How do you determine an AllMusic rating?
The editors use a 1 to 5 star system. It is important to note that albums are rated only within the scope of an artist's own work; we won't compare a Miles Davis album to the latest album by Britney Spears.
Editors may choose to revisit an artist's discography, especially if an artist releases a great new album, to re-factor the earlier releases to better fit within the band's history. For example: in 1993 an editor may have given Radiohead's Pablo Honey four-and-a-half stars when it came out, being one of the best Britpop albums to date. As time goes on and Radiohead releases The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A, etc, Pablo Honey may not warrant being their highest-rated album. The text of the review is still valid, but the older rating gets adjusted.
Non-classical albums in the database very very rarely get a five-star rating upon initial release. The five-star rating for non-classical albums is reserved for an album that has stood the test of time and has become an important and very meaningful recording within its genre.
Classical albums are treated a little differently and a really terrific new classical release may be granted five stars if the classical editors see remarkable quality in the album. Our classical team seeks out the best of the new releases and often awards those albums a five-star rating if one is merited.