Black Cow (track)
by Steely Dan
Black Cow appears on the following album(s) by Steely Dan:
- Aja (track #1) (this album) (1977)
- Citizen (track #51) (compilation) (1993)
- Gold (track #6) (compilation) (1982)
- Showbiz Kids (The Steely Dan Story 1972-1980) (track #24) (compilation) (2000)
- Northeast Corridor: Steely Dan Live! (track #1) (2021)
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Black Cow ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
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 3 ratings for this track. | Show all 230 ratings for this track.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Track ratings | Avg. track rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 09/03/2026 15:19 | Siromynian | 20,126 | 71/100 |
| ! | 06/17/2026 07:58 | Johnnyo | 45,589 | 80/100 |
| ! | 03/09/2026 10:38 | Jboy69 | 847 | 78/100 |
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 tracks can have several thousand ratings)
This track is rated in the top 1% of all tracks on BestEverAlbums.com. This track has a Bayesian average rating of 86.8/100, a mean average of 86.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 87.2/100. The standard deviation for this track is 13.8.
Black Cow favourites
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Black Cow forum mentions
Black Cow comments
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One of Steely Dan's greatest jazz-rock masterpieces.
It’s just got such a flawless groove to it and, as the opening track to the album, sets the scene perfectly. I dare you to listen to this track and stay still. Its groove is infectious and the track has this laid back feel which underlies the complexity of the track.
Is it a 100 / 100 track? Probably. It’s awesome (Edited)
Jboy56 12/22/2021 17:48 | #277806
The prime example of studio excellence, which may be too much to someone, but not for me.
Catchy, airy, funky, and ethereal.
