How many of you out there use the rating function on iTunes (or on any other music player)? I use it a lot—I actually spend hours going through and listening to unrated songs so I can give them ratings. I’m trying to take advantage of this rating system as much as I can, so I don’t waste any time unwittingly listening to crappy, unrated music. (Note: some form of the word rate appears six times in this paragraph.)
Naturally, the harshness of the ratings applied depends on the artist. I’m way more forgiving of the Red Hot Chili Peppers than I am the Strokes. The more I like a musician or band, the more selective and extreme I am of how many stars I give them. If I don’t like a favourite group’s song, I really don’t like that song. On the other hand, I would rate their great songs with six stars if iTunes gave me the option.
We’re extreme when it comes to things we feel strongly about, obviously. Mediocrity’s hardly worth consideration. That’s why it’s called mediocrity. It will always only get three stars. No more, and no less.
