History YMMV / SonicYouth

* VindicatedByHistory: Though NYC Ghosts & Flowers is still [[BrokenBase the most divisive of their albums]], it's been much more warmly received in retrospect than when it was first released. The Pitchfork reviewer who [[EightPointEight gave it a 0/10]] later completely flipped his opinion, stating that he loves the album.

* SongAssociation: Their cover of the Delaney & Bonnie song "Superstar" became [[{{narm}} unintentionally funny]] [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in Brazil]] due to its strong usage in Portuguese-language [[WebAnimation/YouTubePoop YouTube poops]], usually in "sad" moments.

* SongAssociation: Their cover of the Delaney & Bonnie song "Superstar" became [[{{narm}} unintentionally funny]] [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in Brazil]] due to its strong usage in Portuguese-language [[WebAnimation/YouTubePoop YouTube poops]], usually in "sad" moments.

* MemeticMutation: Their cover of the Delaney & Bonnie song "Superstar" became [[{{narm}} unintentionally funny]] [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in Brazil]] due to its strong usage in Portuguese-language [[WebAnimation/YouTubePoop YouTube poops]], usually in "sad" moments.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: Sonic Youth can be pretty good comedians when they feel like it, but the ''Are you gonna liberate us girls from white male corporate oppression?'' line from "Kool Thing" is a pretty strong contender.
** The[[Music/{{Help}} "Ticket to Ride"]]/"Master-Dik" medley that they played live on air at a radio station and included on the ''Master-Dik'' EP: It was apparently an impromptu way to fill up air-time while Thurston was having technical difficulties with his guitar, and the "Ticket to Ride" portion has him [[{{Scatting}} scat-screaming]] his way through the lyrics to an accompaniment of bass, piano and drums.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: "Tunic (Song for Karen)".
* EpicRiff: Plenty - "Death Valley '69", "Expressway to Yr. Skull", "Teen Age Riot", "Silver Rocket", "Kool Thing", "Titanium Exposé", "100%", "Youth Against Fascism"... ah, hell, let's just say "all of their songs" and leave it at that.

* ValuesResonance: "Swimsuit Issue" has seen a renewed topicality after the explosion in reports of sexual harassment by famous media figures in 2017 (and, to a lesser extent, 2016) and beyond. Also another case of HarsherInHindsight, as it has become clear that the behaviour the song describes is far more widespread than most people probably wanted to believe.

* ValuesResonance: "Swimsuit Issue" has seen a renewed topicality after the explosion in reports of sexual harassment by famous media figures in 2017 (and, to a lesser extent, 2016) and beyond. Also another case of HarsherInHindsight, as it has become clear that the behaviour the song describes is far more widespread than most people probably wanted to believe.

* ValuesResonance: "Swimsuit Issue" has a renewed topicality after the explosion in reports of sexual harassment by famous media figures in 2017 (and, to a lesser extent, 2016) and beyond. Also another case of HarsherInHindsight, as it has become clear that the behaviour the song describes is far more widespread than most people probably wanted to believe.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: Not as much as some rock bands, but an awful lot of listeners have reported having difficulty comprehending ''Music/DaydreamNation'' on their first several listens to it - its length and the abrasiveness of many of its songs probably don't help on this count. Newcomers often find their earlier works ''EVOL'' and ''Sister'' somewhat less impenetrable, though, and later works like ''Washing Machine'' and ''Murray Street'' are also often more easily comprehensible. On the other hand, ''Daydream Nation'' is almost universally considered their best album, which circles back to this trope again.

* GeniusBonus: Most of their lyrics make subtle literary allusions that one is prone to miss if one hasn't read the books in question. ''Sister'', in particular, is loaded with references to Creator/PhilipKDick. Similarly, "The Sprawl" is inspired by Creator/WilliamGibson's ''Literature/SprawlTrilogy''. These may actually border on ViewersAreGeniuses in some cases as the songs may read like WordSaladLyrics without familiarity with the works in question.

** The[[Music/TheBeatles "Ticket To Ride"]]/"Master-Dik" medley that they played live on air at a radio station and included on the ''Master-Dik'' EP: It was apparently an impromptu way to fill up air-time while Thurston was having technical difficulties with his guitar, and the "Ticket To Ride" portion has him [[{{Scatting}} scat-screaming]] his way through the lyrics to an accompaniment of bass, piano and drums.

* GeniusBonus: Most of their lyrics make subtle literary allusions that one is prone to miss if one hasn't read the books in question. ''Sister'', in particular, is loaded with references to Creator/PhilipKDick. Similarly, "The Sprawl" is inspired by Creator/WilliamGibson's Literature/SprawlTrilogy.

** "I Love Her All The Time" has MindRape subtext and sudden freak-outs.

** Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon have divorced. The longest running relationship in Punk Rock is over. Sonic Youth is over.

* GeniusBonus: Most of their lyrics make subtle literary allusions that one is prone to miss if one hasn't read the books in question. ''Sister'', in particular, is loaded with references to Creator/PhilipKDick. Similarly, "The Sprawl" is inspired by WilliamGibson's SprawlTrilogy.

* TearJerker: "Tunic (Song for Karen)", "J.C.", "NYC Ghosts & Flowers".

* MagnumOpus: ''Daydream Nation''. A minority think it's ''Sister'', though.

** The[[Music/TheBeatles "Ticket To Ride"]]/"Master-Dik" medley that they played live on air at a radio station and included on the ''Master-Dik'' EP: It was apparently an impromptu way to fill up air-time while Thurston was having technical difficulties with his guitar, and the "Ticket To Ride" portion has him [[{{Scatting}} scat-screaming]] his way through the lyrics to an accompaniment of bass and drums.

** The[[Music/TheBeatles "Ticket To Ride"]]/"Master-Dik" medley that they played live on air at a radio station and included on the ''Master-Dik'' EP: It was apparently an impromptu way to fill up air-time while Thurston was tuning his guitar, and the "Ticket To Ride" portion has him [[{{Scatting}} scat-screaming]] his way through the lyrics to an accompaniment of bass and drums.

*** Possibly "Bull in the Heather," due to its inclusion in a Beavis and Butthead episode.

* GeniusBonus: Most of their lyrics make subtle literary allusions that one is prone to miss if one hasn't read the books in question. ''Sister'', in particular, is loaded with references to PhilipKDick. Similarly, "The Sprawl" is inspired by WilliamGibson's SprawlTrilogy.

** The[[Music/TheBeatles "Ticket To Ride"]]/"Master-Dik" medley that they played live on air at a radio station and included on the ''Master-Dik'' EP: It was apparently an impromptu way to fill up air-time while Thurston was tuning his guitar, and the "Ticket To Ride" portion has him [[{{Scatting}} scat-screaming]] his way through the lyrics to an accompaniment of bass and drums.

* HarsherInHindsight: "Sleepin' Around", a song seemingly against infidelity that was written and sung by Thurston Moore, can now be seen as ironic in light of Thurston's own infidelity leading to his divorce with Kim Gordon.

*** Possibly "Bull in the Heather," due to its inclusion in a Beavis and Butthead episode.
* TearJerker: "Tunic (Song for Karen)", "J.C.", "NYC Ghosts & Flowers"

* MagnumOpus: ''Daydream Nation''.

** "I Love Her All The Time" gets BonusPoints for the MindRape subtext and sudden freak-outs.

* GeniusBonus: Most of their lyrics make subtle literary allusions that one is prone to miss if one hasn't read the books in question. ''Sister'', in particular, is loaded with references to PhilipKDick.