Billboard.com's Scores

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For 825 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 81% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 16% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 3.5 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 76
Highest review score: 100 The Complete Matrix Tapes [Box Set]
Lowest review score: 40 Jackie
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 750 out of 825
  2. Mixed: 75 out of 825
  3. Negative: 0 out of 825
825 music reviews
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    • 73 Metascore
    • 73 Critic Score
    Closer To The Bone
    With Closer to the Bone Kristofferson digs deep into his long and troubled past to bring listeners one of his most beautiful moments.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 64 Critic Score
    Yeah Ghost
    The music on Yeah Ghost is still Zero 7-but after a few cans of musical Red Bull.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 77 Critic Score
    I And Love And You
    Packed front to back with lyrical treats and lovely sonic touches (thanks to producer Rick Rubin), I and Love and You may be one of the major labels' best pieces of news this fall.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    Mountain Soul II
    Patty Loveless has an innate soulfulness that can't be taught, bought or won on a reality show. That's one of the reasons-along with sterling musicianship and inspired song selection-why her new album, Mountain Soul II, is a must-have for fans of Loveless and roots music alike.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 79 Critic Score
    Ghostdini: Wizard Of Poetry
    While the album's softer instrumentation and thematic preoccupation with romance may initially frustrate some diehard rap fans, its silky hooks begin to sink in with repeated listens.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    All In One
    The set features several strongly tropical numbers, like the gentle 'Cancao de Amor' and a fine cover of her father's original bossa nova classic 'Bim Bom.'
    • 70 Metascore
    • 88 Critic Score
    The Boy Who Knew Too Much
    On The Boy Who Knew Too Much, this Beirut-born singer comes back strong with another set of over-the-top anthems that proves no one's more entitled to inherit Freddie Mercury's glam-god crown.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 76 Critic Score
    Tomorrow
    Kingston does widen his scope a bit, as evidenced by the percolating synth/dance vibe of the set's first single and top five hit, 'Fire Burning.'
    • Billboard.com
    • 69 Metascore
    • 76 Critic Score
    Scars
    By closing the song with unadorned strings, Basement Jaxx seems to be finding feeling in its new efficiency.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Monsters Of Folk
    At times, it's difficult to differentiate who is singing, thanks to masterful producing by Bright Eyes' Mogis. When viewed less as a hipster supergroup and more as an old-fashioned song swap, Monsters of Folk live up to their hype and then some.
    • Billboard.com
    • 80 Metascore
    • 86 Critic Score
    Album
    Girls are poised to take their rightful place as one of the blog-crossover bands of 2009.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Us
    What gives Brother Ali's slice-of-life ruminations their impressive heft is the rapper's eye for everyday detail and the handmade appeal of his vintage-funk arrangements.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 85 Critic Score
    New Leaves
    Don't mistake the softness for weakness. While nothing is as biting as the aging hipster takedown 'Femme Fatale' (from his 2006 set "At Home With Owen"), he pulls out the knives and slices pseudo-intellectuals on 'A Trenchant Critique.'
    • 79 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Backspacer
    The whole album has a pleasurable mix of lean, mean rock'n'roll and pensive ballads that reflect both the state of the world and the band's place in it.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    The Resistance
    The Resistance, shows growth from the band's previous releases and proves that it's primed for a global musical takeover.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Man On The Moon: The End Of Day
    The rapper's delivery is confident in a poetic and artful way, channeled through a theatrical set of songs.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Mi Plan
    With simple, straightforward songs that appeal to melodic sensibilities rather than rhythmic contraptions, the set is a mix of vulnerability and earnestness.
    • 96 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Keep An Eye On The Sky
    Spanning the years 1968-75, this exquisitely designed four-disc boxed set gathers a treasure trove of rare gems.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Get Lucky
    Listening to Get Lucky feels like a journey, where great care has been taken to ensure that you'll come back a little better.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 57 Critic Score
    The Chair In The Doorway
    The band's first release since 2003, "The Chair in the Doorway," is too scattered -- and occasionally silly -- to make a serious re-impression.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Popular Songs
    Yo La Tengo has little to prove at this point in its 20-year career, but its dedication to expanding its sound without obscuring its songwriting formula remains impressive.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    11:11
    11:11 is another winning showcase of exotic instrumental brilliance.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 89 Critic Score
    The Blueprint 3
    The long-awaited Blueprint 3 doesn't disappoint. In fact, the album may just be the blueprint for hip-hop music to come.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 79 Critic Score
    Haih...Or Amortecedor
    Even with the hiatus, the effort is remarkable for its maverick spirit and pop unorthodoxy.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Joy
    Joy is a journey not to be missed.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 79 Critic Score
    After Robots
    Although the set's complex instumentation finds BLK JKS occasionally losing their footing, their confidence in their craft largely covers up any glaring errors.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    A Strange Arrangement
    His regretful croon in the debut single, 'Just Ain't Gonna Work Out,' will have the ladies swooning, while 'Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'' will have listeners jazzed up and aching to cut a rug.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    55 Cadillac
    55 Cadillac offers a fun, technically exciting journey that paints Andrew W.K. as an artist unafraid of risks.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 74 Critic Score
    Here Comes Science
    Plenty has been said about how well They Might Be Giants' playful, absurdist rock translates to kids' music-and the band's fourth offspring-focused effort is no exception.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    Artwork
    The Used pushes boundaries with the frenetic lead single 'Blood on My Hands,' whose video features McCracken as a gleeful, blood-soaked vigilante. But the song doesn't so much reinvent the band's sound as amplify it. Other tracks like 'Sold My Soul' and 'The Best of Me' highlight the Used's knack for crafting brutal yet crowd-pleasing anthems.
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