Do we overrate albums because of historical impact instead of actual listening experience?
I’ve been thinking a lot about how people rate music, especially after listening to Remain in Light by Talking Heads.
I enjoyed parts of the album:it’s very groovy, experimental, and interesting from a production point of view. But I also felt confused by the way it is often rated as a “10/10 masterpiece” in discussions about music history.
This made me question something:
Are we sometimes mixing up historical impact with personal listening experience?
Because for me, those feel like two completely different things.
An album can be:
extremely influential
groundbreaking for its time
important for shaping future music
…but at the same time:
not that emotionally engaging
not very memorable on a personal level
not something I would actively replay
And I think Remain in Light is a good example of this. It’s clearly innovative in how it uses rhythm, layering, and structure, but as a listening experience, I personally didn’t find it as impactful as other albums from similar eras.
This is where I get confused with ratings.
Should an album be rated based on:
how much I personally enjoy or want to replay it
its historical importance and influence
or a mix of both?
Because if we mix them, it creates a strange situation where an album can feel like a “10/10 masterpiece” in discussions, even if the actual listening experience for someone today might be closer to a 7 or 8.
And on the other hand, if we only rate based on personal enjoyment, then we ignore the fact that some albums literally changed music history.
For example, I feel like I could make a completely experimental album today with new sounds, and in 20 years it could be considered influential if it inspires other artists — even if it’s not necessarily enjoyable or memorable to listen to.
So I guess my point is:
Maybe we should separate ratings more clearly:
Personal score(how much I enjoy it)
Historical score (how important it is for music evolution)
Because right now, I feel like those two are often merged, and it makes it hard for newer listeners to understand why certain albums are rated so highly.
Curious to hear what others think about this.