I got thinking after looking at both the 90s and 00s best albums threads, and hypothesising about one for oue current decade. It became apparent to me that, in the earlier decade, supposed "classic" albums were in general more universally acclaimed than the more recent batch. I think now would be a time to draw a line under the "90s were better argument", at least in terms of this thread, surely the collection is too diverse for this ever to be calculated...

The increase in this negativity could be down to the increasingly ubiquitous critical body. Not merely the increase in media willing to offer reviews, but the relevance (like it or lump it) a critical view has on an albums place in our culture. With this, comes the backlash, leading albums that could've been unanimous classics in the past, left somewhere in the middle.

I am, however, not accusing anyone who, for example, loved "Loveless" of faking or being misguided. Rather, has Pitchfork, DiS, Spin, The Quietus etc etc been more prominent then, it would have prompted the unconvinced listeners to come out and deride heavily praised albums.

It is, of course, not a problem we can have an impact on. But the regularity with which albums are dismissed as "overhyped" is something I really lament.

TL;DR