| Artist (Has to tour more than two hundred and three times in the 🇺🇸) | Title | Label | Release date | My Rating (/₁₀₀) | Pitchfork rating (× 10, hover for blurb) |
|---|
| Ratings: 100: Indispensable, classic | 95-99: Spectacular | 90-94: Amazing | 85-89: Exceptional; will likely rank among writer's top ten albums of the year | 80-84: Very good | 75-79: Above average; enjoyable | 70-74: Not brilliant, but nice enough | 60-69: Has its moments, but isn't strong |
| ♯ | ♯ | ♯ | ♯ | ♯ |
♯
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bright Eyes | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| John Zorn | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| Yo La Tengo | The Sounds of the Sounds of Science | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| Reverend Horton Heat | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. | In C | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| Interpol | Interpol | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Flaming Lips | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| Andrew W.K. | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| They Might Be Giants | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| Atmosphere | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| Converge | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| Sonic Youth | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Mars Volta | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
♭
|
| Yo La Tengo | Nuclear War | Matador | ♪ ♫ 2002 | 80 |
59
|
| Ben Kweller | Sha Sha | 679 ¶ 🇪🇺💿 ATO + Bertelsmann + RCA | Tuesday, 5 March 2002 | 84 |
67
|
| Melvins | Hostile Ambient Takeover | Ipecac | Monday, 15 April 2002 | 78 |
56
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Mountain Goats | Bitter Melon Farm 💿 | Ajax ¶ 3 Beads Of Sweat (2002 Reissue) | Tuesday, 23 April 2002 | 70 |
80
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Mountain Goats | Ghana 💿 | 3 Beads Of Sweat | Tuesday, 23 April 2002 | 70 |
80
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Mountain Goats | Protein Source of the Future...Now! 💿 | Ajax ¶ 3 Beads Of Sweat (2002 Reissue) | Tuesday, 23 April 2002 | 70 |
80
|
| High on Fire | Surrounded by Thieves | Relapse | Tuesday, 28 May 2002 | 76 |
88
|
| Mastodon | Remission 💿 | Relapse | Tuesday, 28 May 2002 | 80 |
90
|
| Deerhoof | Reveille | Children Of Hoof ¶ 🇨🇦💿🇺🇸 5 Rue Christine + Kill Rock Stars | Tuesday, 4 June 2002 | 70 |
85
|
| Butthole Surfers | Humpty Dumpty LSD 💿 | Latino Bugger Veil | Tuesday, 11 June 2002 | 85 |
70
|
| Pixies | Pixies | 🇺🇸 spinART ¶ 🇬🇧 Cooking Vinyl | Monday, 8 July 2002 | 82 |
64
|
| Superdrag | Last Call for Vitriol 💿 | Arena Rock | Tuesday, 9 July 2002 | 85 |
70
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Velvet Teen | Plus, Minus, Equals 💿 | Slowdance | Tuesday, 16 July 2002 | 85 |
70
|
| Jawbreaker | Etc. 💿 | Blackball | Tuesday, 23 July 2002 | 71 |
42
|
| Public Enemy | Revolverlution 💿 | Koch + 🇺🇸 Slam Jamz | Tuesday, 23 July 2002 | 84 |
68
|
| Meshuggah | Nothing 💿 | Nuclear Blast | Tuesday, 6 August 2002 | 72 |
81
|
| Coldplay | A Rush of Blood to the Head | Parlophone ¶ Capitol (2008 Limited Edition) ¶ 💿 EMI | Thursday, 8 August 2002 | 78 |
51
|
| Sparta | Wiretap Scars | DreamWorks + 🇪🇺 Motor | Tuesday, 13 August 2002 | 86 |
72
|
| Interpol | Turn on the Bright Lights | Matador | Tuesday, 20 August 2002 | 90 |
95
|
| Mudhoney | Since We've Become Translucent | Sub Pop | Tuesday, 20 August 2002 | 76 |
52
|
| Neko Case | Blacklisted | Lance Rock ¶ 💿 Bloodshot | Tuesday, 20 August 2002 | 90 |
79
|
| Spoon | Kill the Moonlight | Merge | Tuesday, 20 August 2002 | 78 |
89
|
| Sleater‐Kinney | One Beat | Kill Rock Stars | Tuesday, 20 August 2002 | 82 |
91
|
| Aimee Mann | Lost in Space | SuperEgo + Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab + United Musicians (2003 Limited Edition) | Tuesday, 27 August 2002 | 88 |
76
|
| Queens of the Stone Age | Songs for the Deaf 💿 | Interscope | Tuesday, 27 August 2002 | 90 |
79
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Dillinger Escape Plan | Irony Is A Dead Scene | Buddyhead (2003 Reissue) ¶ Epitaph (2010 Limited Edition) | Tuesday, 27 August 2002 | 68 |
84
|
| Xiu Xiu | Chapel of the Chimes 💿 | Absolutely Kosher | ♪ September 2002 | 87 |
74
|
| of Montreal | Aldhils Arboretum | Track & Field ¶ 💿 Kindercore ¶ 💿 Polyvinyl (2004 Reissue) | Tuesday, 10 September 2002 | 81 |
61
|
| Guided by Voices | Pipe Dreams of Instant Prince Whippet | Fading Captain Series + Recordhead | Tuesday, 17 September 2002 | 89 |
78
|
| Thievery Corporation | The Richest Man in Babylon 💿 | 🟥 Eighteenth Street Lounge + TME + Правительство Звука | Tuesday, 17 September 2002 | 69 |
38
|
| Iron & Wine | The Creek Drank The Cradle | Sub Pop | Sunday, 22 September 2002 | 72 |
81
|
| Nas | The Lost Tapes 💿 | Columbia ¶ 🇪🇺 Ill Will | Monday, 23 September 2002 | 85 |
69
|
| Beck | Sea Change 💿 | ᴰᵃᵛⁱᵈ Geffen | Tuesday, 24 September 2002 | 85 |
69
|
| Low | Trust 💿 | Kranky | Tuesday, 24 September 2002 | 83 |
65
|
| Ryan Adams | Demolition | Lost Highway | Tuesday, 24 September 2002 | 78 |
55
|
| Rilo Kiley | The Execution of All Things | Saddle Creek | Tuesday, 1 October 2002 | 88 |
75
|
| Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. | Electric Heavyland 💿 | Alien8 | Sunday, 6 October 2002 | 66 |
83
|
| Ben Folds | Live 💿 | Epic | Tuesday, 8 October 2002 | 86 |
71
|
| Luna | Close Cover Before Striking 💿 | Jetset | Tuesday, 8 October 2002 | 88 |
75
|
| Pearl Jam | Riot Act 💿 | Epic | Saturday, 12 October 2002 | 75 |
49
|
| Cave In | Tides of Tomorrow | Hydra Head | Tuesday, 15 October 2002 | 85 |
69
|
| Death Cab for Cutie | You Can Play These Songs With Chords 💿 | Barsuk | Tuesday, 22 October 2002 | 82 |
64
|
| Foo Fighters | One by One | RCA + Roswell + 🇪🇺 Bertelsmann | Tuesday, 22 October 2002 | 77 |
54
|
| Immolation | Unholy Cult | Listenable ¶ 💿 Olympic | Monday, 28 October 2002 | 87 |
74
|
| Nirvana | Nirvana | ᴰᵃᵛⁱᵈ Geffen + Sub Pop (2015 Reissue) | Tuesday, 29 October 2002 | 85 |
70
|
| Johnny Cash | American IV: The Man Comes Around 💿 | American + 🇪🇺 Lost Highway | Tuesday, 5 November 2002 | 85 |
69
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Mountain Goats | Tallahassee | 4AD | Tuesday, 5 November 2002 | 84 |
67
|
| Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Machine | 🇺🇸 Touch And Go ¶ 🇬🇧 Wichita | Tuesday, 5 November 2002 | 70 |
39
|
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor | Yanqui U.X.O. 💿 | Constellation | Monday, 11 November 2002 | 78 |
56
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Smashing Pumpkins | Earphoria 💿 | 🇪🇺 Hut + Virgin | Tuesday, 19 November 2002 | 82 |
63
|
| Talib Kweli | Quality 💿 | 🇯🇵 MCA ¶ Rawkus | Tuesday, 26 November 2002 | 82 |
91
|
| Nas | God’s Son 💿 | Columbia ¶ 🇪🇺 Ill Will | Friday, 13 December 2002 | 72 |
86
|
| Broken Social Scene | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
92
|
| Ted Leo and the Pharmacists | Hearts Of Oak | Lookout! | Sunday, 9 February 2003 | __ |
83
|
| Lightning Bolt | Wonderful Rainbow | Load | Tuesday, 4 March 2003 | __ |
84
|
| Deerhoof | Apple O' | Menlo Park ¶ 💿 5 Rue Christine | Tuesday, 18 March 2003 | __ |
83
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Decemberists | Castaways and Cutouts | Hush + Jealous Butcher (2005 Reissue) | Tuesday, 6 May 2003 | __ |
81
|
| WHY? | Oaklandazulasylum | Anticon | Monday, 16 June 2003 | __ |
81
|
| TV on the Radio | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
89
|
| Sufjan Stevens | Greetings From Michigan The Great Lake State 💿 | Asthmatic Kitty + 🇺🇸 Sounds Familyre | Tuesday, 1 July 2003 | __ |
85
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Decemberists | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
82
|
| My Morning Jacket | It Still Moves 💿 | ATO + RCA + 🇦🇺 Bertelsmann | Tuesday, 9 September 2003 | __ |
83
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Shins | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
89
|
| Menomena | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
87
|
| JAY‐Z | The Black Album | Roc-A-Fella | ♭ | __ |
80
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Walkmen | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
92
|
| Xiu Xiu | Fabulous Muscles | Tomlab ¶ 🇨🇦💿 5 Rue Christine | Tuesday, 17 February 2004 | __ |
90
|
| Kanye West | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
82
|
| Franz Ferdinand | Franz Ferdinand | Domino | Tuesday, 9 March 2004 | __ |
91
|
| Sufjan Stevens | Seven Swans | Sounds Familyre + 🇺🇸 Burnt Toast Vinyl | Tuesday, 16 March 2004 | __ |
81
|
| Bright Eyes | Home: Volume IV 💿 | Post-Parlo | Tuesday, 23 March 2004 | 90 |
79
|
| Iron & Wine | Our Endless Numbered Days | Sub Pop | Tuesday, 23 March 2004 | __ |
86
|
| Loretta Lynn | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
93
|
| Animal Collective | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
89
|
| Morrissey | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
89
|
| Sonic Youth | Sonic Nurse 💿 | ᴰᵃᵛⁱᵈ Geffen | Tuesday, 8 June 2004 | __ |
89
|
| Arcade Fire | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
97
|
| Interpol | Antics | Matador | Tuesday, 28 September 2004 | __ |
85
|
| Brian Wilson | SMiLE | Nonesuch | Tuesday, 28 September 2004 | __ |
90
|
| LCD Soundsystem | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
82
|
| Bloc Party | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
89
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Decemberists | Picaresque | Rough Trade ¶ 💿 Kill Rock Stars | Tuesday, 22 March 2005 | __ |
83
|
| ᵀʰᵉ Hold Steady | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ | ♭ |
87
|