Pitchfork Media's "Top 50 Albums of 2004"

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"Riding in on a wave of hi-gloss dance music, glitch-heavy electro/acoustic hybrids, and disco-fueled punk noir, 2004 peered back past the Moroder era for inspiration, which it discovered in the foundations of primitive American folk music, vintage soul, dancehall reggae, and, of course, Smile.

But the oddities were as intriguing as the trends: a powerfully emotive (and classically indie) conceptual rock epic, a brilliantly twisted 78-minute prog-pop masterpiece, an action-powered primetime TV throwback, and a modern psych-rock classic performed entirely in Swedish.

What’s more: It only seems to be getting better. As albums and tracks become increasingly accessible via MP3, and the web continues to invent more outlets for exposure to the best of them, we may all have to resign ourselves to the distinct possibility of there being more great music than time to take it all in."

Also see: <a href="http://www.listsofbests.com/list/1948/">Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums of 2005</a>

and <a href="http://www.listsofbests.com/list/21135/">Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums of 2006</a>

  1. 1.
    Funeral
    by Arcade Fire

  2. 2.
    Sung Tongs
    by Animal Collective

  3. 3.
    A Grand Don't Come for Free
    by The Streets

  4. 4.
    Blueberry Boat
    by The Fiery Furnaces

  5. 5.
    Smile
    by Brian Wilson

  6. 6.
    Madvillainy
    by Madvillain

  7. 7.
    Rejoicing in the Hands
    by Devendra Banhart

  8. 8.
    Thunder, Lightning, Strike
    by Go Team

  9. 9.
    Pretty Toney Album
    by Ghostface Killah

  10. 10.
    Milk-Eyed Mender
    by Joanna Newsom

  11. 11.
    Sonic Nurse
    by Sonic Youth

  12. 12.
    Piracy Funds Terrorism, Volume 1
    by M.I.A.

  13. 13.
    Ta Det Lugnt (Dig)
    by Dungen

  14. 14.
    DJ-Kicks
    by Erlend Oye

  15. 15.
    Anniemal
    by Annie

  16. 16.
    Showtime
    by Dizzee Rascal

  17. 17.
    Seven Swans
    by Sufjan Stevens

  18. 18.
    College Dropout
    by Kanye West

  19. 19.
    Medulla
    by Bjork

  20. 20.
    Talkie Walkie
    by Air

  21. 21.
    Venice
    by Fennesz

  22. 22.
    Connected
    by Foreign Exchange

  23. 23.
    Good News for People Who Love Bad News
    by Modest Mouse

  24. 24.
    Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
    by TV on the Radio

  25. 25.
    Vol. 2-Dfa Compilation
    by Dfa Compilation

  26. 26.
    Franz Ferdinand
    by Franz Ferdinand

  27. 27.
    Antics
    by Interpol

  28. 28.
    Last Exit (Bonus CD)
    by Junior Boys

  29. 29.
    Slow Wonder
    by A.C. Newman

  30. 30.
    Disintegration Loops
    by William Basinski

  31. 31.
    The Grind Date
    by De La Soul

  32. 32.
    Heron King Blues
    by Califone

  33. 33.
    Futureheads
    by Futureheads

  34. 34.
    Espers
    by Espers

  35. 35.
    C'Mon Miracle
    by Mirah

  36. 36.
    ?
    KA
    by Excepter

  37. 38.
    You Are The Quarry (Jewel Case)
    by Morrissey

  38. 39.
    Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine
    by Cee-Lo

  39. 40.
    Bows & Arrows
    by Walkmen

  40. 41.
    Inches
    by Les Savy Fav

  41. 42.
    Special Gunpowder
    by DJ Rupture

  42. 43.
    Scissor Sisters
    by Scissor Sisters

  43. 44.
    Underachievers Please Try Harder
    by Camera Obscura

  44. 45.
    The Concretes
    by Concretes

  45. 46.
    Our Endless Numbered Days
    by Iron & Wine

  46. 47.
    Blue Cathedral
    by Comets on Fire

  47. 48.
    Van Lear Rose
    by Loretta Lynn

  48. 49.
    Blue Notebooks
    by Max Richter

  49. 50.
    Fabulous Muscles
    by Xiu Xiu

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Created by notrobot on May 30, 2006.
 

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