Album rankings and notes about same. Albums are ranked on the 4.0 scale, with some albums given additional credit as Exceptional, Essential, or Canon. Basically anything "exceptional" should be considered required listening. Anything "essential" should be in your record collection. Anything that's "canon" is foundational and really should be in your collection.
Grades are somewhat subjective but I also try to look at albums objectively. Meaning that some albums are my favorites but for possibly sentimental or subjective reasons. For example, Prison by Steven Jessie Bernstein is interesting and one of my favorites, but it's almost a curiosity rather than a prime example of musicicianship. Some albums just hit that nostalgia just right. Other albums, like The Queen is Dead (The Smiths) or Under the Pink are Essential albums that are required listening for anybody looking to understand those eras and later