Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
What is "good" music?
#21
People's tastes in music tend to be based on the crowds they hang out with and what they're familiar with. I don't like most current pop music. I don't know exactly why; I have different issues with different artists. Overall, it just doesn't sound good to me. I grew up in the 90s, my parents moved to the states in the mid 80s and all the music we had around the house for all of my childhood was 80s and 90s pop music. I like Britney Spears...I'll still listen to her earlier stuff, like Stronger and Toxic. I dunno, it seems like her current stuff, like "Till the World Ends" is all mixed for clubs and doesn't sound like something I'd listen to elsewhere. There isn't too much you can say about Pop in terms of emotion since the nature of the genre is that it's catchy and fun to listen to, not something that makes you think, so it's definitely not that the quality of music has degraded over time. It's just different and weird to me. Of course my music tastes have broadened over time but as far as modern music goes, I just listen to a random assortment of indie artists.

As for people hating on your music, that's just typical elitism.
Reply
#22
Anything where it doesn't take a computer butchering the f'uck out of it to make it enjoyable.
Almost anything made before 2004.
Anything that gets you into someone else's pants.
Reply
#23
My tastes > your tasted. Whatever I don't like is pomegranate.

I like things of many different genre, I don't really care. If I like it, I'll listen to it, if I don't then I won't. I enjoy music to enjoy music really, that's all there is to it. I don't care about anything else. This means I have songs that are completely odd as fuck and make me seem like an oddball for listening to, along with songs that make it seem as if I've "refined" tastes.

Then again, even with the stuff I listen to I know what's actually something "good" and when it's just something odd I happen to like.

Like this pomegranate. I knew it was pomegranate when I listened to it and didn't even like it at first, but it somehow got into my head. I still think it's pomegranate though.
[video=youtube;6SaXgTi4MZA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SaXgTi4MZA[/video]

And this that got stuck in my head after hearing it played a lot.

But then there's stuff I consider good music I listen to all the time that I'm sure others won't agree with because it's entirely opinionated. Particularly pieces that can convey emotions effectively without lyrics, lots of classical and instrumental pieces fall here. Possibly because they actually take time to compose nicely and I really prefer the sound of actual instruments harmonizing together. That's not to say all classical and instrumental falls here, since there are plenty of poorly composed ones.

A lot of the stuff I posted in the dubstep thread are pieces I consider to be good, but of course not all of them are great masterpieces or anything. Stuff that I posted like this:
[video=youtube;3o2pQq3SDq0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o2pQq3SDq0[/video]

Is the kind of music I find untrollable. If you don't like it, that's fine as well, but I don't think much can be said about it being bad, just not fitting your tastes for whatever reason.

But really, I just like what I like, and I'm sure most people don't like the stuff I do.

Hence, my tastes > your tastes.
Reply
#24
Dusk Wrote:People's tastes in music tend to be based on the crowds they hang out with and what they're familiar with. I don't like most current pop music. I don't know exactly why; I have different issues with different artists. Overall, it just doesn't sound good to me. I grew up in the 90s, my parents moved to the states in the mid 80s and all the music we had around the house for all of my childhood was 80s and 90s pop music. I like Britney Spears...I'll still listen to her earlier stuff, like Stronger and Toxic. I dunno, it seems like her current stuff, like "Till the World Ends" is all mixed for clubs and doesn't sound like something I'd listen to elsewhere. There isn't too much you can say about Pop in terms of emotion since the nature of the genre is that it's catchy and fun to listen to, not something that makes you think, so it's definitely not that the quality of music has degraded over time. It's just different and weird to me. Of course my music tastes have broadened over time but as far as modern music goes, I just listen to a random assortment of indie artists.

As for people hating on your music, that's just typical elitism.

Really well said, and I definitely agree with your analysis of modern pop music. Why I love it and listen to it is absolutely not because of it's profound depth in communicating some idea that will really make me sit and think, but because I'm a rhythmic person before a melodic person, and a melodic person before a lyric person. In other words, if I love the rhythm and sound to a song, I'll typically love it, and most modern pop music plays around with different variations within the same chords and 4/4 structures that are interesting to listen to (side note is that, as a dancer, I love thinking of how different rhythms and sounds can be expressed through dance).

If I want to listen to something profound and intelligent with regards to conveying an idea through lyrics or through a "feel" to the sound itself (if that makes any sense), I'll listen to Ludo (phenomenal alternative rock/borderline indie rock band, similar to The Decemberists) or Tchaikovsky.

Oh, but I must tack on a massive "ditto" to Khoi's and other's comments about lyrics: if I can understand them and they're absolute trash, I'll hate the song. I'm probably more understanding than most with lyrics and don't mind most mainstream, cookie-cutter varieties, but "I throw my hands up in the air sometime saying eh-oh, gotta let go. I wanna celebrate and live my life," etc.? Give me a fucking break. Anyone could write that in 5 minutes.
Reply
#25
Hehe, things become quite pleasant once you learn to truly appreciate art~ :3c
 Spoiler
Reply
#26
I hate music that has no talent, no art, no.. substance to it. And I don't necessarily have to like it for a music to get out of that category. I hate autotuning. I hate the puppets that get thrown up to make in money. I hate music that goes on theatricals alone, as entertaining as it is to watch. I also don't like a lot of rap. The stuff that's just a string of f-bombs and profanities laced together with something thrown up on a computer. No effort or talent needed. And there are exceptions everywhere to those rules. I don't have to like it to get it above that "horribad" category.
Reply
#27
In general I really don't like pop music. However I can understand why some people like it.


One thing I would caution people about is that just because its popular it does not necessarily mean it is good music. A lot of popular artists (in all genres) are simply lucky and scored with big record labels. Music should be judged based on how it sounds, not on what Sony or Universal records say about it.
Reply
#28
I dislike music with a lack of understanding behind the music theory itself. Insert boring and/or generic backing, insert boring and simple melody, hello modern music. Generally I don't care about lyrics.
Reply
#29
Rick Wrote:I dislike music with a lack of understanding behind the music theory itself. Insert boring and/or generic backing, insert boring and simple melody, hello modern music. Generally I don't care about lyrics.

Adding onto this, GOOD isn't subjective. Whether or not you enjoy something is.

For example, I like Blink 182 but I can straight up say it isn't GOOD MUSIC.
Reply
#30
Oh my God guys I can play chords and... and... SING A SIMPLE LINE ON TOP OF THEM! That's what I hate. Also standard of vocal talent is low. No, Lady Gaga does not have vocal talent. You only think so because she's not -as- terrible as the others.
Reply
#31
Good music varies on the emotions I feel.
Reply
#32
[spoiler=Samples of 'Good music"](Or at least what I find to be good music -- opinions may vary)

[video=youtube;tUa3DglSWjU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUa3DglSWjU[/video]
[video=youtube;jpt7RJUGpdE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpt7RJUGpdE[/video]
[video=youtube;5jwLLud5Ims]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jwLLud5Ims[/video][/spoiler]

Pretty much, things that have at least a slight bit of musical beauty to it are what I consider good music. There are many different degrees of beautiful music and everyone has their own sense of what's what. What I don't like is all of that rap crap, pop (some exceptions, though), screamo (God I can't stand that sh'it), or other sh'it that gives me a headache or is just a flat out bore.

A LOT of what I listen to comes from video games, because video game music is mostly themed, making them have certain depths of beauty to them. Plus, there's something about pure instrumentals that strikes me in the right way.
Reply
#33
I've found myself liking Japanese, anime, and video game songs more than what I'd hear on the radio in the United States. It just connects more with me and I feel it has more meaning and feeling behind it. Though, I know there are many people who would consider what I listen to as odd and not what is acceptable. But pineapple them! /人‿‿ 人\

Things I like:
 Spoiler
Reply
#34
It's all personal prefference, so anything you enjoy is good music.
Reply
#35
Few rap songs i listen to on repeat.
 Spoiler

@erich what style of rap your referring too is when artists dumb it down for listeners. For example this song describe it all.
[video=youtube;q1Et1siZhTk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Et1siZhTk[/video]
Reply
#36
Sarah Wrote:Adding onto this, GOOD isn't subjective. Whether or not you enjoy something is.

For example, I like Blink 182 but I can straight up say it isn't GOOD MUSIC.

Is the red I see the same red you see? Does our brain see the colors the same way?
Reply
#37
Alloy Wrote:Is the red I see the same red you see? Does our brain see the colors the same way?

If we're both looking at the same red then yes, it is the same on a universal level. Whether or not we both perceive it the same is irrelevant to the bottom line. But that's the point, good is good as bad is bad. Whether or not I enjoy something doesn't make it good, it just makes it enjoyable to me.
Reply
#38
Sarah Wrote:If we're both looking at the same red then yes, it is the same on a universal level. Whether or not we both perceive it the same is irrelevant to the bottom line. But that's the point, good is good as bad is bad. Whether or not I enjoy something doesn't make it good, it just makes it enjoyable to me.

I mix up some grays and greens, and some reds and browns.

I can't totally see appreciate the same thing the same way. If what you said were true, you should be able to universally give a song an accurate score on how good it is. If you can't, then you can't say if it's good music or not. Because that's only opinion.

And where I set my standards, was that post I made on the first page. But what about other people's standards?
Reply
#39
Alloy Wrote:I mix up some grays and greens, and some reds and browns.

I can't totally see appreciate the same thing the same way. If what you said were true, you should be able to universally give a song an accurate score on how good it is. If you can't, then you can't say if it's good music or not. Because that's only opinion.

And where I set my standards, was that post I made on the first page. But what about other people's standards?

Perception is not truth. All things follow laws, and those laws are truth. Music must follow those same laws and by following those laws it becomes good. I can't blow into a rusty trumpet and claim the noise it produces is good music because I perceive it to be. I am not qualified to explain exactly what it is that makes good music but I can certainly say that most of what listen to in modern culture doesn't qualify. But even though it may not be technically good it can still be enjoyable.
Reply
#40
Anything with an opinion is subjective, Sarah.
There's no ruling on what makes good music or not. Music is an art, and like all art it has to be criticized and not everyone will enjoy it or even agree with it. That's why music in general has so many broad genres leading from Metal all the way to Country music. It's also a way to see people's culture or analyse a certain group of people and what they generally like. As for me, I'm sort of like Dusk in the sense that I do enjoy 80s and 90s music yet I don't like the modern music. It isn't due to the fact that it's mainstream, hell I'll even listen to some mainstream music. I do have a somewhat broad liking of music, since I will typically listen to anything granted I enjoy it. Some songs I like more than others because I enjoy their lyrics or they get to an emotional level with me. Music can also somewhat make me reminisce about times and cause some great nostalgia. It's overall how you perceive music and how your ears interpret it.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)