I was having a discussion about great mixes with a friend of mine and a point that he made was that to an extent, mixing really doesn't matter, as long as its decent enough sounding, it's not as important as people make it out to be.
We both went on to cite examples of great new and classic records with terrible mixes. I would extend this to almost everything. A great editor doesn't write the book, special effects don't make the movie. And now more than ever I also think consistency, and/or reliable output can be weighted above all else. Not just the artistry or intention of a work, but a continuous striving to achieve more, reach higher, and to stop polishing last nights work, it's already stale.