Pitchfork Perfect 10.0′s and 0.0′s…
Updated on 6/10/2010: This update adds The Cure’s Disintegration [Deluxe Edition] to the perfect 10.0 list.
Updated on 5/19/2010: This update adds The Rolling Stone’s Exile on Main St. to this list.
Updated on 3/30/2010: This update adds Galaxie 500′s deluxe reissue version of On Fire to the list of perfect 10.0′s.
Updated on 3/8/2010: Pavement’s first retrospective compilation, Quarantine the Past, has been added to the perfect 10.0 list.
Updated on 3/2/2010: Pitchfork have added Spiritualized’s Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating in Space [Collector's Edition] to their list of perfect 10 reissues.
Updated on 12/11/2009: P4k have added Neil Young’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and After the Gold Rush reissues to their list of perfect albums. A couple of good choices in my opinion. Harvest missed out by receiving a 9.3.
Updated on 9/11/09: Jesus Christ all these perfect 10′s in one week has to be some type of record for P4k. Today they handed out another one for the 20th anniversary reissue of the Stone Rose’s self-titled album. For those counting they’ve issued seven 10′s this week. Of course they’ve all been deserved in my opinion.
Updated on 9/10/09: To include the Beatles’ Stereo/Mono Remastered Reissues of The White Album and Abbey Road.
Updated on 9/9/09: To Include the Beatles’ Stereo/Mono Remastered Reissues of Rubber Soul, Sgt Pepper’s, Magical Mystery Tour and Revolver.
Updated on 8/25/2009: To include Radiohead’s Kid A: Special Collectors Edition.
Updated on 7/2/2009: To include R.E.M’s Reckoning (Deluxe Edition) reissue.
Updated on 5/26/2009: A commenter by the name of Chris was kind enough to point us to a web archive that shows Pitchfork as if it were 2001 (Thanks Chris!). This is actually pretty fun to look around. The first news topic talks about Radiohead announcing the Amnesiac tracklist via bulletin board. After looking around for quite sometime I forced myself to focus and as a result I’ve updated all the links to show their original reviews. Some of these reviews I couldn’t find links to in the first place (cough cough Kiss) so there might be some new materiel for you guys to check out.
Updated on 4/20/2009: To include the Radiohead reissues of OK Computer and The Bends.
Updated on 3/26/2009: to Include Serge Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson.
Updated on 3/19/2009: It appears that in their recent site redesign Pitchfork decided to get rid of any album review that was over ten years old. This means reviews to albums like OK Computer, The Soft Bulletin and I See A Darkness no longer exist. I’m not sure why they did this, but I imagine it had something to do with reviews like this one.
Updated on 2/13/2009: to included the Beastie Boy’s 20th anniversary reissue of Paul’s Boutique.
Updated on 11/24/2008: to include R.E.M.’s Deluxe Edition of Murmur.
Regardless of how you feel about Pitchfork, I don’t think any of us can argue the sites relevancy within the small confines of our music world. Needless to say Pitchfork is always a polarizing topic. You have those that hate the sheer existence of it and deem the writers pretentious music elitists with a little too much power, and then there are those individuals who appreciate the site and rely heavily on its recommendations. Regardless of what side of the fence we are on when it comes to this issue, we all still inevitably read Pitchfork. Truthfully, I read it every day and I look forward to it. I don’t always agree with their reviews (I’m looking at you Fuck Buttons), but I have my coffee, check the news and right before I start working I check the Pitchfork reviews.
I do hate that so many people put so much stock in their reviews, but like it or not a good/bad Pitchfork review can make or break a band. Many people claim Pitchfork is responsible for breaking bands like Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Interpol, Wolf Parade, and Broken Social Scene. I think it’s safe to say all these bands have plenty of talent, but I’m sure the little nudge Pitchfork gave them didn’t hurt their chances. On the other hand a poor Pitchfork review can destroy a bands career just as quickly. We all remember the monkey drinking its own piss review of Jet’s, Shine On, and the satirical review of the Black Kid’s Partie Traumatic.
I haven’t heard much from Jet lately, and I guess we will have to wait and see if the Black Kid’s can overcome their poor review. This got me thinking about how consistent Pitchfork has been with their reviews in the past, so I decided to try and find a list of albums that have received perfect 10.0’s throughout the years as well as a listing of those unfortunate albums that have received 0.0′s.. I didn’t have to look very long as some members of the Ateaseweb forum kindly pointed me to Pitchfork’s wiki page complete with all the information I needed.
I went ahead and linked to as many of the actual reviews as I could, but some of them have been taken down over the years. The list is broken down into three categories. The first list includes actual albums that received 10.0’s upon initial release, the second list included albums that received 10.0’s upon re-release, and lastly is the list of albums receiving a 0.0.
View the lists after the jump…
Albums that have received a perfect 10.0 from P4k
1. Radiohead – Kid A
MP3: Radiohead - The National Anthem (mp3)
2. Radiohead – OK Computer
MP3: Radiohead – Karma Police (mp3)
3. Bonnie “Prince” Billy – I See A Darkness
MP3: Bonnie “Prince” Billy – I See A Darkness (mp3)
4. The Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin
MP3: The Flaming Lips – Race for the Prize (mp3)
5. …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – Source Tags and Codes
MP3: …And You Will Know Us BY the Trail of Dead – “Source Tags and Codes”
6. 12 Rods – gay? (EP)
7. Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966, The “Royal Albert Hall” Concert 1
8. Robert Pollard – Relaxation of the Asshole (received a 0.0 and a 10.0)
edit – It looks like it might just be a 10.0 now.
9. Amon Tobin – Bricolage
10. Walt Mink – El Producto
11. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
MP3: Wilco – I Am Trying To Break Your Heart (mp3)
Reissues that have received a perfect 10.0 from P4k
1. Boards of Canada – Music has the Right to Children
MP3: Boards of Canada -”Aquarius”
2. Glenn Branca – The Ascension
3. James Brown – Live at the Apollo (Expanded Edition)
4. The Clash – The Essential Clash
5. The Clash – London Calling: 25th Anniversary Edition
6. John Coltrane – The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording
7. Elvis Costello and The Attractions – This Year’s Model
8. Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
9. Miles Davis – Sketches of Spain
10. DJ Shadow – Endtroducing….. (Deluxe Edition)
11. The Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
12. Iggy and The Stooges – Raw Power
13. Joy Division – Closer
14. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
MP3: Joy Division – “Disorder”
15. KISS – Alive!
16. Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
MP3: Neutral Milk Hotel – Holland, 1945
MP3: Neutral Milk Hotel – King Of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1
17. Pavement – Slanted and Enchanted: Luxe and Reduxe
18. Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA’s Desert Origins
19. Pink Floyd – Animals
20. Otis Redding – Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul (Collector’s Edition)
21. The Replacements – Let It Be
22. Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation: Deluxe Edition
23. Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run: 30th Anniversary Edition
24. Television – Marquee Moon
25. The Velvet Underground – Loaded
26. The Velvet Underground and Nico – S/T
Review no longer exists.
27. The Who – Odds and Sods
28. Wire – Pink Flag
29. Wire – Chairs Missing
30. XTC – English Settlement
31. Various Artists – No Thanks!: The 70s Punk Rebellion
32. R.E.M. – Murmur (Deluxe Edition)
33. Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique: 20th Anniversary Edition
34. Serge Gainsbourg – Histoire de Melody Nelson
35. Radiohead – The Bends: Collector’s Edition
36. Radiohead – OK Computer: Collector’s Edition
37. R.E.M. – Reckoning (Deluxe Edition)
38. Radiohead – Kid A: Special Collectors Edition
39. The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour
40. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
41. The Beatles – Revolver
42. The Beatles – Rubber Soul
43. The Beatles – The Beatles (White Album)
44. The Beatles – Abbey Road
45. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses (20th Anniversary Reissue)
46. Neil Young – Everybody Knows this Is Nowhere
MP3: Neil Young – “Cinnamon Girl”
47. Neil Young – After the Gold Rush
MP3: Neil Young – “After the Gold Rush”
48. Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating in Space [Collector's Edition]
50. Pavement – Quarantine the Past
51. Galaxie 500 – On Fire
52. The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St.
53. The Cure – Disintegration [Deluxe Edition]
Albums that have received a 0.0 from P4k
1. Bachman-Turner Overdrive – Remastered Hits: The Best of…
2. The Flaming Lips – Zaireeka
A feature defending the album and criticizing the review was later also published on the website.
3. John Frusciante – Smile from the Streets You Hold
In this review, the critic writes “I’m giving it a 0.0 because you’ll have to call this one on your own, sorry.”
4. Jet – Shine On
This album was not given a rating—the review consisted only of a video of a chimpanzee urinating into its own mouth.
5. Francisco Lopez – Untitled #104
6. Travis Morrison – travistan
7. Kiss – Music From “The Elder”
8. Kiss/Peter Criss
9. Liz Phair – Liz Phair
The review of Phair’s subsequent album expressed regret that the 0.0 was “wasted” on Liz Phair, because “it’s much better than Somebody’s Miracle.”
10. Robert Pollard – Relaxation of the Asshole
In the review, this album was given a “(1)0.0″ theoretically giving it both a 10.0 and 0.0 rating.
edit – It looks like it might just be a 10.0 now.
11. Sonic Youth – NYC Ghosts and Flowers
Jul 23, 2008 at 2:27 pm
River Phoenix says,
I actually liked the Black Kids album…it’s not a masterpiece nor groundbreaking…but after all it is a debut album of dance/happy/upbeat music and for that I truly think it achieves it’s goals…but a 0? no way…
Jul 23, 2008 at 9:20 pm
dr. white says,
while the soft bulletin is my favorite record of all time, i hate reading their review of it. it appears as if it pains the staff to like anything, let alone distribute a perfect 10.0. even though i agree, i hate the review. also, when the days are long and slow, i love checking the review of the jet record. it makes me smile like new jersey on its side every time i “read” it.
Jul 24, 2008 at 5:26 am
Pitchfork’s Black Kids Review « Electricity & Lust says,
[...] opinions from PopCandy and a piece on the perfect 10.0 and 0.0s from Pitchfork in the past on Salad Days [...]
Jul 26, 2008 at 1:58 am
Lucas says,
This survey of Pitchfork reviews is inspired and telling. I like to imagine their obviously über-scientific grading system involves an Olympic-style panel of hipsters holding cards with numbers and animal photos. Five bucks says this is what their review of Conor Oberst’s upcoming album looks like:
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/838/pforkreviewcd5.jpg
Aug 8, 2008 at 11:19 am
Scott says,
This is an interesting topic…I wish more people had responded. Not much food for thought here…but here’s my two cents’ worth.
You’re right about Pitchfork being a polarizing force. What’s interesting though is that, more often than not, they’re right on with their reviews. You’re not going to agree with them all the time, but name me one critic out there who you do agree with 100% of the time. The bottom line is if they say an album’s good, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll like it. If they say an album is bad, then 90% of the time they’re right. I typically find my favorite albums of the year from Pitchfork recommendations (8 of my top 10 last year were given either “Recommended” or “Best New Music” ratings by the site). The flip side is that half of their top 10 I didn’t really care for. So what does it mean? It’s a great way to get introduced to bands and albums you may possibly like and not otherwise find out about. You won’t like them all the time, but you’re not going to like everything anyway. For me, a good P4k review legitimizes an album; I’ll check it out on that basis. On the other hand, rarely will I look at anything they didn’t like, because that’s a good sign that it’s something to steer clear of. I also consistently read reviews from 5-10 other sources. I value Pitchfork’s reviews the most, but everything I read is taken with a grain of salt, from them to everyone else.
Nov 25, 2008 at 10:49 am
Heath says,
God I love this article:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/pitchfork_gives_music_6_8
Feb 13, 2009 at 1:41 pm
jim says,
the song by flaming lips is really bad
Feb 13, 2009 at 1:56 pm
jim says,
on the other hand the track by nuetral milk hotel is brilliant
Feb 13, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Jake says,
I’m going to work on getting more MP3′s up in the future. Also, the Lip’s track is nothing short of amazing.
Feb 16, 2009 at 1:21 pm
JT says,
What’s Pitchfork?
Feb 16, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Lucas says,
I’ve been revisting Paul’s Boutique in honor of its reissue and have decided it will forever remind me of some of my best times in high school. This album deserves a 10 based solely on the lyric, ” I’m as cool as a
cucumber in a bowl of hot sauce…”
Mar 20, 2009 at 1:26 pm
F says,
The Black Kids review was the last straw for me. It’s a fucking joke, an admission of sheer laziness, pretension, and an utter lack of concern for the bands they pretend to care about. Which isn’t to say they had to like the album, but since they brought the band to national prominence, they could have at least had the decency to explain why they were now tearing them down. Pathetic.
Mar 29, 2009 at 4:28 pm
D says,
If Born To Run – even if it’s the reissue version – gets a 10.0, why is it not included in the Pitchfork Top 100 albums of the 70′s? It should be.
May 18, 2009 at 5:04 pm
jack says,
hey, Jim. fuck you. Flaming Lips are amazing. maybe there’s some problem with that link or something, but i’m guessing you’re wrong. I also generally agree with pitchfork. I find that pitchfork is always dependable. Even if you don’t agree with them on a certain band, you can still count on them to compare albums well. if they give an new band a 6.0 and then give their next album a 3.0 then the new album is probably worse. thank you for this article!!
May 26, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Chris says,
I think pitchfork took down all reviews for before 2000. Here’s an archive I found if you want to fix your links:
http://web.archive.org/web/20010302113302/www.pitchforkmedia.com/
It’s Pitchfork, as it was in 2001.
Jul 9, 2009 at 9:18 pm
is new jerssey a community property state says,
Is it new jerssey a community property state?any ideas?
Jul 12, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Joe says,
‘The White Stripes’ and ‘De Stijl,’ as of 7/13/09 are back to their original ratings.
Aug 6, 2009 at 12:48 pm
James says,
I don’t like Scott’s use of ‘you’. There are many people who like music Pitchfork doesn’t, including music Pitchfork has probably never heard of. Not everyone has the same taste, even among indie rock fans. That’s part of what’s so wrong about people taking Pitchfork like the word of god. It shows in the sales of Jet and Black Kids.
Dec 17, 2009 at 7:41 am
Pitchfork Perfect 10.0’s and 0.0’s… — Pop Librarian says,
[...] Pitchfork Perfect 10.0’s and 0.0’s… [...]
Mar 9, 2010 at 6:18 pm
New Releases Links 3.9.10 « My list of Coolness Blog says,
[...] Pitchfork gives the “new” Pavement reissue a 10.0. What other albums have they given perfect marks [...]
Mar 27, 2010 at 8:24 pm
JP Bel says,
Great Stuff. Btw, Pitchfork fixed the XTC English Settlement Review. It’s a 10 again.