Pitchfork's "Top 100 Albums of the '90s [1999 version]"

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From the original introduction of Pitchfork’s original "Top 100 Albums of the ’90s" list:

Our list was totaled in the fairest way I could think of— I would send an e-mail out to all our reviewers and ask them to turn in a list of their personal Top 100 albums of the 1990s, ranked in order from #100 to #1. I specified that the list should not concern what the writers felt was the "most important," "best" or "most influential" recordings of the decade, instead that it should be their favorite albums— the albums they most enjoyed listening to. All writers were encouraged to participate, but creating a list of 100 albums of any kind is not an easy thing to do. In the end, more than half of us got involved and worked our asses off until our lists were exactly (or as close as possible to) how we wanted them. (That’s how cool we are.) Brent DiCrescenzo did us all a great favor by figuring out a fair points system and compiling all our lists into a singular Top 100 that would represent the participants’ favorite albums of the decade. And here it finally is.

Note: Pitchfork updated this list in 2003 (see the updated version:http://www.listsofbests.com/list/5365 ).

Pages: 1

  1. 1.
    Loveless
    by My Bloody Valentine

  2. 2.
    OK Computer
    by Radiohead

  3. 3.
    Slanted & Enchanted
    by Pavement

  4. 4.
    Bee Thousand

  5. 5.
    Exile in Guyville
    by Liz Phair

  6. 6.
    Nevermind
    by Nirvana

  7. 7.
    Endtroducing
    by DJ Shadow

  8. 8.
    Little Earthquakes
    by Tori Amos

  9. 9.
    Odelay
    by Beck

  10. 10.
    Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
    by Pavement

  11. 11.
    There's Nothing Wrong With Love
    by Built to Spill

  12. 12.
    Trompe Le Monde
    by Pixies

  13. 13.
    The Bends
    by Radiohead

  14. 14.
    Weezer (Blue Album)
    by Weezer

  15. 15.
    How It Feels to Be Something On
    by Sunny Day Real Estate

  16. 16.
    Check Your Head
    by Beastie Boys

  17. 17.
    El Producto
    by Walt Mink

  18. 18.
    Homogenic
    by Bjork

  19. 19.
    For Your Own Special Sweetheart
    by Jawbox

  20. 20.
    Grace
    by Jeff Buckley

  21. 21.
    Mellow Gold
    by Beck

  22. 22.
    I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
    by Yo La Tengo

  23. 23.
    XO
    by Elliott Smith

  24. 24.
    In On the Kill Taker
    by Fugazi

  25. 25.
    Flood
    by They Might Be Giants

  26. 26.
    Bonsai Superstar
    by Brainiac

  27. 27.
    TNT
    by Tortoise

  28. 28.
    Secaucus
    by Wrens

  29. 29.
    Pony Express Record
    by Shudder to Think

  30. 30.
    Emperor Tomato Ketchup
    by Stereolab

  31. 31.
    Last Splash
    by Breeders

  32. 32.
    Icky Mettle
    by Archers of Loaf

  33. 33.
    Alien Lanes
    by Guided By Voices

  34. 34.
    Spiderland
    by Slint

  35. 35.
    Post
    by Bjork

  36. 36.
    Everclear

  37. 37.
    Teenager of the Year
    by Frank Black

  38. 38.
    Ride the Fader
    by Chavez

  39. 39.
    Perfect From Now on
    by Built to Spill

  40. 40.
    Hips and Makers
    by Kristin Hersh

  41. 41.
    Keep It Like a Secret
    by Built to Spill

  42. 42.
    Emergency & I
    by Dismemberment Plan

  43. 43.
    Frank Black
    by Frank Black

  44. 44.
    Bakesale
    by Sebadoh

  45. 45.
    Bossanova
    by Pixies

  46. 46.
    Either / Or
    by Elliott Smith

  47. 47.
    Bricolage
    by Amon Tobin

  48. 48.
    Mic City Sons
    by Heatmiser

  49. 49.
    I Could Live in Hope
    by Low

  50. 50.
    Siamese Dream
    by Smashing Pumpkins

Pages: 1

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Created by Robot Co-op on Nov 30, 2005.
 

Comments

OK — 3 years ago

I think Nevermind (Nirvana) should be #1 but everyone has his own opinion.

I really hate when people say horrible things about Pop music. Pop is the most influential musical genre ever and of course there were so many great pop albums in the 90’s:

Sigh (1993) – Ace of Base

Ray of Light (1998) – Madonna

Secrets (1996) – Toni Braxton

The Bodyguard (1992) – Whitney Houston

Come On Over (1997) – Shania Twain

Older (1996) – George Michael

Millenium (1999) – Backstreet Boys

Spice World (1997) – Spice Girls

Bedtime Stories (1994) – Madonna

Live Your Life Be Free (1991) – Belinda Carlisle

Love DeLuxe (1992) – Sade

Dangerous (1991) – Michael Jackson

Paintings In Yellow (1990) – Sandra

Wildest Dreams (1996) – Tina Turner

Believe (1998) – Cher


Untitled — 3 years ago

Sonic Youth not on the list until the 93? Seriously?? To each his/her own. Good list!


Untitled — 6 years ago

i honestly think that olivia tremor control’s ‘Dusk at Cubist Castle’ deserves a much higher spot in this list.

And seeing as Nas’ ‘Illmatic’ is one of hip-hop’s top 5 or so finest records ever, it as well, deserves a much much higher place in the list.

these ‘definitive’ lists are never perfect, and they never will be. because taste is subjective! as im sure you all know.


What have you done??? — 6 years ago

The Redux edition is available elsewhere on this site! PLEASE revert back to the old list!!!


List 1 — 6 years ago

I liked having list 1 availible as well… it made for a good comparison (also some of my fav albums were on that list and now they are off)… did list 1 dissapear?


Since there's no objection... — 6 years ago

…I will go ahead and update the list since Pitchfork has updated it themselves.


Version 2.0? — 6 years ago

Since Pitchfork saw fit to update their list significantly, shouldn’t we update our copy as well? Any objections?


Pitchfork Media removed the listsource page — 6 years ago

It is a dead link now. So, I added the next best thing I could find for a listsource.


Weighed more towards the late 1990s? — 6 years ago

It seems that way to me… Wouldn’t it make sense? If you ask people to list from memory certain albums, might they be more likely to list albums whose genres are still viable right now, artists who may be more likely to still be playing and still heard more routinely. For example some very popular/influential grunge bands (not that I’m a grunge fan or anything) don’t appear on here. But you do have bands like Sonic Youth, Belle and Sebastian, Blur, REM etc. which are still performing.




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