The Gorge Scale is a scale I created to measure the significance of a subgenre distinction. It looks at two factors: how specific the distinction it makes is, and how widely recognized the distinction is. The purpose of the Gorge Scale is to help differentiate between major genre divisions that are important if not downright essential to understand in order to recognize a genre, and minor genre divisions that are not widely accepted as meaningful by their communities. Every genre on this site is rated on the Gorge Scale so that you're never confused as to how prominent a term is.
The Gorge Scale has five categories, ranging from the most essential and unskippable genres all the way down to the most obsscure and specific divisions. The individual ratings are explained below.
These are genres that are pretty much universally recognized and understood. Not understanding these genres would make it pretty much impossible to understand any info relating to them. Examples include Dubstep and Ambient.
These are genres that are not necessarily universally recognized, but represent extremely important subgenres that most fans of a genre would be familiar with. Examples include Gabber and Minimal Techno.
These are genres that have established themselves as significant terms with their own community and sound, but may not be widely understood by the wider genre community they inhabit, and are not generally essential knowledge within the wider realm of electronic music. Examples include Florida Breaks and Outsider House.
These are genres that are not widely recognized, and represent communities that are obscure or have yet to establish a significant foothold. Most genres from the previous categories started here. Examples include Trancestep and Powerstomp.
These are genres that are only recognized in extremely specific circles. They represent distinctions that may be extremely narrow, or represented by only a tiny fraction of artists. By and large, these terms are entirely inessential knowledge and serve little value to all but the most dedicated of genre nerds. Examples include Evilcore House and Gorge.