Really? "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Is Only the Number 13 Song of the 1990s?
In which The Washington Independent‘s Annie Lowrey and I discuss Pitchfork’s Top Tracks of the 90s list:
If there’s a rebuttal to my argument that the list represents proto-Pitchforkism, it’s that The Dismemberment Plan’s “The City” only came in at number 64. Maybe that represents a loss of stature for the plan post-solo-Morrison, but I always got the sense that, along with Radiohead and LCD Soundsystem, The Dismemberment Plan held a place near and dear to the early Pitchfork aesthetic. Of course, I could be biased given that I still count Emergency & I as my favorite album of all time.
Dude, The Dismemberment Plan shout-out is much appreciated. The DC music scene never gets the respect it deserves.
— Will · Sep 10, 03:19 AM · #
As a teenager, I understood DC to be the successor to Seattle as the City With the Greatest Scene In America. It’s not nearly as strong as it used to be, but Dismemberment Plan, Fugazi, and Q & Not U basically defined the angular, spastic punk/funk/hardcore fusion sound that I still think of as my favorite.
— Peter Suderman · Sep 10, 03:47 AM · #
I am pretty sure the Pitchfork list was simply created by polling Pitchfork writers. I’d guess that the criteria was left up to the individual writers. Can’t remember which one, but I read that on a Pitchfork writer’s tumblr. “Gold Soundz” was simply on more lists/rated higher on average than “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.
— Bryan · Sep 10, 08:58 AM · #
I am a huge Pavement fan, so I was obviously pleased to see “Gold Soundz” (my favorite amongst their songs) at number 1. Admittedly, it doesn’t have the cultural significance of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” but I think we’d be unwise to underestimate Stephen Malkmus’ impact on the music landscape. While Nirvana’s brand of pop-grunge inspired a lot of bands (some of which were just awful: BUSH) in the late 1990s and early part of the 2000s, that aesthetic seems to have had a relatively short shelf life. Pavement’s more idiosyncratic brand of pop still has legs though, as the last few years have been dominated by a kind of slacker-rock-meets-club-beats aesthetic. Not sure if this necessarily justifies putting Pavement at number 1 and Nirvana at number 13 (again, the criteria are really nebulous), but it is pretty amazing to see a band that formed in Stockton, CA (the scene to end all scenes, clearly) over 20 years ago still being relevant to the kids who are making music today.
— Dan · Sep 10, 04:39 PM · #
Oh man, if you speak with so preaty woman, you can`t thinking normall… : )
— Jack Mail · Sep 10, 09:26 PM · #
This thread is exceedingly white.
— Freddie · Sep 10, 09:32 PM · #
It’s disappointing to see a 200 song list with nothing by The Storybook Crooks or Lagbolt.
— Carter · Sep 10, 10:47 PM · #
She looks like the kind of girl that would reject you kindly.
— cw · Sep 11, 02:26 AM · #
I’m not a Pitchfork fan, but any list that puts My Bloody Valentine’s “Only Shallow” in the top 10 (it really should be the top 5, if not number 1) songs of the 90s can’t be all bad.
— Mark in Houston · Sep 11, 03:26 AM · #
You had me until you called Lady Gaga a really interesting musician.
You’re right about it being a list of what went on to define the Pitchfork aesthetic, but there’s also something else at play. Pitchforkers are generally young enough to make this exercise off-kilter for many of their slightly older readers. I turned 16 in early 1990, so the decade was the prime-time rock-listening experience for me and most of my friends. But Pitchfork writes this in its intro to the feature: “When Nirvana hit in late 1991, a couple of us were in our early 20s, while more than a few others were still in grade school.” Grade school, people. Consequently, what this list reads like to me is the Top 1990s Tracks As Listened To In The Aughts. If that makes any sense.
They get big points from me, though, for including “Nightswimming,” one of my all-time favorite songs. Limiting themselves to just one song per artist was sort of willfully odd, and meant they missed out on some other great R.E.M. songs from ’91-‘92.
— John Williams · Sep 11, 05:26 AM · #
John, that’s a good point. In 1991, I was, er… 10. Although by 13, I was developing into a pretty serious music nerd, and by 16 I had completely succumbed.
— Peter Suderman · Sep 11, 05:54 AM · #