“Where is CLB and Donda?” - Netizens react to Pitchforks 100 best albums of the 2020s

A Pitchfork ranking is a major moment for fans and artists alike, as the publication does its annual round-up of the "100 best songs of the year," ranking some of the most popular records across music genres.

The magazine also does a "Best songs of the Decade so far" feature, which tracks the most popular records released over the past 10 years. Yesterday, the publication released its critical ranking of the "100 Best Albums of the 2020s so far" list, which has received mixed reactions online.

Pitchfork explained the importance behind the impact an album creates in the "era" in which it's released, citing that their new list includes unique and successful projects across genres like high-BPM dance music, jazz, indie rock, rage rap, hip-hop, and more.

The ranking went viral across social media platforms, with fans and critics taking to X to share their thoughts and opinions on the publication's "100 Best Albums of the 2020s so far" list.

Although fans were seen praising the inclusion of their favorite artists and projects on the list, many were found criticizing the publication's "album ranking" for the 2020s.

One user even appeared confused at the magazine's decision to not include Kanye West's Donda and Drake's Certified Lover Boy, on the feature. They were surprised given that the two projects are highly acclaimed within the hip-hop community and were both released in 2021.

More reactions followed with news media outlets like NFR Podcast resharing the list on their official X page, with many critics referring to the list as a "joke.".

In a tweet shared on October 2, 2024, NFR listed 18 notable hip-hop projects that were highlighted on the publication's album ranking, which placed Playboi Carti's sophomore album, Whole Lotta Red, at No. 2 on the list.

"Whole lotta red at No 1 ahead of Utopia , Donda , CLB ???? This list is a big joke" - Said another.

"Certified lover not being there doesn’t make it valid" - A Drake fan cited.

"Uno the list is trash when sexyy red made it" - A critic stated.

"What a horrible list from pitchfork" - Said another.

"Mr Morale is in the List of course meanwhile No Drake album on the List as it should. My first one like the last one It's a Classic You don't have one" - A Kendrick Lamar fan chimed in.

"Were they pulling albums out of the hat and making this list?" - A critic pokes fun at Pitchfork's list.

"Haven't heard all of these, but its not that bad. I can sorta see why and how they picked them - they all have a distict sound and vision and they did what they tried to do perfectly. Its just a matter of taste" - An individual defends the ranking.

JID fans appeared extremely disappointed with the rapper's highly acclaimed third studio album, The Forever Story, not being included on the publication's "Best Albums" list.

The editorial review section of the magazine also reviewed this album, upon its release in October 2022, where they rated the project a "7.5/10." The publication praised JID's LP for being an "ambitious and overwhelming experience," citing how the rapper's "expanded ambition" was impressive.

"What more did JID have to do on The Forever Story??" - A fan questioned.

"How is The Forever Story NOT ON HERE" - Asked another.

"JID - The Forever Story and Donda are better than all of these besides MMatBS but ok" - A fan claimed.

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How does Pitchfork rank albums and songs on their "Top 100" lists?

In 2019, Pitchfork published a note from their former Editor-in-Chief, Puja Patel, who broke down the exact process behind how they ranked their "Best Music of the 2010s" list. The list included 200 of the biggest songs and albums released during the decade.

Puja explained how massive undertakings like the 2010 project, whose process can be compared to the 2020 list, require editors and writers to have a "clear-eyed" view of the past as well as projects that inspire future change in the industry.

The idea behind Pitchfork's listicles lies in their intention to celebrate innovative projects as well as pay tributes to "modern classics." Puja cited how several months of discussions, votings, and constant back-and-forths, helped shape the ranking behind their "Best Album/Song" lists.

"Music is the heartbeat of culture, a reflection of the world at any given moment, a way for us to navigate the knottier parts of being, a means for catharsis." - Puja Patel stated.

Pitchfork's former Editor-in-Chief, who resigned from her position in January 2024, explained in her 2019 "note" that 80 writers and over 65,500 words helped the publication get "to the core" of why certain songs and albums should be considered the best of the decade.

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While netizens continue to discuss Pitchfork's ranking on their "100 Best Albums of the 2020s so far" list, hip-hop fans appear to be eagerly awaiting major album drops from artists like Playboi Carti, The Weeknd, SZA, Chance The Rapper, and more, before the year ends.