No.

Gissy, I think here's where the story ends. People like supa and me (yes, it's me - not I!) don't really care if our rates don't get tons of people - I've never hosted a rate with more than 20 participants, and tbqh, I would not want to. Quality > quantity. (No judgments, but a lot of voters = really, really, really basic results.)

There are lots of reasons to host a rate other than having a hit thread. It should be about celebrating the music, not racking up page views.

And sometimes a small group of dedicated participants actually results in better discussion and a more enjoyable experience. Many of the rates I've hosted were small (10-20 participants, 30-odd pages), but we had a great time because people truly cared about the music and were invested in the results. It's much more troublesome when you have a host who makes no effort.

Music, not the bling.

And your last countdown/rate wasn't even an original idea and it still flopped.

Again, I think the host sets the tone. If someone can't be bothered to do anything more than post the eliminated song with the high/low scores, it's not going to inspire much discussion or interaction.

For comparison's sake, check out what Connor did with the Classic Female-Fronted Bands rate. He got 25 participants for '70s and '80s rock music, and he kept the thread lively with his commentary.

Just because it doesn't involve pop girls doesn't mean a rate needs to be a flop.

Personally, the pop girl rates don't excite me like they once did when we started this thing. It's like we rate the same songs, artists and have the same outcomes all the time. I'll still participate of course but when there's 100+ voters I don't feel the need to comment or really check for the results for some reason. I don't even care to ever host a type of rate like that. I've done just fine in the past and never quit. The "flop" rates allow me to get introduced to new music, actually put in effort in the commentary, listen in depth, and so on. I don't get that from the main pop girls rates.

Pop girl rates are fun because they bring bases together and they're active. I liked having commentery in my last rate, which can only really be effective if you have lots of voters. But the problem is the results in those rates are so predicable and people always troll and sabotage. I think it's a shame that most people here will only participate in rates that involve their faves, because more niche rates can be a great way to discover new music, such as This Was 2010 (link in sig )

conatus getting that praise

I'll try start the Babes rate later on then Ace.

Is the PJ rate happening or not?

As soon as the Ciara Essentials rate is over, probably.

But there's another singles rate coming even sooner. Long overdue.

Oh wow @ the acclaim.

Niche rates are great and can introduce people to new artists. Also, it's boring talking about main pop girls all the time, it's nice to have something else to talk about with like-minded people. Feel sorry for those stans that only care about making their fave look good. [Side-eyes the PQS.]

I didn't see this but literally everything about this post is so true.

Oh, I see. I can wait

Ace, how do we feel about re-opening the Unreleased Gaga rate soon? Her '13 backlash seems to be over now (We love her again!)