-like shot at print-based respectability, a coffee-table book..."[3] Under the Radar gave the book a 7/10 rating, noting that Pitchfork "has emerged as arguably the preeminent music criticism source of its time while fashioning itself into a multimedia powerhouse".[4]

On the other hand, the Houston Press criticized the book for what it saw as its unwarranted disregard for Latin, country, funk, soul, and classic rock, opining that Pitchfork's "school of criticism has always relied more on trendy perceptions than actual musical merit and song structure."[5] And Time Out Chicago called the book "a slow, meandering walk through the arbitrary tastes of the site's editors and authors" and "a wasted opportunity".[6]

Statistics

[edit]

Prince and Talking Heads had the most songs featured on the list with four each. The Cure, the Clash, New Order, OutKast, Pavement, Pixies, Radiohead, and the Smiths received three spots each. 38 bands and artists had two songs listed. Björk is featured three times: twice in solo work, and once in Icelandic pop group the Sugarcubes. The surviving members of Joy Division have five total when coupled with their work as New Order.

Brian Eno features once as a performer, twice as co-writer (David Bowie's "Heroes" and Talking Heads' "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)"), four times as a producer (Talking Heads' "Memories Can't Wait" and "Born Under Punches", U2's "Bad" and Devo's "Mongoloid"), and two entries are cover versions of his songs (Bauhaus' "Third Uncle" and Uilab's "St. Elmo's Fire").

The 1977–1979 period had the most songs on the list with 66, and 1997–1999 had the fewest with 38.

1977–1979

[edit]

1980–1982

[edit]

1983–1986

[edit]

1987–1990

[edit]

1991–1993

[edit]

1994–1996

[edit]

1997–1999

[edit]

2000–2002

[edit]

2003–2006

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ [1] Archived February 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b Suddath, Claire (2008-11-26). "Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
  3. ^ Matthew Siblo, "Rank Bullshit: Pitchfork's list to end all lists should, in fact, end all lists." Washington City Paper, December 18, 2009.
  4. ^ Evan Rytlewski, "Reviews", Under the Radar, November 1, 2008.
  5. ^ Lomax, John Nova (November 12, 2008). "Get Lit: The Pitchfork 500". Houston Press. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012.
  6. ^ Messinger, Jonathan (November 17, 2008). "Books: The Pitchfork 500". Time Out Chicago. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012.