A Comprehensive List of Pitchfork’s “Best New Albums” that actually hold up over time
A Comprehensive List of Pitchfork’s “Best New Albums” that actually hold up over time:
*Note: This list is exclusively based on albums listed in Pitchfork’s “Best New Albums” category and, in turn, does not include any number of exceptional albums Pitchfork snubbed that year. Also, this list is based on the idea that a good percentage of the album is worth listening to and not just individual tracks.
2003
Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It in People
Four Tet – Rounds
Jay Z – The Black Album
Kanye West – The College Dropout
Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days
2005
Kanye West – Late Registration
2006
TV on the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain
2007
Menomena – Friend and Foe
The National – Boxer
Battles – Mirrored
Kanye West – Graduation
Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Burial – Untrue
2008
Portishead – Third
Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III
Harvey Milk – Life…The Best Game in Town
TV on the Radio – Dear Science
2009
The Antlers – Hospice
The xx – xx
Volcano Choir – Unmap
2010
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
The Radio Dept. – Clinging to a Scheme
The National – High Violet
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Twin Shadow – Forget
2011
Destroyer – Kaputt
James Blake – James Blake
Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
Jay Z / Kanye West – Watch the Throne
M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
Real Estate – Days
Drake – Take Care
2012
Beach House – Bloom
Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
Twin Shadow – Confess
Wild Nothing – Nocturne
2013
The National – Trouble Will Find Me
Kanye West – Yeezus
Earl Sweatshirt – Doris
Phosphorescent – Muchacho
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
2014
Real Estate – Atlas
The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream
2015
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
Tame Impala – Currents
Beach House – Depression Cherry
2016
Kanye West – The Life of Pablo
Beyonce – Lemonade
Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book
The Avalanches – Wildflower
Frank Ocean – Blond
Bon Iver – 22, A Million
Solange – A Seat at the Table
2017
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
Charli XCX – Pop 2
Slowdive – Slowdive
SZA – CTRL
The xx – I See You
2018
Soccer Mommy – Clean
Snail Mail – Lush
Pusha-T – Daytona
Tierra Whack – Whack World
boygenius – boygenius EP
2019
Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell
Big Thief – Two Hands
Destroyer – Have We Met
Big Thief – U.F.O.F.
Bon Iver – i, i
Alex G – House of Sugar
2020
Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud
Run the Jewels – RTJ4