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Saturday, August 22, 2009

Media How Many Songs From Pitchfork's Top 500 Songs of the 2000s Do You Know?

Posted by Michaelangelo Matos on Sat, Aug 22, 2009 at 2:54 AM

It's pretty easy to find out: just use this handy checklist and click each one you're familiar with. The original list, of course, begins here (500-451) and ends here, with the Top 10.

My total was 330. That's mostly because I listen to a lot of music and because I heard a number of the albums that included some of the songs—many of which I couldn't hum for you or remember a lyric from if I tried. I do know I heard them, however. If we were going on the number I've actually retained (or even more to the point, wanted to), it would probably be in the 200 range. I like indie rock fine but not the way Pitchfork does, and a number of things that are probably obvious to a lot of people reading this are unfamiliar to me. Vice versa, I'm sure.

Just for fun, the ten highest-ranked songs from the list that I don't know (castigate away in the comments):

15. The Knife, "Heartbeats" (I still haven't heard these guys; I'm sure I'm missing out but have never been compelled for some reason)
35. Animal Collective, "Fireworks" (as I mentioned in a recent It's a Hit, they've always sounded to me like a Beach Boys consisting entirely of Mike Loves; never been a fan)
36. Sigur Ros, "Svefn-G-Englar" (again, I've never been intrigued enough to give them a shot; actually, I might have heard this once but have forgotten it completely)
61. Wilco, "Jesus, Etc." (see 36)
62. The Shins, "New Slang" (see 61)
73. Animal Collective, "Grass" (see, uh, 35)
81. Deerhunter, "Nothing Ever Happened" (actually, Grant Brissey did play these guys for me once and it sounded pretty good, but the title doesn't ring a bell)
85. Phoenix, "Long Distance Call" (I know some of their music but again, the title isn't doing it for me)
86. Mclusky, "To Hell With Good Intentions" (haven't heard a note)
95. Wolf Parade, "I'll Believe in Anything" (nada)

Comments (18) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

i dare not even look at the list as i fear i'd end up with a pitifully small #, and that would be due to the overwhelming amount of male compared to female voices on said list.

my knowledge/admiration/love of music leans (throughout many years, eras, genres...) much more female-centric than most media, "indie" or not.

Posted by jezbian on August 22, 2009 at 12:38 AM

i'm not here to castigate but, rather, to encourage, especially with regard to wilco.

i'm a fan, as are many thirty-year-olds, but not rabid like like some of them. anyway, a big part of that band is the mystique or mythological level to which jeff tweedy has risen. read an article or two where he talks about small town, midwest living, and listen to a few of his early songs, be they from uncle tupelo or wilco.

watch the documentary "i'm trying to break your heart" and take a listen to that album; check out the dvd of his solo tour in the northwest and listen to "a ghost is born." get a feel for the context and the journey from the small town country/punk to the big city/international scene/painkiller addictions and experimental electronica that comes from that, and maybe the music will blossom.

or maybe it won't.

all i'm saying is that i think they are best understood with his life/artistic arc in mind.

Posted by keith

on August 22, 2009 at 12:43 AM

Heartbeats is the only non-rap/hip hop song my boyfriend likes. And he LOVES it.
@2 I totally agree. Also, Jesus, Etc. is maybe in my top 5 Wilco tunes list.

Posted by marsgirl

on August 22, 2009 at 2:30 AM

I feel like that SIgur Ros track has been in a million places; so you must have heard it inadvertently. And I really really love that first Wolf Parade album. Maybe that's partially because it was my main companion during an inadvertently long and stressful winter layover in Minneapolis

Posted by josh

on August 22, 2009 at 3:19 AM

quote: "That's mostly because I listen to a lot of music and because I heard a number of the albums that included some of the songs—many of which I couldn't hum for you or remember a lyric from if I tried. I do know I heard them, however. If we were going on the number I've actually retained"
ditto for me
I counted the number I retained and it was 152. There's a lot of the other songs that I recognized by name and probably even had in my itunes library. For example how the hell does "Wolf Like Me" by Tv on the Radio go? I know I've listened to it at least 3 times according to my computer.

Posted by Dutch on August 22, 2009 at 7:22 AM

Jose Gonzalez covers of Heartbeats on acoustic guitar and takes it to new heights as a ballad.

Posted by Grrr on August 22, 2009 at 9:28 AM

Uh, I'm sorry but if you haven't heard of obscure bands like animal collective, sigur ros, and wolf parade then the question comes to mind. Why the hell are you the one to blog about pitchforks 500? It amounts Charles comenting on the state of hiphop and claims that Mad Rad is more talented than Noturious B.I.G.
The Stranger has really fallen off, Seattle needs a real" independant" and alternative paper newspaper!

Posted by A dude on August 23, 2009 at 11:32 AM

62. The Shins, "New Slang"... huh?

Posted by mr.pickles on August 23, 2009 at 12:49 PM

@7: Good luck on that reading comprehension exam.

Posted by Michaelangelo Matos on August 23, 2009 at 6:14 PM

@6 agreed....... What was your point Matos? That you write for a music blog and know nothing about somewhat popular indie rock?

Posted by Ty on August 23, 2009 at 11:38 PM

@10: the point is in the title of the post. I took this test, maybe you might want to as well.

Posted by Michaelangelo Matos on August 24, 2009 at 11:08 AM

@11

Oh I understand the subject of the post, i just don't understand the point. Do they allow just anyone to write posts? I was under the impression that posters needed to have some sort of on here should have some sort of credibility. Cause honestly I find it extremely odd that you haven't heard Wilco - Jesus Etc or the Shins - New Slang.....songs come from two massively acclaimed albums.

Posted by Ty on August 24, 2009 at 5:28 PM

@11: I have no idea why the commenters here are so hateful. This is a perfectly reasonable blog post.

As far as encouragement goes, I'm with Josh, please give Wolf Parade a listen, I like that album quite a bit. Also, Heartbeats. Don't really like The Knife, but that song deserves to be somewhere on the list. José Gonzalez' cover is nice, also, you may have heard it watching a Sony Bravia advertisement with bouncing balls going down a street in SF.

33% here, too lazy to see wtf is up with the ranking from pitchfork.

Posted by RL is too lazy to log in on August 24, 2009 at 5:49 PM

I'm not gonna hate like some of the other commenters, but I must say I do find it stunning that someone who writes about music for The Stranger hasn't heard "New Slang."

Again, no shots, that's just pretty amazing.

Posted by Grease Wizard on August 25, 2009 at 10:19 PM

have you seen "Garden State?" Then you've heard "New Slang." Have you seen "Vanilla Sky?" Then Youve heard the Sigur Ros song. Both are beautiful and Jesus etc is on a Wilco album that will find its way to MANY top 10 lists of the decade, I predict.

Posted by mm on October 2, 2009 at 6:58 PM

yes, I second #2. jesus, etc. is a beautiful work of musical mastery. one of wilco's very best, particularly when listened to within YHF as a whole.

Posted by pv on October 5, 2009 at 2:19 PM

really, you don't like animal collective? then why are you writing about music for the Stranger?

Posted by pioneer on November 19, 2009 at 11:04 PM