The nerd thing...

So now that we’ve seen 180 of P4K’s Top 200 albums of the decade we have a better sense of what to expect in the big finale tomorrow. If you've been paying attention for the past 10 years than I think we can all safely assume that the following albums are sure bets:

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco
Kid A - Radiohead
The Blueprint - Jay-Z
Supreme Clientele - Ghostface Killah
Stankonia - Outkast
Person Pitch - Panda Bear
Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective
Is This It? - The Strokes
Silent Shout - The Knife
Illinoise - Sufjan Stevens
The Moon & Antarctica - Modest Mouse
Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem
White Blood Cells - The White Stripes
Funeral - Arcade Fire
Late Registration - Kanye West
Since I Left You - The Avalanches
Turn On Your Bright Lights - Interpol
Agaetis Byrjun - Sigur Ros
Discovery - Daft Punk

That’s 19 by my count, leaving one space open for a “surprise”. So what are the possibilities? So far we haven’t seen Gulag Orkestar by Beirut, The Lemon of Pink by The Books, The Sophtware Slump by Grandaddy, Kill the Moonlight by Spoon, or a second Deerhoof album after the early nod for Apple O’. So probably The Runners Four from them, if anything. I couldn't think of anything else that might show up, but of course there are probably a few legit contenders...

Assuming the above 19 are locks (and that’s just my opinion, I may very well be forgetting something pretty major or overthinking an album that doesn‘t have a chance) then 4 of those 5 albums I mentioned could have a serious gripe against the ol’ ‘Fork for leaving them high and dry. If it was up to me the 20th album has to be Kill The Moonlight - that’s a no brainer. But Pitchfork practically invented The Books and has always reviewed the other bands very favorably. The longest shot is probably Grandaddy, as they have been out of the indie-eye for sometime, but The Sophtware Slump is kind of a classic, so who knows?

Alright, now let’s try putting these into the order (not my personal favorite order, but how I think they‘ll fall tomorrow)

1. Kid A
2. Merriweather Post Pavilion
3. Person Pitch
4. The Blueprint
5. Is This It?
6. Stankonia
7. Illinois
8. Turn On Your Bright Lights
9. Since I Left You
10. Sound Of Silver
11. White Blood Cells
12. Funeral
13. The Moon & Antarctica
14. Silent Shout
15. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
16. Agaetis Byrjun
17. Discovery
18. Late Registration
19. Supreme Clientele
20. Kill The Moonlight
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I have to say that I was really pleasantly surprised today with Separation Sunday, Alligator, and For Emma, Forever Ago all landing in the Top 50. P4K always seemed to hold The Hold Steady’s and The National’s follow ups to these albums in higher regard and I didn’t think we’d see them on their list despite being, pretty obviously (to me), their best records. Alligator didn’t even make their Top 50 of 2005, if I remember correctly. How's that for revisionism? And how about Bon Iver sneaking in there? I wasn’t expecting that, but it certainly belongs there.
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P.S. - 20/20 with the right call for #1.  I'm such a loser.
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