My Method of rating an album is by looking at, in order of analysis:

PS: THIS IS IMPORTANT TO READ. IT EXPLAINS IN DETAIL MY APPROACH. PLEASE DO READ IT.

1. Context: This is not a grade item, but it is needed to understand what to expect from the band before analyzing their album. No band is the same, so we should learn about them before talking shit, you dig? However, if we look at the context, and the album goes completely against it, it sure can become an influence on the way I look at the album.
2. Intro Song: An album is like a movie to me, being it a Concept Album or not. So the first song you listen to should make sense. A song can be great, but is it a great Intro song? Not always. There are plenty of ways an Intro song can accomplish the job, so I won’t get into it here.
3. Variation of Songs: Not all albums need plenty of variation, be it the way it is that makes them different from each other. For example: AC/DC is always practically the same, but that’s like their charm. This would mean their album obviously won’t have a heavy variation of songs. That’s why we look at the context first. Either way, normally a great 5/5 album has different styles, many instruments, fast and slow songs etc AND IT STILL FEELS LIKE THE SAME ALBUM (THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT).
4. Ending Song: The same idea as Intro Song.
5. Hits & Deep Tracks: Here we look at how time has treated our album in question, or if it is really recent, what songs are big hitters and how many are deep tracks. This is important to analyse since, let’s be realistic, an album get’s remembered by its big hits. Even though Deep Tracks can be as great as the hits. So an album with more powerful hits will be culturally remembered. This is also critical cause practically all of the albums you’ll listen to have plenty of filler. I mean, it’s really rare for a band to create 11 or 12 big hits. Usually they will have a song or two that are great, and they will build an album around it, and so fillers are born. But it is possible for Deep Tracks being no fillers, instead being as amazing as the hits. THIS CATEGORY IS BASED ON HEAVY FACTS. FOR ALBUMS WITH MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLD, IT’S PRETTY CLEAR WHAT SONGS ARE HITS, AND WHAT ARE DEEP TRACKS. FOR ALBUMS YOUNGER THAN 10 YEARS, THERE WILL BE SUPPOSITIONS.
6. Album Order: An album is like a movie for me. It’s a story. Humans are natural storytellers, and so albums should tell a story EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT CONCEPT ALBUMS, THE SONGS STILL NEED TO FLOW A CERTAIN WAY ON THE TRACK-LIST. After all, music is supposed to send a message, whatever it is we should see an album as the big arc. If this is not the case, it’s probably cause the album is an excuse for putting a hit track out, which is moronic (just release it as a single for crying out loud). That’s why the order you listen to is important. It’s like if you watched Lord of The Rings in shuffle, it would be stupid. Of course there are exceptions, Pulp Fiction is not chronological and it’s a masterpiece, and that’s why we look at context first. But most of the times an album’s order is really important. IT’S NOT IMPORTANT WHEN IT’S A GREATEST HITS ALBUM.

 

So, in a nutshell: I tried creating a way to evaluate an album that eliminates subjectivity as much as possible. Intro and Closing songs are kinda easy to spot when they are good or bad, or at least, you can show the other person why exactly you believe that song in question is a good opener or bad one. But you don’t argue if it is a good or bad song, got it? ARGUE ABOUT THE ROLE IT SERVES IN THE ALBUM.

Variation of Songs is also kinda easy to see. Like I said AC/DC is pretty simple: Guitar, bass and drums. Queen is more intricate, there are many instruments and sounds happening. HOWEVER, variation can come not just with instruments, but with STYLES, PACING, BEATS ETC. So you can see how it is easier to grade than MUSIC QUALITY. THIS IS ALBUM OVERALL QUALITY.

Album Order is the same. If you take the time to listen to an album the way you would watch a movie at the cinemas, you will see how many albums are flawed OVERALL. They can: BORE YOU CAUSE OF BEING TOO LONG, BEING CHAOTIC WITH SONGS FEELING LIKE THEY CAME FROM ANOTHER ALBUM, FEELING LIKE IT’S ON SHUFFLE ETC.