FEATURE:
In the Write Order
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The Validity and Subjectiveness of Album/Song Rankings and Reviews
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THE irony of this feature….
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is that it may be subjective me saying album reviews and album/song rankings are subjective. This came to mind because I am reading Classic Pop’s in-depth look at the career of Madonna. As she commences her delayed Celebration Tour in October, this is an album-by-album guide with features and photos. It is a wonderful and passionate dedication to the Queen of Pop! One thing that struck me when reading it, especially when it came to Classic Pop’s top forty Madonna tracks, was how much lists vary. Take a Madonna top forty. No two will be exactly alike. Even the top fives – where you’d assume nearly all the tracks would be the same across the board – are different. Of course, this is just one person’s (or a team’s) view on which of her/any other artist’s songs are the best. I was in agreement with some of Classic Pop’s views, though there were omissions and tracks that were in the wrong place – some major songs either not in the running or too low down; ones that were too high that should have been lower/not on the list -, yet they had their view and it is good to contrast that with other people’s takes. I wonder whether there ever can be a true/singular top forty (or top ten etc.) of an artist’s work. From Kate Bush to The Beatles, everyone has had their say when it comes to the best songs. I disagree with many, yet I can find something to commend and agree with in most cases! It is timely and important to celebrate songs of an artist. Maybe tied to an anniversary or tour, I sort of wonder how much people follow song and album rankings. They always seem to stir up debate.
IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1986/PHOTO CREDIT: Herb Ritts
It is great that there is debate and contrasting views when it comes to artists and their back catalogue. I have done so many best songs/albums for different artists. At each point, I look online to see what to other people think regarding that artist – and whether their rankings match mine. I do like to put my mark and stamp out there and see what people think. Because every rankings list is going to split people, I keep thinking why we do it. In addition to having our opinion, what does it say about an artist and music in general? Is it literally impossible to agree in terms of the best songs and albums?! Take The Beatles, for example. With such a vast catalogue, obviously it is impossible two lists – deciding their best forty or fifty songs – would have the exact songs in the exact same places. The debate is interesting as a whole. As in, when it comes to albums…which are great, which are middling, and which are not so great. It is this thing with rankings and numerical values. I am doing it myself. In fact, with Kate Bush features, I am ranking songs from various albums. That is my view - but, when I put this out into the world, people will have their own top-five/ten etc. All subjective but valid. My point is whether the lists and rankings are useful and accurate beyond the subjective mindset. Do rankings and best-worst albums/songs tell us something about the nature of music and how various people process it? Why do some people agree that certain albums and songs are wonderful whilst others will debate them?! Maybe there is no easy or right answer. I just wanted to raise the point as, almost with every ranking feature of any artist, there are a few entries and opinions that seem ludicrous and irredeemable – that is me being quite impassioned about the worth and validity of particular tracks and songs!
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I am thinking about music reviews too. I am not debating whether we need album and E.P. reviews. These are really important. Many artists and people in the industry might feel they are subjective and pointless. With streaming and digital music out there, it does mean that people can write their own review and feedback. Is there as much worth when it comes to journalistic insight? I feel that many out there do read reviews. It is also nice for the artist. One of the debatable parts of a review is the star/scoring system. The text is really important. That said, giving it a star/score (out of 5 or 10) seems to stand out. How do you actually quantify an album like this?! Are some four-star albums stronger than others?! Do you do what Pitchfork does and award anything up to a 10 – for instance, a 7.6 or 9.1?! I wonder how helpful this is in determining the quality of an album? Many might ask what other method there is for stating quality. Obviously, this issue exists with films too. Sites like Rotten Tomatoes aggregate reviews out of 100%. They take star ratings and add them together and average it. It is slightly different when it comes to the music aggregation site, Metacritic.
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They score out of 100. Taking all types of reviews – whether it is star ratings or /5 or /10 -, this is what is used to give an average. I review albums and score out of 10, but I feel that many might just see the rating and not read the review. How do you decide what an album is worth? Few are reluctant to give an album 5/5, as that denotes work of the highest order. There are even articles that state what goes into a five-star rating or what needs to be considered. Of course, different sites will have different measures and criteria for their star rating. It goes back to that issue of album and song rankings and how useful they are. How reliable it is. Of course, listeners can come to their own conclusions - though the role of the critic is still very much sought-after and valid. I wonder whether a rating/star system – with its flaws and subjectiveness – is as worthy and accurate as the body of the review. Thoughts I have been having this week I thought I would share and ask what people think. How useful do they find album rankings when it comes to artists like Madonna? Are top 40s realisable and do they give you any sort of real guidance? Same situation with album star/score ratings: How useful are they when it comes to reviews and whether you check out an album? Is it the star rating or the text that draws your eye? Is it both?! Do you find that the review tone often differs to the star rating? It would be good to know…
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WHAT people think.