SAPoodle: What is a 5? | Sputnikmusic

SAPoodle 04.24.26	The word “five” sounds weird now
Deez 04.24.26	It’s like a 4.5 but better
evilford 04.24.26	Everything is fire is a 5
SAPoodle 04.24.26	“Everything is fire is a 5” You recommend that album as often as I recommend Jane Doe haha. The first track is amazing, but I need to really give the whole thing more listens. My closest death metal 5 is probably None So Vile
keaton_86 04.24.26	I don't think I've ever heard a perfect, 5/5 album. France the Mute and Lateralus are 4.9's but I've never heard a full 5.
evilford 04.24.26	Check everything is fire
DoofDoof 04.24.26	If you’d rate it in the top 2% of all the albums you’ve ever listened to…it’s probably a 5.
SAPoodle 04.24.26	Yeah I think that’s part of what sort of gets me about it, is that there does have to be a certain amount of leeway given. In general, I feel like anything that’s above a 4 could be a 5 in the right circumstances. I think early on, too, I connected with music on a deeply, deeply emotional level, which isn’t something I’ve really experienced too often from my mid-20s and beyond.
SAPoodle 04.24.26	@Doof I think the number of 5s I currently have in my ratings works out to little over 2%, so you’re probably spot on with that
RVAHC13 04.24.26	Idk, I have albums rated 4.5 that I listen to infinitely more than albums I've 5'd
gabba 04.24.26	When an album scores 9 or 10 on a 1-10 scale, it’s a 5. In other words, whenever you feel it deserves the label “classic”. That is when you feel the album: - has a unique and substantial, forward-thinking contribution to the history of music AND [you feel that every song is perfect OR only most songs are perfect, there are no stinkers & the album is extremely cohesive] - it contributed significantly to your personal trajectory of becoming who you are today AND you love it so much that whenever you jam it there are moments when you have to stop what you do because the (near) cathartic emotional response is so strong - you heard it at least a dozen times and you feel this is only the beginning of a beautiful friendship
efp123 04.24.26	Two Deafheaven albums, and the best Sigur Ros album? You win
RogueNine 04.24.26	Almost all my favorite albums are 4.5s. Having said that, a 5 for me is > a flawless album (haven't found one yet) > an album that is very close to flawless but gets the edge for having legendary status
evilford 04.24.26	Weiner
MementoMori 04.24.26	I once tried to describe it in a single sentence and this is the best I could come up with: "music which holds an incomparably special place in my heart for, at once, fundamentally reorienting my appreciation for music as an artform, in general, and my understanding of how it can subversively transgress and expand upon its historically established aesthetic ‘conventions’, in particular, while being so earth-shatteringly intense in its affective impression upon me that it shakes me to my very core." Indeed, most of 5.0s would be 4.5 if it were not for their special role in shaping my love for music and its major role in my life (it's music that un/made me).
Demon of the Fall 04.24.26	"If you’d rate it in the top 2% of all the albums you’ve ever listened to…it’s probably a 5." I'd say 1% is a nice wholesome ratio as 1/50 seems a little high to me, but then I'm currently sitting at a mere 0.57%, so I haven't been practicing what I preach (work in progress) but yeah, it's simple really - do you consider it to be one of your favourites? I do think time is important, as in, is it something you return to year after year? If so all other factors such as uniqueness, replay-ability and that personal connection are probably already 'baked in' (unless you just listen a lot due to 'old habits' or nostalgia lol... then, you may want to re-evaluate)
Demon of the Fall 04.24.26	This is an interesting subject for me as a (somewhat lol) obsessive cataloguer of numbers. I started a quest to create new 5s a while back, as the aforementioned 0.57% seems unnecessarily stingy and it's about time I changed my outlook. Since I began there was a 'shortlist' of 12 albums, well, as of today I think maybe 9 would make the cut as 5s. I think shows my instincts were mostly correct and I've known all along but the 'criteria' was off somehow. Partially caused by waiting too long in proving replay-ability, or over-thinking very minor reservations. There is also a sense of 'is this important enough' but I really do think it's about personal experience and music history (or whatever), shouldn't really come into it. There are releases I believe are in a category of one that currently do not and probably never will be recognised as such. That's just the way it goes sometimes.
Emim 04.24.26	Basically a 4.5 that I can listen to at any time in any mood, or a 4.5 with significant sentimental value.
arthropod 04.24.26	10,5% of my ratings. I don’t expect much of music bar being simply fun, which would explain why I have Stand Atlantic next to Agalloch in there. Judging by replay value first and by the sense of peak second. I generally view my 5s as the records I feel like buying.
Aerisavion 04.24.26	A lot of my 4.5s and especially 5s have some personal bias or sentimental value attached for sure.
DoofDoof 04.24.26	'I'd say 1% is a nice wholesome ratio as 1/50 seems a little high to me, but then I'm currently sitting at a mere 0.57%, so I haven't been practicing what I preach (work in progress)' My ratio sits below 2% too....but I'm really trying to find more 5s... I feel it should be 1 in 50 yeah, I force myself to 5 at least one album for every year, I think that's important. How can there not be a classic album released every year for you? That seems nonsensical to me...I'd think some 4.5s or even 4s should be promoted in that instance. On my AOTY account a 5 equates to a 95-100% score which helps, with only ten albums given the 100%. I think here people want the 5s to stand out which is part of the issue. Decimal ratings here would definitely bump a lot of rating up from that 4.5 I feel....
Demon of the Fall 04.24.26	It depends how many new releases someone listens to each year, those releases also don't have the benefit of 'time'. Sure, a 5 may exist every year, but perhaps those gems are missed entirely or didn't find me at the right time to blossom. Forcing one is waaaaaaaay less logical in my book. I mean you're practically admitting there has to be a 5 just to fit your pre-conceived criteria, which is odd to me. Why would I 5 a release from 2025 just to have one (I haven't) when I prefer insert 4.5 from 1991? - the exact year isn't important, but that one was stellar!
ToSmokMuzyki 04.24.26	im a 5 (out of 5)
DoofDoof 04.24.26	'Forcing one is waaaaaaaay less logical in my book. I mean you're practically admitting there has to be a 5 just to fit your pre-conceived criteria, which is odd to me' The album I definitively enjoyed the most deserves it as far as I see it. I usually listen to 250-350 new albums....for it to pull itself clear of all that competition is impressive if nothing else. Also, I change my ratings more than most I guess, if I find something better the existing choice could get demoted to 4.5 later. I find that 'having' to rate a new release(s) 5 each year keeps stagnation and a sort of 'this is a boring year' attitude at bay for me. Dunno, it works, it's also made me 5 about fifty or so older albums I had on a 4.5 too as the 5 selection becomes a bit more fluid and less 'precious'.
Demon of the Fall 04.24.26	yeah, I also update my ratings a lot. I understand wanting to avoid stagnation but not awarding 5s to new yearly releases doesn't mean you cannot raise historic ones (and it sounds as though you also do this). It's all 'progress'. Out of interest I checked and my numbers are down these past few years. If you're only listening to 100-150 new releases a year, then the hit rate is going to be lower. I last 5d (or 4.5d) two albums released in 2022 and that was the also (probably not coincidentally) the last time I surpassed 200+ total ratings
mryrtmrnfoxxxy 04.24.26	i like it a lot
DoofDoof 04.24.26	'If you're only listening to 100-150 new releases a year, then the hit rate is going to be lower.' Yeah, if I could only hit 100 new releases I think I'd struggle a bit. Hardest 5 to find was 2020, over Covid....eventually I demoted the Tunng album I had as something of a placeholder as three years later I found a very obscure release by an old sophisti pop group called It's Material which was perfect. That was the most awkward 5...now I'd say my 2021 pick of the Springtime debut is my weakest 5, though obviously I do love that album and I can make a case for it.
botb 04.24.26	The only way I am able to wrap my mind around 5s is rating them in context with whatever genre they’re in. Otherwise comparing say like… death - symbolic to some shit like 2 seems absolutely stupid
Christbait 04.24.26	A 5/5 is an album where every track is distinct, well-written, and of consistent quality from beginning to end. It's also an album that is eminently relistenable. It's why I don't have many ratings. Once I find a 4.5/5 sort of album, I have no motivation to seek out even more new music. I just rotate the ones I love over and over.
Rowhaus 04.24.26	Zendaya
Kimm 04.24.26	"Basically a 4.5 that I can listen to at any time in any mood, or a 4.5 with significant sentimental value." Whoa...never really thought of it that way, but Emim kind of nailed it
jrlikestodance 04.24.26	Idk I've become a lot more generous with my 5s as I get older bc I think a 5 can be a 5 for several reasons. Here are some reasons for me: -Foundational to my tastes and still holds up -Undeniable classics that changed the game and still have their influence felt today -Personal classics that got me through things or I can always rely on when I don't know what to listen to -Stuff that scratches a personal music itch that no other album can -Albums where I just love every song but this can venture into 4/4.5 territory for different reasons too A classic in general is subjective to everyone so I think you'll get a lot of varying answers
pyroflare77 04.24.26	Used to have some genre cornerstones on it, but now it's usually a combination of some of the following: immaculate vibes, pleasant earworms (multiple tracks), if I don't remember much I can pick up on things coming up on a relisten like I'm speaking to an old friend, strong emotional connection, taken on a journey, it's wild and I've never heard anything like it and nobody is going to do it as good... all while one or more tracks aren't dragging things down. Then like Feedbacker is only a 5 for the visceral shivers after that dogshit harsh noise section finally ends; never reacted that way to music so that has to account for something lol.
pyroflare77 04.24.26	In theory I'm less picky with handing out 5s, but I also like exploring new music too much to relisten to an album to have it dawn on me. It has to bewitch me on the first spin or have those pleasant earworms to coax me to jam it again.
troyofyort 04.24.26	All the ratings need to be taken in proper context. Its why I have so many Buckethead Pikes at 5 even if they arent necessarily 5's in the same sense as my other 5's (only 20 out of 583 albums, so I dont think a 3.43% 5/5 rate is that egregious). 4.5 is a lot more common because a 5 for me requires the artist properly hitting everything they set out to do on an album. This doesn't mean every track needs to be perfect or even great. I have many 5's that are "no skips" over "no skip" albums because impact is what matters. It would be unrealistic to expact albums like Songs in the Key of life to hit 100% with how many tracks on there but it definitely is as impactful as a 5 should be. Sidebar: "No skip" is one of the most infuriatingly stupid ways i see many pop music spaces talk about albums.
troyofyort 04.24.26	Also I don't necessarily go out of way to listen to music I know I won't like aso my 5/5 rate will probably be higher than people who wanna "listen to everything" (sitting at around 4.5-5% hit rate for 5/5's). I do think arbitrarily limiting 5/5's, especially making a rule like a band can only have a single 5/5, is silly to me tho.
markjamie 04.24.26	I have to personally fall in love with an album to give it a 5. It needs to dominate my life for a long period of time, and have staying power - I need to be able to return to it years after it was released and still see exactly what it was that made it special. It needs to be epic and monumental, representing the very best of an artist's output. It also helps if it encapsulates a moment in time or there was a period in your life that it soundtracked. And it often needs to have something new or revolutionary about it. But mostly, it needs to change you in some way - my life, and the world, needs to feel different because of it.
Demon of the Fall 04.24.26	oh wow (2) ^ yeah that’ll do. A good summation of what I feel it means outside of whatever procrastinating nonsense I spouted - in fact, I might use this to help me. My only caveat is that the passage of time can be unkind to albums that once would’ve fulfilled this criteria, so it also needs updating occasionally
markjamie 04.24.26	Yep - completely agree. I've dropped one or two from 5 to 4.5 for this reason.
ScuroFantasma 04.25.26	Tbh it’s just a vibe thing, I drop 5s on stuff that I front to back just really really love every time I listen to it. I have a lot of 5s for works from the same bands because the bands I love most tend to produce the albums I like listening to most. I don’t like using it as a measure of how “flawless” or “perfect” an album is because I feel like that’s not really capturing what makes an album special to me. I’d rather look at it as a whole big picture, and if I love that album as a whole to such an extent, then it’s a 5.
twlight 04.25.26	It’s an album YOU love. An album that resonates in a time and place in your life When you hear it, it transports you back A 5, it’s yours. Fuck everyone’s else definition
Hawks 04.25.26	What is a men?
budgie 04.25.26	smok has sexy legs
pizzamachine 04.25.26	5 is the number 5
Scoot 04.25.26	to me it's either synonymous with a genre or specifically meaningful to you
lichdagger 04.25.26	5ing and album doesn't have to do with if its perfect from start to finish, I don't there is such thing as a perfect album objectively or subjectively speaking so there is no point in looking for one, for me its more about how the album has changed your perspective on music or even just life. 2% is where I sit as well and I think that is a good mark
CaliggyJack 04.25.26	A miserable little pile of secrets
Gyromania 04.25.26	Jane Doe is excellent but just cracks my top 5 Converge
RogueNine 04.25.26	Well some people will tell you that perfect albums exist but ymmv.
NudeTayne 04.25.26	what is a 5? I don't know but I'm down wit tha klown so I'm down 4 lyfe, yo
s0nicx 04.25.26	Most of the time for me, its an album that just wows me from beginning to end or holds this spot that is specific to me. Even then I'm really picky with mine (I have 11 total "perfect" scores.) So many of my 4.5s are because there's a song or two that just doesn't hold the same weight as the rest and or, didn't have that "it" factor for me. Frankly though, ratings are almost always subjective. Trying to view ratings objectively is a fool's errand because everyone has different views on what perfect is.
omgbecky 04.26.26	Hmm, for me it's very feelings based. Basically, everything starts at a 2.5 or average and either gains or loses points based on how positive or negative it makes me feel. The more emotionally connected I feel to an album the closer it is to a 5. Also, for me, a 5 is an album that I can and want to listen to all the way through and isn't something I find myself getting sick of listening to. I've always been more of a lyrics based listener, so it's always been a bonus when a musical aspect pops out to me later on.
Calc 04.26.26	I'm very particular with giving out 5's. I only have like 10 of them. these days something normally grows into a 5 rather than anything being perfect at release. I feel like Nala Sinephro's latest will eventually get there if I keep listening to it when I'm in the mood. that album is pretty much flawless.
markjamie 04.26.26	Yeah... not sure I've EVER given a 5 in the first 6 months. They need to be earned. Sometimes they take decades.
DoofDoof 04.26.26	I gave one last Friday after 6 minutes. I can sniff them easy these days.
Larkinhill 04.26.26	Simply, if I can call it one of my favorite albums, it’s a 5. I don’t give them out super frequently, maybe about 30 albums.
Larkinhill 04.26.26	And usually, they start as 4.5s. I think it’s difficult to label something a 5 immediately. Most of the times I’ve done it, it’s usually rash unbridled initial hype, that eventually tempers down to a 4.5 (or even a 4, but never has an initial 5 gone lower than that). A true 5 typically takes a little time to get there. Barring older albums that came out before I started using Sputnik, and were already 5s for me.
StormChaser 04.26.26	daaamn zendaya catching strays out here
Beardog 04.27.26	I think a record with no obvious flaws, something I can really vibe with front to back. It's probably why I have so little 5s. But also, I have very little 1s, because it's quite hard to make (me front-to-back listen to) a record that is utterly flawed and I utterly detest.