New Rating System: Qualitative Scores are in!

Dear readers,

I have decided to post an update on this blog, after writing two posts for the first time in almost three years. Well, some first words: life has really gotten in the way. Listening to music used to be an hobby for me, something that I considered constructive and that brought me a lot of joy. Well, then graduate school happened. Now, in this new busy lifestyle, I have a lot less time to listen to new albums as they come out. There are highlights, however: it is crazy to think I am actually really close to being an actual scientist! And a dinosaur paleontologist at that! 

 

Foo Fighters's But Here We Are, the album I am currently listening to.

(Updated on Sep. 12th 2026)

 

That said, I came across this blog once more. Gave this once passion project a through read. With my newly found super analytic skills (acquired through years of hard studying data analysis and looking at dinosaur bones) I identified a problem: I don't really enjoy numerical scores. They don't correctly reflect my appreciation for the music, and they have a poor practical translation.

 

So I am adopting a qualitative, more practical "end user" approach to the rating scores. By considering whether I'd actually listen to a record again, and whether I'd spend money to buy it, I devised the following rating categories:

• Terrible: A genuinely poor album. It fails to leave a positive impression, and there is little reason to return to it; 

• Forgettable: A mediocre and unremarkable album. It may have its moments, but ultimately leaves little impression and fades from memory; 

• So Bad It's Good: A flawed, ridiculous, or bizarre album that somehow becomes entertaining because of just how bad it is; 

• Okay: A solid and enjoyable album, but not essential. There are better records out there that deserve a place in your collection; 

• Good: A genuinely great album, with enough quality and character to make it worth owning and returning to from time to time; 

• Classic: An exceptional album that transcends its time. One of those records that leaves a lasting mark, shapes the way you experience music, and stands the test of time.

These ratings aren't necessarily arranged in crescent appreciation: a "So Bad it's Good" record might make, overall, for a more enjoyable experience than an "Okay" record, even though it is objectively of lower artistic merit. At the same time, a "Classic" album might express some very difficult emotion to deal with, and thus might not be regularly listened to despite its quality.

 

That said, the ratings of all the entries on the blog thus far have been upgraded. I hope y'all enjoy it. Stay groovy!