Robert Thomas Christgau (; born April 18, 1942) is an American essayist,
music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics". One of the earliest professional
rock critics, he spent 37 years as the chief music critic and senior editor for
The Village Voice, during which time he created the annual
Pazz & Jop poll. He has also covered popular music for
Esquire,
Creem,
Newsday,
Playboy,
Rolling Stone,
Billboard,
NPR,
Blender, and
MSN Music, and is a visiting arts teacher at
New York University.