IMDb Music Section

So, what am I even supposed to make of this? http://www.last.fm/music/The+Beatles/Help!

It claims the album came out in 1990—which is obviously a joke—and says there are 13 tracks, even though if you actually read the text, it mentions 7 plus 7. And don't even get me started on the tracklist itself. Honestly, this isn't just a one-off error; it’s far from being a rare occurrence. 😉

It’s probably just like what Capitol released back in 1990, so there shouldn't be any mistakes there 😉 the CD info is actually spot on http://www.allmusic.com/album/releas...1-mr0001107386

So yeah, no error here. Not that I'm claiming Last.fm is perfect or anything 🙂

But where’s all the info on the original pressing? That's actually what I'm looking for. And where did this James Bond theme thing even come from? If we’re claiming to be top-tier sites, leaving stuff like that out is just unacceptable.
I'm not saying Last.fm isn't decent in some ways—it has its moments—but it’s nowhere near the level of IMDb, AllMusic, or RYM...

I mean, Last.fm wasn't even really built to be some big rating site, right? It’s more like a social network for people who happen to be vibing to the same tunes or just trying to stumble onto something new. If you're looking for deep dives into specific releases and actual ratings, Rym is definitely the way to go.

Everything there is to say has been said. I’m just pointing out that the whole thing lacks reliability—mostly because someone browsing without context might walk away thinking the album Help! actually opens with the James Bond theme (!). This is supposed to be a space for casual hanging out and kicking back, not some high-level database like IMDb.

silverpanther13 said:I agree with all of that—I’m just saying it isn't exactly reliable... since someone totally out of the loop might see that The Beatles' Help! opens with the James Bond theme (!) and take it as fact. This site is meant for casual fun and hanging out, not some hardcore database like IMDb.

If we're calling AllMusic a database, then it’s a pretty narrow one—mostly just covers the big-name artists, which doesn't do much for me. I could name hundreds of acts that AllMusic hasn't even heard of, yet you can find a few details about them on Last.fm. Besides, everyone knows everything there is to know about The Beatles—you can find any info you need on a dozen other sites—but when it comes to those niche bands that nobody really talks about, AllMusic is basically useless. RYM is a bit better at tracking down artists, but even they get overshadowed by Last.fm's concept... which is way more useful to me than having every random person rate everything and hand out star ratings—I'd rather not have to sift through all that to figure out what's actually good.🤷

I have to say, the new look for AllMusic is genuinely impressive—if not outright excellent. The previous interface was honestly a bit of a disaster.

Daniel Edwards said:If AllMusic is supposed to be a database, then it’s an incredibly narrow one—it mostly just covers the big names, which doesn't do much for me. I could list hundreds of artists who are completely invisible to AllMusic but have at least a few crumbs of info on Last.fm. As for The Beatles, everyone knows everything about them anyway; you can find any scrap of info you want on a million other sites. But for those niche bands where nobody is really "in the loop"—those acts most people haven't even heard of—AllMusic is basically useless. RYM is slightly better at tracking down obscure artists, but even they get bogged down by the Last.fm approach. Personally, I find the concept of everyone rating everything and throwing stars around to be less useful than just having data—I shouldn't have to sift through the noise to figure out what actually matters.🤷

We aren't even talking about the same thing here. A site that prides itself on substance over sheer volume should prioritize quality. To put it plainly, I don't care about digging up unknown indie acts; I want to look up things like The Beatles. And if I check Last.fm for their album Help!, it tells me it contains James Bond Theme, The Chase, and The Bitter End... which is just wrong. So, how am I supposed to trust information on lesser-known performers? I can't. I don't rely on it. Because when I actually stumble upon an obscure band I want to hear, I can't even be sure I'm listening to the right track.

Or, say, if I wanted to find something by the American band Boa. Click and all I get is a notification that there are other bands with the same name, followed by a messy pile of songs from all of them mixed together in a way that's totally unhelpful.

I'm not trying to bash the site—I use it quite a bit myself—but the facts are what they are.

It seems a bit silly to attack AllMusic or RYM based on their core concepts if they're actually being consistent and reliable. Everyone should just pick the tool that works for them. Sure, AllMusic might have a limited number of artists in its database, but the data is largely dependable. RYM allows anyone to leave a rating—much like how everyone jumps on IMDb threads to give their two cents—but at least on RYM, every entry goes through some level of verification before it hits the site.

Daniel Edwards said:If we're looking at AllMusic as a database, I honestly feel like it's just way too narrow, mostly focusing on the big names, which doesn't really help me much. I could probably list hundreds of artists that AllMusic hasn't even heard of, yet you can find decent info on them over on Last.fm. I mean, when it comes to The Beatles, everything is already out there anyway—you can find any little detail you're looking for on a million different sites—but for those niche bands that nobody really knows, AllMusic is pretty much useless. Rate Your Music is a bit better at covering more underground stuff, but even then, I still prefer the whole Last.fm vibe; I find their concept way more useful than having every random person rating everything and handing out star ratings that I then have to sift through just to figure out what's actually worth listening to. 🤷

that's what i'm talking about
When it comes to the famous bands, most of that info is pretty easy to find no matter where you look...

I actually decided to test this out by heading over to AllMusic and searching for something specific...

http://www.allmusic.com/search/all/sad+alice+said

And of course, they didn't find a single thing, whereas Last.fm actually has a pretty decent amount of data available.

Then, for example, if I search for Noumen on AllMusic, it labels them as pop/rock, even though they're actually more melodic death metal and things like that...

Or take a well-known American band like Kryn... they aren't even listed there, but on Last.fm, there's plenty of info: http://www.last.fm/music/Kryn?ac=kryn

You guys are busy obsessing over some obscure indie bands while completely glossing over my actual point. Look, it’s not exactly rocket science to get your name listed on a site like that—anyone can do it, really. There's zero gatekeeping and no real oversight involved. But a platform loses all its credibility the moment it starts peddling inaccurate data. That’s just how it works. Period.

The fundamental difference between IMDb and AllMusic boils down to who’s actually doing the heavy lifting—on AllMusic, their staff writes pretty much all the reviews. It’s a massive undertaking since they go back and review stuff retroactively, though obviously, they haven't covered every single album ever released. Meanwhile, over at IMDb, the editorial team mostly just plugs in technical data—credits, release years, and so on—while leaving the actual opinions to the users. So, putting together an entry on IMDb takes way less effort than on AllMusic; you don't even necessarily have to watch the movie to log the data, let alone form an opinion on it.

It seems like there isn't a single music site out there using the exact same model as IMDb: precise technical specs paired with user-generated reviews. I agree that it would be a great resource to have... maybe a few of us could team up and get something off the ground? There's definitely money to be made there if we play it right. We'd start by migrating everything from AllMusic, except we'd leave the reviews for the users to write themselves.😉

I don't know, I honestly think I’ll stick to checking out Last.fm first to see what people who actually listen to the same stuff I do are saying about a band—since they’re the ones actually hanging out on the band's page—rather than scrolling through AllMusic to read some critic's take on whether they like the group or not, especially when you have no idea what their actual taste is like...
I mean, having a thousand different people weigh in gives you a much clearer, more complete picture of what a band is really about, compared to just one person whose objectivity or musical preferences might be totally hit-or-miss...
Besides, those scrobbles on Last.fm are way more meaningful to me anyway. That's always my first stop; I love seeing which tracks are topping the charts and then diving straight into those specific songs to get a real feel for what the band is all about.

But what’s your take on The Beatles doing that James Bond Theme on the Help! album? 🤣 It’s one of those things everyone seems to just gloss over 🤔

Daniel Robinson59 said:Honestly, I’ll take the insights from Last.fm any day. I’d much rather read what people actually listen to the same music as me are saying on a band's page than some critique on AllMusic. You know, those professional critics who might be commenting on a band they either love or hate, but they aren't even vibing with the same genre I am...

Now, look, I might not agree with every single AllMusic review out there, but from what I've seen, most of them are actually quite well-written. Plus, they often go back and update their reviews after a few years have passed, which is a nice touch.
To my mind, their database is far more reliable and high-quality than Last.fm's.
Just look at what silverpanther13 pointed out, or even this — they didn't even list the original album the track belongs to. 🙄 I'm just using this specific one as an example because it happens to be what I'm listening to right now, though I'm sure there are plenty of other instances like it.

silverpanther13 said:It really is much easier to find something worthwhile when you have a solid recommendation to lean on. You have to start somewhere, after all, and there's no sense in just blindly rushing into things without a bit of guidance. 😉

I agree with everything that’s been said, though I find myself questioning whether judging music based solely on technical complexity or a performer's sheer skill actually serves much purpose. At the end of the day, taste is entirely subjective; what one person rates a one, someone else might consider a perfect ten. To me, trying to quantify art like that just feels a bit misguided.

How do you actually hunt down albums without wasting money on junk? For me, reading reviews while listening to snippets—like on Pitchfork—has turned out to be a killer way to find new music. It’s helped me dig up a mountain of stuff I probably would have never heard of, and more importantly, it keeps me from buying a bunch of garbage based on just one single song or zero research at all.
Of course, I'm mostly looking for things that align with my specific taste. That doesn't mean everything with a high rating will hit the spot for me, obviously—I don't really care about high scores for some hair metal record or, heaven forbid, a death metal album if that's not my thing. 😁

silverpanther13 said:How do you actually go about finding albums without getting stuck with junk? For me, reading reviews while listening to those little audio clips on sites like AllMusic has been such a lifesaver when searching for new music. It’s helped me stumble upon tons of great records I never would have heard of otherwise, and it's saved me from buying a bunch of bad stuff based just on one catchy song or zero research at all.
Well, for sure, I mostly hunt for things that I think might actually vibe with my taste. Of course, that doesn't mean everything with a high rating is going to be my cup of tea—I don't really care what people say about boring hair metal albums or, heaven forbid, death metal and stuff like that. 😁

I'm not entirely sure who this question was directed at, but I'll jump in with a quick thought of my own.
When it comes to reading reviews and all that whole process... honestly, I haven't done that once in my life!
I much prefer just hopping onto www.youtube.com so I can hear exactly how a track sounds right then and there. I'd much rather just listen and build my own personal review in my head as I go. 😉

If you’ve never actually sat down and done it, you can't really claim to know if it’s useful or not—whether it actually helps you out or just wastes your time. 😛 Personally, I tend to mix things up. I’ll listen and read at the same time, just hoping to stumble upon a solid album, which—let's be honest—is really the only thing that matters in the end. 🙂

silverpanther13 said:How do you actually find good albums without wasting your time? For me, reading reviews while listening to clips on Pitchfork has been a pretty solid way to hunt for new music

I usually wait until I’ve actually listened to an album and formed my own opinion before diving into reviews—just to see how others perceive it... it's fun to think, "Man, this critic totally missed how great this record is," or even, "I wasn't feeling this at all, but everyone else is raving about it." It feels a bit silly to read these deep, poetic breakdowns of specific tracks if I haven't even heard them myself. As for finding new stuff, I still rely mostly on the radio, followed by various blogs, podcasts, and Last.fm...

My main issue is that the radio rarely plays anything I actually enjoy—most of what comes on just isn't my style. Music blogs tend to lack any real objectivity, I don't really bother with podcasts, and Last.fm is a total mess—it’s just confusing and doesn't offer much depth. Then there’s Rate Your Music, which is probably the closest thing to IMDb out there, but the problem is certain voting blocs—kind of like the groups you see here on Reddit—who just dogpile their favorite genres with high scores regardless of actual quality. It skews the rankings, though I suppose it can still be useful if you approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism. As far as I'm concerned, AllMusic remains the most logically organized corner of the internet dedicated to music.

+ For me, the priority is reading reviews for albums I haven't heard yet, since I obviously can't listen to everything in existence—as much as I might want to. Once I've actually listened to an album, I don't feel much need to check what everyone else thinks about it.