Please report your findings in this thread.

Errors could for example be
* I have missed an entry for an album/single in a critics list
* updated All Music Guide or Metacritic ratings
* links to critics lists that are not working
* bad Amazon links (not working, wrong price etc.)

I am however aware that, from the album or single pages, some of the "albums/singles of the year" links bring you to an earlier year-list from the same magazine. If you experience problems with the 2004 end of year lists, please go to the updates page for a correct list of links.

Many thanks for your help!

I have two that I've noticed.

1. Sonic Youth "Teenage Riot"
The song ranked at #17 (I think it was 17) on Pop Matters' top 100 songs of the past 25 years feature but the link is non-existent. But given the songs high ranking, I assume that you did include it in your formula.

2. The Strokes "Reptilia"
Is ranked #8 in Iguana's top 100 singles from 2003 list. despite the fact it wasn't officially released as a single until early 2004. Once again the link isn't there and it's probably safe to assume that it wasn't included in your formula either.

That's all that I've noticed.
Thanks for a great web-site.

Arcade Fire's album "Funeral" now has a score of 87 over at Metacritic.

!!!'s "Louden Up Now" also has a metacritic score of 74 now.

the album's Metacritic score has inched up to a 79.

Thanks guys!

Wow! The UK ratings (so far) for "Funeral" are 9-10-10. This gives a UK mean score of 9.67 which is a new all-time high!!!

TYRANNOSAURUS HIVES has went up one point, to a 76, at metacritic.

The links to OOR lists aren't working. Also I can't find Pure Pop's list of 10 (+50) Most Important Albums of All Time, it's not there with all the other Pure Pop lists.

The Pure Pop list has been uploaded now and the OOR links will be changed with the next site update. Meanwhile, you can find the OOR lists at http://www.muzieklijstjes.nl/Oorlijsten.htm

Hi there-

Morrissey's You Are the Quarry now has a Metacritic score of 70.

Metacritic seems to have updated a lot of its rankings. Here are some more I have noticed.

Franz Ferdinand is up to 86.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Fever to Tell is up to 84.
Strokes- Room on Fire is up to 77.
Strokes- Is This It is up to 90.
Björk- Vespertine is up to 87.
Missy Elliott- Miss E...So Addictive is up to 89.
Missy Elliott- Under Construction is up to 80.
Missy Elliott- This Is Not a Test is up to 78.
Modest Mouse- Good News for People Who Love Bad News is up to 82.
Modest Mouse- The Moon and Antarctica is up to 80.
M83- Dead Cities... is up to 86.

It seems as if they have updated their formula, rather than that they have added more reviews.

It really makes me tired...

I would dump the metacritic ratings if I were you, let me explain why:

* Some of the reviews used to calculate the average score for an album are assigned ratings in an arbitrary way by the metacritic staff, which means that the end result is arbitrary as well, at least partly.

* You have the end-of-year lists from sites and magazines that contribute to the Metacritic, I think these are more representative.

* If you include the AMG rating, which is used to calculate the metacritic average, you in fact count it twice

* Metacritic ratings are updated often, so you have to keep checking for changes all the time.

I like the metacritic ratings. I think they add great value.

Artists/recordings have no chance to be included in lists if the critics haven't heard these albums (and this problem is most significant for the end of year lists). On the other hand, many critics give an obscure album a higher rating than a well-known album of the same standard. Therefore I think it is important to have a great balance between ratings and lists.

include initial reviews in its ratings? Meaning, Rolling Stone's year-end list doesn't factor into Metacritic. Also, an Entertainment Weekly initial review would be applied, not the editor's year-end list.

I don't see a problem with Metacritic. The awarding of points may be arbitrary, but it's interesting enough.

rocklist.net looks like it's changed its server- therefore, all the links for lists found on that site have changed.

I had noticed that Ray of Light's citation wasn't included in its info, but it looks like there are others, too (from the remixes section), whose info doesn't include that Q list. I know you said that info would get added later on- just posting as a reminder.

I don't see the 100 Songs of the 90s included in the latest update (or as a teaser for "coming soon").

Hopefully, thanks to some research, the good lad Honorio soon get a hold of the missing RDL lists.

Someone sent me the 90s singles list a long time ago, so it was already included.

indeed it already is included. The abbreviated RDL, along with "from 1990-1998" probably threw me off.

The metacritic ratings and the links to Julian's rocklist site should have been corrected in the last update. If you still find errors, please let me know.

I am of course aware the metascores for the 2005 albums change almost every day.

I must have looked at some of the rocklist links *right* before the last update, being it was the same day. I should now better, Sir H.

JR,
Your post is the reason to why the links have been corrected - thank you!

The link to the Showbiz list isn't working.

The same goes for Babylon's 50 best albums of the 90's list.

I think my work schedule has left me a tad disoriented the last couple of weeks. Thanks for clarifying, Henrik.

Hi Henrik, browsing on your site this morning I noticed that the band LES RITA MITSOUKO is classified under the letter M whereas in my opinion it should be put under the letter R (e.g. RITA MITSOUKO,LES ). They took their name from a japanese dancer but the two members are called FRED CHICHIN and CATHERINE RINGER...oh, and the "brown album" from ORBITAL got 4 stars in the NEW ROLLING STONE ALBUM GUIDE...

Hi Olivier,

Thanks for your comments. I'll change the Les Rita Mitsouko format and I'll try to remember the Orbital change this time!

I noticed that you consider UK magazine The Wire's annual top 50 to be listed in no particular order. I don't quite agree with that. Some years ago, they used to place a large photo of the first band/artist in the list right next to the list. And now that has evolved into putting comments to and cover photos of the first ten records in the list in the pages next to the list, and the first record in the list has even the right to be highlighted there, making it pretty obvious that what seems to be in "no particular order" is in fact a regular Top 50, just without the numbers, which kind of goes with the magazine design and philosophy.
Of all the magazine's year lists, only the compilations and the reissues lists seem not to follow this particular organizing, being alphabetical.
Keep up the excellent work, Henrik. I'll be posting a few lists soon.

Allan Kozinn's list of 100 Greatest ALbums of the Century was moved to this address:

http://www.avguide.com/film_music/music/top100pop.jsp

I believe Suicide is not an English band. They're from New York (they were part of the CBGB punk scene in the 70's).

Kozinn - Thanks Jacek, it will be changed with the next update.

Suicide - Oops, what a mistake!

You probably noticed this: with the new change from singles to songs we now have "songs" such as "Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP", or Nico's "All Tomorrow's Parties/I'll Be Your Mirror" and "Sunday Morning/Femme Fatale" (interestingly, The Velvet Underground don't share this problem).

The double-sided listings for Nico only appear in her artist listing -- in the song list itself, #879 is "Femme Fatale" and #1348 is "All Tomorrow's Parties". But something definitely has to be done about the EPs that are still included in the song list: not just Yeah Yeah Yeahs' self-titled 2002 debut but also "The Modern Age" EP by the Strokes. Now that the list is made up of individual songs rather than singles, EPs no longer qualify.

There is no place for EPs at Acclaimed Music. They aren't songs but they don't belong on the albums' list either because, to quote the great Mark Prindle, "as everybody knows, an EP isn't a real record any more than a woman is a real person." Of course, as in real life, some EPs are more priviliged than others, and so hopefully "Come on Pilgrim" will always have a spot in the top 2000.

I will fix the EPs in the next update. Usually the first song on the EP will be listed instead.

the rankings for Johnny Cash and Madonna per OOR's top 10 list should be reversed. Rocklist has Cash at 6 and Madonna at 7. A very minor thing, but just keepin' it real.

JR,
I have linked to www.muzieklijstjes.nl, where the OOR lists are much longer. While I agree that the ordering system at www.muzieklijstjes.nl is not the best (votes are considered more important than points), this is not a big deal. What would be interesting to know is how the albums are actually ordered in the OOR magazine. Anyone who knows?

I was looking at the OOR top 10 for 2000 as posted at rocklist- it had Cash and M's albums in reverse order (6 and 7)- I see they're listed as M at 6 and Cash at 7 on the link provided. One position isn't a big deal. I it a bit much, though, for a single publication to list 300 albums for a given year, though!

I found a grave mistake.











Prince's 1999 is ranked too low!

Henrik-

I found two singles that don't have the info from Eye Weekly's 1999 poll included in their list info- TLC's "No Scrubs" and Madonna's "Beautiful Stranger." The others that are listed in the top 31 for 1999 look to have the info included.

There is a link to something called Forum1 on the bottom frame on the main area of the site...

Don't know what happened to the Eye Weekly entries, it will be corrected. Thanks.

In my web browser (IE 6.0) I see no "Forum1"???

Tiago,

I forgot about your comment about the Wire's end of year lists. I agree that the albums are not completely unordered, but how should I rank them if the albums are not numbered? It seems to me that my current solution is as good as any.

i think "catch a fire" by the wailers and marley was released in 1973 not 1972 as you have it (it was recorded during 72).. i'm quite sure of this..

burnin' was also released in 73...

This may or may not be an error, and may just be my clouded memory -- but didn't the Monks' Black Monk Time used to be in the album list? It isn't anymore. I seem to recall it having a decent placing, but then again I may just be remembering wrong....

Maybe I missed something, but it appears that the 2004 singles list (and 2003's "Maps") omit Spin magazine's list of the best singles of 2004. Rocklist.net has them up on the site, maybe it's gonna be part of the next update or something, but FYI, you know

supposedly is from one critic (though I'm not sure how the decision was made, as each year, a single name has appeared- or at least has for more than the last two years). However, that may have to do with the writing, as the selections do come with commentary (so that may be credit to that writer for that).

Catch a Fire: I had seen information that it was released in Jamaica in 1972, before it was released in the rest of the world. However, now I checked this more carefully and the most trustful sources say it was only recorded in Jamaica in 1972, so I agree with you and will change this in the next update.

Black Monk Time: This album has appeared in the list, but in the lower region and is now bubbling under.

Spin lists: Thanks JR for the explanation. End of year lists from single critics are not included.

The two Crowded House songs included in the AM Top 2000 both have a blank critics list included, with "Don't Dream It's Over" listed at #2 and "Weather With You" at #16. Is this an error? Or have the lists been left out?

When you click on Big Star's #1 Record or Radio City exactly the same picture and set of lists appears. I don't know if it's a mistake or it's intended though, as both albums are available together on one CD.

Surely "Catch a Fire" was released in 1973. But there's another two albums that don't match with the release date in Acclaimed Music (and other sources like AMG) and the official web pages:
- "Kate & Anna McGarrigle" by Kate & Anna McGarrigle was released in 1976 according to www.mcgarrigles.com/records.html
- "She's so Unusual" by Cindy Lauper was released in 1983 according to www.cyndilauper.com/albums.php

Crowded House songs: The list is APRA's Top 100 New Zealand Songs Of All Time, which can be found at http://www.sergent.com.au/apratop100.html

Big Star: The #1 Record/Radio City link is to the CD of the combined LP's at amazon. This is the best way to buy these albums so it is not a mistake.

K&A McGarrigle: I searched through the web and about half of the sources say 1975 and the rest say 1976. After a while it seemed to me as if it was released on Warner Bros in 1975 and on Hannibal in 1976 (presumably in different countries). I am not sure at all about this, but I also looked at my vinyl copy and it is in fact Warner Bros 1975. So I will stick to 1975 I think.

Cyndi Lauper: I agree with 1983.

was released as a single in 1984, but it appears in 1983's info.

Borderline was released as a SONG on the "Madonna" LP in 1983. Many singles have been moved to another year due to the change from singles to songs.

after I posted that, I thought that may have been the reasoning for that. Makes sense, since the changeover to *songs*.

AMG has changed the rating of Spoon's KILL THE MOONLIGHT from 3 stars to 4.

The link to Pitchfork's list of best albums of the 90's isn't working.

i think the single by bill haley "rock around the clock" actually dates from 1954.. it was rereleased in 55 but its from 54..

It is listed as 1954 !?

Little Earthquakes of Tori Amos was release in 1992 not in 1991

A couple of All Music Guide changes to report:

Oasis' "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?": up from 4.5 to 5.
Oasis' "Be Here Now": down from 4 to 3.5

All Music Guide has upgraded the debut Roxy Music album from 3.5 stars to 4 stars.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE47B16DE4EAF7E20CD93317BDBB17DFC0CCC63E38F162F451BDFBA3C54DF0A7FED58FC8C81B6E574B466ADFF2EA1160ED3C0EA5EF6D8672D5DF0&searchlink=ROXY||MUSIC&uid=MIW060507102248&samples=1&sql=11:e2jx7io8g78r~T2

The All-Music Guide upgraded Sonic Youth's Goo to 4 stars.

hi i dont know if this is an oversight but a number of Me'shell N'degeocello albums have been highly praised but i cant find any of her albums on your lists.her 2002 album "Cookie: The Anthropological Mix Tape" has a metacritic rating of 81 but does not feature in that years list.keep up the good work, henrik

it's probably because they don't feature on as many critics' lists as other albums. her albums usually do get decent notices when released, but they may not get that long-effect acclaim.

Thanks to you all for the last findings.

Martin Strong's The Great Discography says that Tori Amos' "Little Earthquakes" was released December 1991 in the US and January 1992 in the UK, but I did a search in Google and almost sources give 1992 as the year of release, so I should probably change this.

JR summed it up pretty well about Me'shell N'degeocello.

Sufjan Stevens' album is called 'Illinoise' not 'Illinois'.

Milner, I think you are right, although maybe the title should even be extended to "Come on Feel the Illinoise". It's just that most other sites I've seen refer to the album as "Illinois". I thought I would do the same until I've bought the album and seen the inner sleeve etc.

Any thoughts on this from anyone else?

Allmusic lists the title as simply ILLINOIS, as do most of the reviews I've seen, as does the spine of the CD. So I think the title should remain listed as ILLINOIS, as hilarious as "SUFJAN STEVENS INVITES YOU TO: COME ON FEEL THE ILLINOISE" may be.

Just don't try to do a track listing! "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!" is actually one of the shorter titles ... Stevens is seriously, seriously eccentric, almost as much as Devendra Banhart. Fascinating album, though.

Some errors with critic's list of origin.

Creem is an American magazine based in Detroit, not the UK.

Cokemachineglow.com is technically based in Canada according to it's Q&A.

In the 7th edition of Martin C Strong's The great rock discography. Some of the ratings for a couple of albums have gone up. And this hasn't been corrected.

'Selling England by the pound' by Genesis has gone up from 8/10 to 10/10. And the follow-up 'The lamb lies down on Broadway' has gone up from 8/10 to 9/10. Mogwai's album 'Come on die young' has gone up from 9/10 to 10/10. I'll let you know if I find any more.

Excellent! Thanks guys. I'll make these changes.

For being a Detroit magazine, Creem liked British rock A LOT!

I made a quick comparison between Strong's 6th and 7th edition and didn't find many changes for pre-millennium albums, but obviously there are some!

AMG decreased the rating of Blur's 13 from 4 to 3.5 stars

The link to the KCPR DJ's top 100 records from the 80's isn't working.

Song #2457, The Beach Boys' "Long Promised Road/Till I Die" has yet to be split into two separate entries.

This may be a problem for all double-sided entries that were bubbling under at the time of the switch to the all-song format.

Shaun

Song #2457, The Beach Boys' "Long Promised Road/Till I Die" has yet to be split into two separate entries.

This may be a problem for all double-sided entries that were bubbling under at the time of the switch to the all-song format.

I tried to make this correction for all bubbling under singles, but somehow this slipped through. I will make the change soon.

The Top Artists of All Time list has not been updated, although the decade lists are updated.

Cowboy Junkies albums is titled "The Trinity Session", not "The Trinity Sessions."

The Minutemen album is titled "Double Nickels On The Dime", not "Double Nickles On The Dime."

The addition of jazz and world music is fantastic!
Neil gives it a big

Thanks Neil!

The Top Artists page should be updated. Try to refresh the page.

I don't know if this is an error, but it's really, really surprising that the Turtles' "Happy Together" isn't anywhere in the Top 2500 songs.

Where did "American Woman" go? I thought it was too high to have fallen off in this last update.

Shaun

The only critic who has listed "Happy Together" is Paul Morley.


I have less information about non-singles than singles, as non-singles cannot be judged from singles list (singles lists are blanked for non-singles). In other words, non-singles need fewer critics lists to reach a position in the Acclaimed Music list.

Therefore, when I included non-single songs a few months ago, I gave songs listed by only one source a small penalty to prevent non-singles with no "established" critical acclaim to enter the Acclaimed Music list.

This penalty also affected singles like "American Woman", which has only appeared on ChartAttack's lists of the best Canadian singles of all time. Although it topped both of these lists (in 1996 and 2000), it is bubbling under the AM top 2500. It should be noted that the weights for the ChartAttack lists would have been higher if some widely-acclaimed singles by Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and The Band had not been missing on the lists.

I can't seem to find anything with the Los Angeles Times Top Ten Albums 2004(concensus). Here are the top ten albums decided by the critics of this newspaper.
1. PJ HARVEY uh huh her
2. GREEN DAY american idiot
3. FRANZ FERDINAND franz ferdinand
4. KANYE WEST the colledge dropout
5. BRIAN WILSON smile
6. ARCADE FIRE funeral
7. RILO KELLY more adventurous
8. LORETTA LYNN van lear rose
9. (tie) ELLIOT SMITH from a basement to a hill
9. (tie) TOM WAITS real gone

Thanks for a great site.

Click on Saxophone Colossus (an album by Sonny Rollins) is resulting in info page about Things Fall Apart (by the Roots). This happens from every page where Sax Colossus is listed. Database problem maybe?

The page for Saxophone Colossus is corrected now.

Thanks for the LA Times list!

Carl,
Do you have the LA Times list for 2003? That one was missing too.

Small error: Tommy Dorsey, the bandleader who recorded "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You", is not the same person as Reverend Thomas A. Dorsey, who wrote "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" (and who, as far as I know, didn't record it until decades later).

Love the site.

Thanks for reminding me...!

I'm letting the song stay at 1932 for the time being.

Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo" is listed as "Moon Indigo".

That's the same title you have there between the brackets???

No, it's listed as "Moon Indigo" with an "N".

It should be "Mood Indigo", with a "D".

How awkward of me to not see this!! Thank you!

...also I do know that " is a quotation mark, not a bracket!

A minor spelling correction: the title of Captain Beefheart's 1970 album is LICK MY DECALS OFF, BABY (not "DETAILS").

Dammit.

CB sings "lick you everywhere it's pink, and everywhere you think". Details wouldn't have been so bad, ha ha.

Richard and Linda Thompson are listed as both rank 198 and 205.

bdang, I think you need to reload the 1-200 artists page after the new update yesterday. You probably need to delete all your temporary internet files.

The placement of "We Belong Together" on STYLUS' list isn't showing up under its placements list.

Should The Beatles I Feel Fine be missing from the list of 2500 songs? Find this a strange omission as it's one of thier strongest pre Rubber Soul songs.

I guess that's a matter of taste. According to the critics "I Feel Fine" should not be included as its placings (no. 975 in Dave Marsh's top 1001 list and no. 39 in the Swedish magazine Now&Then's list of the greatest Beatles songs) are not enough. Close but no cigar.

Wow, I just find that odd for some reason even more strange that some of their other songs of that period have been praised more than it. OK cheers.