Robert Christgau: Dean of American Rock Critics

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Consumer Guide Columns

The Consumer Guide has been written as a monthly (more or less) column going back to the original column in 1969. The reviews from the Consumer Guide columns have been collected (with revisions) in books and now in the CG database.

Columns are identified by publication date below.

2024: November 13, October 9, September 12, August 14, July 10, June 12, May 15, April 12, March 20, February 14, January 11
2023: December 13, November 8, October 11, September 13, August 8, July 12, June 14, May 10, April 12, March 8, February 8, January 11
2022: December 14, November 9, October 12, September 14, August 18, July 13, June 8, May 11, April 13, March 9, February 9, January 12
2021: December 8, November 10, October 13, September 8, August 11, July 15, June 9, May 12, Apr. 7, Mar. 10, Feb. 10, Jan. 13
2020: Dec. 9, Nov. 11, Oct. 14, Sept. 9, Aug. 12, July 8, June 10, May 11, Apr. 8, Mar. 11, Feb. 12, Jan. 8
2019: Dec. 11, Nov. 13, Oct. 9, Sept. 18, June, May, April, March, February, January
2018: December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January
2017: December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January
2016: December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January
2015: December, November, October, September, August, May, April, March, February, January
2014: December, November, October, September
2013: September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January
2012: December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January
2011: December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January
2010: December, November, July, June, May, April, March, February, January
2009: December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January
2008: December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, Apr. 15, Apr., Mar., Feb., Jan.
2007: Dec., Nov., Oct., Sept., Aug., July, June, Apr., Feb.
2006: Dec., Aug. 22, July 25, June 27, May 30, May 2, Apr. 4, Mar. 7, Feb. 14, Jan. 10
2005: Dec. 27, Nov. 29, Nov. 1, Sept. 27, Aug. 23, July 26, June 27, May 17, Apr. 19, Mar. 22, Feb. 8, Jan. 18
2004: Dec. 28, Nov. 30, Nov. 16, Oct. 12, Sept. 14, Aug. 24, July 6, May 25, Apr. 27, Mar. 23, Feb. 10, Jan. 13
2003: Dec. 30, Dec. 2, Nov. 18, Oct. 28, Sept. 16, Aug. 5, June 24, June 10, Apr. 29, Apr. 1, Mar. 4, Feb. 11, Jan. 21
2002: Dec. 31, Dec. 24, Oct. 22, Sept. 10, July 16, June 18, May 21, Apr. 16, Mar. 12, Jan. 29, Jan. 15
2001: Dec. 25, Nov. 27, Nov. 20, Oct. 16, Sept. 18, Aug. 7, June 26, June 5, May 1, Apr. 3, Feb. 13, Jan. 23
2000: Dec. 26, Dec. 5, Nov. 28, Oct. 24, Sept. 26, Aug. 22, June 27, May 30, May 2, Mar. 28, Mar. 7, Feb. 1
1999: Dec. 28, Nov. 30, Nov. 16, Nov. 9, Oct. 26, Sept. 7, July 27, June 22, May 18, Mar. 23, Feb. 23
1998: Dec. 29, Dec. 15, Dec. 1, Nov. 3, Sept. 29, Aug. 25, June 30, June 2, Apr. 21, Mar. 3, Jan. 27, Jan. 6
1997: Dec. 30, Dec. 2, Nov. 4, Sept. 23, July 22, May 27, Apr. 15, Mar. 11, Jan. 28
1996: Dec. 31, Dec. 17, Dec. 3, Oct. 8, Sept. 17, July 23, May 21, Apr. 9, Feb. 20, Jan. 23
1995: Dec. 26, Nov. 28, Nov. 14, Oct. 24, Aug. 29, July 11, June 6, Apr. 11, Feb. 21, Jan. 17
1994: Dec. 27, Nov. 29, Oct. 18, Sept. 13, July 26, May 31, Apr. 5, Mar. 1, Jan. 18
1993: Dec. 21, Nov. 23, Oct. 19, Sept. 28, Aug. 3, June 1, Apr. 6, Mar. 9, Jan. 26
1992: Dec. 29, Dec. 1, Oct. 20, July 28, June 2, Apr. 21, Mar. 3, Jan. 28
1991: Dec. 24, Dec. 3, Nov. 5, Oct. 1, July 30, June 4, May 7, Feb. 26, Jan. 29
1990: Dec. 25, Dec. 4, Oct. 23, Sept. 25, July 31, July 3, May 29, Apr. 3, Mar. 13, Feb. 6
1989: Dec. 26, Nov. 28, Nov. 21, Oct. 31, Oct. 3, Sept. 5, July 25, June 27, June 6, Apr. 25, Mar. 28, Mar. 14, Jan. 24
1988: Dec. 27, Nov. 29, Nov. 22, Nov. 8, Sept. 27, Aug. 30, July 26, June 28, May 24, Apr. 26, Apr. 12, Feb. 23, Jan. 26
1987: Dec. 29, Dec. 1, Oct. 27, Sept. 29, Sept. 1, July 28, June 30, June 2, May 5, Mar. 31, Feb. 24, Feb. 3
1986: Dec. 30, Dec. 2, Oct. 28, Sept. 2, Aug. 5, July 1, June 3, Apr. 29, Apr. 1, Mar. 11, Jan. 28, Jan. 7
1985: Dec. 24, Dec. 3, Oct. 22, Sept. 24, Aug. 27, July 30, June 25, May 28, Apr. 30, Apr. 2, Mar. 19, Feb. 26, Feb. 5
1984: Dec. 25, Nov. 27, Oct. 30, Sept. 25, Aug. 28, July 24, June 26, June 12, May 29, Apr. 24, Mar. 24, Feb. 21, Jan. 24
1983: Dec. 27, Nov. 29, Nov. 11, Sept. 27, Aug. 30, July 26, June 28, May 31, Apr. 26, Mar. 29, Mar. 1, Jan. 25
1982: Dec. 28, Nov. 30, Nov. 2, Oct. 5, Aug. 31, Aug. 10, July 6, June 1, May 4, Apr. 13, Mar. 9, Feb. 15, Jan. 12
1981: Nov. 30, Nov. 2, Oct. 5, Aug. 4, June 29, June 8, May 4, Mar. 30, Mar. 2, Feb. 2
1980: Apr. 28, Mar. 31, Feb. 25
1979: Dec. 31, Dec. 3, Oct. 29, Oct. 8, Sept. 3, July 30, July 2, May 28, Apr. 30, Apr. 2, Feb. 26, Jan. 29
1978: Dec. 25, Nov. 27, Oct. 30, Sept. 25, Sept. 4, July 31, June 26, May 29, Apr. 24, Mar. 27, Jan. 30
1977: Dec. 26, Oct. 31, Oct. 3, Sept. 5, Aug. 1, June 27, June 6, Apr. 25, Mar. 21, Feb. 14
1976: Dec. 27, Nov. 22, Nov. 1, Oct. 4, July 12, June 14, Apr. 26, Mar. 29, Mar. 1, Feb. 2
1975: Dec. 22, Dec. 1, Oct. 27, Sept. 22, Aug. 18, July 21, June 16, May 12, Apr. 7, Mar. 17, Jan. 27
1974: Dec. 23, Nov. 21, Oct. 24, October, Sept. 12, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February
1973: December, November, October, August, June, April, March
1972: December, November, October, September, August, Mar. 2, Jan. 20
1971: Dec. 30, Dec. 12, Oct. 14, Aug. 19, June 10, Apr. 22, Mar. 11, Jan. 7
1970: Nov. 19, July 30, June 18, May 28, Apr. 23, Feb. 26, Jan. 29, Jan. 15
1969: Dec. 11, Sept. 18, Aug. 14, July 31, July 10

Caveats

Some columns are still missing, including much of the Newsday period (1972-1974), when the Consumer Guide reviews were printed as "capsules" instead of being collected into columns. Some of these appear as they were collected in monthly installments in Creem, and some of those have recently been added here: look for unabbreviated months in 1972-74.

An early implementation pulled some of the Consumer Guide reviews in columns from 1983-1988 from the database, so they reflect subsequent changes. We later decided that wasn't such a good idea, and the original reviews have been restored in most [all?] cases.

Columns from 1988-2001 were derived from word processor source files, and have not necessarily been checked against actual printed copies. In some cases these reviews have been updated to match the subsequent books; in some cases these have been reverted to their original form.

Some columns have been reconstructed from photocopies that have clipped margins or other defects. In cases that could not be fully reconstructed, we have some guesses or ellipses in red.

In 2007 Christgau edited a bunch of non-CG reviews and turned them over to Rhapsody to post alongside an earlier dump of CG reviews. Most of these reviews are ungraded. They have been archived here, and integrated (where appropriate) with the CG database.

The CG database also includes reviews of some 1967 albums from a 1977 column, Consumer Guide to 1967.

An index of the annual Turkey Shoot columns (1984, 1988-2005) is here.