What’s a 100?

Some kind of rating system rationale for my AOTY music catalogue Last revision: 30.07.2025

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THE PROCESS

After the first listen, I usually give a score from 50 to 70. Then I increase the score from 70 to 100 the more I listen to the album and the more it resonates with my life.

THE DEFINITION OF BAD <50

There is no such thing as a bad album per se – or at least not in the way people usually mean it. Any attempt to create art is already a triumph, a manifestation of human will and creativity. Even if the result is rough, it still carries intention and effort.

I only consider something truly bad when there’s a complete lack of care – when it’s made with no effort, no thought, or purely as a cynical commercial product. That doesn’t apply to artists who openly make mainstream or pop music – that can still be sincere and well-crafted. I’m talking about music that feels soulless, opportunistic, or deliberately pandering – the kind that cheapens the medium rather than contributes to it. Something that makes me genuinely upset.

Hence,

Trolling, Basically 0-9

Offensive rage bait trash, complete and pointless anti-music nonsense
AI Slop Might Be Better 10-19

So misjudged, tasteless and absurdly low-effort that even a soulless machine might’ve done a better job. These are the albums that confuse you on an epistemological level and make you wish you hadn’t pressed play.
Disrespectful 20-29

Albums that might have a few decent tracks but the overall package feels like a slap in the face. Whether it’s exploiting someone’s legacy, milking fan loyalty, or just making something with such bad taste you wonder how it got released, this is when I think: “Yeah… fuck this”.
Time Wasters 30-39

Not bad enough to truly hate, not weird enough to remember – just hollow aesthetic gestures stretched across 40 minutes. The kind of album you finish and immediately feel drained and a bit embarrassed for having listened to it at all.
Mildly Upsetting 40-49

Albums that leave a sour aftertaste – not always because they’re technically terrible, but because something about them feels off, fake, or outright disrespectful. These aren’t “so bad it’s good” – they’re the ones that frustrate, disappoint, or alienate.

For example,
- Cynical cash-ins made with no artistic reason to exist – think unfinished posthumous releases, unnecessary “deluxe” editions, lazy follow-ups to past hits
- Out-of-touch experiments that misunderstand their audience or misrepresent artist’s own legacy – the kind of music that rubs me the wrong way so strongly it’s hard to even process it neutrally
- Occasionally, there’s a forced layer of “cultural commentary” – albums that pretend to say something profound about society, politics, or identity, but ultimately feel hollow, borrowing the aesthetics of meaning without having any real substance

MID / FIRST LISTEN 50-69

This is where 95% of albums land after the first listen. At that point, I don’t really have a strong opinion – just a faint first impression. Only a rare few break out of this zone immediately, landing straight into the 70–80 range.

If an album stays here after multiple replays, then it probably belongs here. Which means it’s fine, but not good enough. The production might be clean, the ideas coherent, the experience enjoyable – but it lacks that special pull. No real connection, no urge to replay, no spark that can make it personal. Music that’s okay while it’s playing – and forgotten the moment it ends.

Whatever, Don’t Care 50

Didn’t catch my attention, didn’t make me feel anything. At best, it’s just plain and maybe a little disappointing. It… exists. I’ve probably already forgotten how it was supposed to sound.
There Was a Moment 55

Most of it didn’t do much for me, but one song, idea, or section stood out enough to give me something memorable. Not enough to save the album, but enough to log the experience.