MERGED->Amazon.com HTDAAB Fan Review Statistics+How credible are those Amazon review

[JimmyChicken]

How credible are those Amazon user reviews?

I've been reading the How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb reviews and I've noticed some things:

1. Many of the reviews aren't reviews! They’re opinionated rants of what the individual thinks of U2, but devoid of information about the album they're supposedly reviewing.

2. Most of them don’t explain why they dislike like the album. Though a 5 star rating with no explanation isn’t anymore helpful.

3. Some who gave How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb only one star gave all the other albums they reviewed 5 stars. That seemed extremely unbalanced.

4. Some even when as far to write negative reviews for every thing U2 has released recently. I.e. the Vertigo, Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own and All Because of You singles.

Do people have nothing better to do than defame U2? If people want to discuss their opinions or lament about U2 then it should be done on a forum like this. When I read a music CD review I expect to it be relevant and critical of the material on that CD. I don't care what U2 did at the Superbowl in 2001 or what Bono is doing for Aids Relief in Africa. I want to know about the content of the album, nothing else.

 

[OnFire]

Any consumer review at the point of purchase is bound to be motivated by either a strong like or dislike for the product.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

dont read them anymore, they used to get on my nerves

 

[the tourist]

People and their wacky opinions. Who cares if they like it? It's good stuff.

 

[nathan1977]

It's the Internet. Talkbackers, Amazon.com reviewers, even IMdBers.... it's all mostly negative. (Unlike most Interferenc'ers.)

 

[GibsonGirl]

(Unlike most Interferenc'ers.)

 

[Yahweh]

I would say in general these people look forward to a new album being released so they can trash it, and other fans are rating it based upon naustalgia and how other albums were accepted by the public so therefore this album will never live up to the standard they have set. Most of the reviews dont talk about the music at all and when they do they say the music is "boring" or "flat" but I must be listening to a different album then they are.

 

[Zoots]

I agree that there are many Bono haters out there just waiting to talk shit about U2 without actually listening to the album. But I've also read negative reviews from people who sound like long-time fans who're really disappointed with this new phase. I don't know... ATYCLB was a disappointment to me despite some brilliant songs. But HTDAAB is definitely growing on me at a much faster rate.

 

[ponkine]

I´ve found quite eloquent reviews on www.amazon.com

Of course, I´m not gonna read 900 reviews, but there´re really insteresting stuff to read there. I don´t like one line reviews, no matter those ones rated 1 or 4 or 5 stars. There´re a few ones there. But the 80% of the reviews are worth read, really.

It seems the first bunch of reviews were written at once, I mean, like a silly war between low and high rated reviewers. There were a lot of childish "The best since Joshua Tree", "The third Masterpiece", "The Best since Achtung Baby" and other easy reviews. Negative reviews were better written, to be honest.

Then fans started to write more mature reviews, both from high and low rated ones. 5 stars reviewers tend to overrate the album at any cost, and that´s childish, really. On The other hand, 1 star reviewers, most of the time, write a review including aspects like iPod coporate sellout theme, U.S adoration, etc, and that´s worthy for me, because I knew some pitiful aspects of U2 I didn´t know . For example, the now famous trilogy written by 3 different fans called "U2´s midlife crisis" is a must read .

In the end, all those fans wrote their own feelings, opinions, etc, so that´s credible. If you go to another sites like www.cduniverse.com you´ll find even worse ratings than www.amazon.com

One thing I´m sure of: this album got mixed feelings, nobody can refuse that. Fans opinion is clear: this album wasn´t as good as they promised. You know, maybe that´s the begining of the HTDAAB dislikes problem: U2 promised too much, they fooled everyone by saying "The best U2 album ever", "11 best songs ever written", "it´s real punk Rock", etc, etc. All that propaganda -supported by U2-friendly media as Rolling Stone, NME, Billboard, etc - just had the opposite effect: more and more fans felt ripped off by that marketing machine, so they hate the album

I don´t hate it, but I dislike it

 

[popmart86]

i was going to post this topic but i assumed it was more likely posted in probably Nov/Dec. many reviewers on amazon think this album is "regurgitated" or "ATYCLB Pt 2." i see why they think that, and it does sound like a twin of the 2000 album. these people might be avid u2 fans, these are fans who want CHANGE. they expect it on every release (ex: AB is different from JT, Zooropa differs from AB, Pop differs from Zoo, etc etc). i actually DO have an amazon account, i purchased the cd/dvd edition of the album, at first i think i gave it four stars but then after listening to it more i gave it a FIVE !!!!

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Ponkine, thats funny, because one of the first reviews posted on amazon was by yourself.

 

[namkcuR]

Amazon.com HTDAAB Fan Review Statistics

I really don't care what the reviews at Amazon say, they're not going to affect my opinion of whatever they're reviewing, but this has been talked a lot about here, and some people seem to think that HTDAAB is getting mostly bad reviews at Amazon, so I thought I'd give you all some statistics to look at. And before you ask, no I did not count each review one-by-one. Amazon lets you sort reviews by stars, and when you sort them it tells you how many reviews there are of that star level.

Amazon.com has three editions of HTDAAB to release, the normal edition, the deluxe edition, and the collector's edition. Remember, all numbers and percentages in this post are as of 1PM EST, TODAY, and will change within the day as more reviews are posted at Amazon. That said, I don't, however, think the percentages and general conclusions to be made from the stats will change with the addition of more reviews. Without further ado...

How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: General Release

Total Reviews: 909
Five Star Reviews: 327
Four Star Reviews: 166
Three Star Reviews: 97
Two Star Reviews: 81
One Star Reviews: 238


How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: Deluxe Edition

Total Reviews: 79
Five Star Reviews: 33
Four Star Reviews: 8
Three Star Reviews: 3
Two Star Reviews: 5
One Star Reviews: 30


How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: Collector's Edition Release

Total Reviews: 97
Five Star Reviews: 39
Four Star Reviews: 19
Three Star Reviews: 6
Two Star Reviews: 5
One Star Reviews: 28


Grand Totals(ALL How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb releases combined)

Total Reviews: 1085
Five Star Reviews: 399(37%)
Four Star Reviews: 193(18%)
Three Star Reviews: 106(10%)
Two Star Reviews: 91(8%)
One Star Reviews: 296(27%)

Conclusions:

Percentage of Five Star Reviews(37%) is a full TEN percent higher than the percentage of One Star Reviews(27%).

Four and Five Star Reviews made up 55% of ALL reviews, while Two and Three Star Reviews made up 18% of ALL reviews, and One, Two, and Three Star Reviews made up 45% of ALL reviews, meaning the majority of ALL reviews were either Four or Five Star Reviews.

Two and Three Star Reviews make relatively low percentages of the whole(8% and 10%), compared to Four and Five Star Reviews(18%, 37%), yet One Star Reviews make much a larger percentage of the whole(27%). The number of reviews for each level of stars goes steadily down with each deduction of a star, an easy pattern, until the One Star Reviews, which skyrocket back up. I suspect this is because there are people who already didn't like U2 giving the record a negative review just stir shit up. Mind you I'm sure a fair amount of them were legitimate U2 fans who didn't like the record as well.

I know this will all be meaningless to some of you, but I felt some could gain some perspective from this.

That's it.

 

[ponkine]

Re: Amazon.com HTDAAB Fan Review Statistics

Very interesting post my friend, well done

Well, what can I say after reading this ?. It´s as clear as water. Fans are divided, that´s all AND VERY DIVIDED. 45% of fans think this album is just not good enough. 55% think is very good of great. If I were U2, I´d be so worried because if you take a look at any other U2 album, you´ll realise it´s their lowest rated album ever. That´s something to worry about. Too much hype, too much Ipod and www.u2.com, too little substance.

For example, take a look at Rattle & Hum:

TOTAL REVIEWS: 86 (100%)

5 Star reviews: 43 (50%)
4 Star reviews: 20 (23,2%)
3 Star reviews: 16 (18,6%)
2 Star reviews: 3 (3,4%)
1 Star reviews: 4 (4,6%)

Overall: 5+4 Star reviews: 73,2%
1+2+3 Star reviews: 26,%


Another example, POP

TOTAL REVIEWS: 314 (100%)

5 Star reviews: 174 (55,4%)
4 Star reviews: 71 (22,6%)
3 Star reviews: 32 (10,1%)
2 Star reviews: 15 ( 4,7%)
1 Star reviews: 22 ( 7,0%)

Overall: 5+4 Star reviews: 78%
1+2+3 Star reviews: 22%

Just 5 stars alone got that 55% !!


Another example, ALL THAT YOU CAN¨T LEAVE BEHIND

TOTAL REVIEWS: 1270 (100%)

5 Star reviews: 689 (54,2%)
4 Star reviews: 265 (20,8%)
3 Star reviews: 110 ( 8,6%)
2 Star reviews: 100 ( 7,8%)
1 Star reviews: 106 ( 8,3%)

Overall: 5+4 Star reviews: 75%
1+2+3 Star reviews: 25%



It would be so interesting if someone (I´m getting lazy now) could do the same for every U2 album, so then we´ll know which is the best rated album ever among fans, then the second, the third and so on

As you can see, the worst ever is HTDAAB, and Pop ranks up above ATYCLB, and this one ranks up above Rattle & Hum.

Peace

 

[roy]

Re: Re: Amazon.com HTDAAB Fan Review Statistics

Very interesting post my friend, well done

If I were U2, I´d be so worried because if you take a look at any other U2 album, you´ll realise it´s their lowest rated album ever.

MAN I love U2 experts like yourself, someone with all the U2 facts. I have a 'friend' who thinks that HTDAAB is easily in U2's top 3 albums but what the f**k does he know. Can you, as you've already stated, provide the evidence as to why it's their lowest rated album. As a crap Pop band once said, Don't let me down.

 

[Dalton]

Interpreting statistics is as much of a science as reading chicken bones......

 

[John_Doe]

Only fans write old albums reviews

Fans and haters write atomic bomb reviews

It's so easy

 

[namkcuR]

Um...Ponkine...the purpose of this post wasn't to say that HTDAAB is the lowest-rated album ever(and that would only be according to Amazon fan reviewers), it was to show that contrary to popular belief, the majority of HTDAAB's Amazon fan reviews are positive, and that a lot of the negative one-star reviews are probably from people that have heard Vertigo and ABOY(in my mind the record's two worst songs) on the radio 46892406728436026 times(why I don't listen to the radio anymore) and as such have a hard time appreciating the rest of the stuff on the record, or people who already disliked U2.

 

[Nate Dogg]

1.interesting post, the didvision in the fans is apparent.

2.I agree, namkcuR, the two singles thus far from the album are probably two of my least favorites...

 

[rjhbonovox]

Re: Amazon.com HTDAAB Fan Review Statistics

I really don't care what the reviews at Amazon say, they're not going to affect my opinion of whatever they're reviewing, but this has been talked a lot about here, and some people seem to think that HTDAAB is getting mostly bad reviews at Amazon, so I thought I'd give you all some statistics to look at. And before you ask, no I did not count each review one-by-one. Amazon lets you sort reviews by stars, and when you sort them it tells you how many reviews there are of that star level.

Amazon.com has three editions of HTDAAB to release, the normal edition, the deluxe edition, and the collector's edition. Remember, all numbers and percentages in this post are as of 1PM EST, TODAY, and will change within the day as more reviews are posted at Amazon. That said, I don't, however, think the percentages and general conclusions to be made from the stats will change with the addition of more reviews. Without further ado...

How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: General Release

Total Reviews: 909
Five Star Reviews: 327
Four Star Reviews: 166
Three Star Reviews: 97
Two Star Reviews: 81
One Star Reviews: 238


How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: Deluxe Edition

Total Reviews: 79
Five Star Reviews: 33
Four Star Reviews: 8
Three Star Reviews: 3
Two Star Reviews: 5
One Star Reviews: 30


How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: Collector's Edition Release

Total Reviews: 97
Five Star Reviews: 39
Four Star Reviews: 19
Three Star Reviews: 6
Two Star Reviews: 5
One Star Reviews: 28


Grand Totals(ALL How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb releases combined)

Total Reviews: 1085
Five Star Reviews: 399(37%)
Four Star Reviews: 193(18%)
Three Star Reviews: 106(10%)
Two Star Reviews: 91(8%)
One Star Reviews: 296(27%)

Conclusions:

Percentage of Five Star Reviews(37%) is a full TEN percent higher than the percentage of One Star Reviews(27%).

Four and Five Star Reviews made up 55% of ALL reviews, while Two and Three Star Reviews made up 18% of ALL reviews, and One, Two, and Three Star Reviews made up 45% of ALL reviews, meaning the majority of ALL reviews were either Four or Five Star Reviews.

Two and Three Star Reviews make relatively low percentages of the whole(8% and 10%), compared to Four and Five Star Reviews(18%, 37%), yet One Star Reviews make much a larger percentage of the whole(27%). The number of reviews for each level of stars goes steadily down with each deduction of a star, an easy pattern, until the One Star Reviews, which skyrocket back up. I suspect this is because there are people who already didn't like U2 giving the record a negative review just stir shit up. Mind you I'm sure a fair amount of them were legitimate U2 fans who didn't like the record as well.

I know this will all be meaningless to some of you, but I felt some could gain some perspective from this.

That's it.

Wow can you tell me how many times the words crap and great was used in these reviews? You have waaaaaaaaaaay too much time on yer hands!

 

[whasjoewahn]

I simply don´t understand how you can give this album a 1 star review. Even the most disappointed U2 fan of all (rjhbonovox ) gives it 4 stars...

 

[doctorwho]

There are just a lot of haters. There are:

• People who gave it a one-star review but never bought or heard the album;
• People who gave it a one-star review before the album was released;
• People who saw U2 win awards and were upset that their band didn't win, so they gave HTDAAB a one-star review;
• People who grew tired of the commercial or felt that U2 "sold out", so they gave the album a one-star review.

Years ago, maybe these types of fan reviews meant something. But now that everyone and his pet dog has internet access, these types of reviews - for any artist - are meaningless. As much as I hate music critics, fan critics are even worse.

 

[vivacolombia]

There are just a lot of haters. There are:

• People who gave it a one-star review but never bought or heard the album;
• People who gave it a one-star review before the album was released;
• People who saw U2 win awards and were upset that their band didn't win, so they gave HTDAAB a one-star review;
• People who grew tired of the commercial or felt that U2 "sold out", so they gave the album a one-star review.

I can utter the same thing about 5 star reviews

People who gave it 5 star review but never bought or heard the album; just read those "I haven´t heard the album yet but it´s gonna rock" or things like that. At least 60% of people bought the album before listening to it.

People who saw U2 win awards. Actually U2 fans were upsetting with Grammy Awards, because everybody knew U2 were going to win everything once again. Most of fans already hate Vertigo and all that iPod thing, so they couldn`t stand this song won 3 Grammys

It`s quite easy to say "5 star reviews are posted from real fans, whereas 1 star reviews are posted from U2 haters". That´s not true. We must accept the fact that this album is their worst reviewed ever. Whether you like the album or not, most of fans don´t think this is "their third masterpiece", a so-used term to describe a new U2 album. The same thing happened with atyclb, it was acclaimed as "their third masterpiece", "classic U2", etc. 4 years later is clear that album was hit and miss, easily forgettable.

I hope U2 will come back with a far better album next time, and most important, with an original and brand new one.

Adios

 

[Zoots]

This band gets way too much hype from it's own fans. I wish more fans were like me, both appreciative and critical.

 

[ponkine]

This band gets way too much hype from it's own fans. I wish more fans were like me, both appreciative and critical.

I´m with you man. I´ve been both appreciative and critical at different times

Peace

 

[Zoots]

Yeah I know. I've read your posts.

 

[ElectricalVoice]

There are just a lot of haters. There are:

• People who gave it a one-star review but never bought or heard the album;
• People who gave it a one-star review before the album was released;
• People who saw U2 win awards and were upset that their band didn't win, so they gave HTDAAB a one-star review;
• People who grew tired of the commercial or felt that U2 "sold out", so they gave the album a one-star review.

Just what I thought. You're probably right.

 

[GibsonGirl]

...so they couldn`t stand this song won 3 Grammys

And tell me, where did these statistics come from? I can't recall seeing many, if ANY, discussions here regarding that, so I really don't know where you're coming from.

Speaking about not standing things, I can't stand people who make stupid generalisations.

 

[U2girl]

For reasons doctorwho mentioned, those reviews aren't reliable any more than a bunch of 5 star reviews would be.

Professional reviewers in music magazine already spoke, most of them giving 4/5 and 9/10 marks.

 

[doctorwho]

I can utter the same thing about 5 star reviews


Adios

Yes you can. And you'd be correct.

Which is yet another reason why these type of fan reviews have no meaning whatsoever.

Look at the amount of reviews HTDAAB has in comparison to other albums. HTDAAB has almost 10x the amount of reviews than some of U2's other works. This just proves my point that EVERYONE these days is writing a review. As such, they all become meaningless.

So I reiterate, as much as I hate music critics, I hate fan reviews even more.

 

[Yahweh]

Going deeper into this discussion it seems to me like a lot of the reviewers on both extremes whether reviewing it as 1 star or 5 stars went out of their way to review this album and only this album. That tells me they have an agenda to either get negativity or positivity going with this album. I have a lot more respect for the people that have taken the time to review all the previous material.