x Twilight x
New member
Music can't be rated fairly. It's all pure opinion. Why do you look at reviews, if you like it who gives a s*** who else likes it.
Anyone else notice how completely retarded and biased Metacritic is?
- Thread starter x Twilight x
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winter_white_wolf_pup
New member
You from this site? 'Cause if you are, I gotta bone to pick with you.
And it doesn't appear that way. Most albums are clumped between 60-80, and a point difference here or there doesn't do much to differentiate between the quality of certain albums.
And it doesn't appear that way. Most albums are clumped between 60-80, and a point difference here or there doesn't do much to differentiate between the quality of certain albums.
I used to use Metacritic as a resource to review new music for the past fourteen to eighteen months, but lately, I'm starting to wonder exactly how impartial these motherfuckers are. Here's just a taste of their bullshit:
One Day As A Lion: One Day As A Lion [EP] (2008): Reviews
The "average" score is 80, but there are two reviews that clock under that. Not only this, but it's the Metacritic staff that are the ones to assign reviews scores in the first fucking place. I've noticed that they don't report too many poor reviews on indie/electronica albums and the editors have seemed to develop their own tastes. The reviews are weighted to give higher precendence to sources which the editors find appealing. I thought the purpose of this site was to establish objective and encompassing reviews of albums, not to promote their own musical tastes. I guess there's politics there too.
I will never guage my taste in music based upon what these fuckers tell me ever again.
Fuck Metacritic.
One Day As A Lion: One Day As A Lion [EP] (2008): Reviews
The "average" score is 80, but there are two reviews that clock under that. Not only this, but it's the Metacritic staff that are the ones to assign reviews scores in the first fucking place. I've noticed that they don't report too many poor reviews on indie/electronica albums and the editors have seemed to develop their own tastes. The reviews are weighted to give higher precendence to sources which the editors find appealing. I thought the purpose of this site was to establish objective and encompassing reviews of albums, not to promote their own musical tastes. I guess there's politics there too.
I will never guage my taste in music based upon what these fuckers tell me ever again.
Fuck Metacritic.
volleyballxoxox
New member
That's an odd take on averages they've got there, unless they only go in 10's, and then thats a bit silly because it implies a percentage which it isn't at all.
Strikes me as a bit stripped down, if i was wondering whether to listen to an album i doubt this site would make me decide either way.
Strikes me as a bit stripped down, if i was wondering whether to listen to an album i doubt this site would make me decide either way.
It's always entertaining to see one critic get outraged by another. How is it the you're being any less absolute and unyielding than the critical object of your disdain? If our musical passion & appreciation were a substance you could attempt to cut through with a knife, it would be made of concrete. We all (me included) choose to be the knife's will rather than accepting the solid fortress that is our personal resolve. Musical critique is all an expressive joke. At the end of the day all that we have is our own two ears accompanied by a single will that decides what we listen to.
Loyalty with respect to artistic favor is the opposite of critical integrity.
Loyalty with respect to artistic favor is the opposite of critical integrity.
white_and_nerdy_93
New member
I don't get exactly what PMO was saying but having a look at the site myself the issue I'm seeing (if its based on a scale of 100) is that there isn't any sort of Z-score we can convert all the ratings to.
That being said it looks like the editors haphazardly convert other reviews to their nuraber system with no actual math, just a sort of "eh this look like a 75 rating" attitude and if anything thats where the bias comes in (by proxy of laziness)
That being said it looks like the editors haphazardly convert other reviews to their nuraber system with no actual math, just a sort of "eh this look like a 75 rating" attitude and if anything thats where the bias comes in (by proxy of laziness)
alphaflyfish
New member
eh, I can't speak for how it works in reality, but that's the theory. I got that from the "how did we calculate this score" link they have underneath the album score.
God knows why I was reading that....
What's your bone to pick?
God knows why I was reading that....
What's your bone to pick?
lacute7ness
New member
1) How they choose the albums to be featured. Too many obscure albums released by poor electronica artists.
2) How they decide how a review should be scored. If a reviewer doesn't provide his own score, it shouldn't be included at all. End of story.
3) How they decide which reviewers are given higher preecedence. It's complete bullcrap to give higher precedence to reviewers they find "a bigger influence on the genre" because that just normalizes the scores around what those people say. Pitchfork, Spin, Kerrang!, Rolling Stone, etc. have no more objective critics than anyone else.
All three concepts flawed and subjective. And no, their "how this works" section does nothing to adequately explain it.
2) How they decide how a review should be scored. If a reviewer doesn't provide his own score, it shouldn't be included at all. End of story.
3) How they decide which reviewers are given higher preecedence. It's complete bullcrap to give higher precedence to reviewers they find "a bigger influence on the genre" because that just normalizes the scores around what those people say. Pitchfork, Spin, Kerrang!, Rolling Stone, etc. have no more objective critics than anyone else.
All three concepts flawed and subjective. And no, their "how this works" section does nothing to adequately explain it.
SteveDenver
New member
Okay, this is messed.
I See The Sign reviews at Metacritic.com
There is no logical explanation for this.
I See The Sign reviews at Metacritic.com
There is no logical explanation for this.
Richard 78
New member
Yup, the system does give too much power to their own preference.
I only really use it to find a bunch of different reviews in one place.
I only really use it to find a bunch of different reviews in one place.
katienie20
New member
I can't stand critics.
I might check out albums based on how much praise and attention they're getting overall, but I don't look towarRAB reviews for recommendations. It's all biased bullcrap and in absolutely no way determines weither you'll like it or not, everyone likes to do reviews for fun, but I don't think music criticism should even be taken seriously as a profession.
And it's a lame excuse for guys like Robert Christgau, Piero Scaruffi and Rob Sheffield to make a lot of money, basically for just having horrible taste in music.
I might check out albums based on how much praise and attention they're getting overall, but I don't look towarRAB reviews for recommendations. It's all biased bullcrap and in absolutely no way determines weither you'll like it or not, everyone likes to do reviews for fun, but I don't think music criticism should even be taken seriously as a profession.
And it's a lame excuse for guys like Robert Christgau, Piero Scaruffi and Rob Sheffield to make a lot of money, basically for just having horrible taste in music.
Vincent The Valentine
New member
There's only partial truthfulness to this sentiment. Of course no person can tell another person whether or not they like a piece of music. HOWEVER, there is something to be said for differentiating between well-composed, authentic, and/or (insert other applicable adjective) music and the popular stuff.
IE, person A: "Britney Spears made the best music of the 90s!"
person B: "While I respect your opinion, Person A, it would be fair to argue that Britney Spears' music was not actually the most well-composed music of the decade. In fact, despite her popularity, her music was actually quite poor in comparison to the likes of Radiohead."
@thread: I use Metacritic as well. After reading this thread, I'd like to try a different site. Anyone know a good site that calculates metascore ratings for music?
IE, person A: "Britney Spears made the best music of the 90s!"
person B: "While I respect your opinion, Person A, it would be fair to argue that Britney Spears' music was not actually the most well-composed music of the decade. In fact, despite her popularity, her music was actually quite poor in comparison to the likes of Radiohead."
@thread: I use Metacritic as well. After reading this thread, I'd like to try a different site. Anyone know a good site that calculates metascore ratings for music?
ღaqυa мaяιneღ
New member
BUT, you are being critical and that is precisely my point. You merely find your opinion 180 degrees different from theirs. No escape.
lady_armand2
New member
Well I do end up liking most albums I come across that are very critically aclaimed, but my tastes are just very un-discriminating.
However there are some critical darlings I just couldn't bare. Every hipster raves about how Psycho Candy is one of the best albums ever made, and I just didn't get it. Nor did I ever get what was so special about Nick Drake and Pink Moon.
But if theres ever a time I think me and critics aren't on the same plane, it's right now. Very rarely does checking out some new hyped up band actually pay off.
Pitchforks reviews are pretty helpful though, if they love it I'll probably hate it, if they hate it I'll most certainly love it.
However there are some critical darlings I just couldn't bare. Every hipster raves about how Psycho Candy is one of the best albums ever made, and I just didn't get it. Nor did I ever get what was so special about Nick Drake and Pink Moon.
But if theres ever a time I think me and critics aren't on the same plane, it's right now. Very rarely does checking out some new hyped up band actually pay off.
Pitchforks reviews are pretty helpful though, if they love it I'll probably hate it, if they hate it I'll most certainly love it.
yeah i used to think metacritic was pretty legit, but then i figured out there system a couple of months ago and realized the score i was looking at didn't even begin to approach any serablance of accuracy
i've yet to find a reliable online source, and while i'd never let a website craft my musical opinion it would be nice to have a place that would consistently tell me what might be worth listening to and what is utter crap
i've yet to find a reliable online source, and while i'd never let a website craft my musical opinion it would be nice to have a place that would consistently tell me what might be worth listening to and what is utter crap
mimi: v♥te Figgy!
New member
I've always been in the habit of making my own opinions about music, film etc.
I generally don't pay attention to other critics.
I generally don't pay attention to other critics.
Clikc_speed
New member
Yes but it's not as fun to say that 