Out last Friday · Oct 30
New this Friday
Last Friday's new albums and where the critics have landed so far. This week's take over once their first reviews arrive.
Queens of the Stone AgePerfecth78 C+73% approval11 critics
EnslavedMið80 B-80% approvalEarly reviews · 5 critics
DIIVZIRP!75 C60% approvalEarly reviews · 5 critics
Cirith UngolAll the Shadows70 C-50% approvalEarly reviews · 2 critics
Big RedBig Sur80 B-100% approvalEarly reviews · 2 critics
Chloe QishaFantasize70 C-0% approvalEarly reviews · 2 critics
Disgusting SistersSkin & Blisters70 C-0% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic
Moody JoodyPlain Jane80 B-100% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic
Radio Free AliceWhat’s In Between90 A-100% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic
Moses BoydSongs For Sinners80 B-100% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic
CryptoriumThrough the Bowels of Ceaseless Dissonance60 D-0% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic
Ex:ReSave As80 B-100% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic
ClinicWild In The Streets90 A-100% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic
HeathersAwesome71 C-0% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic
YelloTime Lab80 B-100% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic
MASTER BOOT RECORDCOMPUTER METAL85 B100% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic
Juice WebsterKind of Fantasy80 B-100% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic
Dungeon SerpentLamentations of the Shadowkingdoms100 A+100% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic
EditorsSurface, Echo & Sound80 B-100% approvalEarly reviews · 1 critic19 albums so far. Scroll sideways for more.
Also out, waiting on reviews: Nickelback, Everything Under the Sun; Mylène Farmer, Égrégore; Blind Channel, Painstream; Ministry, Hate to Go – Take Out or Delivery; Felicia Eriksson, Popstar; Jerry Garcia Band, Garcia Live Volume 23. Each gets a card here as soon as its first review lands.
Top albums this week
Released in the last seven days, ranked by Breakdown. More join as their reviews come in.
Read all the latest Breakdowns →
Latest A-Sides
The critics’ top tier: a Breakdown of 90+, from 5+ reviews, with 75%+ approval. 238 albums so far.
RosalíaLux92
Bad BunnyDebí tirar más fotos90
The CureSongs of a Lost World90
BeyoncéCowboy Carter90
Taylor Swift1989 (Taylor’s Version)91
RosalíaMotomami90
Coming up
Out this week. Their Breakdowns start arriving a day or two after release.
- Tue Nov 3Lali Espósito, Dance or Die
- Fri Nov 6Dove Cameron, Final Girl
Fri Nov 6Steven Wilson, Requiem for a Village
Fri Nov 6Merzbow, Fuego Eterno
Fri Nov 6Prong, Prong
Did you know
See By the Numbers →Perfect scores10 albums have a Breakdown of 100: every critic on them gave top marks, with at least 5 reviews each.See it →
Most reviewed26 critics weighed in on Fontaines D.C., Dopamine Chamber, more than any other album here.See it →
No arguments9 critics reviewed The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds and landed within a few points of each other, for a Breakdown of 100.See it →
Best year on record1971 has the highest average Breakdown of any year here: 85.9 across 27 albums.See it →
Best decade1960s albums average the highest Breakdown of any decade here: 89.7 across 57 albums.
Critics’ favorite genreFolk, Country & Americana albums average a Breakdown of 77.0 across 203 albums, the highest of any genre here.See it →
Most consistent acclaimThe Beatles has the highest average Breakdown of any artist with five or more albums here: 90.4 across 11 albums.See it →
Most A-Sides7 A-Sides belong to The Beatles, more than any other artist. An A-Side is the critics’ top tier: 90 or higher.See it →
Deepest cut1959 is the year Miles Davis, Kind of Blue came out, the oldest album here with a full Breakdown.See it →
Top marks2,863 reviews here give an album a perfect score: 7.2% of them.
Busiest byline1,310 reviews here carry Stephen Thomas Erlewine’s name, more than any other critic.See it →
Most outlets, one critic7 different outlets have run reviews by Greg Kot here, more than any other critic.See it →
Named critics3,971 critics have a byline on at least one review here, each with a page of their own.See it →
Easiest to win over: Entertainment Weekly95.1% of its reviews score the album 75 or higher, the highest share of any outlet.See it →
Hardest to win over: Slant23.2% of its reviews score the album 75 or higher, the lowest share of any outlet.See it →
Closest to the crowd: Clash8.7 points, on average, from the other critics’ average for the same album (450 albums).See it →
Its own ears: Entertainment Weekly16.4 points, on average, from the other critics’ average for the same album, the widest gap of any outlet (2,290 albums).See it →
Full range: Drowned in Sound21.3 points: how far a typical review lands from its own average score, the widest swing of any outlet.See it →
Steadiest hand: Entertainment Weekly6.6 points: how far a typical review lands from its own average score, the tightest of any outlet.See it →
Quickest to give a 100: Kerrang!23.9% of its reviews give the album a perfect score (101 albums), the highest rate of any outlet.See it →
Vintage ears: MusicHound Rock86.9% of its reviews here are of albums released before 1990, more than any other outlet.See it →
New music first: Paste18.9% of its reviews here are of albums from 2025 or 2026, more than any other outlet.See it →
First on the scene: The Line of Best Fit91.5% of its dated reviews came out in the album’s release week (117 reviews with dates).See it →
A-Side regular: AllMusic227 A-Sides reviewed, more than any other outlet. A-Sides are the albums the critics rate highest.See it →
Specialist: The Source95.4% of its reviews here are Hip-Hop & Rap, the most focused of any outlet.See it →
Biggest bench: Pitchfork375 different critics with a byline on its reviews here, more than any other outlet.See it →
Top albums of 2026
Released this year, with at least five reviews.
- 1
Greg FreemanAll Set the Bone87 B+ - 2
Olivia RodrigoYou Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love87 B+ - 3
Tony IommiFrom the Dark86 B - 4
RayeThis Music May Contain Hope.85 B - 5
Richard ThompsonHippies, Thugs and Heroes84 B - 6
GorillazThe Mountain83 B - 7
Brock DavisNothing Lasts Forever83 B - 8
Emma Ruth RundleThese Killing Times82 B- - 9
Charli XCXMusic, Fashion, Film82 B- - 10
Cameron WinterLive at Carnegie Hall82 B-
Most divisive of 2026
Where critics split hardest this year. Divided or Contentious, at least five reviews.
- 1
MuseThe Wow! SignalDivided - 2
Gracie AbramsDaughter from HellDivided - 3
Teenage FanclubDo Not Dare to DreamDivided - 4
The StrokesReality AwaitsDivided - 5
BTSArirangDivided
Browse by genre
Every genre’s average Breakdown, how often critics like its albums, and its top album of all time.
Jazz81average Breakdown67%of albums likedNumber one: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
Folk, Country & Americana77average Breakdown64%of albums likedNumber one: Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks
Indie & Alternative75average Breakdown58%of albums likedNumber one: Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation
Electronic75average Breakdown53%of albums likedNumber one: Kraftwerk, Trans-Europe Express
Metal & Punk75average Breakdown56%of albums likedNumber one: Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols
Rock74average Breakdown51%of albums likedNumber one: Tom Waits, Rain Dogs
R&B & Soul74average Breakdown46%of albums likedNumber one: Stevie Wonder, Innervisions
Hip-Hop & Rap72average Breakdown44%of albums likedNumber one: Public Enemy, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Pop70average Breakdown33%of albums likedNumber one: The Beach Boys, Pet SoundsThe best albums of 2026, ranked · Best albums of every year · Browse every artist, A to Z
Breakdown Every critic’s score on a 0–100 scale, averaged. Green is 75 or higher.
Approval The share of critics who scored it 75 or higher.
Divisiveness How far apart the critics’ scores sit, from Unanimous to Contentious.
A-Side The critics’ top tier: 90+, from 5+ reviews, 75%+ approval.