"What Is the Purpose of Journalism?" American Press Institute RSS. American Press Institute, n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2015. <https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/what-is-journalism/purpose-journalism/>.

 

This short blurb by the American Press Institute was written to inform the public about the purpose of journalism and API’s mission. It states that journalism is meant to “...empower the informed.” It is relevant to this article because music journalism is a branch of journalism, and is meant to serve a similar purpose. The rating system however contradicts this purpose, and I make the argument that it therefore does not belong in journalism.

 

Smith, Kaitlin. "Artist Spotlight: Oh Wonder." 10 After. MUSIC Matters, 13 Nov. 2014. Web. 10 Mar. 2015. <http://musicmatters10after.com/2014/11/14/artist-spotlight-oh-wonder/>.

 

This is the review that inspired this article. It was written for a small student-run music blog at the University of Michigan for the purpose of encouraging new listeners and practicing creative writing about music that I felt passionate to promote. The audience consisted of people interested in new music. It is relevant to mention for this article about rankings because it sheds light on my experiences finding difficulty in writing a review, which helps to define the reviewing process as more complex than simply ranking with a number. Additionally my review, along with all others in the blog, does not contain a finite rating, which is consistent with the opinions expressed in the article. This article explores a new topic and is directed toward a broader audience. It is meant for anybody interested in journalism, music writing, or music in general.

 

1. Farber, Jim. "'Rebel Heart' Review: Madonna's Album Bares Her Soul in a Way She Never Has before." Daily News. NYDailyNews.com, 27 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/rebel-heart-review-madonna-latest-intensely-personal-article-1.2131124>.

 

2. Weingarten, Christopher. "Tetsuo & Youth." Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2015. <http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/lupe-fiasco-tetsuo-youth-20150212>.

 

These two reviews discuss music by Madonna and Lupe Fiasco, two artists of different genres and image. Farber’s article is lengthy and goes into detail about the history and evolution of Madonna’s work. Richardson’s review offers a different style; his piece is merely a short paragraph. Despite their differences, each article is accompanied by a ranking out of 5 stars. The contrast in style, length, and explanations offered in each review demonstrates the range of variation in music reviews juxtaposed with the consistency of an unexplained number placed next to it. This is relevant for the purpose of my article because each piece demonstrates a different style of music writing while showing that there is no way to use the same comparative scale across genres and interpretations of music.

 

Jenkins, Craig. "Drake: If You're Reading This It's Too Late." Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media Inc., 17 Feb. 2015. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20271-if-youre-reading-this-its-too-late/>.

 

In this article, Jenkins analyses and praises Drake’s latest album, “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.” He delves into the history of failure of Drake’s record label, giving context behind the surprise release of the album, which foreshadows a new solo venture outside of Cash Money Records. Jenkins also analyzes the sound of the album and the rhyme and reason behind it, claiming it sounds similar to Drake’s first album, “So Far Gone,” which was released exactly 6 years prior. This article is written for all those interested in Drake’s release. It is particularly applicable to this essay because the analytical writing is accompanied by an arbitrary rating of 8.3/10, which is not referenced once in the article. The disconnect between the two demonstrates the rating’s lack of contribution to reader takeaway on the page.

 

Boyd, Nick. Personal interview. 3 Apr. 2015.

 

I conducted at 15-minute-long interview with Nick Boyd who writes music reviews for the Michigan Daily. In the interview, Nick spoke about his writing process, bias as a reviewer, and pros and cons of the rating system in music journalism. It was conducted for research purposes in writing this article. Nick offers support for the opinions presented in the article, explaining his belief that, “I think that everything I write has bias and I would never want to give off the impression that I have the final say on anything.” However, he also presents the counterargument that the rating system has a purpose of sparking interest and dialogue. Addressing this counterpoint strengthens the thoroughness of the article.

 

Firecloud, Johnny. "The Grammys Top 10 Bashers & Boycotters." Crave Online. Crave Online Media, 07 Feb. 2011. Web. 09 Mar. 2015. <http://www.craveonline.com/music/articles/129524-the-grammys-top-10-bashers-boycotters>.

 

This website presents a list of artists who disapprove of the Grammys and short explanations of their specific situations and reasoning. The article highlights some of the first boycotts of the ceremonies and refusals to accept awards for reasons such as failure to recognize talented hip-hop artists and fear of ruining the purity of creating music out of love and enjoyment. Jay-Z, who once boycotted the Grammys for failing to recognize hip-hop artist DMX, is mentioned on the list. Jay-Z’s prominence and respect as a rapper augments the importance of his opinions for many, so is used as an example in my piece.

 

Caramanica, Jon. "The Bon Iver Grammy Quandary." The 6th Floor The Bon Iver Grammy Quandary Comments. The New York Times Company, 02 Dec. 2011. Web. 10 Mar. 2015. <http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/the-bon-iver-grammy-quandary/?_r=0>.

 

This piece, published on the blog section of the New York Times, is a transcription of an interview with Bon Iver who expresses skepticism of the importance of the Grammy awards. In the interview he says, “Everyone should go home, this is ridiculous. You should not be doing this. We should not be gathering in a big room and looking at each other and pretending that this is important.” Bon Iver’s words align with the view in this article, making it a relevant example of a prominent artist who also sees the ambiguity and extraneous nature of music award shows and the hype surrounding them.

 

"GRAMMY Awards Voting Process." The GRAMMYs. The Recording Academy, n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015. <http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/grammy-awards-voting-process>.

 

The voting process for the Grammys is referenced in the piece to demonstrate the unreliable nature of ranking musical talent. Breaking down who votes and how is helpful in understanding this. The Grammys website provides the information of qualifications to become a Voting Member of the Academy and of the voting process. Information includes the fact that only members in good dues standing, despite musical qualifications, are allowed to participate in voting, which is used in this article to demonstrate how skewed these awards can be.

 

Eddy, Kev. "Re: Reading Music Reviews And Writing About Music In 2012 Why Bother?" Weblog comment. DrownedInSound. N.p., 17 May 2012. Web. 3 Apr. 2015. <http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/music/4346938>.

 

In the article, I reference this comment, suggesting that Kev Eddy is a typical reader of music reviews. The comment was written beneath an article from music blog Drowned In Sound that discusses why people still read music reviews at all now that the Internet has given people the ability to search for music on their own. Eddy wrote his comment in response to other commenters, joining the discussion about the purpose of music writing. He writes about his belief that what is truly important is the passion and intrigue in the review. This is consistent with the beliefs portrayed in the article that journalism is meant to inspire, not label.