▁the ▁can ine ▁anal ogy ▁in ▁the ▁series ▁title , ▁albums ▁were ▁grad ed ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁" bone " ▁rating ▁system : ▁five ▁b ones ▁const itut ing ▁the ▁highest ▁score , ▁down ▁to ▁a ▁bold - render ed ▁" wo of ! ", ▁sign ifying ▁" dog ▁food ". ▁ ▁Gra ff ▁has ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁en vision ed ▁the ▁books ▁as ▁bu yer ' s ▁gu ides , ▁specifically : ▁" something ▁a kin ▁to ▁a ▁good ▁record ▁store ▁cl erk ▁or ▁that ▁fellow ▁sho pper ▁you ▁meet ▁while ▁you ' re ▁looking ▁through ▁the ▁ra cks ▁and ▁with ▁whom ▁you ▁strike ▁up ▁a ▁sp ont aneous ▁conversation ". ▁G ale - owned ▁Vis ible ▁In k ▁also ▁published ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁Video H ound ▁film ▁gu ides , ▁beginning ▁with ▁ 1 9 9 6 ' s ▁Golden ▁Movie ▁Retrie ver . ▁ ▁Music H ound ▁Rock : ▁The ▁Ess ential ▁Album ▁Guide ▁Ed ited ▁by ▁Gary ▁Gra ff ▁and ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁Music H ound ▁Rock ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁guide ▁in ▁the ▁series . ▁A ▁re vised ▁edition ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁co - ed ited ▁by ▁Gra ff ▁and ▁Daniel ▁Durch hol z . ▁Among ▁the ▁guide ' s ▁review ers ▁were ▁US ▁music ▁critics ▁Jo el ▁Sel vin ▁( San ▁Francisco ▁Chron icle ), ▁Mark ▁J . ▁Pet ra cca ▁( Cre em ), ▁Greg ▁Kot ▁( Ch icago ▁Trib une , ▁Rol ling ▁Stone ),