Stereogum

History

The site was launched on January 1, 2002 by Scott Lapatine with a focus on music discovery and hosting MP3 files. It was named after a lyric from the song "Radio #1" by the French electronic duo Air.

In late 2006, Stereogum received an investment from Bob Pittman's private investment entity The Pilot Group. In November 2007, it was purchased by SpinMedia (formerly known as Buzz Media). April 2008 saw the launch of Videogum, a sister site focused on television, movies, and Web videos. Videogum later closed.

In December 2016, Eldridge Industries acquired SpinMedia via the Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group for an undisclosed amount.

Stereogums first SXSW event in 2006 was hosted by then-emerging comedian Aziz Ansari and featured a headline performance from Ted Leo. In the years since, Stereogum's events have included sets from Ben Gibbard, Sky Ferreira, Mitski, Beach House, St. Vincent, Deerhunter, Japanese Breakfast, Rico Nasty, and other popular acts.

Popular musicians have been known to participate in Stereogums active comments section, such as Father John Misty, Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, and Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold.

In July 2017, Arcade Fire created the parody site Stereoyum featuring a "Premature Premature Evaluation" of their then-forthcoming album Everything Now.

In January 2020, it was announced that Scott Lapatine, the site's founder and editor-and-chief, had reached an agreement to purchase Stereogum from the Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group, making it once again an independent publication.

Tom Breihan Stereogum senior editor Tom Breihan began writing the column "The Number Ones" in January 2018, in which he reviews, analyzes and provides historical context for every number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. In November 2022, Hachette Book Group published The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal The History Of Pop Music, a music history book by Breihan based on his column. In July 2023, Breihan began a counterpart column available to the site's subscribers in which he reviews the number one singles on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.

Album of the Year

Music releases

In July 2007, Stereogum released OKX, a tenth anniversary tribute to Radiohead's OK Computer. Cover songs were solicited from fourteen indie rock artists including Doveman, Vampire Weekend, John Vanderslice, David Bazan, Cold War Kids, My Brightest Diamond, Marissa Nadler, Chris Funk of The Decemberists, and Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie. The album can be heard free of charge at http://www.stereogum.com/okx.

Other free Stereogum compilation albums include: Drive XV, a tribute to R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People (featuring Rogue Wave, Meat Puppets, Sara Quin, and Dr. Dog); Enjoyed, a tribute to Björk's Post (featuring Liars, Edward Droste, Dirty Projectors, Final Fantasy, and Atlas Sound); Stroked, a tribute to The Strokes's Is This It (featuring Real Estate, Owen Pallett, Peter Bjorn & John, and The Morning Benders); MySplice Vols 1-4:, an annual mashup collaboration with team9; and Stereogum Presents... RAC Vol. 1, the first release from Grammy-winning producer RAC.

In 2020, as part of a fundraising effort to keep the site operational and independent, an original 55-track compilation of covers of songs from the 2000s by various artists titled Save Stereogum: An '00s Covers Comp was released as an incentive for donors to the site's Indiegogo campaign. The campaign totaled over $370,000 in donations. It debuted at #1 on Billboard's Compilation Albums chart and #11 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart.

References

References

1. (December 7, 2011). "The Winners Of The 2011 Village Voice Web Awards".
2. O'Brien, Terrence. (2025-11-16). "Stereogum soldiers on in the era of streaming and AI".
3. (14 August 2015). "Q&A: Air's Jean-Benoît Dunckel On The Future Of The Band, Working With Sofia Coppola, And Inspiring The Name "Stereogum"".
4. (December 7, 2007). "Pittman Flips Stake".
5. (December 22, 2016). "Billboard Buys Spin and Vibe in a Quest to 'Own the Topic of Music Online'".
6. "SXSW Updates Stereogum Brings Ben Gibbard".
7. (March 19, 2019). "Superlatives from SXSW Music".
8. (July 22, 2016). "Arcade Fire spoof music website with 'Premature Premature Evaluation' review of own album". NME.
9. (January 16, 2019). "Billboard-The Hollywood Reporter Media Group Sells Spin, Agreement in Place for Sale of Stereogum". Billboard.
10. (25 October 2022). "'The Number Ones' Author Tom Briehan on the Book Version of His Chart Column and Why There's 'More Interest in No. 1s Now Than Any Time I Can Remember'".
11. (15 November 2022). "The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal The History Of Pop Music Is Out Now".
12. (17 November 2022). "Tom Breihan's The Number Ones Tells the Secret History of the Pop Charts".
13. (5 July 2023). "The Alternative Number Ones: Siouxsie And The Banshees' "Peek-A-Boo"".
14. (7 December 2009). "Best Album 2009".
15. (8 December 2010). "Stereogum's Top 50 Albums Of 2010".
16. (5 December 2011). "Stereogum's Top 50 Albums Of 2011".
17. (5 December 2012). "Stereogum's Top 50 Albums Of 2012".
18. (3 December 2013). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2013".
19. (2 December 2014). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2014".
20. (1 December 2015). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2015".
21. (1 December 2016). "50 Best Albums of 2016".
22. (5 December 2017). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2017".
23. (4 December 2018). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2018".
24. (3 December 2019). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2019".
25. (1 December 2020). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2020".
26. (6 December 2021). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2021".
27. (6 December 2022). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2022".
28. (5 December 2023). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2023".
29. (2 December 2024). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2024".
30. (2 December 2025). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2025".
31. (June 29, 2020). "Save Stereogum: An '00s Covers Comp". Stereogum.
32. Tan, Emily. (2020-06-29). "Ben Gibbard, El-P and More to Help 'Stereogum'".
33. Curto, Justin. (2020-09-10). "How Stereogum Made Its 2000s Covers Compilation".
34. (June 29, 2020). "Indiegogo-Save Stereogum: An '00s Covers Comp". Indiegogo.