Things that make Good Music Good

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BabyTyrant

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So what are some things you feel that are key to making good music what is it to you?

I like a variety of music, so there are different qualities that appeal to me depending on what type of music I'm listening to, or even sometimes the individual song.

Sometimes it's a simple mixture of a catchy beat/instrumentals and good lyrics (they can be simple or have a lot of meaning behind them)

Sometimes it's a balance of composition between different instruments to give a song a unified sound, which at times will have different instruments at the forefront (like a few good Bass lines or a guitar solo) and others simply in the background.

A lot of times I like songs that feel real, like you can feel the emotions put into making a song and you can tell it wasnt a song simply "manufactured to be a hit" like a lot of modern songs put on a radio station and played once every 15 minutes throughout the whole day.

The majority of the songs I listen to are either Alternative/Pop Rock songs (mostly 90s and early 2000s), Classic rock or modern rock, or even heavy metal (I like a variety of rock and metal genres/sub-genres), I guess I'm a sucker for bands that actually play instruments (instead of modern pop songs that use computerized instruments) and some musicians that just have immense talent (Slash, Dave Mustaine, Dimebag Darrel, and a few others).

Speaking of Slash, I think the best Michael Jackson song was Give In To Me, to me his "classic" songs are alright, but you hear them so often they can be boring and be tired of hearing the same songs (even Rock radio stations repeat some songs a lot, but it's a lot less than modern pop stations)
 
BabyTyrant said:
So what are some things you feel that are key to making good music what is it to you?

You've said it pretty well for the most part. Some things that personally make me feel like a song is good is when I have an emotional reaction to it. When a song brings me to tears, I think it's a pretty damn good song. Another way I know that a song is good is if it gets me moving. If it gets me bobbing my head or shaking my behind, it's a pretty good song. If I crave to hear a song, It's usually a good song. If I buy tickets to a band because of a song, it's a good song to me.

I wish you were in my neighborhood. My band and I just finished 3 hour long sets of 90s Alternative rock. We could have definitely used more cool people in the crowd.

I primarily listen to modern alternative rock. I have experience with all forms of rock. I will list a few examples of songs that are good to me right now:

Highly Suspect - My Name Is Human
Sir Sly - High
Walk The Moon - Anna Sun
Two Door Cinema Club - What You Know
BØRNS - American Money
Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye
Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better
Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
 
Granted, I'm old (40+) but I prefer Sinatra over Bieber. Just compare the lyrics, and you'll be amazed, baby baby baby baby baby yeah, baby baby BABY YEAH. Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars, let me see what life is like on Jupiter and Mars....

But then, the melody is more interesting too. If a song doesn't ever change key, I lose interest within the first 30 seconds, and never want to listen to it again. But if it has a twist and turn in the tune, it keeps me listening.

I'm not confined to completely old music either, some rock ballads are "most excellent" (to copy a line from Bill and Ted - told you I was old). Bohemian Rhapsody, Sandman, Stairway to Heaven.....most of the songs I like are 70s and 80s inspired, perhaps from a time before rock became so commercial? It seems like the musicians were actual musicians, instead of products needing to be sold. Maybe it's the case that in earlier times, bands would write songs about their lives, play them, and then if people liked them that was awesome. Now it seems that songs are written to appeal to a mass audience first, so that they shift records. There's little room for artistry if the bottom line is more important.

Anyway, no hard and fast rule, other than lyrics and melody.
 
I could go on and on about this subject, but the bottom line is originality and actual discipline: Rock and Metal music these days, as well as their respective subgenres, require more captivating riffs, complex beats, and more powerful progressions and structures to preserve them, especially in comparison to music from decades back. These days, music is only preserved if the artist is dedicated to owning their craft, learning a generous amount of music theory, and practicing their songs until they can play them in their sleep, and stuff like that shows in the music itself. Guitar players who don't know what time signatures are and can't tell E from A-flat are doomed to repeat the same cliché riffs that have been done by every single Rock and Metal band since the 70's.

Now, if you want me to consider pop and dubstep into this thought, you're asking the wrong guy. I refuse to consider music that dies within the same year it's made as music. If a song dies, then it's a trend, not music.
 
Tone has to be my answer. Weather I am listening to a sleep CD or perhaps listening to a more bouncy children's track I always listen for tone and older instruments. I have been known to download old tapes and download in ultra low quality just so i can get that slight fuzz in there. I don't know how it works bit it always does.
 
BabyTyrant said:
So what are some things you feel that are key to making good music what is it to you?

I like a variety of music, so there are different qualities that appeal to me depending on what type of music I'm listening to, or even sometimes the individual song.

Sometimes it's a simple mixture of a catchy beat/instrumentals and good lyrics (they can be simple or have a lot of meaning behind them)

Sometimes it's a balance of composition between different instruments to give a song a unified sound, which at times will have different instruments at the forefront (like a few good Bass lines or a guitar solo) and others simply in the background.

A lot of times I like songs that feel real, like you can feel the emotions put into making a song and you can tell it wasnt a song simply "manufactured to be a hit" like a lot of modern songs put on a radio station and played once every 15 minutes throughout the whole day.

The majority of the songs I listen to are either Alternative/Pop Rock songs (mostly 90s and early 2000s), Classic rock or modern rock, or even heavy metal (I like a variety of rock and metal genres/sub-genres), I guess I'm a sucker for bands that actually play instruments (instead of modern pop songs that use computerized instruments) and some musicians that just have immense talent (Slash, Dave Mustaine, Dimebag Darrel, and a few others).

Speaking of Slash, I think the best Michael Jackson song was Give In To Me, to me his "classic" songs are alright, but you hear them so often they can be boring and be tired of hearing the same songs (even Rock radio stations repeat some songs a lot, but it's a lot less than modern pop stations)
Simply put, what defines music as good and not just background satire is 1. A relatable message. Just because you’re never, ever, ever getting back together with your boyfriend is not a strong enough message. Most pop and hip hop music lacks of substantive message.

2. Makes you feel something. When I play back a song in Pro Tools, if I get chills down my spine or have a wow feeling at the end, the song has done its job. Saying a rumor has it over and over flatlines the song.

Two vital components to a good song, that is more objective than subjective. Most music in the 70s and 80s and since Lady Gaga made her debut has missed both of these.
 
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