About My Grading Scale
I'm starting a little project here where I evaluate music just based on lyrics alone. Here's what I'm scoring based on:
Originality & specificity: How original is the wording? Is it general or specific? Does it use cliches or does it phrase things in a way you've never heard before?
Storytelling & imagery: How evocative is the writing? How well does it tell the story of the song? How does it convey meaning through the use of imagery, metaphor, simile, etc.?
Flow & phrasing: Are lines clunky or are they elegantly written? Does it feel like the "best words in the best order"? Does it have a meter that feels just right, or does it feel forced? How do the words themselves sound to the ear? Does it make use of internal rhyme, alliteration, or other poetic devices?
Emotional impact: How do the words make the listener feel?
Cohesiveness & song structure: How does the writing work together as a whole? How well do different elements of the song support one another? Where does the song go and does it have some type of narrative arc?
Each of the above categories will be rated on a 10-point scale, which will then be added up to give a percentage score with a classic letter grade.
A lot of great songs have kind of mediocre lyrics if you look at them just on a page, and there are some songs with great lyrics that are weak in other areas. This will not be an objective measure of how good a song is by any means - it's just a bit of fun!!!
(and since I just want this to be fun little project for me - the writing on this page itself will not be very carefully written. Sorry about that!)
Grade Distribution
In case you're wondering how I'm distributing grades - I'm trying to create a fair scale across the full spectrum.
A+: This is next to impossible to achieve and even the best songs ever written may not get an A+. There are probably fewer than 10 artists who have ever lived who'd even be able to get this score. And none of them have a stan army.
A: One of the best songs ever written.
A-: An excellent song but it has a few things holding it back from being an all-timer.
B+: A great song.
B: A solid song. Has a few standout moments. A little generic or cliche at times.
B-: A good song but it's not exceptional. Decently written but generic.
C Range: Mediocre, unoriginal, low effort.
D Range: Uninspired, clunky writing throughout, no sense of direction. Straight garbage.
F: Is it even a song?















