First things first: our ratings are subjective.

There is no scientific formula behind the Six Ring Rating System. Our editors rate albums based on their own tastes, experiences, favorite records, and occasionally their strong belief that an album everyone else loves just isn’t that good.

A 6/6 from one editor doesn’t necessarily mean another editor would give it the same score. That’s part of the fun.

Every editor may have a slightly different rubric, but if you’re wondering what all those rings actually mean, here’s a rough guide.

6/6 Rings — The Best

The top score. Reserved for an editor’s favorites and the albums they consider among the best.

Think of it roughly as a traditional 9 or 10 out of 10.

Does a 6/6 have to be absolutely flawless? No. An album can have a flaw and still earn all six rings. The question is whether everything else—the songwriting, performance, originality, influence, or simply how much we fucking enjoy it—more than makes up for it.

If the answer is yes, it can sit among the sixes.

💍💍💍💍💍💍

5/6 Rings — Almost There

An excellent album that falls just short of being an all-time favorite.

Maybe there’s one skip. Maybe there aren’t any skips, but something keeps it from crossing that invisible line into 6/6 territory. Maybe it contains a few of the best songs you’ve ever heard alongside one absolute stinker.

It could even be a nostalgic favorite that you still love, but have to admit doesn’t quite live up to the standards you have today.

If you regularly find yourself coming back to an album, there’s a good chance it belongs somewhere around here.

💍💍💍💍💍

4/6 Rings — Good Record

There’s plenty to like here, but it’s not a great record from beginning to end.

It might have one or two favorite songs that permanently live on your playlists. You’ll never be upset when the album comes on, and you’d probably be happy to have it sitting in your record collection—but you’re not exactly rushing out to buy a copy.

It could also be that slightly lackluster project from an artist you otherwise love.

Good. Worth hearing. Just not essential.

💍💍💍💍

3/6 Rings — Take What You Can Get

There’s something here. Just not very much of it.

Maybe there’s one great song. Maybe two. Maybe it’s not even a song, but an idea, performance, or aspect of the record you genuinely appreciate.

The rest? You could do without it.

If one of those other tracks sneaks its way into your streaming algorithm, you’re probably reaching for the skip button. You might have one song from the album on a playlist, and you wouldn’t be mad if someone gifted you the record.

But are you spending your own money to put it in your collection?

Probably not.

💍💍💍

2/6 Rings — Not for Us

This just isn’t for you.

You can acknowledge that the album has redeeming qualities. You can understand that other people might love it. Maybe you can even recognize that it’s technically well made.

But it does absolutely nothing for you.

That’s okay. Not every record is made for every listener.

💍💍

1/6 Ring — Why Are We Even Reviewing This?

Did you actually make it through the whole album?

There’s nothing here for you, and you’re struggling to understand what anyone else sees in it.

You probably won’t see many 1/6 reviews around Sixth Ring. We’re listening to music because we love music—not because we want to torture ourselves. There are too many interesting records out there to spend our time writing about something we completely hate.

But every once in a while…

💍

One Last Thing

These ratings aren’t meant to tell you whether an album is objectively good or bad. They tell you what one particular person thought about it.

Disagree with us. Think our 3/6 deserves six rings. Think our 6/6 is wildly overrated.

That’s music.

And we’d rather argue about records in the comments than pretend there’s a correct answer.