The American online music publication Pitchfork has awarded a perfect score of 10 to more than 50 albums. Most of the reviews are retrospective reviews of classic albums or reissues.[1] Artists who have received perfect scores on release include Radiohead, Fiona Apple, Kanye West, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and Wilco.[1] Compilation albums that received a perfect score on release, such as The Smile Sessions, are listed under both the "Awarded on release" and "Reissue" columns.
Date awarded | Title | Artist | Year | Review author | Awarded on release | Reissue | Sunday Review | Notes | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 January 1996 | El Producto | Walt Mink | 1996 | Ryan Schreiber | — | [2] | |||
1 May 1996 | Gay? | 12 Rods | 1996 | Jason Josephes | — | [3] | |||
April 1997 | Kind of Blue | Miles Davis | 1959 | Ryan Schreiber | Published undated | [4] | |||
May 1997 | Raw Power | Iggy & the Stooges | 1973 | Jason Josephes | [5] | ||||
OK Computer | Radiohead | 1997 | Ryan Schreiber | [6][7] | |||||
July 1997 | Bricolage | Amon Tobin | 1997 | [8] | |||||
1 September 1997 | This Nation's Saving Grace | The Fall | 1985 | Bruce Tiffee | — | [9] | |||
October 1997 | Sketches of Spain | Miles Davis | 1960 | Ryan Schreiber | Published undated | [10] | |||
March 1998 | Odds & Sods | The Who | 1971 | Jason Josephes | [11] | ||||
October 1998 | The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966, The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert | Bob Dylan | 1998 | Neil Lieberman | [12] | ||||
1 July 1999 | The Soft Bulletin | The Flaming Lips | 1999 | Jason Josephes | — | [13] | |||
30 September 1999 | I See a Darkness | Bonnie "Prince" Billy | 1999 | Samir Khan | — | [14] | |||
25 April 2000 | Animals | Pink Floyd | 1977 | James P. Wisdom | — | [15] | |||
2 October 2000 | Kid A | Radiohead | 2000 | Brent DiCrescenzo | — | [16] | |||
15 October 2001 | The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording | John Coltrane | 2001 | — | [17] | ||||
28 February 2002 | Source Tags and Codes | ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead | 2002 | Matt LeMay | — | [18] | |||
21 April 2002 | Yankee Hotel Foxtrot | Wilco | 2002 | Brent S. Sirota | — | [19] | |||
9 May 2002 | This Year's Model | Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 2002 | Matt LeMay | — | [20] | |||
9 July 2002 | English Settlement | XTC | 1982 | Chris Dahlen | — | [21] | |||
19 June 2003 | The Ascension | Glenn Branca | 1981 | Andy Beta | — | [22] | |||
9 December 2003 | Marquee Moon | Television | 1977 | Chris Dahlen | — | [23] | |||
10 February 2004 | No Thanks! The '70s Punk Rebellion | Various artists | 2004 | Eric Carr | — | [24] | |||
30 March 2004 | Live at the Apollo | James Brown | 1963 | Dominique Leone | — | [25] | |||
26 April 2004 | Music Has the Right to Children | Boards of Canada | 1998 | Mark Richardson | — | [26] | |||
21 September 2004 | London Calling | The Clash | 1979 | Amanda Petrusich | — | [27] | |||
25 October 2004 | Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain | Pavement | 1994 | Mark Richardson | Review of the expanded reissue Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA's Desert Origins | [28] | |||
9 June 2005 | Endtroducing..... | DJ Shadow | 1996 | Chris Dahlen | — | [29] | |||
26 September 2005 | In the Aeroplane Over the Sea | Neutral Milk Hotel | 1998 | Mark Richardson | — | [30] | |||
18 November 2005 | Born to Run | Bruce Springsteen | 1975 | — | [31] | ||||
5 May 2006 | Pink Flag | Wire | 1977 | Joe Tangari | — | [32] | |||
Chairs Missing | 1978 | — | |||||||
13 June 2007 | Daydream Nation | Sonic Youth | 1988 | Nitsuh Abebe | — | [33] | |||
29 October 2007 | Unknown Pleasures | Joy Division | 1979 | Joshua Klein | — | [34] | |||
Closer | 1980 | — | |||||||
21 April 2008 | Let It Be | The Replacements | 1984 | Mark Richardson | — | [35] | |||
9 May 2008 | Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul | Otis Redding | 1965 | Nate Ptrin | — | [36] | |||
24 November 2008 | Murmur | R.E.M. | 1983 | Stephen M. Deusner | — | [37] | |||
13 February 2009 | Paul's Boutique | Beastie Boys | 1989 | Nate Patrin | — | [38] | |||
26 March 2009 | Histoire de Melody Nelson | Serge Gainsbourg | 1971 | Tom Ewing | — | [39] | |||
16 April 2009 | The Bends | Radiohead | 1995 | Scott Plagenhoef | — | [40] | |||
2 July 2009 | Reckoning | R.E.M. | 1984 | Matt LeMay | — | [41] | |||
7 September 2009 | In Stereo/In Mono | The Beatles | 2009 | Mark Richardson | — | [42] | |||
9 September 2009 | Rubber Soul | 1965 | Scott Plagenhoef | Reviewed as part of the In Stereo and In Mono box set reissue of the Beatles' catalog | [43] | ||||
Revolver | 1966 | [44] | |||||||
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | 1967 | [45] | |||||||
Magical Mystery Tour | [46] | ||||||||
10 September 2009 | The Beatles | 1968 | Mark Richardson | [47] | |||||
Abbey Road | 1969 | [48] | |||||||
11 September 2009 | The Stone Roses | The Stone Roses | 1989 | Any Granzin | — | [49] | |||
11 December 2009 | Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere | Neil Young | 1969 | Mark Richardson | — | [50] | |||
After the Gold Rush | 1970 | — | |||||||
2 March 2010 | Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space | Spiritualized | 1997 | Grayson Haver Currin | — | [51] | |||
8 March 2010 | Quarantine the Past | Pavement | 2010 | Matthew Perpetua | — | [52] | |||
30 March 2010 | On Fire | Galaxie 500 | 1989 | Mark Richardson | — | [53] | |||
19 May 2010 | Exile on Main St. | The Rolling Stones | 1972 | Rob Mitchum | — | [54] | |||
10 June 2010 | Disintegration | The Cure | 1989 | Nitsuh Abebe | — | [55] | |||
3 November 2010 | Pinkerton | Weezer | 1996 | Ian Cohen | — | [56] | |||
22 November 2010 | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | Kanye West | 2010 | Ryan Dombal | — | [57] | |||
11 January 2011 | Emergency & I | The Dismemberment Plan | 1999 | Paul Thompson | — | [58] | |||
27 September 2011 | Nevermind | Nirvana | 1991 | Jess Harvell | — | [59] | |||
21 October 2011 | Laughing Stock | Talk Talk | 1991 | — | [60] | ||||
2 November 2011 | The Smile Sessions | The Beach Boys | 2011 | Mark Richardson | — | [61] | |||
18 November 2011 | Hatful of Hollow | The Smiths | 1984 | Douglas Wolk | — | [62] | |||
The Queen is Dead | 1986 | — | |||||||
28 November 2011 | Siamese Dream | The Smashing Pumpkins | 1993 | Ned Raggett | — | [63] | |||
7 December 2011 | 20 Jazz Funk Greats | Throbbing Gristle | 1979 | Drew Daniel | — | [64] | |||
9 December 2011 | Tago Mago | Can | 1971 | Douglas Wolk | — | [65] | |||
11 May 2012 | Isn't Anything | my bloody valentine | 1988 | Mark Richardson | — | [66] | |||
loveless | 1991 | — | |||||||
27 July 2012 | Liquid Swords | GZA | 1995 | Ian Cohen | — | [67] | |||
13 August 2012 | For Your Pleasure | Roxy Music | 1973 | Tom Ewing | — | [68] | |||
9 November 2012 | Blue | Joni Mitchell | 1971 | Jessica Hopper | — | [69] | |||
Court and Spark | 1974 | — | |||||||
The Hissing of Summer Lawns | 1975 | — | |||||||
19 November 2012 | The Disintegration Loops | William Basinski | 2003 | Mark Richardson | — | [70] | |||
20 November 2012 | The Velvet Underground & Nico | The Velvet Underground & Nico | 1967 | Miles Raymer | — | [71] | |||
12 December 2012 | Voodoo | D'Angelo | 2000 | Ryan Dombal | — | [72] | |||
16 January 2013 | Donuts | J Dilla | 2006 | Nate Patrin | — | [73] | |||
23 January 2013 | Illmatic | Nas | 1994 | Jeff Weiss | — | [74] | |||
8 February 2013 | Rumours | Fleetwood Mac | 1977 | Jessica Hopper | — | [75] | |||
24 September 2013 | In Utero | Nirvana | 1993 | Stuart Berman | — | [76] | |||
16 January 2014 | White Light/White Heat | The Velvet Underground | 1968 | Douglas Wolk | — | [77] | |||
22 January 2014 | Pink Moon | Nick Drake | 1972 | Jayson Greene | — | [78] | |||
9 April 2014 | The Infamous | Mobb Deep | 1995 | — | [79] | ||||
16 April 2014 | Spiderland | Slint | 1991 | Stuart Berman | — | [80] | |||
25 April 2014 | Surfer Rosa | Pixies | 1988 | Mike Powell | Reviewed in conjunction with Pixies' discography | [81] | |||
Doolittle | 1989 | ||||||||
12 June 2014 | Led Zeppelin II | Led Zeppelin | 1969 | Mark Richardson | — | [82] | |||
16 July 2014 | Heaven or Las Vegas | Cocteau Twins | 1990 | Stephen M. Deusner | — | [83] | |||
5 November 2014 | The Lonesome Crowded West | Modest Mouse | 1997 | Brian Howe | — | [84] | |||
24 November 2014 | The Velvet Underground | The Velvet Underground | 1969 | Stuart Berman | — | [85] | |||
25 November 2014 | It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back | Public Enemy | 1988 | Craig Jenkins | — | [86] | |||
Fear of a Black Planet | 1990 | — | |||||||
24 February 2015 | Physical Graffiti | Led Zeppelin | 1975 | Mark Richardson | — | [87] | |||
19 June 2015 | Sticky Fingers | The Rolling Stones | 1971 | — | [88] | ||||
1 October 2015 | Hunky Dory | David Bowie | 1971 | Douglas Wolk | — | [89] | |||
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars | 1972 | — | |||||||
4 November 2015 | Loaded | The Velvet Underground | 1970 | Stuart Berman | — | [90] | |||
6 November 2015 | Astral Weeks | Van Morrison | 1968 | Stephen Thomas Erlewine | — | [91] | |||
13 November 2015 | People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm | A Tribe Called Quest | 1990 | kris ex | — | [92] | |||
25 November 2015 | A Love Supreme | John Coltrane | 1965 | Mark Richardson | — | [93] | |||
22 January 2016 | "Heroes" | David Bowie | 1977 | Ryan Dombal | Published as part of a series of reviews following the death of David Bowie | [94] | |||
Low | Laura Snapes | [95] | |||||||
24 February 2016 | Off the Wall | Michael Jackson | 1979 | Ryan Dombal | — | [96] | |||
13 April 2016 | Ride the Lightning | Metallica | 1984 | Saby Reyes-Kulkarni | — | [97] | |||
29 April 2016 | Dirty Mind | Prince | 1980 | Barry Walters | Awarded as part of a series of reviews following the death of Prince | [98] | |||
Purple Rain | 1984 | Carvell Wallace | [99] | ||||||
30 April 2016 | Sign o' the Times | 1987 | Nelson George | [100] | |||||
1999 | 1982 | Maura Johnston | [101] | ||||||
12 June 2016 | Hounds of Love | Kate Bush | 1985 | Barry Walters | First Sunday Review | [102] | |||
26 June 2016 | Tonight's the Night | Neil Young | 1975 | Mark Richardson | — | [103] | |||
30 July 2016 | Nina Simone in Concert | Nina Simone | 1964 | Carvell Wallace | — | [104] | |||
21 August 2016 | Songs in the Key of Life | Stevie Wonder | 1976 | Alan Light | — | [105] | |||
18 September 2016 | Another Green World | Brian Eno | 1975 | Mike Powell | — | [106] | |||
1 October 2016 | Music for 18 Musicians | Steve Reich | 1978 | Seth Colter Walls | — | [107] | |||
30 October 2016 | Blood on the Tracks | Bob Dylan | 1975 | Jesse Jarnow | — | [108] | |||
1 November 2016 | Metal Box | Public Image Ltd | 1979 | Simon Reynolds | — | [109] | |||
14 November 2016 | Einstein on the Beach | Philip Glass | 1979 | Seth Colter Walls | — | [110] | |||
15 January 2017 | Germfree Adolescents | X-Ray Spex | 1978 | Jenn Pelly | — | [111] | |||
5 February 2017 | Homogenic | Björk | 1997 | Philip Sherburne | Originally given a 9.9 rating on release in 1997 | [112] | |||
26 February 2017 | Weezer | Weezer | 1994 | Jill Mapes | — | [113] | |||
7 March 2017 | Either/Or | Elliott Smith | 1997 | Matt LeMay | — | [114] | |||
9 March 2017 | Ready to Die | The Notorious B.I.G. | 1994 | Matthew Trammell | Reviewed to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the murder of the Notorious B.I.G. | [115] | |||
26 March 2017 | Bach: The Goldberg Variations | Glenn Gould | 1956 | Seth Colter Walls | Two separate scores of two separate recordings of the same piece | [116] | |||
Bach: The Goldberg Variations | 1982 | ||||||||
2 April 2017 | Optimo EP | Liquid Liquid | 1983 | Sasha Frere-Jones | — | [117] | |||
4 June 2017 | Supreme Clientele | Ghostface Killah | 2000 | Jeff Weiss | — | [118] | |||
16 July 2017 | Appetite for Destruction | Guns N' Roses | 1987 | Maura Johnston | — | [119] | |||
3 August 2017 | Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) | Brian Eno | 1974 | Douglas Wolk | — | [120] | |||
Before and After Science | 1977 | — | [120] | ||||||
2 December 2017 | Master of Puppets | Metallica | 1986 | Andy O'Connor | — | [121] | |||
18 March 2018 | Nebraska | Bruce Springsteen | 1982 | Mark Richardson | — | [122] | |||
28 April 2018 | Trout Mask Replica | Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band | 1969 | Marc Masters | — | [123] | |||
2 May 2018 | Exile in Guyville | Liz Phair | 1993 | Amanda Petruisch | Review focuses on box set version Girly-Sound to Guyville, which includes three tapes from Phair's Girly-Sound series | [124] | |||
3 June 2018 | Live Through This | Hole | 1994 | Sasha Geffen | — | [125] | |||
10 June 2018 | The Band | The Band | 1969 | Steven Hyden | — | [126] | |||
16 September 2018 | Rid of Me | PJ Harvey | 1993 | Judy Berman | — | [127] | |||
23 September 2018 | 3 Feet High and Rising | De La Soul | 1989 | Jeff Chang | — | [128] | |||
11 October 2018 | The Singles | Bikini Kill | 1998 | Jenn Pelly | — | [129] | |||
21 October 2018 | Remain in Light | Talking Heads | 1980 | Dan Brooks | — | [130] | |||
13 January 2019 | Spirit of Eden | Talk Talk | 1988 | Jeremy D. Larson | — | [131] | |||
3 February 2019 | Journey in Satchidananda | Alice Coltrane | 1971 | Josephine Livingstone | — | [132] | |||
5 May 2019 | Selected Ambient Works Volume II | Aphex Twin | 1994 | Philip Sherburne | — | [133] | |||
19 June 2019 | The Complete Birth of the Cool | Miles Davis | 1957 | Nate Chinen | — | [134] | |||
11 November 2019 | In the Court of the Crimson King | King Crimson | 1969 | Ryan Reed | — | [135] | |||
20 November 2019 | Aja | Steely Dan | 1977 | Amanda Petrusich | Awarded as part of "Steely Dan Day" | [136] | |||
15 December 2019 | The Chronic | Dr. Dre | 1992 | Sheldon Pearce | — | [137] | |||
22 December 2019 | Tapestry | Carole King | 1971 | Jenn Pelly | — | [138] | |||
8 March 2020 | Post | Björk | 1995 | — | [139] | ||||
5 April 2020 | Head Hunters | Herbie Hancock | 1973 | Jeremy D. Larson | — | [140] | |||
17 April 2020 | Fetch the Bolt Cutters | Fiona Apple | 2020 | Jenn Pelly | — | [141] | |||
23 April 2020 | Fear of Music | Talking Heads | 1979 | Jayson Greene | Awarded as part of "Talking Heads Day" | [142] | |||
21 June 2020 | Maggot Brain | Funkadelic | 1971 | Dave Segal | — | [143] | |||
31 October 2020 | American Beauty | Grateful Dead | 1970 | Andy Cush | — | [144] | |||
19 September 2021 | Look-Ka Py Py | The Meters | 1969 | Hanif Abdurraqib | — | [145] | |||
5 October 2021 | Discovery | Daft Punk | 2001 | Noah Yoo | Awarded as part of a 2021 list in which Pitchfork amended the scores of 19 previously reviewed albums | [146] | |||
12 December 2021 | Juju Music | King Sunny Adé | 1982 | Will Hernes | — | [147] | |||
27 February 2022 | Talking Book | Stevie Wonder | 1972 | Carol Cooper | Awarded as part of "Stevie Wonder Day"[148] | [149] | |||
Innervisions | 1973 | Craig Jenkins | [150] | ||||||
9 October 2022 | Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | Wu-Tang Clan | 1993 | Dylan Green | Awarded as part of a series of articles on the Wu-Tang Clan | [151] | |||
4 December 2022 | Hejira | Joni Mitchell | 1976 | Jenn Pelly | — | [152] | |||
5 February 2023 | Anthology of American Folk Music, Vol. 1-3 | Various artists | 1952 | Grayson Haver Currin | — | [153] | |||
2 April 2023 | Warren Zevon | Warren Zevon | 1976 | Andy Cush | — | [154] | |||
23 September 2023 | Tim | The Replacements | 1985 | Jeremy D. Larson | — | [155] | |||
24 September 2023 | Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 | Sam Cooke | 1985 | Marc Hogan | — | [156] | |||
7 January 2024 | Ambient 1: Music for Airports | Brian Eno | 1978 | Grayson Haver Currin | — | [157] | |||
4 February 2024 | Live at the Liquid Room, Tokyo | Jeff Mills | 1996 | Gabriel Szatan | — | [158] | |||
19 May 2024 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | 1961 | Harry Tafoya | — | [159] | |||
17 November 2024 | Wish You Were Here | Pink Floyd | 1975 | Sam Sodomsky | — | [160] |