The music publication Pitchfork recently published a list of the 100 best songs of the 2020s so far. Despite only encompassing less than four years of music, the list stirred up plenty of discourse, including Pitchfork creating a new list, entirely based on votes by their readers.
Pitchfork’s populous list included some pretty noticeable shake-ups from the staff list. Charli XCX’s Brat dominates the top half of this list, with three songs in the top ten (“360” at #8, “Von Dutch” at #7, and “Girl, So Confusing (ft Lorde)” at #3), where she only reached #23 on the staff list. Taylor Swift appears on the fan list, though only in the bottom half. Her highest appearance is “Last Great American Dynasty” at #54.
The staff list’s #2 pick “American Tterroristt” by RXK Newphew is completely absent from the fan list, along with tracks such as Sexyy Redd’s “SkeeYee”. In turn, the reader’s #2 song “I Know the End” by Phoebe Bridgers is nowhere to be found on the staff list. Other highly acclaimed staff picks drop significantly in the reader’s mind, such as Low’s “Days Like These” dropping from #5 to #60 and ANOHNI and the Johnsons’ “It Must Change” going from #6 to #86.
There are, however, some places where fans agree with Pitchfork. Lana Del Rey’s “A&W” holds onto its #1 slot, and Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” and Caroline Polachek’s “Bunny is a Rider” are in similar spots.
In addition to the “best songs” list, Pitchfork also created the “best albums of the 2020s so far”, both from their editorial staff and from their readers. This list follows some similar themes to the singles list, such as Brat taking the #1 slot on the viewer list, whereas the staff went with Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters
These lists show the interesting divide between fans and critics, even within one publication’s sphere of influence. As the halfway point of the decade approaches, it will be fascinating to see what music stands out defining this era, especially in a social climate that is changing so rapidly.
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