I'm going to try keeping my rating system as simple as possible: a numeric scale starting at 0 (the peak end) and ending at 8 (the deep end), as well as an extra tier, with an explanation for what exactly each one means. Also, each rating will have another number behind it, like 3.4 or 7.5, just for extra clarity. Those numbers are much more negligible than the beginning ones, and are more of an in the moment thing. Here's how it goes:
A zero is literally a perfect album. Likely to be because of nostalgia or some extraneous event that forces it up so high, cracking the top means you provide extreme joy to me and have forever changed my view on music.
A one is essential listening. It might be flawed or have lacking tracks, but it is an undeniably incredible experience front to back.
A two is an awesome album, and one of the best in its genre. However, it likely lacks deeper emotional intensity or thematic ties. It's always incredibly good work, though.
A three is a really good / great album. It shares lots of qualities with a 2 album, but misses that mark by a slight amount. It may be too samey, disjointed, or have severely underwhelming tracks.
A four is a good album. However, it likely lacks a lot of depth or has a rocky tracklist, moreso than a three.
A five is also a good album, but one that can become boring on a full listen, even if the songs are there. It usually lacks variety.
A six is a boring album! There might be a song or two that makes it enjoyable, but overall it's a snoozefest.
A seven is a miss of an album, and one I'd begin to consider "bad". There is a severe lack of anything enjoyable to tether me here.
A eight is a album I cannot stand. There is something fundamentally wrong here, and I cannot find any true artistic expression in this product. Shameful.
A nine is an album that I do not want to rate on the traditional scale. This could be for a variety of reasons, but is likely because I feel like there's something I'm missing that stops me from enjoying it. This is essentially stating "I'll come back later when I'm ready".
I like to listen to music I find enjoyable, and all of the albums I review in the beginning will be ones I've already listened to a ton. It also helps to have more wiggle room in terms of HOW good an album is, rather than how bad one is. I care much less for dwelling on mediocre or bad music. It's not good for anyone, to be honest.