Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics poll is a highly influential poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics (roughly 800 in the 2004 poll). Albums have been voted upon every year since 1974 (voting also took place in 1971), and votes for singles have been tabulated since 1979. Noted rock critic Robert Christgau is in charge of the poll, and writes an essay every year that accompanies the list.
Album Winners:
- 1971 – The Who – Who's Next
- 1974 – Joni Mitchell – Court and Spark
- 1975 – Bob Dylan & The Band – The Basement Tapes
- 1976 – Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life
- 1977 – Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
- 1978 – Elvis Costello – This Year's Model
- 1979 – Graham Parker – Squeezing Out Sparks
- 1980 – The Clash – London Calling
- 1981 – The Clash – Sandinista!
- 1982 – Elvis Costello – Imperial Bedroom
- 1983 – Michael Jackson – Thriller
- 1984 – Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA
- 1985 – Talking Heads – Little Creatures
- 1986 – Paul Simon – Graceland
- 1987 – Prince – Sign O' The Times
- 1988 – Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
- 1989 – De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising
- 1990 – Neil Young – Ragged Glory
- 1991 – Nirvana – Nevermind
- 1992 – Arrested Development – 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of...
- 1993 – Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville
- 1994 – Hole – Live Through This
- 1995 – PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love
- 1996 – Beck – Odelay
- 1997 – Bob Dylan – Time Out of Mind
- 1998 – Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
- 1999 – Moby – Play
- 2000 – OutKast – Stankonia
- 2001 – Bob Dylan – Love and Theft
- 2002 – Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
- 2003 – OutKast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
- 2004 – Kanye West – The College Dropout
Singles Winners:
- 1979 – Ian Dury – "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick"
- 1980 – Kurtis Blow – "The Breaks"
- 1981 – Laurie Anderson – "O Superman"
- 1982 – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five – "The Message"
- 1983 – Michael Jackson – "Billie Jean"
- 1984 – Prince – "When Doves Cry"
- 1985 – Artists United Against Apartheid – "Sun City"
- 1986 – Run-DMC – "Walk This Way"
- 1987 – Prince – "Sign O' The Times"
- 1988 – Tracy Chapman – "Fast Car"
- 1989 – Public Enemy – "Fight the Power"
- 1990 – Deee-Lite – "Groove is in the Heart"
- 1991 – Nirvana – "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
- 1992 – Arrested Development – "Tennessee"
- 1993 – The Breeders – "Cannonball"
- 1994 – Beck – "Loser"
- 1995 – Coolio – "Gangsta's Paradise"
- 1996 – Quad City DJ's – "C'mon Ride It (The Train)"
- 1997 – Hanson – "MMMBop"
- 1998 – Fatboy Slim – "The Rockafeller Skank"
- 1999 – TLC – "No Scrubs"
- 2000 – OutKast – "Ms. Jackson"
- 2001 – Missy Elliott – "Get Ur Freak On"
- 2002 – Missy Elliott – "Work It"
- 2003 – OutKast – "Hey Ya!"
- 2004 – Franz Ferdinand – "Take Me Out"