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Illinois

by Sufjan Stevens

ALBUM RANKINGS:

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All Time

of 455,353

55
2000's

of 265,640

1
2005

of 37,902

1
Genres
- Alternative Rock
  - Alternative Rock
    
    of 49,118
    
    16
  - Indie & Lo-Fi
    
    of 13,595
    
    5
  - Indie Pop
    
    of 4,151
    
    2
  - Indie Rock
    
    of 12,318
    
    5
- Country
  - Country
    
    of 21,922
    
    7
  - Alt-Country & Americana
    
    of 2,792
    
    3
- Folk
  - Folk
    
    of 17,268
    
    5
- Pop
  - Pop
    
    of 263,738
    
    54
  - Pop Rock
    
    of 64,982
    
    39
  - Singer-Songwriters
    
    of 8,649
    
    11
- Rock
  - Rock
    
    of 107,659
    
    40

Ratings and rankings are based on all available critic reviews and awards.

Overall Rating: 3.7141 Illinois is ranked overall as 3.7141 out of 4 stars

Avg. Critic Score: 3.5155 Illinois has an avg. critic score of 3.5155 out of 4 stars

Illinois Rank 4 Reviews

Critic Review Summary

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Fair

(0)

Poor

(4)

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Slant Magazine

Threatened to be overshadowed both by its ostensible gimmick and by a deafening roar of hype from the indie-rock press, Sufjan (pronounced SOOF-yan) Stevens'sIllinois, his second album in a proposed state-by-state travelogue (following 2001's ...more

Dot Music

Once you've taken in how wonderful it sounds, it'll be time to thrill at how much of it there is, then how dense it all is. ...more

The Austin Chronicle

Detroit native turned NYC indie darling Sufjan Stevens set out to record a suite of albums dedicated to each state in the union. The inaugural collection, 2003'sWelcome to Michigan: The Great Lakes State, was a triumph of ambition and creativity. ...more

PasteMagazine

Art of the State: Banjo-strapped songwriter gracefully straddles the ...more

Reveal

You’ve gotta hear it to believe it. A Midwestern state has never been so exciting. ...more

Critic Reviews continued...

cokemachineglow

What makes the album so gigantic is how intensely unique the state’s identity becomes filtered through one man. ...more

Stylus Magazine

The first thing you notice is the horrendously awesome title on the front,SUFJAN STEVENS invites you to: Come on feel the ILLINOISE. The jewel case spine, you notice as you turn it over, says simplyIllinois, which is the name that the album's ...more

Pitchfork

Illinois is huge, a staggering collection of impeccably arranged American tribute songs. ...more

Pitch Fork Media

The best travel writers skew their journeys into pointed narratives, writing the story of the landscape by seizing all the weird, awkward bits that make it distinct. On first listen, Sufjan Stevens' latest installment of state-based ...more

FakeJazz

Highly recommended. That is, unless youre from Illinois, in which case youll probably be disappointed he found so little actually about Illinois to ...more

Village Voice (Consumer Guide)

This album radiates positive energy, and in today's alt, that's a precious thing. ...more

Filter

Given the outline of this record (wherein the whispering banjo player concocts an album-length ode to the state of Illinois), you could be forgiven for expecting an album full of knocked-off songs about the Cubs, hot-dogs and Carl Sandburg. But, ...more

Drowned In Sound

Despite not recording on a load of fancy equipment (he mainly used the good-old Shure SM-57 on most instruments) nor having the benefit of a defined recording space ( Illinois was recorded in several different locations and at different times over ...more

Tiny Mix Tapes

Illinois certainly isn't perfect, but it does do a couple important things: it proves that Sufjan has the skill and the talent to prove flexible and long-lasting, and that it's not much of a stretch to expect even better albums from him in the future. ...more

PopMatters

A big leap from the already high elevation of Michigan. ...more

PrefixMag

Vast in scope and breathtaking in its beauty, Illinois may very well be the album that heralds Sufjan Stevens as one of this young century’s most talented artists. ...more

Lost At Sea

So much of Illinois feels magical, however, in much the same way as a large State Fair: there is commotion and wonder as the population is continually enchanted by progress, but to unknown purpose. ...more

Almost Cool

Stevens is simply one of the most talented artists creating music right now, period. ...more

Delusions of Adequacy

Exhausting, enthralling, disorientating, celebratory, and contemplative, Sufjan Stevens has delivered another album that will keep us listening and educated till Christmas. ...more

Drowned In Sound

This is a faithful and staggering tribute to a state executed with passion and originality, and it's one of the finest records you'll hear this year. ...more

The Onion (A.V. Club)

It's easy to play a spot-the-Illinois-reference game, but it's just as easy to step back and marvel at the songs' musical range and sophistication. ...more

Dusted Magazine

Someday the Smithsonian will file this sprawling musical celebration into their collection between Van Dyke Parks’ Discover America and Norman Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post covers -- joyous, generous Americana filtered through a singular ...more

No Ripcord

These are adventurous pop songs with intricate arrangements and sophisticated chord structures. ...more

Billboard

A brighter, bouncier counterpart to its wintry predecessor "Michigan," "Illinois" contains some of the most beautiful pop you will hear all year long. ...more

PrefixMag

When observing the current climate of popular culture, it's hard not to notice its parasitic qualities. From the plethora of Hollywood remakes of classic films to the latest Talking Heads and/or Velvet Underground rip-offs making the hipsters cream their ...more

PopMatters

It's a sparkling blue spring morning in Chicago. I'm riding the Brown Line of the city's famous El transit system. Well, I shouldn't say riding. We're stuck between two stops behind a malfunctioning car up ahead. It's rush hour, but ...more

Almost Cool

PrefixMag

Vast in scope and breathtaking in its beauty, Illinois may very well be the album that heralds Sufjan Stevens as one of this young centurys most ...more

Austin Chronicle

The 22-song epic marries Stevens' personal history to that of the state, as well as knitting spare emotional lyrics with lush orchestral and choral arrangements, upping the ante for singer-songwriters everywhere. ...more

ShakingThrough.net

But if the album feels less personally tied to Illinois than Michigan was to Michigan, the cost is worth paying: The style and overall sentiment of the new album are more sophisticated than those of its predecessor. ...more

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