The King Is Dead (studio album) by The Decemberists

The King Is Dead by The Decemberists
Year: 2011
Release date: 2011-01-14
Overall rank: 1,374th   Overall chart historyOverall chart history
Average Rating: 
74/100 (from 362 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution   Average rating historyAverage rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 2011 (28th)
Award Top albums of the 2010s (216th)
Award Best albums of all time (1,374th)
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The Decemberists – The King Is Dead NM Re-Issue 180g LE White Vinyl Record 2022
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The Decemberists : The King Is Dead CD
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The Decemberists bestography

The King Is Dead is ranked 3rd best out of 16 albums by The Decemberists on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by The Decemberists is The Crane Wife which is ranked number 724 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 2,481.

The Decemberists album bestography « Higher ranked (1,089th) This album (1,374th) Lower ranked (1,581st) »
PicaresqueThe King Is DeadThe Hazards Of Love

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The King Is Dead track list

  Track ratingsTrack ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 81 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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2.
Rating: 83 (52 votes)Comments: 0
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3.
Rating: 79 (49 votes)Comments: 0
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4.
Rating: 81 (52 votes)Comments: 0
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5.
Rating: 81 (49 votes)Comments: 0
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7.
Rating: 77 (47 votes)Comments: 0
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10.
Rating: 78 (51 votes)Comments: 0
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The King Is Dead rankings

The King Is Dead collection

The King Is Dead ratings

Average Rating: 
74/100 (from 362 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 362 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
60/100
 Report rating
01/30/2024 17:18 Dalcio  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 24478/100
 
75/100
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01/28/2024 09:48 Sumbody  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,09777/100
 
80/100
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09/17/2023 00:57 toast223  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,21070/100
 
90/100
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08/09/2023 08:12 habibi333  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 46173/100
 
80/100
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07/08/2023 16:35 PapaShiz86  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 8,38879/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 23% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 73.9/100, a mean average of 72.9/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 73.9/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.7.

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The King Is Dead comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 28 comments |
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Rating:  
75/100
From 07/14/2022 19:43
This is a step down from their other work and I do think they tried to create an album that was too reliant on being catchy instead of sticking to their more successful prog/experimental sound. This doesn't mean that they don't have spells on this record of greatness because they do. Songs like Don't Carry It All, June Hymn, Calamity Song and Down By The River have fantastic choruses and are all so infectious. If they kept the quality of these songs the whole way through then this album would be elite. Another major strength is the fact that the vocal is really allowed to dominate the music and he does a phenomenal job of carrying the sound. It really makes this record very enjoyable even in moments that are quite plain and empty. However, the music just feels so simple in comparison to The Crane Wife and Picaresque. The songs don't seem to be as layered as they usually are and it is usually only one or two instruments playing the same thing for 4 or 5 minutes on every track. If you don't focus on the vocal it is very hard to stay engaged in the album as well due to its lack of experimentation and the fact that most songs sound basically the same. Overall, this is a step down from the other Decemberists albums I have heard but there are still some fantastic tracks to find on here.
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Rating:  
80/100
From 07/06/2022 02:03
Painfully mediocre country album, specially coming from the unfathomable creativity shown in their previous efforts.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 04/27/2022 23:29
This is not as progressive and experimental as “Picaresque” and “The Crane Wife”. Instead The Decemberists simplify it down with a collection of fantastic folky pop songs. With less experimentation it really gives Meloy’s vocals a chance to shine through and it doesn’t disappoint. Meloy has said that a primary musical influence for much of The King Is Dead is R.E.M and that can definitely be heard here. It has a lot of similar elements to R.E.M’s Murmur in it which is not a bad thing at all.
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Rating:  
70/100
From 02/24/2018 10:41
Questo "The king is dead" ha una produzione più soft dei precedenti, un taglio più folk: i riferimenti che si possono trovare sono al primo Dylan elettrico, ai Waterboys ma anche ai R.E.M., oltre ai soliti rimandi agli anni settanta.
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Rating:  
85/100
From 07/05/2016 12:30
My favorite songs : Calamity song....Dear Avery.....All arise!....January hymn....Don't carry it all
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Rating:  
100/100
From 01/15/2016 18:26
It makes sense that The Decemberists would dive into roots music, and I hope they revisit this territory in the future.
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Rating:  
85/100
From 05/14/2015 23:06
Iwas pleasently suprised by their new sound. Dig it. No skipper tracks on this one for me. B+ MEZ
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 02/18/2015 18:39
"Ewww, this album is so /simple/ and /country/! Gross!"

Ugh. That irritates me so much. BEA's typical bias against anything that sounds remotely southern and simple. This is a fantastic album that has many moments of brilliance. Sure, it's not the typical proggy Decemberists sound, but it is unique and heartfelt.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
50/100
From 12/10/2013 12:23
A regular album indeed. June Hymn is gorgeous.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -2 votes (0 helpful | 2 unhelpful)
From 10/24/2013 19:32
I was initially very disappointed with this one. It's short, there's no theme (unless harmonica is a theme), and there is nary a mythical creature to be found. After two or three listens, nothing was standing out. But it did grow on me. Every band has to release their country album and we just have to enjoy what we can.
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