History Main / ReviewerStandardComparisons

* Good ProgressiveRock will get compared to Music/PinkFloyd, Music/{{Yes}} or Music/KingCrimson. Music/{{Rush}} may show up occasionally if the reviewer's nerdy enough. Bad ProgressiveRock and long, drawn-out, endless wankery albums will inevitably get compared to Yes' famous disaster ''Music/TalesFromTopographicOceans'', Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer or Music/{{Styx}}.

* Good ProgressiveRock will get compared to Music/PinkFloyd, Music/{{Yes}} or Music/KingCrimson. Music/{{Rush}} may show up occasionally if the reviewer's nerdy enough. Bad ProgressiveRock and long, drawn-out, endless wankery albums will inevitably get compared to Yes' famous disaster ''Tales from Topographic Oceans'', Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer or Music/{{Styx}}.

** ''A Hard Day's Night'': Aforementioned catchy pop-rock SillyLoveSongs with vocal harmonies.

** ''Music/{{Revolver}}'', ''Sgt. Pepper'': PsychedelicRock {{Concept Album}}s.

** Music/{{XTC}}, Badfinger or The Raspberries are also used for comparison.

* Music/FrankZappa: {{Crazy Awesome}}ness, heavily experimental tunes with avant-garde leanings, complicated compositions, aversion of CommonTime, quirky, RefugeInAudacity or VulgarHumor.

One way to get around the problem is to compare or contrast the work in question to other artists or albums. In itself, this trope [[TropesAreNotBad is not bad]] since it can provide an easy reference for a band's SignatureStyle, kind of like how PowerPop = Music/TheBeatles [[JustForFun/XMeetsY plus]] Music/TheWho. However, done excessively it can get annoying (like, say, featuring the exact same comparison in every single review of albums released by a particular band), and it can also backfire if it's WrongGenreSavvy: comparing something to an obscure Japanese noise band will fly over the heads of most mainstream listeners.

* Any double album will either attract comparisons to classic double albums like Music/PinkFloyd's ''Music/TheWall'', Music/LedZeppelin's ''Physical Graffiti'', Music/TheBeatles' ''Music/TheWhiteAlbum'' or Music/{{Prince}}'s ''Sign O' the Times'' or will cause arguments that it's too long and would've been better with some songs thrown out/as a single album - double albums will inevitably be seen as either a "grand artistic statement" or "self-indulgent noodling". Double albums frequently tend to feature lots of [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly genre experimentation]] and sprawling - in fact, "sprawl" in a pretty frequent term when it comes to describing double albums.

** Acoustic guitar-playing singer-songwriters tend to be compared with James Taylor, Music/JoniMitchell, Cat Stevens or Music/JimCroce.

** Speaking of Music/PinkFloyd, ''Dark Side of the Moon'' is reviewer speak for "ConceptAlbum with excellent production and progressive tendencies".

* Indie rock with dance influences will draw comparisons to Music/NewOrder or Music/LCDSoundsystem.

* Indie rock with dance influences will draw comparisons to Music/NewOrder.

* Good ProgressiveRock will get compared to Music/PinkFloyd, Music/{{Yes}} or Music/KingCrimson. Music/{{Rush}} may show up occasionally if the reviewer's nerdy enough. Bad ProgressiveRock and long, drawn-out, endless wankery albums will inevitably get compared to Yes' famous disaster ''Tales from Topographic Oceans'' and to Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer.

* Good ProgressiveRock will get compared to Music/PinkFloyd, Music/{{Yes}} or Music/KingCrimson. Music/{{Rush}} may show up occasionally if the reviewer's nerdy enough. Bad ProgressiveRock and long, drawn-out, endless wankery albums will inevitably get compared to Yes' famous disaster ''Tales from Topographic Oceans''.

* Music/TheBeachBoys' ''Music/PetSounds'': baroque pop album bordering on psychedelia, intricate orchestration, cool production, massive harmonies. Key difference from ''Sgt. Pepper'' is that ''Pet Sounds'' implies a more sedate pop sound as opposed to trippy rocking out.

* Any PostRock band that is not Mogwai, Music/GodspeedYouBlackEmperor, Music/ExplosionsInTheSky, or Music/SigurRos will inevitably be compared to at least one of those. This is especially frustrating for bands such as God Is An Astronaut, who claim in interviews to have never been influenced by ''any'' of them. Even side-projects of the above artists are not immune to these comparisons. Case in point: Music/GodspeedYouBlackEmperor vs. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra.

** Speaking of Music/PinkFloyd, ''Dark Side of the Moon'' is reviewerspeak for "ConceptAlbum with excellent production and progressive tendencies".

* Speaking of Music/TheBeatles, Music/GeorgeHarrison's triple-album ''Music/AllThingsMustPass'' is pretty much shorthand for "first two discs are awesome, but the third part is complete shit and nobody ever listens to it".

* During the late 90's / early 2000's, many European reviewers insisted on comparing new UK bands to Music/{{Radiohead}}. Unfortunately, it [[Music/{{Coldplay}} was]] [[{{Music/Muse}} often]] [[Music/{{Travis}} true]].

** And as a corollary, any female pop/electro singer who wears outfits at all flamboyant will be compared to Music/{{Bjork}}.
*** Not so much anymore. The new standard of comparison is Music/LadyGaga, fortunately or unfortunately.

* During the late 90's / early 2000's, many European reviewers insisted on comparing new UK bands to Music/{{Radiohead}}. Unfortunately, it [[Music/{{Coldplay}} was]] [[{{Music/Muse}} often]] ([[Music/{{Travis}} true]].)

* During the late 90's / early 2000's, many European reviewers insisted on comparing new UK bands to Music/{{Radiohead}}. Unfortunately, it [[Music/{{Coldplay}} was]] [[{{Music/Muse}} often]] (in the case of [=Travis=] true.)

** As a corollary, Music/PuffDaddy: {{Sampling}} GoneHorriblyWrong.

* Any metal band that has ever been vaguely melodic, especially if they use guitar harmonies prominently, will get compared to Music/IronMaiden.

One way to get around the problem is to compare or contrast the work in question to other artists or albums. In itself, this trope [[TropesAreNotBad is not bad]] since it can provide an easy reference for a band's SignatureStyle, kind of like how PowerPop = Music/TheBeatles [[XMeetsY plus]] Music/TheWho. However, done excessively it can get annoying (like, say, featuring the exact same comparison in every single review of albums released by a particular band), and it can also backfire if it's WrongGenreSavvy: comparing something to an obscure Japanese noise band will fly over the heads of most mainstream listeners.

* Any PostRock band that is not Mogwai, Music/GodspeedYouBlackEmperor, Music/ExplosionsInTheSky, or Music/SigurRos will inevitably be compared to at least one of those. This is especially frustrating for bands such as God Is An Astronaut, who claim in interviews to have never been influenced by ''any'' of them. Even side-projects of the above artists are not immune to these comparisons. Case in point: GodspeedYouBlackEmperor vs. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra.

* Music/JoyDivision: PostPunk revival band. Doesn't help that many PostPunk revivalists have vocalists that sound like Ian Curtis (or, as SomethingAwful less charitably put it, "throat-raping Ian Curtis' corpse").

** ''Revolver'', ''Sgt. Pepper'': PsychedelicRock {{Concept Album}}s.

** ''Abbey Road'': a glossy GrandFinale production where a decaying band pulls itself together for one last effort that is worthy of their talents.
* Speaking of Music/TheBeatles, Music/GeorgeHarrison's triple-album ''All Things Must Pass'' is pretty much shorthand for "first two discs are awesome, but the third part is complete shit and nobody ever listens to it".
* Music/TheBeachBoys' ''Pet Sounds'': baroque pop album bordering on psychedelia, intricate orchestration, cool production, massive harmonies. Key difference from ''Sgt. Pepper'' is that ''Pet Sounds'' implies a more sedate pop sound as opposed to trippy rocking out.

** As a corollary, Puff Daddy: {{Sampling}} GoneHorriblyWrong.

* Any double album will either attract comparisons to classic double albums like Music/PinkFloyd's ''Music/TheWall'', Music/LedZeppelin's ''Physical Graffiti'', Music/TheBeatles' ''Music/TheWhiteAlbum'' or Music/{{Prince}}'s ''Sign o' the Times'' or will cause arguments that it's too long and would've been better with some songs thrown out/as a single album - double albums will inevitably be seen as either a "grand artistic statement" or "self-indulgent noodling". Double albums frequently tend to feature lots of [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly genre experimentation]] and sprawling - in fact, "sprawl" in a pretty frequent term when it comes to describing double albums.

* Music/TheRamones = moronically simple, catchy PopPunk.

** Acoustic guitar-playing singer-songwriters tend to be compared with James Taylor, Music/JoniMitchell, Cat Stevens or Music/JimCroce.

* Music/FrankZappa: {{Crazy Awesome}}ness, heavily experimental tunes with avant-garde leanings, complicated compositions, aversion of CommonTime, quirky, RefugeInAudacity or [[RefugeInVulgarity Vulgarity]] humour.