will.i.am has an ADM page all to himself
The week in ADM
Michael Palmer looks back at some of the less well received albums of the year so far
So we've already had a good look at the most
critically-acclaimed music in the first six months of 2013, but our
chart is an iceberg. Sure, it looks lovely and glamourous up there
at the top, but the bottom sinks famous ships. So let's scour the
bottom of the Atlantic and see what wreckage we can find...
Right at the very bottom with a measly 4.0 average is will.i.am.
Poor little will.i.am. Currently in a legal battle
with Pharrell Williams over the words "I am" because that's
possible somehow, there's not much to cheer him up when he looks at
our chart. Not only bottom, but he's been bottom since the first
few reviews came in for #willpower. And on top of all that, has a
page all to himself. Seriously, customising the chart to the last
six months gives 17 pages, with will.i.all alone on page 17.
#Aww.
Another of the big names down there is Lil Wayne.
Only a 4.5 for his 10th studio album. It may be the fourth worst
rated album of the last six months, but it's not even the worst
rated Lil Wayne album in our All-Time chart. His rock/rap attempt
Rebirth only got him a 3.5. Whoops. An entire point up then, good
job Young Weezy! Keep it up!
Jon Bon Jovi, the movie actor from U571, a West Wing episode and a
30 Rock episode, also put out a record in the last six months. He
calls his band Bon Jovi, which the other bandmates
love I'm sure, and the album got a 4.6. A few sources quite liked
it, but most didn't. Never mind, they still have their stadium
touring live show.
You would sort of expect all of those names to be down here in the
chart depths, but just like the top of the chart there's a few
surprises down here too. Ra Ra Riot only managed
5.0 and sit in the bottom 10. Editors have the
same rating as much maligned Tom Odell and, most
surprising of all, Delphic follow up their
much-praised debut with an album that has the same rating as
Dido. There's no relying on your past successes
when the ADM chart is concerned. Just ask Snoop Lion.
Beady Eye are only just on the bottom page, but
on the bottom page they are because, well of course they are. Some
good ratings from Clash, All Music, Uncut and NME saved it from the
very bottom despite the best efforts of Drowned In Sound, who rated
it 0. Couldn't have happened to a nicer Gallagher.
Also down the bottom is an Eric Clapton cover
album called Old Sock. Weird eh?