Do you think there is a bias in the rankings because the site is based in the UK, and hence most users are from the UK? Is there a way to filter this bias out?
Or is British music really the best?
Can only speak for myself here, but I'm British and only 25% of my chart is made up of British albums. I understand that's still a fairly high percentage, especially given how many nations I could conceivably draw from, but it doesn't seem excessive by any means. As for a British bias in the overall, the statistics are obviously skewed by a few very popular British acts (The Beatles account for 6% of the top 100 alone; Radiohead for 5%; Led Zep for 5%; Pink Floyd for 4%; The Rolling Stones for 3%; David Bowie for 3% - that's over a quarter of our top 100 made up by only six British acts), and so it's actually very difficult to gauge how much of a British bias there is. There are over 50% more American artists in our top 100 than British artists (37 vs. 24), for example, which certainly doesn't back up the "British bias" suggestion. I don't really care either way, but it isn't something I've ever noticed, and so I'm inclined to say that it doesn't exist (in at least as much as any bias of that sort is merely a byproduct of our obvious English-speaking, guitar-rock bias). _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
Actually I am surprised that 30% of my Top 100 are from the US. And only 50% from Britain. I thought it would be even more "biased". One reason, as has been pointed out, there are a couple of exceptional artists. Another reason certainly is that living in Europe you tend to hear more British music than American. Third reason, Britisch music is better! 😁
Is there a way to filter out the bias? That is a strange question. You mean the number of American, Italian, Polish, Chinese Records in the Top 100 should represent the number of people living in these countries, or the number of records produced - or bought - in these countries? I would like to see that, but only for fun. _________________ When the stewardess is near do not show any fear.
You are right. I should have said: having lived in Germany in the 70ies (when my musical taste was formed). Then the ratio was probably 5:3. Certainly less then 5% neither American nor British on Rock radio. _________________ When the stewardess is near do not show any fear.
. You mean the number of American, Italian, Polish, Chinese Records in the Top 100 should represent the number of people living in these countries, or the number of records produced - or bought - in these countries?
No, that is not at all what I mean. An unbiased rating would be if every person in the world voted, not some select sample. Since this is impossible, and the sample on this website has a bias, I'm wondering how to bring the list to one we would get if we could ask every person in the world, and then average.
I feel like the intrinsic issue at hand is that the US and UK music industries pioneered the centrality of the LP. On a website where we are told to name the best albums and have to leave out 78s, EPs, singles, etc. I feel like the most likely users are those with a specific affection for the height of the LP as the dominant format of consumption, which was marked by US and UK domination of music sales at least in the western world from the mid-'60s to early '80s. The next tier and layer out from that is people with a preference for rock music in general, since it's one of very few (only?) musical genres that takes the LP to be the golden standard of artistic and commercial output. So it's hard to assess what albums would be considered the best ever in countries where the introduction of the LP as single artistic piece instead of compilation of songs was pioneered by western rock bands. I also think the US and UK continue to dominate or at least insert themselves to some extent in most global markets for music. The lack of non-western music in the charts is more a reflection of power relations in the world and the role of art and the particular format of the LP in western society than it is a testament to the aesthetic superiority of the west.
But US music is obviously vastly superior to UK music, and I hope this fact continues to become clearer for all.
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Norman Bates
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