# Pitchfork Readers' Ranking of the 200 Best Albums of the last 25 years **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [October 15, 2021, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563 "2021-10-15T21:05:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2021, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/1 "2021-10-15T21:05:55Z")
An interesting list, especially after we had a fun discussion on Rolling Stones’ Top 500 Songs. Of course, knowing Pitchfork readers, there are certain things you’d expect - like Radiohead having 3 of the top 5 albums (and they just miss out on having the most albums in the Top 200, but that’s probably because they released less albums than Kanye 😃 ). [The 200 Best Albums of the Last 25 Years, According to Pitchfork Readers | Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/peoples-list-25th-anniversary/) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2021, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/2 "2021-10-15T23:43:00Z")
Yes, that’s exactly the kind of list I’d expect from Pitchfork readers. Very eclectic, interesting and valuable, and Brit-heavy, but that’s not really surprising. There are many albums I don’t know, but also many I love very much. I was surprised that Wilco’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” got as high as #10, former American alt-county bands are not their key clientele. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2021, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/3 "2021-10-15T23:58:19Z")
It’s a pretty eclectic list, as mentioned. This shows in the newer choices, which are sometimes obscure. Some of the choices might be influenced by the 25 year cutoff in the sense that these older bands sometimes produced much better albums before the limit (the Portishead Effect?). The very concept of an album means much less than it once did to many people. Still, I like these lists and may check out some of the albums I do not know or know well. So thanks for this. There are many good albums on the list. Some of the popular ones are a little counter-intuitive, as are some of the higher ranked ones. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/4 "2021-10-16T01:03:51Z")
Interesting that the highest rated female vocalist is Lana Del Rey at number 17. She’s one of my favorites, so I’m happy. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/5 "2021-10-16T13:54:19Z")
It’s a Pitchfork reader poll, so the results are pretty much exactly what I would expect from a popularity contest among Pitchfork readers. It’s a reasonable list, but I’d prefer to see one a little more curated. Do we really need THREE Radiohead albums in the top five? But from the standpoint of a poll, the results are what they are – it’s a useful result to see what readers of the site enjoy. That said, I am a bit surprised at Massive Attack’s _Mezzanine_ all the way down at #70. I would have expected a much higher placing for that album. Lorde’s _Melodrama_ at #20 is one of my favorite albums of recent years, but I’m surprised it shows up that high with all the work of the last 25. I can’t make a strong argument against it, but that at 20 and Mezzanine at 70 is a mildly surprisingly wide gulf. Kanye at #3 doesn’t surprise me – that album, _My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy_ is iconic among that segment of music lovers (and others.) Wilco ranking #10 with _Yankee Hotel Foxtroit_ seems right to me, as well. In the early 2000s, when I was more in the indie scene, that album was treated with the reverence of something like _Pet Sounds_ or _Sgt Pepper’s_, a truly landmark album. Overall, no major surprises. I might have expected Modest Mouse to show up a little higher. Belle and Sebastian not cracking the top 50 is a little odd, but maybe not unfair. I’d put Magnetic Fields _69 Love Songs_ much higher than 108. _Yoshimi_ I’d expect in the top 100, for all the praise that album got, but I see _The Soft Bulletin_ made the top half of the list. Eminem would be much higher on my list. I’d also have Sleater-Kinney way higher. But, once again, this is a poll, and the results are what they are. In summary, no big surprises – about what I would expect from a Pitchfork poll. Just a few "huh"s along the way. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/6 "2021-10-16T14:29:46Z")
No real surprises for me either. I guess I’m the demographic for this, I own at least 60 of these, and have listened to anything on the list that isn’t hip-hop/rap (and even then I have the first Kanye listed). I might have picked different albums in some cases, e.g. for Richard James/Aphex Twin, but that’s not much of a disagreement. i was glad to see Boards of Canada get some love. ETA: oh, and GIANT appreciation for the list being a list without a series of clickthroughs. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/7 "2021-10-16T15:48:55Z")
Wow; those folks fuckin’ _love_ Radiohead. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/8 "2021-10-16T18:30:47Z")
I was surprised to see Boards of Canada too, but they are good. Made me happy. I like Radiohead but the rankings are way off. I agree it is nice they started the list at #1 and avoided click throughs- two usual irritants. The idea of a list of albums in the age of Spotify is good - perhaps - for purists and Pitchfork readers. More people know songs. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/9 "2021-10-16T19:31:53Z")
Well, I’ll just say that I know nothing about _Pitchfork_, but it’s obvious that I’m going to get along better with those guys than I would with _Rolling Stone_. j ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2021, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/10 "2021-10-17T00:38:05Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I was surprised that Wilco’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” got as high as #10, former American alt-county bands are not their key clientele. Wilco is beloved among those into indie music. I’m not shocked it’s that high. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2021, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/11 "2021-10-17T00:49:55Z")
I know, I’m a big Wilco fan, got all the albums, saw them live a few times. And I come from both directions, from the classic americana side of the Byrds, Dylan, the Stones etc., and the alternative/indie side, having witnessed punk/new wave as a kid and preteen. That’s probably why I love Wilco so much. I just thought that classic rock isn’t much represented in that Pitchfork list, and Wilco surely in a way build on the traditions of classic rock. ---
**Author:** ![Hoops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoops/32/6408_2.png) [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2021, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/12 "2021-10-17T00:57:58Z")
I must say I was gratified to see David Bowie’s Blackstar rated so highly, given that classic rock is not really Pitchfork’s bag. I’d rate it even higher; I’m not really even a Bowie fan as such, but that album is quite exceptional. A bit disappointed that Deerhoof didn’t make the cut at all, especially since Pitchfork once famously referred to them as the “best band in the world.” ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2021, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/13 "2021-10-17T04:25:05Z")
> [@Hoops](#): > > A bit disappointed that Deerhoof didn’t make the cut at all, especially since Pitchfork once famously referred to them as the “best band in the world.” They had to amend that to the “best band in the world that’s not Radiohead”, and well, things went downhill from there. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2021, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/14 "2021-10-17T05:08:14Z")
> [@Hoops](#): > > I must say I was gratified to see David Bowie’s Blackstar rated so highly, given that classic rock is not really Pitchfork’s bag. I’d rate it even higher; I’m not really even a Bowie fan as such, but that album is quite exceptional. I don’t really think of Bowie quite as typical classic rock. That said, he’s a huge influence for many indie bands. I used to hang around a lot of Pitchfork type people, and Bowie is definitely highly regarded by them. I struggle to think of anyone I know who listened to college/alternative rock/post-punk/New Wave in the 80s and 90s who did note rate Bowie highly. The man was well ahead of his time. SImilarly, I would never have thought of Wilco as classic rock, either. I mean, I think of The White Stripes more in the classic rock, Led Zeppelin, guitar solos, loud bangers, type of music, and they’re well loved by Pitchfork fans, too, so it’s not quite accurate to say Pitchfork people hate classic rock as a rule. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/15 "2021-10-18T15:04:16Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > SImilarly, I would never have thought of Wilco as classic rock, either. Same. I have trouble genre-fying them, in any case. It’s funny, Tweedy spent quite a bit of his early career saying “Wilco isn’t country” because people just saw it as evolving from Uncle Tupelo, but it’s hard to miss the influence of Gram Parsons/Flying Burrito Brothers on him, all the way to maybe Summerteeth, where I guess Jay Bennett starting overlaying his Beatles-y feelings. And then put all the sound collages and moody spaces into YHF, and I’m not sure it has genre. In any case, people loved it, including me, and #10 feels just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/16 "2021-10-18T15:31:04Z")
Nice to see Titus Andronicus get some love… I know them because they’re somewhat local, but I don’t follow the indie scene enough to know they were that appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/17 "2021-10-18T15:46:18Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > SImilarly, I would never have thought of Wilco as classic rock, either. Agreed. I was thinking I may have missed something so played Yankee Hotel Foxtrot again and it definitely sounds late 90s alternative to me. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/18 "2021-10-18T15:46:29Z")
I was surprised that my favorite Radiohead album didn’t even make the list, but then I realized that _The Bends_ came out in 1995. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/19 "2021-10-18T15:52:57Z")
I guess my biggest surprise is that 808s and Heartbreaks was the lowest ranked Kanye album. I know it was a bit polarizing when it came out, but I thought in the intervening years it had been appreciated for the amazing album it is. Oukast is also a little lower than I’d expect. I like the top 10 mostly, but I think In Rainbows can be like… I dunno 15. And I’m going to chalk up Frank Ocean’s Blonde being higher than his Channel Orange a result of recency bias. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563/20 "2021-10-18T21:42:57Z")
I always thought that was the best Radiohead album too. By quite a bit. A great band. By putting out a great album just outside the 25 year limit, they became popular and so other albums were successful even if less good. On one hand, this seems fair, but on the other it seems like it biased the result. Were the other albums really the best of the last quarter century? According to Pitchfork readers. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitchfork-readers-ranking-of-the-200-best-albums-of-the-last-25-years/952563.md?page=2)