Originality
Song Writing
Technical Ability
Attitude
Image
Reasoning: originality comes first because although songwriting is very important, for me to REALLY like a band they have to have something that sets them apart- there's thousands of great albums out there with good songs on them, but a lot of them sound the same, and it's the unique ones that ultimately end up being your favorite albums. That being said, songwriting is still integral in making a great album. Image usually doesn't factor into my liking a band and usually goes unknown until I'm really into a band and decide to look 'em up online or go to a show or something, at which point it doesn't really matter anymore. Attitude is important, I guess, but if you're a truly great, original songwriter who can play his instrument I don't really give a crap if you're only in it for the money. That being said, technical ability comes third, because although it's not truly a determining factor (hell, I like the Shaggs) it probably does factor in a bit more than image or attitude, unless the image and attitude reflect an amateurish, outsiders' approach to making music, in which case the fact that they can't play their instruments might be outweighed. That is, if they have originality. Not just "hey! look at us, we're like creed... except we can't play our instruments!" That doesn't work. So yeah.
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