10
Masterpiece
An exceptional record and a personal classic. The kind of album that earns permanent residence instead of merely surviving the review.
Rating system
Every number means something.
A 5 is average. A 7 is good. Scores are not school grades, and a 7/10 is absolutely not a bad review.
The midpoint is actually the midpoint.
Runagaldr uses the full 0–10 scale. The lower half is not decorative storage space for scores nobody is allowed to use.
The archive may still look positive.
Especially at first, I am mostly choosing albums I already like enough to spend time reviewing. That means the average published score may sit above 5 without changing what 5 means.
9
Excellent
Outstanding, memorable, and easy to recommend. It falls just short of masterpiece territory, but not by much.
8
Very good
A seriously strong record with plenty to come back to. Any flaws are minor compared with what it gets right.
7
Good
A strong, enjoyable record I would happily revisit and recommend. Noticeable flaws do not stop it from being good.
6
Above average
Worthwhile and enjoyable, but with enough reservations to keep it out of the stronger tiers.
5
Average
The actual midpoint. Not bad, not especially good, and likely to come down to how much its particular strengths appeal to you.
4
Below average
There are things to like, but the problems outweigh them. More disappointing than outright terrible.
3
Poor
Major problems dominate the experience, even if a few worthwhile ideas survive underneath.
2
Very poor
Very little works. There may be a redeeming moment or two, but recommending the whole record is difficult.
1
Awful
Almost nothing lands. Any redeeming qualities are buried under problems too large to ignore.
0
Complete failure
The floor of the scale. Nothing meaningful worked for me, and there is essentially nothing here I would want to return to.
Scores are shorthand for the review, not a replacement for it. Two albums with the same number can get there for completely different reasons.