kevbogz: is a 3 bad? | Sputnikmusic

kevbogz 05.08.21	i tend to not rate an album lower than a 3 because i don't find it all that enjoyable and won't finish it
Colton 05.08.21	3 = good
brainmelter 05.08.21	[REDACTED]
JokineAugustus 05.08.21	Yeah 3 is more "average" for me. 2.5 I already don't like the album.
RogueNine 05.08.21	3s should still mean good but albums with a 3 average seem to illicit a different reaction.
ExtinguishingTheSun 05.08.21	If you're not willing to call an album "great" it's a 3
Ecnalzen 05.08.21	I usually give something a 3 when I didn't mind listening to it, but I don't really have much interest in coming back to it, aside from maybe a few key songs. I guess 'pleasant but forgettable' would be an apt description 2.5 is when I start actively disliking parts and can be a bit of a chore to get thru
kevbogz 05.08.21	if the rating system was out of 10, a 3 would = an 8 or a 7?
Uzumaki 05.08.21	A 3 for me is on the “good” side of average.
MyNameIsPencil 05.08.21	give everything a 4 like me
outliers 05.08.21	3 is my "the album was fine but I'm not interested in listening to it again" rating
Drifter 05.08.21	3 definitely has a much stronger connotation than 3.5 even if they really arent that far apart. most of my ratings end up being a 3.5 cause i just feel bad giving 3s lol
Trebor. 05.08.21	2.5 is average, anything about is positive and anything below is negative
JohnnyoftheWell 05.08.21	Some 3s are 2.5 apologism when you kinda like part of the album Some 3s are meh this didn't suck but I don't wanna hear it again Some 3s are backhands against big corporate hype (Loveless and Refused are big 3core bby)
GhandhiLion 05.08.21	3s are not indifference or meh
kevbogz 05.08.21	agreed with basically everything here, def Drifter. the difference between a 3 and a 3.5 is pretty huge in my book a 2.5 just has such a negative connotation, but i think you’re right Treb. i could see some of my ratings being dropped to a 2.5
el_newg 05.08.21	3 are more good than bad 2.5 is average 2 has more bad than it has good
JohnnyoftheWell 05.08.21	the 2.8 rating (bad 3) has been one of the most helpful increments ngl but I think I overuse 2.7 (redeemable 2.5),gotta get crueller
GhandhiLion 05.08.21	Difference between is pretty huge [2] Give me 20 point scale pliz There's no such thing as average. Music is NOT math
JohnnyoftheWell 05.08.21	this isn't a Coldplay thread
Ecnalzen 05.08.21	Yeah, agreed, the difference between a 3 and 3 5 is a pretty important distinction for me because a 3 5 is the beginnings of when I am willing to buy the music from the artist to actually have instead of just streaming it once or twice and being done with it
GhandhiLion 05.08.21	I don't follow. Idk Coldplay lore
Supercoolguy64 05.08.21	Nah 3 is good but could’ve been better and 2.5 is indifference, 2 and below are varying levels of bad
GhandhiLion 05.08.21	I love radiohead tho
budgie 05.08.21	problem is it's difficult to see 2.5 as the avg when you're more likely to listen to and rate music you like. 2.5 would work as a avg maybe if you're forced to listen to randomized samples all the music in the world. that's why a 3.0 has a lower connotation than it should holy shit 5.08.2021 this post is from the future kev are you a time wizard
GhandhiLion 05.08.21	^facts
naughtcturnal 05.08.21	for me a 3 isnt bad, but most probably just boring and has less replay and entertainment value than an actual bad album
GhandhiLion 05.08.21	That sounds like a 1.5/2 for me
fogza 05.08.21	3 is a complex score for me. I often rate something a 3 if I respect it but didn't particularly enjoy it, or I wouldn't listen to it again. But sometimes I rate it a 3 because almost half of it is cool. There's a whole lot of conditions that a 3 covers. Whereas a 3.5 means I would conceivably listen to it again, and I generally liked it.
Cygnatti 05.08.21	it is not
Cygnatti 05.08.21	Some 3s are 2.5 apologism when you kinda like part of the album Some 3s are meh this didn't suck but I don't wanna hear it again Some 3s are backhands against big corporate hype (Loveless and Refused are big 3core by) Those are all 2.5s. 2.5/5 is the most complex score ez.
widowslaugh123 05.08.21	My favorite albums are 3s
ShadowRemains 05.08.21	by definition in a 1 to 5 rating system, 3 is average
kevbogz 05.08.21	i’m surprised no ones said anything about the ULTRAPOP 3 rating
GhandhiLion 05.08.21	I'm surprised someone brought up ultrapop before neu!
porcupinetheater 05.08.21	3 is a fat booty Hey Norma I get my 3 backing up look out
RogueNine 05.08.21	Yeah AB but Sput slapped the "average" label on 2.5 so we take what we get. Agree though that a 2.5 seems to embody "meh."
budgie 05.08.21	i know parks has an album 0.5'd
Muzz79 05.08.21	Excellent question. A 3.0 for me is an album that I acknowledge is good but don’t necessarily like. A 2.5 is an album that doesn’t hit the mark, a 2.0 is a poor album etc. A 3.5 is great and I like it and so on
Trifolium 05.08.21	"A 3 for me is on the “good” side of average." 100% agree. I don't listen to them often at all.
LeddSledd 05.08.21	I generally like 3's, even if I think they have some large kinks to work out. A 3 is a good album with noticeable flaws that can occasionally impede enjoyment or just an alright album. I don't often come back to them. A 2.5 is average and really nothing notable at all. A 3.5 is a great album that has noticeable flaws but they don't impede my enjoyment in a meaningful way. And so on
garas 05.08.21	3.0 = It doesn't worth more than one listen, but it isn't bad.
JohnnyoftheWell 05.08.21	every 2+ rating is worth more than one listen. anyone who doesn't cover their bases is slacking
JohnnyoftheWell 05.08.21	budgie 05.08.21 [Report this Post] [Delete] decisions
budgie 05.08.21	you wouldnt
JohnnyoftheWell 05.08.21	bet
Pangea 05.08.21	a 3 is alright to me. Something i generally enjoyed but don't feel very strongly about and I don't feel the need to return to much
Cygnatti 05.08.21	hot take: there are plenty of 2.5/5s and even at least a few 2.0/5s that are worth more than one listen. "well, it's not bad but..." = 2.5/5 imo :]
farmerobama 05.08.21	3 is like the generic category a lot of the times for me, I like it sonically, but there is nothing new or exciting about it
Mythodea 05.08.21	^
Jasdevi087 05.08.21	i feel like some days i use 3 how everyone else uses 2.5 and other days i use it as a 3 idk
Jasdevi087 05.08.21	three is certainly a many faceted colour
DoofDoof 05.08.21	8 should be 4+
anat 05.08.21	6/10
neekafat 05.08.21	Yes
Mythodea 05.08.21	also, Atom Heart Mother is almost a 5 but not even the band themselves know it
neekafat 05.08.21	It's a hard 4
slikphuk 05.08.21	3's are good forsure, just an underwhelming approval if anything
Morningrise767 05.08.21	it's still technically a "good" rating, just on the low tier of a 3.5 rating
NorthernSkylark 05.08.21	3 is alright / won’t return to it. 2.5 is a bit shit / unremarkable. 3.5 is pretty good / remarkable.
Demon of the Fall 05.08.21	3s are ‘good’ - exactly what it says on the tin. Not something I’d listen to regularly, but has merit and I would absolutely return to it at some point - which I often do. Some of my fave albums started off as 3s. The other type of 3 is one I’ll never return to, but was enjoyable on a ‘surface level/at the time’ or just wildly inconsistent with some highs.
Koris 05.08.21	If an album is a 3, then I found just enough good material to make the album worth listening to overall. I won't return to it frequently, but once in a while I'll get back to it for those choice cuts
theBoneyKing 05.08.21	3s are “I generally enjoy listening to this, especially in the background, and there may be a couple songs I love, but on the whole it doesn’t quite stick with me”
Titan 05.08.21	For me, a 3 has a few great songs with the rest of the album being forgettable
GhandhiLion 05.08.21	That sounds very very rare
NorthernSkylark 05.08.21	bad 3, get off my turntable right this second!
TheAntichrist 05.08.21	3 is least gud
rabidfish 05.08.21	The problem is you are a pussy. Everything is either a 1 or a 5. but fr why do so many people feel like they are insulting an album if they don't give it a high score? 3 is a pass. a pass is good. Problem is when the hivemind says anything below a 8/10 is complete and utter garbage.
Parallels 05.08.21	what kind of a bait list is this a 3/5 literally says GOOD it's 60% quality material
SymbolicInTime 05.08.21	If someone says a 3 is bad, they're dumb
JohnnyoftheWell 05.08.21	how good is a 3.7 though
SymbolicInTime 05.08.21	Nearly excellent
Parallels 05.08.21	^ danke
Deez 05.08.21	All of these are 3s apart from Caustic 3s to me are. Ok its good, Im not super into it might listen it again but wont be the end of the world if I dont, Will probably one day go 'Oh forgot about that record' then release itse because I could be listening to much better shit even though its not bad.
GhandhiLion 05.08.21	rabidfish being based and redpilled "a 3/5 literally says GOOD it's 60% quality material" Nah, it's not that hyperspecific or objective for most people, but it probably should be ""good"". If I used this percentage as a threshold only 20% of my ratings would get a 3 or higher.
gryndstone 05.08.21	it says good. its good 3's are for albums i passively enjoy 2.5's are for albums with a couple good tunes but nothing else
YoYoMancuso 05.08.21	a 3 is either consistently mid the whole way through, or it has 2 or 3 amazing songs and the rest is boring
Parallels 05.08.21	except it is that hyperspecific or objective (i just let my MusicBee autorate my albums based on my song ratings)
GhandhiLion 05.08.21	heh based lil b
ReturnToRock 05.08.21	Same problem here. I've started changing a lot of my 3.5s into 3s after I gave the new AC/DC a 3, though. Because if that's a 3, then so are all those other albums.
MO 05.08.21	A 3 is on the lower side of good but not indifference imo
Relinquished 05.08.21	when the 3 is not mathematically undervalued but somehow it’s projected to be good job guys
kevbogz 05.09.21	"The problem is you are a pussy." agreed
heck 05.09.21	don't overthink it. forget about the arbitrary definitions (average, good, great, etc.) sput applies to ratings and just rate how you feel
CaliggyJack 05.09.21	For me, a 3 is still "good" but honestly, so much music is released within the span of a year nowadays that a 3 isn't "good" enough. To me, if you aren't shooting for excellence, you're languishing with all the other "good" stuff that gets thrown around every year. Does any band want to just be good? I don't think so.
Cygnatti 05.09.21	"If I used this percentage as a threshold only 20% of my ratings would get a 3 or higher." based.
Dedes 05.09.21	1 is bad 5 is good and there is no in between
ReturnToRock 05.09.21	@Dedex oh hi, average Amazon customer! @OP my personal approach is: 0.5 - Going in my 'worst albums ever' list. 1 - I never want to listen to it again, ever. 1.5 - Will never listen again, but does not make me cringe or get genuinely angry. Just garden-variety bad. 2 - Boring-bad / mediocre. 2.5 - Close, but no cigar. Usually shows underdeveloped potential or bad decisions that ruin the whole. Underwhelming for that artist/genre. 3 - Average. OK. Not a bad listen but nothing earth-shattering. Just about meets expectations of what a musical release should offer. A C- album. EDIT: For bands with long-standing discographies that are mostly good to great, a 3 becomes a ho-hum/forgettable entry into said back catalogue (e.g. Maiden, AC/DC, Judas Priest, etc.) 3.5 - At the level most records should ideally aim for as a minimum bar. Not outstanding in its genre, but solid enough to warrant owning or listening to multiple times. Lives up to general expectations for a musical album. 4 - Most good-to-great records fall within this bracket. Just a solid all-round album with very few weaker points / very minor flaws. Definitely worth owning and revisiting. Lives up to expectations for that specific artist and/or meets the overall quality standard for its genre. 4.5 - A nearly flawless offering that sets a new bar for a style or scene and has or should become a classic of its genre / a historically important landmark which deserves its reputation. Any gripes are nitpicky and only valid in the context of the album/artist. Most bands would kill to have a track as good as the worst on one of these. Exceeds expectations for its artist or genre. 5 - Basically a perfect album. Few to no weaker points, and those that exist are nitpicky enough to be virtually irrelevant. Fans of the artist or genre should go out of their way to add this to their collection. Often a historically significant document, and definitely worthy of that status. So no, 3 is not bad. It's just not really very good or unique or memorable.
NorthernSkylark 05.09.21	If I had to buy everything from 3.5 and up I would be broke by now (and prob wouldn’t listen to them a lot anyways. Some special 3.5 releases are worth it tho. I generally acquire albums that are at least 4.0 and upwards. 4.5 and 5’s are a must if they’re available on the market.
DoofDoof 05.09.21	I generally listen to stuff I like and so it tends to get an 'excellent' distinction which for me is 3.5 - most albums I listen to end up with this rating, they're recommended by me. 3 is good/v good, maybe not quite my thing or a weaker album in a style I like, or a half excellent album with some average songs in there. 4-5 is in my top 2000 albums of all time so is really strong. Only about 30-50 albums these days get this sort of rating each year, then more over time. A lot more have this rating each year for the good old classic years of music in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, maybe some of the 00s 2-2.5 is average - 2.5 the 'I quite like listening to it' average, 2 the 'I don't really want to listen to this' average 1.5 is the start of outright poor quality
alamo 05.09.21	on this website 3.0 average for most genres = ok 3.0 average for a metal album = worthless junk shit
theBoneyKing 05.09.21	I rate very similarly to Doof, major difference is I listen to a lot less stuff/am pickier about what I choose to pick up, so my curve skews higher.
alamo 05.09.21	average sputnik metalhead ratings are like 5.0 perfect 4.5 great 4.0 good 3.5 not good 3.0 shit
ReturnToRock 05.09.21	fogza nailed it up above. What he describes is EXACTLY what a 3 rating is for.
ArsMoriendi 05.09.21	A 3 isn't bad, but its also not an album I would visit too often I do surprisingly revisit 3.5s a decent amount of the time though
DrMaximus 05.09.21	A 3 is just about the worst rating you could give
theBoneyKing 05.09.21	Lol how? It’s a positive score.
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	0.5 - bad 1.0 - very boring 1.5 - boring - few interesting moments or tonal musicality 2.0 - flawed/ a mixed bag - stereotyped, probably has some redeeming qualities/songs 2.5 - ok - adequate and interesting (2.5s vary more in terms of consistency/cohesiveness ) 3.0 - good - I would revisit for non rating reasons, memorable, most albums I choose to rate get this 3.5 - great - distinguished, one of the best albums of the year
Mythodea 05.09.21	Am I the only one that doesn't have universal application for 3? It takes a lot of in-band comparison to see where an album falls.
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	You adjust in comparison to the rest of a bands discography?
Parallels 05.09.21	hot take: a 2 has a few good songs on it a 1.5 has one basically good song or two average songs
Parallels 05.09.21	deep think to bake your noodle: if a one is technically more than zero, does that mean it has some quality to it that is worth rating?
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	it may have some value, but that doesn't mean that any of the songs have to be good or "average" Bad albums have value
Pheromone 05.09.21	3 is good
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	/thread
rickeyhenderson 05.09.21	3/5 = 60% = D-
rickeyhenderson 05.09.21	a 3 is the coward's 1
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	60% what
rickeyhenderson 05.09.21	music
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	ahh
Mythodea 05.09.21	>You adjust in comparison to the rest of a bands discography? Yes. For instance, I have Opeth's PC at 3, because even if I enjoy some songs really much, I still feel I like it less than Sorceress, which I have at 3.5. So, I have to lower it, even if my review (and first impression) was a 3.5.
rickeyhenderson 05.09.21	the important thing is that we all agree these numbers matter
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	^lol Which do you like more, Heritage or still life?
Demon of the Fall 05.09.21	‘deep think to bake your noodle: if a one is technically more than zero, does that mean it has some quality to it that is worth rating?‘ It definitely increases the range of what constitute a 1/5 - essentially anything 24% and under gets rounded down.
Mythodea 05.09.21	Heritage, probably
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	ok, lower still life then
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	24% what
Mythodea 05.09.21	I was expecting a comment like that, tbh. Heritage and Still Life are both at 4.5 but for different reasons, as they are completely different in sound (whereas PC and Sorceress are not). Also, I can rate only with 0.5 intervals, which cannot show the differences between an album that's 4.3 and an album that is 4.7, even if they have quite a distance between them. So I have both of them at 4.5.
Parallels 05.09.21	full range decimal voting /when/
DoofDoof 05.09.21	Demon is right - on my AOTY account I convert a RYM 5 to a 95-100%, a 1 equals 15-24% and a 0.5 is 0-14% Sput doesn't have a 0.5 for most users so you have 24% of the score range taken by the 1 rating ;)
Parallels 05.09.21	i want to give albums a 4.1 and 2.7
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	Yes, 20 point minimum rating scale > lame sputnik 9 point scale
Parallels 05.09.21	So an album with nearly a quarter of quality material can be a 1? Interesting.
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	mb 24% isn't quality. He hasn't answered me so it could be tonal musicality
Pheromone 05.09.21	sputnik 9 point scale is how i rate everything in life just had a 3.5 dinner
Mythodea 05.09.21	>full range decimal voting /when/ I really don't care much about full range voting, I think they're not worth the time and thinking, and also you can't count how much you like something, it's a qualitative variable.
DoofDoof 05.09.21	percentage rating is great, you don't need to work out an end of year list, allows you to put most albums in some sort of order before
Parallels 05.09.21	if we go by tonal musicality then i might as well give abba's entire discography 5/5
Parallels 05.09.21	"you can't count how much you like something, it's a qualitative variable." I've never read such a wrong post on this site, not since the days of NeutralThunder and Mappy.
Mythodea 05.09.21	Days since wrong posts [0]
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	it's just tiers my dude. I'm all about that freedom of choice, free the decimals.
Parallels 05.09.21	f r e e the d e c i m e l s
ReturnToRock 05.09.21	Wait, 60% is a D-? You guys FAIL with a 60% grade?!
Demon of the Fall 05.09.21	‘percentage rating is great, you don't need to work out an end of year list, allows you to put most albums in some sort of order before‘ In theory this sounds great and rather appealing, but assigning such specific scores could be a tedious exercise in reality. Admittedly I often long for a slightly more flexible scale here, although 1% +/- might be a little much.
DDDeftoneDDD 05.09.21	3 is "decent" but "not for me" agreed
bananatossing 05.09.21	Good observation. I have just realized I don't give many albums a 3. I guess it's hard for you to view an album as merely "passable" as opposed to "mediocre" or straight up bad. 3.5 and above is the sweet spot methinks.
DDDeftoneDDD 05.09.21	Above
ReturnToRock 05.09.21	The ideal scale for me is out of 10 with half points. That allows you to differentiate a 7.5 from an 8 from an 8.5, whereas those are arguably all 4s on a 5 point scale. With that said, this more rigid scale helps you make up your mind about what does and doesn't fit into a score bracket. Like let's say you have two 3.5s but one is better than the other. Instead of lazily slapping a couple of extra decimals on one of them and calling it a day, it forces you to own up to one of them actually being a 4, or the other actually a 3. It's actually really good for situations when you're indecisive or don't know what tier to put an album in. I've changed my rating on a couple of 3.5 albums to a 3 recently, after realising they were not really any better than the new AC/DC, which I have as a 3.
alamo 05.09.21	>>>>>>> tonal musicality
alamo 05.09.21	I have a preference for high levels of tonal musicality, creativity and experimentation. I enjoy strong and meaningful lyrics, but the music itself can override bad or average lyrics. I also value transitional flow between songs and a unique and creative theme that can be derived from the album as a whole.
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	yes give me those sweet 7.5's
Cygnatti 05.09.21	tbh idk if I could handle a full 100 point scale, but a 20 point scale would be really really nice
kevbogz 05.09.21	"You adjust in comparison to the rest of a bands discography?" I try not to but sometimes it seeps thru. it's pretty obvious when one album is better than another, so I've adjusted accordingly. also, sometimes I revisit an older album after listening to a new one and bump up or down
Parallels 05.09.21	inb4 7.5 is a garbage album ala pitchfork
GhandhiLion 05.09.21	"it's pretty obvious when one album is better than another" True, but this will always be the case no matter what rating you give an album. There will always be an album that is better than another.
aydross121 05.10.21	I base my ratings on replayability: 2.0- -> I wasted my time 2.5 -> Listened once and won't listen again, not a waste of time per se 3.0 -> Can listen a few times without feeling like I wasted my time 3.5+ -> Will listen again in the future .. 5.0 -> Can I inject this album into my bloodstream?
Parallels 05.10.21	I come back to all my albums with time, unless it's a 1.5 or less in which case it gets b& from my hard drive.
kevbogz 05.15.21	sometimes, when there's a really, really good song on an album, a song that absolutely blows all the other ones out of the water, even though the other ones are still good, i'll look at the entire album as lower because it's all not as good as that one song
FadedSun 05.15.21	I don't see anything wrong with a 3, but I think it's a little obnoxious to rate an album that just came out as a classic. At the very least 5 should be changed to a different word other than "classic". In my mind, classic means it has stood some test of time. It's hard to know if an album is indeed a classic upon release. It could wear off over time, and not be as good as everyone thought it was.
GreyShadow 05.15.21	i feel like 3 really is "good/average/whelmed" a 2.5 looks too negative to really be considered average with a neutral connotation. trying to give 3's when it's something i didn't dislike but probably wouldn't come back to minus maybe a few tracks
parksungjoon 03.26.22	https://www.sputnikmusic.com/images/members/1108331.jpg
kevbogz 03.26.22	u a cop?
Purpl3Spartan 03.26.22	3 for me is average good while 2.5 is avg bad
porcupinetheater 03.26.22	Puttin the Peg in Peggy
combustion07 03.26.22	It's pretty rare I give a 3 tbh. Honestly most albums I enjoy get an automatic 4. I'm pretty guilty of 4'ing the shit out of everything lol. Maybe I should change that but idk it just feels right. If I rate something a 3 or lower I'm highly unlikely to ever return to that album in full. I might take a track or two and put it in rotation but no more than that.
ghostalgeist 03.26.22	a 2.5 is forgettable to me whereas a 3 is merely fine or decent
IsisScript80 03.26.22	Hmm… 3 on the ratings scale here, is “good”, so I rate a “good” album 3. You can like something… it may have a couple of great tracks, some (or majority) less so. Quantify it’s faults, not love it, but have a decent enough time with it. Ergo 3. A 2.5 is something that is nothing terribly wrong, but nothing really right either. I think the rating system is fine; if you’re rating an “average” album 3, it’s just a case of reeling it in, and trying to remember what constitutes what.
porcupinetheater 03.26.22	A 3 is absolutely not bad, unless you give it to the Neu! album that has Hallogallo on it, in which case it's unforgivable
Zig 03.26.22	I see a 3.0 as the lowest positive reaction with no replay value, maybe except for a song or two. 2.5 is indifferent. 2.0 is surely bad.
ArsMoriendi 03.26.22	3 is good, but not in a “I’m going to return to this often” kinda way. I even revisit my 3.5s often, but 3s? Nah
Demon of the Fall 03.26.22	3 is good. I generally view it as positive. I just wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to revisit unless I thought there was something I was missing.
Ryus 03.26.22	a 1 is better than a 3
brainmelter 03.26.22	i said some pretty fucked up shit in this thread ngl
brainmelter 03.26.22	3 is good, 3s can be great actually
GhandhiLion 03.26.22	A 3 is absolutely not bad, unless you give it to the Neu! album that has Hallogallo on it, in which case it's unforgivable [2]
kevbogz 03.26.22	"A 3 is absolutely not bad, unless you give it to the Neu! album that has Hallogallo on it, in which case it's unforgivable" the opinion of someone whose first mommy crush was peggy hill. based