Pitchfork Media

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Lore & Background

Pitchfork's relationship with artists like Radiohead is rooted in its early reputation for being "brutal" and "merciless." The Washington Post noted that critics often seemed "capricious, uninvested, sometimes spiteful," assigning low scores with "punitive zeal." However, this changed dramatically with the 2000 review of Kid A. Schreiber admitted he knew the piece would attract ridicule but wanted to be daring and surprise people. The review was one of the first published for the album and attracted attention for its unique style, boosting Pitchfork's profile significantly. By 2001, the site had grown to 30,000 daily readers. While Schreiber defended the importance of honesty in criticism during this era, stating he wanted to "lay into people who really deserved it," the successful coverage of Kid A marked a turning point where the site began championing acts that major magazines ignored.

In Their Own Story

In February 1996, Ryan Schreiber, a high school graduate living with his parents in Minneapolis, launched what was initially named Turntable before renaming it Pitchfork. Inspired by the "evilish overtones" of Tony Montana's tattoo in Scarface, Schreiber began writing reviews without prior experience, focusing on indie rock acts he grew up listening to, such as Fugazi and Jawbox. The first review covered Pacer (1995) by the Amps, with Insound becoming the first advertiser. By 1999, after publishing approximately 1,000 reviews, Schreiber relocated the operation to Chicago. The site capitalized on new technologies like MP3s and Napster, allowing fans to share music while reading daily updates that outpaced monthly print magazines. This era defined their identity: a passionate, authentic, yet sometimes elitist voice in the digital age.

Reader's Guide

To understand Pitchfork's impact on acts like Radiohead, one must look at its evolution from an unpaid, remote freelance operation to a professional media company. In 2004, writers were paid $10 or $20 for reviews after a six-month unpaid trial period, though tensions over advertising income led to immediate payment for new staff. Chris Kaskie joined as the first full-time employee to run business operations, later becoming president alongside co-owner Schreiber. The site's influence grew with the 2004 positive review of Arcade Fire's Funeral, but it remained a risk-taker. By 2006, Pitchfork employed six full-time staff and published five album reviews daily, attracting sponsors like American Express and Apple. The publication eventually moved to Brooklyn in 2011 and was acquired by Condé Nast in 2015. However, by the mid-2010s, its influence waned due to streaming and social media, leading to a merger with GQ announced in 2024.

Did You Know?

• The name Pitchfork was inspired by the tattoo on the assassin Tony Montana in the film Scarface.
• In 1999, Ryan Schreiber estimated that Pitchfork had published 1,000 reviews since its founding.
• The 2000 review of Radiohead's Kid A attracted attention for being "extremely long-winded" and was widely mocked while simultaneously boosting the site's profile.
• By 2004, writers were initially unpaid for their first six months before earning $10 or $20 per review.
• In 2026, Pitchfork moved to a subscription model following its acquisition by Condé Nast and subsequent merger plans with GQ.