I have a vague theory that track four is generally the best track on an album.

Back when album structure mattered much more with LPs, track 4 would likely be the last track of side 1. So ending an album side of a positive note would be in the band's best interest. I think that would be the explanation for your theory.

Good call on Hospice. My ranking, however...

Sylvia
Kettering
Bear
Two
Epilogue
Wake
Prologue
Thirteeen
Atrophy
Shiva

Love this idea.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

An Introduction To Elliott Smith

Waltz #2
Pretty (Ugly Before)
Pictures of Me
Alameda
Needle In The Hay
Ballad Of Big Nothing
Between The Bars
The Biggest Lie
Angeles
Miss Misery (Early version)
Angel In The Snow
Last Call
Twilight
Happiness (Early version)

LOL. Considering only one track 4 has been placed at the top of anyone's list in this thread so far officially calls BS on my theory.

I can think of a couple albums where that is true for me. David Comes To Life by Fucked Up and Old Crows/Young Cardinals by Alexisonfire come to mind, but I think that's coincidence. It's too dependent on personal preference, you'd have to conduct a massive poll to prove it.

In my experience, the first or last tracks are often the best.

1) Power Out
2) Haiti
3) Rebellion

4) Tunnels
5) Wake Up
6) Laika
7) 7 Kettles

8) Une Anee Sans Lumiere
9) Crown of Love
10) In the Backseat

There's 3 noticeable groupings for the quality of the songs for me.

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica

1. Frownland
2. Bill's Corpse
3. Sugar 'n Spikes
4. Ant Man Bee
5. Hair Pie: Bake 2
6. Ella Guru
7. Hobo Chang Ba
8. Well
9. Sweet Sweet Bulbs
10. My Human Gets Me Blues
11. Veteran's Day Poppy
12. Wild Life
13. Dali's Car
14. When Big Joan Sets Up
15. Dachau Blues
16. Steal Softly Through Snow
17. Old Fart at Play
18. She's Too Much for My Mirror
19. Pena
20. Hair Pie: Bake 1
21. Pachuco Cadaver
22. Orange Claw Hammer
23. Fallin' Ditch
24. The Dust Blows Forward 'n the Dust Blows Back
25. Moonlight on Vermont
26. The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica)

Kendrick Lamar - Section.80

Rigamortis
F*ck Your Ethnicity
Kush & Corinthians (His Pain)
Ronald Reagan Era
Hol' Up
No Make-Up (Her Vice)
Ab-Soul's Outro
A.D.H.D
Keisha's Song
The Spiteful Chant
Tammy's Song
HiiiPoWeR
Blow My High (Members Only)
Poe Man's Dream (His Vice)
Chapter Six
Chapter Ten

Going through those songs makes me even more impressed with that release. Apart from the bottom two or three, I could have moved every single one at least two places up or down. Crazy good album.

That's fair, and I agree but I also listened to Aphex Twin quite a bit before getting this disc and it sounds like something from SAW2. I think it's too close to the influence for me to stand above the rest of the disc. I wonder if it's similar reasons for the others who ranked it near the bottom.

1 The Greeting Song
2 If You Have To Ask
3 Mellowship Slinky In B Major
4 The Power of Equality
5 The Righteous and the Wicked
6 My Lovely Man
7 Blood Sugar Sex Magik
8 Suck My Kiss
9 Give It Away
10 Breaking the Girl
11 Sir Psycho Sexy
12 Apache Rose Peacock
13 Under the Bridge
14 Naked In the Rain
15 Funky Monks
16 They're Red Hot!
17 I Could Have Lied