Ratings FAQ

Interpretation refers to an artist's ability to put emotion across in their performance

• 5 Stars = Moving
• 4 Stars = Good
• 3 Stars = Okay
• 2 Stars = Quite bland
• 1 Stars = Very bland

Creativity refers to the musical output of an artist.  e.g. different repertoire, experimenting styles, etc.

• 5 Stars = Innovative
• 4 Stars = Unusual repertoire, takes different approach
• 3 Stars = Mainly standards/tried and tested techniques but has some unusual material
• 2 Stars = Records standards, but artist may have control over selection
• 1 Stars = Standards, nothing new

n.b "Creativity" previously referred to an artists' personal creative ability.

An artist's ability in their chosen discipline:

• 5 Stars = Exceptional
• 4 Stars = Good
• 3 Stars = Okay
• 2 Stars = Mediocre
• 1 Stars = Bad

How successful an artist has been in their career:

• 5 Stars = Household name
• 4 Stars = Doing very well - solid career
• 3 Stars = Making a living
• 2 Stars = Has released music but is still unable to live off performing.
• 1 Stars = No music, little recognition, just starting out.

This takes the average of all of the above rankings.

I am very picky about the tracklist. A tracklist full of standards stagnates and tires the genre out.

• 5 Stars = The tracklisting is not typical. It has one or two standards on it, whilst all the other tracks are originals, unexpected twists, or radical reworkings of pop songs.
• 4 Stars = The album contains an overall good balance of songs. Good selection of pop covers, and has some originals thrown in. Has a number of standards.
• 3 Stars = Has some great songs, but the selected standards are predictable.
• 2 Stars = Has made an incredibly predictable album. Probably the product of the Cowell or EMI/UCJ’s Mother’s Day/Christmas rush. Has one or two songs that are unexpected.
• 1 Stars = As above, only without the unexpected songs.

Creativity is an important aspect for an artist in this genre, as it is often riddled with covers and artists being similar to one another.

• 5 Stars = This album is a coherent, artistic vision. This album has set trends and has tested the boundaries. The artist composed or arranged some of the songs.
• 4 Stars = This album includes some twists and unexpected material or arrangements. The artist was clearly involved with its process.
• 3 Stars = The artist has influenced some of the songs, perhaps composed a little and was involved with the song selection.
• 2 Stars = The artist had no involvement with production, composition or arrangement. They may have chosen some songs.
• 1 Stars = The artist must be so excited to have a record deal that they jump when the company says jump. Either that, or they have no creativity.

Arrangements can make or break an album. This refers to how well the songs are arranged, and their suitability to the material and the performer.

• 5 Stars = Arrangements are original, creative, vibrant, fresh and varied.
• 4 Stars = Arrangements are inspired, but maybe samey throughout.
• 3 Stars = Arrangements are a bit average. They’re not bad, but there’s no spark.
• 2 Stars = Arrangements are dull and are samey.
• 1 Stars = Arrangements are practically absent – they’re the same as other artists. Dull, uninspired.

This refers to how good their performance is on the album. If a singer, how well they sing, if an instrumentalist, how well they play their instrument

• 5 Stars = This artist has performed flawlessly on this album.
• 4 Stars = This artist performs well. There may be a slight issue.
• 3 Stars = This artist performs adequately.
• 2 Stars = The artist’s performance is passable but has many flaws or is very basic.
• 1 Stars = This artist shouldn’t have been let into the recording studio.