I've been accumulating records since the mid-1970s, and have sporadically written about semi-popular music since then. For more details on my past and current writing projects, click here. The database evolved from simple lists just to keep track of stuff -- originally records that I had listened to, later adding (to the Master Database) records that other people rate highly. (Those graded U are ones that I own but somehow never got around to rating. The Master Database records with no grades are ones I don't own and have never heard. Their listings give me a picture of what I know I don't know, as well as hints for further exploration. But note that I don't update prospecting lists regularly (most of them date from the early 2000s, when I spent a lot of time with my nose in record guides).
By the way, even if I do own a record I don't sell records or make copies, so please don't ask.) The grades probably say more about me than about the music.
The ratings are letter grades, similar to Robert Christgau's Consumer Guides. The taste is much the same, although I cover a lot more jazz, and I often go my own way. Thus far, a total of 43336 records have been rated. (Numbers for each category in parentheses; the percentage is a slightly weighted metric indicating how many artists in the database have at least one rated record.)
| Music Category | Rated List (DB = Master Database) | Select List | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock/Pop/Soul | Mostly 1950's (473)
DB (826) [81%] Mostly 1960's (1696) DB (3150) [79%] Mostly 1970's (1695) DB (3178) [80%] Mostly 1980's (1258) DB (2671) [70%] Mostly 1990's (1206) DB (2680) [69%] Mostly 2000's (1584) DB (2353) [92%] Mostly 2010's (1850) DB (1963) [100%] Rap (1979) DB (2585) [92%] Techno / Electronica (1142) DB (1967) [84%] |
A-List (2782) | |
| Jazz | Mostly 1920's/1930's (771)
DB (1603) [84%] Mostly 1940's/1950's (2746) DB (4412) [88%] Mostly 1960's/1970's (4309) DB (6334) [94%] Mostly 1980's/1990's (5600) DB (8046) [90%] Mostly 2000's (7004) DB (7430) [99%] Latin Jazz (419) DB (593) [97%] Pop Jazz / Easy Listening (399) DB (640) [92%] |
A-List (3759) | |
| Jazz/Pop Vocals | Jazz/Pop Vocals (From 1920s) (326)
DB (769) [81%] Jazz/Pop Vocals (From 1950s) (358) DB (935) [73%] Jazz/Pop Vocals (From 1980s) (348) DB (565) [90%] Jazz/Pop Vocals (From 2000s) (978) DB (1051) [99%] |
A-List (183) | |
| Blues | Blues (1018) DB (1917) [86%] | A-List (348) | |
| Country | Country (1830)
DB (3180) [85%] Old-Time Country (125) DB (297) [70%] Bluegrass (125) DB (456) [57%] |
A-List (557) | |
| Folk | US Folk (513)
DB (1148) [69%] UK Folk / Celtic (85) DB (427) [34%] Cajun / Zydeco (44) DB (150) [56%] Gospel (88) DB (329) [58%] |
A-List (186) | |
| World | Africa (1117)
DB (1548) [93%] Asia / Pacific (147) DB (419) [63%] Brazil (261) DB (482) [84%] Europe (176) DB (374) [78%] Latin America (321) DB (717) [72%] Middle East / North Africa (129) DB (245) [77%] Jewish/Klezmer (81) DB (126) [92%] Reggae (520) DB (904) [87%] Anglo-Caribbean (60) DB (108) [72%] Franco-Caribbean (27) DB (88) [50%] Miscellaneous World (43) DB (79) [94%] |
A-List (848) | |
| Miscellaneous | Avant Garde (244)
DB (568) [78%] New Age (56) DB (401) [35%] Soundtracks (63) DB (172) [63%] Classical (68) DB (107) [99%] Unclassified (54) DB (109) [79%] |
A-List (65) |
A couple of other lists exist for maintenance purposes:
See index.