Seltzer

I like Blackstar. I've heard it maybe 3 or 4 times and it's a comfortable 4/5 for me. Definitely the best thing since Scary Monsters.

A more likely explanation is that newer albums have more breadth of exposure once they become highly rated or popular enough (i.e. trending), often to people who wouldn't normally listen to that kind of music. Consider the number of metalheads who have given recent Kanye and Kendrick albums a spin (maybe because they saw them mentioned on Pitchfork or whatever)... their evaluations probably lower the average, on average. Meanwhile, someone who listens predominantly to indie or soul has little incentive to check out a 70s Blue Oyster Cult album, leaving it to be rated by people who are more likely to be partial towards that kind of music (or people who already like it)

In a similar vein, people have more reason to react negatively to things which are injected into their spheres. Using RYM as an example, think of the number of people who give 0.5 star ratings to bands/artists perceived as shitty (Limp Bizkit, Disturbed, Shakira etc.), often in a knee jerk fit of rage after being reminded of their existence (via radio perhaps), igniting repressed and deep seated hatred originally caused by being subjected to their music when it first came out. Or the kvlt metalheads who reflexively slam Opeth for being 'fag metal' on principle. Or the people who downrate a trending Arcade Fire or Fleet Foxes album, on principle on account of it being indie. I suspect older albums are less susceptible to the sphere effect and clique treatment.

Then there's the consideration that many of the mediocre/crap albums of the past have been weeded out by the sands of time, such that the albums of the past which are talked about are effectively the better than average subset of albums from the era.

And I suppose seniority leads to positive bias too. Older bands/artists can enjoy a golden status, established by virtue of how long they've been around. A conservative rater will feel that they can more safely dish out a higher rating to an established band and be convinced of its fairness, given that it's already been curated by hordes of others.

Ok, that was far more than I intended to say.

Apparently Bowie's death led to RYM's highest ever daily traffic.

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