• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

Pitchfork's Top 200 songs of the 1980s

vadimivich said:
Palma not having heard Sonic Youth, and not liking it, is probably the most predictable thing in the entire history of this board.

As for "nothing memorable about any of the instrumental work" - Sonic Youth basically redefined how to play guitars. The entire genre of "indie / alternative rock" effectively started with them. Spin Magazine named Moore and Ranaldo as their co-#1 guitarists of all time. That might be a bit high, but Moore is pretty much in everyone's top 25.

They were a transformative band that helped define the sound of the next generation.
Click to expand...

A joke considering they stole from television.
 
i'm sure metal will be woefully underrepresented
 
I heard of Sonic Youth. What was their most popular song?
 
I went to HS from 1982-1986, and college from 1986-1990. I have never heard that song till I clicked on the you tube link on this thread.
 
My personal top 5 probably something like

Naive Melody - Talking Heads
Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie
It's Like That - Run DMC
Sign o the Times - Prince
Straight to Hell - The Clash
 
In the vein of the Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth is the classic example of a band that was way more influential than actually good. I always thought they sort of sucked, and I liked their later stuff a lot better than the earlier stuff. Incinerate prolly my fav tune of theirs.

Agree w Townie tho, Talking Heads and the Clash were the best part of the 80s.
 
PhDeac said:
I heard of Sonic Youth. What was their most popular song?
Click to expand...

i dunno, maybe "kool thing" or "dirty boots"? but goo was my favorite album of theirs, so i'm probably biased

that cover they did of the carpenters' "superstar" blew up a few years back when juno featured it

 
Paid in Full should be up there if we're talking hip hop
 
No question. I get the feeling we aren't though.
 
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Paid in Full
3 Feet High and Rising
Paul's Boutique
Straight Outta Compton
 
PhDeac said:
No question. I get the feeling we aren't though.
Click to expand...

to be fair, p4k had it takes a nation and paul's boutique in their top 10 albums of the decade, and 3 feet high and rising was top 20
 
SY is a great band, definitely in my top-5 of all time. I'd say that anything off of Dirty or Goo is likely fairly well known relative to the rest of their catalog. Songs like Sugar Kane, Chapel Hill, and 100% are about as close to mainstream rock as they ever came, even if you really should know them if you're into alternative rock/indie rock.

Sister is my favorite record, though, and by a long shot. Daydream Nation is good, but there's some pretty awful filler in spots. Silver Rocket is my jam.

That being said, you either like them or you don't. I'll just say that it's unsurprising that TAB falls into the latter camp.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top