[thenightcrawler]

I don't think critics should necessarily follow general audiences , anymore than you would want a food critic to rate mcdonalds.

[bio_end_io_t]

On the other side of the coin, you can have situations like in 1989 when Jethro Tull beat Metallica for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance at the Grammy's.

[ratww]

That’s not critics, though. Grammy voters are people who work in the music industry. To qualify you even need creative or technical credits.

I bet that critics in 1989 overwhelmingly preferred Metallica’s album to Jethro Tull’s, which at this point was kind of a has-been.

[ascagnel_]

The Grammys have notoriously been considered out-of-touch for some time, even when you compare them to the other big awards shows (Tonys, Emmys, Oscars).

[kevinventullo]

Or when Macklemore beat… basically anyone else that was nominated. But I’m not sure the Grammy’s represent critical consensus?

[dvh]

But then again, there's a reviewbrah...

[_v7gu]

A reviewbrah mention on hn? My joy is immeasurable and my day is made.

Honestly, gaining trust of audiences is also part of a critic. Else you're just a loud contrarian/populist.