Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 18, 2001
RecordedLate 2000 – Early 2001
StudioThe Loft, Chicago
Genre
Length51:51
LabelSelf-released (original)
Nonesuch (retail)
ProducerWilco
Wilco chronology
Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
(2000)
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
(2001)
A Ghost Is Born
(2004)
Singles from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
  1. "Heavy Metal Drummer"
    Released: April 23, 2002
  2. "War on War"
    Released: May 21, 2002

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Wilco, originally self-released on September 18, 2001, on their website, and in retail stores on April 23, 2002, through Nonesuch Records. Recording sessions for the album began in late 2000. These sessions, which were documented for the film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, were marred by conflicts including a switch in drummers and disagreements among the band members and engineers about songs. Despite this, the album would be mostly completed in early 2001. The album showcased a more atmospheric and experimental sound than the band's previous work, and has been described as art rock and indie rock by music critics. It was the band's first album with drummer Glenn Kotche, and last with multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jay Bennett.

Reprise Records, Wilco's record label at the time, refused to release the album as they felt unhappy about the end result; this would lead to Wilco's departure from Reprise. The band subsequently acquired the rights to the album and later streamed the entire album for free on their website on September 18, 2001, 7 days after the planned release date. In November of that year, Wilco signed with Nonesuch Records, who gave the album its first official retail release on April 23, 2002. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot received widespread acclaim from music critics at release, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 2000s and of all time. It is also Wilco's best-selling work, having reached number 13 on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 225 on its updated "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.