I love the consistency of these boards, some Albums are higher placed than others on "greatest debut albums list", "greatest rock albums of the 70's" albums but lower on the "all time list" tell me how this is possible ?

The Debut Albums list has a different editor using different criteria.

shouldn't we be using +- the same criteria to have a bit of consistency on the lists ?

This.

I'm glad you said "a bit of consistency", because the consistency still wouldn't be perfect.

We've always let each editor choose his own criteria. It has the advantage of allowing him to pick criteria that he knows how to use, and allows different things to be tried, hopefully resulting in some learning. It also avoids the question of who determines the criteria for the whole site if each editor doesn't.

Ok,

by these criteria , can somebody explain why purple rain is that high, sure it is quite popular but don't know if it had that much impact ..., and also stevie wonder's inner vissions.

If kraftwerk is considered rock they should have an album on the list! in top 30

I don't know if those 2 albums have to be as high as they are, but I think both do very well in musical impact, especially Innervisions. Musical impact as defined here means the immediate response to the album from the artists peers in the music industry. I'd say Innervisions is generally considered Wonder's masterpiece, and he's one of the most respected rock artists of all time.

I do think Kraftwerk is rock, but I wouldn't include anything by them in the top 30. They're influential, but nothing by them is influential enough to make up for their lack of popularity relative to the other albums in the top 30. I think most if not all of what's in the top 30 also beats their albums in musical impact.

Why?

For example, with the Debut Albums list, we're evaluating them *as debut albums*. Meaning that the initial success of the album is more important, as is the extent to which the artist was known before the album came out. That explains why the Elvis and Velvet Underground albums don't do as well there as they do, relatively, on other lists.

But even leaving that aside, isn't posting the same information over and over in different forms a little dull? I think it's good that there are different lists with different criteria, personally.

Can somebody explain why zep II is rated higher than I or runes ?

I really don't know if it's musical impact was higher than 4 where they have more different genres and IV wins popularity for sure.
Ok i agree II has al the riffs, and pounding drums, but how many times when you walk into a guitarshop you hear the intro being played by a beginning player?

Also the fact that there is no real name on the album, the mysterious thing that comes with it, contributes to its legendary status.

I would agree that the debut should be the highest ranked Zeppelin album.

how is Led Zeppelin I better than II or IV in any way? It seems to be their most heavily scrutinized album since half of the material is stolen and borrowed from non-credited sources. It's also not near the level of quality of I or IV/ I also think III is a much greater album but that's just me.

I would move IV up quite a lot, the album was very popular, had much impact, still has, when you read comments on video's from kid's who think they know it all about music, you see all the time.. "fuck justin bieber, or rap sucks I listen to real music listen to this album, Zep IV this is the real shit" the same with "the doors- the doors which should also move up a bit. Also the production was excellent for its time.

I don't understand how for example purple rain is rated higher

maybe I use the criteria wrong

I don't know if I would have Purple Rain ahead of Zep IV, and I probably wouldn't have Zep II ahead of Zep IV, but I suspect the main reason for each would be that Purple Rain beats it in musical impact and Zep II beats it in influence.

Yeah, I too would say that IV should be the highest rated Zep album. It's by far their most popular album (in fact, only Thriller and the Eagles hits package have outsold it in the US) and I don't see where I or II beats it in any category by enough to overcome that.

This.