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Pitchfork's Top 500 Songs of the Decade


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But the world is the world:

 

Chart performance from Wikipedia

 

Pitchfork's list is clearly an American list. It's not a world list. Maybe Justin Timberlake and Rhianna would be on the list if Pitchfork was from the UK (for example), but Kelly Clarkson wouldn't even make a shortlist. Nor would a lot of those other bands like Weezer be on it. It'd include Sugababes and Girls Aloud instead of Clarkson, to fulfill that quota; and that's the case for most of Europe. Probably Asia and Africa and The Arctic Pitchforks would have an entirely different list too.

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Pitchfork's list is clearly an American list. It's not a world list. Maybe Justin Timberlake and Rhianna would be on the list if Pitchfork was from the UK (for example), but Kelly Clarkson wouldn't even make a shortlist. Nor would a lot of those other bands like Weezer be on it. It'd include Sugababes and Girls Aloud instead of Clarkson, to fulfill that quota; and that's the case for most of Europe. Probably Asia and Africa and The Arctic Pitchforks would have an entirely different list too.

 

Wait, what's being argued now?

 

It's a Pitchfork list, compiled by Pitchfork editors and contributors. If you've been a Pitchfork reader this decade, few of the selections so far should surprise you. Least of all "Since U Been Gone," which Pitchfork LOVED.

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Wait, what's being argued now?

 

It's a Pitchfork list, compiled by Pitchfork editors and contributors. If you've been a Pitchfork reader this decade, few of the selections so far should surprise you. Least of all "Since U Been Gone," which Pitchfork LOVED.

 

I'm not surprised, but I've only skimmed over it all. I don't hate pitchfork and I don't love them. I'm just saying that their musical tastes mainly reflects the American marketplace, especially when it comes to their choices in pop music, and the more poppy indie/guitar based music - that's all i was saying.

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But the world is the world:

 

Chart performance from Wikipedia

Only 22 in my country, finally we have something to be proud of.

 

But compared to Umbrella: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbrella_(song) it's really only a minor "hit". As joss ackland rightfully pointed out, ms Clarkson would never feature on a European list (it'll probably have other crap by Duffy and Amy Mcdonald instead but hey). Anyway, if you're going to include that kind of chart-sensitive pop songs in your list it might be something to consider.

 

i'm expecting a lot more Radiohead. and maybe I am Trying To Break Your Heart.

Hmm dunno, I'm expecting a lot of Radiohead in their album list, but post-OK Computer they stopped having mass appealing singles like Paranoid Android, Karma Police or Street Spirit. Guess it'll be between Kid A & Funeral(altough Rebellion (lies) is actually remarkably low) for the top spot there.

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Eminem's "Lose Yourself" is the "Don't Stop Believing" of rap music and should be rated higher.

 

They did a nice job excusing themselves for not ranking it higher though

If this list reflected the number of "no-one-watching, in-the-mirror, punch-the-air self-psyching"-moments a song produced and not the whims of a group of music critics, this song would be such a runaway number one Vegas would've stopped taking bets six months ago.
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Sadly, Kelly Clarkston actually has talent unlike Jonas Brothers or Nickelback. I might not like Clarkston's songs, but she can put out a fine single when she wants to shed the American Idol shadow.

 

Also, expect some of these songs in their top 20:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends

Walkmen, The - The Rat

Beyonce - Crazy In Love

Animal Collective - My Girls

M.I.A. - Paper Planes

Outkast - Hey Ya

Rapture, The - House Of Jealous Lovers

Annie - My Heartbeat

Jay-Z - 99 Problems

Kanye West - Heard'em Say

Hercules And Love Affair - Blind

Portishead - Machine Gun

The Go! Team - The Power Is On

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Also, expect some of these songs in their top 20:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends

Walkmen, The - The Rat

Beyonce - Crazy In Love

Animal Collective - My Girls

M.I.A. - Paper Planes

Outkast - Hey Ya

Rapture, The - House Of Jealous Lovers

Annie - My Heartbeat

Jay-Z - 99 Problems

Kanye West - Heard'em Say

Hercules And Love Affair - Blind

Portishead - Machine Gun

The Go! Team - The Power Is On

 

Bolded are stone cold locks IMO. I'd say "My Girls" too, but there's an outside chance they go with "Summertime Clothes." But one of the two for sure.

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#1 - BOB

 

Not disappointed in any way. This song got me amped for many-a volleyball game back in the day. I am surprised that Idioteque is all the way down at #8, but the top 20 surely captured my ideas of the top songs in the decade I was first musically relevant/aware.

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I think a pretty legitimate argument could be made that Outkast deserves to have 3 songs in the top 10. "Hey Ya", "BOB", and "Ms. Jackson" are all among the finest songs of the decade, and also at least two of them were among the most culturally ubiquitous.

 

This is actually making me think Outkast might be the definitive act of the decade. Some bands might have been better (subjective, but whatever), but nobody else had the same cultural impact. "Hey Ya" spawned like 18 annoying catch phrases that fucking everybody said. Same with "Ms. Jackson". I just think if I'm going to remember any group from this decade, they're going to be up there.

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Great, I never even heart the 'best song of the decade'...I honestly doubt the "cultural impact" of B.O.B. is that big, Hey Ya would've been a more understandable choice.

 

And of course 'All My Friends' isn't bad, but it ain't really the second best song of this decade either. I'm pleasantly surprised they recognized the genius of One More Time though.

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I totally disagree with B.O.B. as number 1 as well, but no list is perfect.

 

I don't feel like looking through this list again, but were I Am Trying to Break Your Hearta nd Gold Digger really left out? Also, NO songs from Drive-By Truckers.

 

But all in all, not a bad list to use as a reference, but definately not a be all and end all - not even for the Pitchfork hipster crowd.

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Basically, the Fork writers either gravitate towards nerds making disco with "soul-baring" earnest lyrics (LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip (!?!?!?), Daft Punk) that make other nerds feel all warm and fuzzy, or they love escapist commercial fare like Clarkson, Beyonce, etc. Idioteque is essentially a nerdcore song, too, which is why the kids on Fork love it; Radiohead has far better songs in the '00s. The ADD generation is bored with rock (doesn't quite provide the stimulation the soundtracks to their favorite Nintendo games did), which is why there is only one rock song in the top 20.

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This is actually making me think Outkast might be the definitive act of the decade. Some bands might have been better (subjective, but whatever), but nobody else had the same cultural impact. "Hey Ya" spawned like 18 annoying catch phrases that fucking everybody said. Same with "Ms. Jackson". I just think if I'm going to remember any group from this decade, they're going to be up there.

 

I think so too, they were one of the few bands that top 40 radio would play during this decade that I actually found pretty interesting. And I think they hold pretty well also.

 

--Mike

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Basically, the Fork writers either gravitate towards nerds making disco with "soul-baring" earnest lyrics (LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip (!?!?!?), Daft Punk) that make other nerds feel all warm and fuzzy, or they love escapist commercial fare like Clarkson, Beyonce, etc. Idioteque is essentially a nerdcore song, too, which is why the kids on Fork love it; Radiohead has far better songs in the '00s. The ADD generation is bored with rock (doesn't quite provide the stimulation the soundtracks to their favorite Nintendo games did), which is why there is only one rock song in the top 20.

 

Yeah, well. That's just, like, your opinion, man.

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I'm ancient (though not as old as Louie B), but BoB is an inspired choice.

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Yeah BoB at #1 is almost as cool as when Spin picked Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock's It Takes Two as the #1 song of the '80s.

But the '00s have been defined by hip hop - it would've been kinda ridiculous if it wasn't represented at #1.

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I had never heard (or heard of) B.O.B. until today, so I think it would have made more sense to me for Hey Ya! to be #1, but I don't know anything about hip hop so I'll yield the floor to those more knowledgeable about it than myself.

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