B-Side Guys

B-Side Breakdowns

Every album here gets a B-Side Breakdown: the reviews from 35 outlets we trust, put on one 0–100 scale, with what the critics agree on and where they fight.

Latest Breakdowns

Album cover for FUDGE by Michael Kiwanuka Michael Kiwanuka FUDGE 80 B- 100% liked it · Unanimous Album cover for High as Hope by Florence + the Machine Florence + the Machine High as Hope 73 C 67% liked it · Some debate Album cover for A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships by The 1975 The 1975 A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships 81 B- 83% liked it · Divided Album cover for The Now Now by Gorillaz Gorillaz The Now Now 71 C- 25% liked it · Unanimous Album cover for Prequelle by Ghost Ghost Prequelle 84 B 67% liked it · Divided

Top albums this week

Released in the last seven days, ranked by Breakdown.

  1. 1Tony IommiFrom the Dark87 B+
  2. 2Clara MannWishbone85 B
  3. 3Richard ThompsonHippies, Thugs and Heroes84 B
  4. 4Michael KiwanukaFUDGE80 B-
  5. 5The AvalanchesNo Bad Memories80 B-
  6. 6Jeremiah ChiuEdge Conditions78 C+
  7. 7Rachel ChinouririI think I spoke too soon77 C+
  8. 8Dummydo you love the color of the sky?72 C-

Top albums of 2026

Released this year, with at least five reviews.

  1. 1Greg FreemanAll Set the Bone87 B+
  2. 2Fontaines D.C.Dopamine Chamber86 B
  3. 3Richard ThompsonHippies, Thugs and Heroes84 B
  4. 4Olivia RodrigoYou Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love83 B
  5. 5Cameron WinterLive at Carnegie Hall82 B-
  6. 6Jamie TGhosts (100 Days of Morning)82 B-
  7. 7Paul McCartneyThe Boys of Dungeon Lane80 B-
  8. 8The AvalanchesNo Bad Memories80 B-
  9. 9Troye SivanShe’s the Best79 C+
  10. 10Teenage FanclubDo Not Dare to Dream77 C+

Most divisive of 2026

Where critics disagreed most this year: Some debate or more.

  1. 1Teenage FanclubDo Not Dare to DreamDivided
  2. 2MegadethMegadethDivided
  3. 3Harry StylesKiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.Some debate
  4. 4MadonnaConfessions IISome debate
  5. 5Miley CyrusBass PersuadesSome debate

Highest rated in the archive

Any year, at least eight reviews.

  1. 1The CureSongs of a Lost World91 A-
  2. 2BeyoncéRenaissance90 A-
  3. 3Fontaines D.C.Dopamine Chamber86 B
  4. 4Charli XCXCharli83 B
  5. 5DeftonesOhms83 B
  6. 6Olivia RodrigoYou Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love83 B
  7. 7Iron MaidenSenjutsu81 B-
  8. 8Depeche ModeMemento Mori81 B-
  9. 9Pearl JamDark Matter81 B-
  10. 10The WeekndDawn FM80 B-

Top albums by genre

Hip-Hop & Rap

Best rated, any year, at least five reviews.

  1. 1Kendrick LamarMr. Morale & the Big Steppers88 B+
  2. 2Tyler, the CreatorChromakopia83 B
  3. 3LizzoCuz I Love You79 C+
  4. 4Lil Nas XMontero79 C+
  5. 5Kendrick LamarGNX78 C+
  6. 6Ariana GrandeEternal Sunshine77 C+
  7. 7HalseyManic74 C
  8. 8Post MaloneF-1 Trillion73 C
  9. 9Cardi BAm I the Drama?73 C
  10. 10DrakeScorpion71 C-

Pop

Best rated, any year, at least five reviews.

  1. 1Fiona AppleFetch the Bolt Cutters94 A
  2. 2The CureSongs of a Lost World91 A-
  3. 3BeyoncéRenaissance90 A-
  4. 4RosalíaLux88 B+
  5. 5Bruce SpringsteenWestern Stars86 B
  6. 6Taylor SwiftFolklore86 B
  7. 7RosalíaMotomami86 B
  8. 8Charli XCXCharli83 B
  9. 9Olivia RodrigoYou Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love83 B
  10. 10ClairoImmunity82 B-

Rock

Best rated, any year, at least five reviews.

  1. 1Fiona AppleFetch the Bolt Cutters94 A
  2. 2The CureSongs of a Lost World91 A-
  3. 3Bob DylanRough and Rowdy Ways90 A-
  4. 4Bruce SpringsteenWestern Stars86 B
  5. 5Fontaines D.C.Dopamine Chamber86 B
  6. 6AC/DCPower Up84 B
  7. 7DeftonesOhms83 B
  8. 8Olivia RodrigoYou Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love83 B
  9. 9The 1975A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships81 B-
  10. 10Iron MaidenSenjutsu81 B-

Indie & Alternative

Best rated, any year, at least five reviews.

  1. 1Fiona AppleFetch the Bolt Cutters94 A
  2. 2The CureSongs of a Lost World91 A-
  3. 3Taylor SwiftFolklore86 B
  4. 4DeftonesOhms83 B
  5. 5Tyler, the CreatorChromakopia83 B
  6. 6ClairoImmunity82 B-
  7. 7Billie EilishHit Me Hard and Soft82 B-
  8. 8The 1975A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships81 B-
  9. 9Mariah CareyCaution81 B-
  10. 10Pearl JamDark Matter81 B-

Folk, Country & Americana

Best rated, any year, at least five reviews.

  1. 1Bob DylanRough and Rowdy Ways90 A-
  2. 2Bruce SpringsteenWestern Stars86 B
  3. 3Taylor SwiftFolklore86 B
  4. 4BeyoncéCowboy Carter86 B
  5. 5Olivia RodrigoYou Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love83 B
  6. 6Taylor SwiftMidnights79 C+
  7. 7Taylor SwiftEvermore78 C+
  8. 8Lana Del ReyBlue Banisters77 C+
  9. 9Lana Del ReyDid You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd77 C+
  10. 10Lana Del ReyChemtrails over the Country Club76 C

Electronic

Best rated, any year, at least five reviews.

  1. 1BeyoncéRenaissance90 A-
  2. 2Charli XCXCharli83 B
  3. 3The WeekndAfter Hours82 B-
  4. 4Depeche ModeMemento Mori81 B-
  5. 5Harry StylesHarry’s House80 B-
  6. 6The WeekndDawn FM80 B-
  7. 7Taylor SwiftMidnights79 C+
  8. 8BjörkFossora78 C+
  9. 9Dua LipaFuture Nostalgia77 C+
  10. 10Billie EilishHappier Than Ever76 C

R&B & Soul

Best rated, any year, at least five reviews.

  1. 1BeyoncéRenaissance90 A-
  2. 2Kendrick LamarMr. Morale & the Big Steppers88 B+
  3. 3Tyler, the CreatorChromakopia83 B
  4. 4The WeekndAfter Hours82 B-
  5. 5Mariah CareyCaution81 B-
  6. 6Harry StylesHarry’s House80 B-
  7. 7The WeekndDawn FM80 B-
  8. 8LizzoCuz I Love You79 C+
  9. 9Ariana GrandeEternal Sunshine77 C+
  10. 10Billie EilishHappier Than Ever76 C

Metal & Punk

Best rated, any year, at least five reviews.

  1. 1DeftonesOhms83 B
  2. 2Tyler, the CreatorChromakopia83 B
  3. 3Iron MaidenSenjutsu81 B-
  4. 4Olivia RodrigoGuts80 B-
  5. 5Marilyn MansonWe Are Chaos79 C+
  6. 6HelloweenHelloween77 C+
  7. 7ToolFear Inoculum76 C
  8. 8GojiraFortitude76 C
  9. 9Demi LovatoHoly Fvck76 C
  10. 10Cardi BAm I the Drama?73 C

How the Breakdown works

B-Side Breakdown

Every outlet scores differently: stars, tens, letter grades, percentages. We put each one on a 0–100 scale (4/5 is 80, 8.4/10 is 84, a B+ is 88) and average them. Green means 75 or higher.

A90–100
B80–89
C70–79
D60–69
Fbelow 60

Plus and minus split each band in thirds: 87–89 is a B+, 80–82 a B-.

Critics who liked it

The share of critics who scored it 75 or higher. One dot per critic; filled dots liked it.

Divisiveness

How close the critics’ scores are to each other, whatever the scores are. Five critics who all give an album a 50 are Unanimous, even though none of them liked it.

  • Unanimous
  • Broad agreement
  • Some debate
  • Divided
  • Contentious

Replay rate

Listeners answer one question on every album page: would you spin it again? Yes counts fully, “a few tracks” counts half, no counts zero. It shows once five listeners have answered.

An album page goes up once three outlets have reviewed it and is marked Early reviews until it has eight. Each outlet counts once per album.