What makes good music?

[nekobekko]

I enjoy music very much and I was wondering what people thougt makes good music. I realize that good music is good for more than one aspect, and it is hard to choose what is best. But in general what do you llook for in good music?
----------edit-----------
my poll didn't work so here are the options, I guess it doesnt matter what the numbers are anyway:

1. Vocals
2. Lyrics
3. Instruments
4. Rithym/speed/beat/timing
5. Melody
6. Techneque (how it is played, or how difficultt)
7. Other

[BOiNG!]

I have a very complicated approach to music. There is no definate answer for this. People have different prespective on music, an example would be me. Although sometimes I can't understand what's that particular song (usually foreign/Japanese) is about, but if I like the musical mood/melody & able to associate some mental images/visions to it, I might like like. Or if the music is able to somehow makes me remember some event or have a nostalgic feeling to it, associated with some of my particular experiences. I have no interest with latest J-Pops & stuffs, I have my very own pacing in music. Majority of my musics are BGMs.

[stat_rosa]

Love, you really got to love what you are doing. The fact is that when a lot of J-pop stars got famous their world changed into this commercial media whirlpool. There was no love there anymore just deadlines and time-is-money scenarios.

[Fungi]

I don't have strict guidelines for liking music, I just like what I like. I don't look for deep meaningful lyrics or amazing technical ability, but just the quality of music as a whole. I don't discriminate against any kind of music as long as it's good (electronic, metal, rap, classic rock, whatever). I do tend to prefer music that makes me feel certain ways. It's all about the emotion. However, bad musical quality does detract from the emotion. Take, for example, J-Pop. It's energetic, but it's also loaded with cheesy synth lines and such (see: Ayumi Hamasaki).

[nekobekko]

I think I am understanding. It is not important how music is made or what it sounds like, what is important is that int makes you feel something. I also like when music makes me think of something. When I have free time, I usually listen to music, and almost always when I draw.

[soutaku]

I think that a good song has to have a good intreging beat that makes you feel the song and then the lyrics which kinda sounds right and the delivery of the song by the artist. They have to have kinda lot of feeling to make the song emotional to the listener.

[Shiryuu]

1. Vocals
4. Rithym/speed/beat/timing



Those 2 primarily.

[dabooze]

yea rhythm/beat/timing is the basics. Without them music will never sound good.
and what makes a song very exceptional is how well the guitar riffs, bass lines, drumbeats, solos are played together as a whole. they need not sound professional, as long as the song makes u feel part of its 'emotion'.
so generally, music is just about the feel of a song

[TheException]

What makes hot music? You mean WHO makes hot music?
My answer is: hot girls.
No matter how bad the song is, if you like the singer, then you might eventually like the song from hearing it so many times unintentionally while just staring at the fantastic body of the singer.....erm... i meant her voice :D

[tsuyoshiro]

I think good music is mostly in the ear of the listener. Most of the stuff I listen to, my friends think is crappy. I love it. Who's to say that I love crappy music, and not that they simply have a different taste? In that vein, I basically chose my music based on my mood. I listen to j-pop and other upbeat tunes when I'm in a good mood. I listen to video game music whenever (mostly final fantasy), and the rest of my moods tend to spand several genres, too many to list in fact. ...Speaking of which, right now I'm listening to love addict by Nakashima Mika.

[ensignia]

For me, it's about the composition. How things flow. Some may or may not have lyrics, but I do tend to look into the lyrics myself. Which I would gladly mention the skills of Kirito (vocals of Pierrot) who I deemed an awesome lyricist. Overall, I still believe the way the music is composed together is how I would describe good or not.

[nekobekko]

I have also noticed that subtlties in music can also add to making music good. Things that you notice after hearing a song a few times that you didnt notice the first time.

I listen to virtually every style of music and find that each of them excell in something. This is why they apeal to people.

[spoonbard9]

Music has to create an emotion to be successful. That's really what it is. Musicians are people who use amplifiers for their own souls. I really feel like the music totally requires some kind of meaning- some sense of why it exists. The reason people love Nobuo Uematsu is because of the images his music creates- the laugh of Kefka, the underground mountain stronghold of dwarves, an incredibly difficult fight, etc. You feel what he's trying to convey and relate to it. That's what wrong with a lot of American music nowadays- it feels plastic- as if the paycheck was more important than the process (yeah, I know- super cliche).

[chrono1337]

first and foremost, the musicianship is the most important thing I look for in what I listen to with the emotion the artist puts into instrument coming second. If it doesn't have doesn't have emotion it is just souless technical giberish *cough*dream theater*cough*

[S&T Kawaii Love]

It is important that music has to mean something, you have to get a special feeling/emotion from it. Like spoonbard9 said. Also the instrument(s) that are used are very important too. A bagpipe gives another feeling then a drum. The use of more technologie like keyboards and soundsystems has made music evolved too to new genres. Not all music was ever enjoyable. In the ancient times when someone was trying to make music or a sound by slamming against some metal or wood plate. I would figure that not all ppl would be happy about this. Some would say: "please shut up" what a racked man! for to say it. Nowadays the same racked is still happening.

[nekobekko]

In the ancient times when someone was trying to make music or a sound by slamming against some metal or wood plate. I would figure that not all ppl would be happy about this. Some would say: "please shut up" what a racked man! for to say it. Nowadays the same racked is still happening.
Kikiki :)
That is funny. I guess music (or racket in this case) is in the ear of the beholder.

[hitokiri battousai]

I enjoy music very much and I was wondering what people thougt makes good music. I realize that good music is good for more than one aspect, and it is hard to choose what is best. But in general what do you llook for in good music?
----------edit-----------
my poll didn't work so here are the options, I guess it doesnt matter what the numbers are anyway:

1. Vocals
2. Lyrics
3. Instruments
4. Rithym/speed/beat/timing
5. Melody
6. Techneque (how it is played, or how difficultt)
7. Other

It is ALL needed to make good music. Just one wont suffice to create a great song that will still be around when we are not. It should have an intricate but simple rythm, the lyrics and vocals should speak and capture the audience if the song has singing in it. The technique mostly depends on the music being played. In a punkish sort of rock or music of that sort it usually is not technical or difficult at all. In classical and in classic metal ie: Black Sabbath, or ole Metallica, the technique is much more important. SO in a nutshell it really needs all of what you stated and it also depends on the genre of music.

VIVE CLASSIC METAL!!!

[nekobekko]

should have an intricate but simple rythm
What does this meaning? Can you explain how it works?

[hitokiri battousai]

What does this meaning? Can you explain how it works?


What i meant is the rythm should not be the same thing cause it will get boring. It should change in various parts of the song to spice things up, yet it should fit the song. By simple i mean it should be something you can move to, wheather it be dancing, moshing, or headbanging. Thats pretty much it in a nutshell.

[nekobekko]

@hitokiri battousai
I see, so it should be simple in fact that it is can be musically simple to be easy on the ears, but it shoud be intricate in the fact that it sounds 'good'. Is this what you are meaning?

[hitokiri battousai]

Yep thats what i meant. There is also more that goes into it, but for the most pasrt this is it.

[lucifiel]

hmm what makes music great? Honestly, a well written melody, it doens't need to be difficult it can be just simple, but soothing, that'd be great already. Technique, is *not that* important, compared to something like the melody, which i would very much consider the 'soul' of a piece technique is not as important, the melody must be a truly wonderful melody, or the piece can easily be lost. But the definition of a good melody can also be varied, but with NO melody, there is no music, hence i don't like rap.

[dwa9]

music, as in song or "just music"

in song,
the foremost, actually the most important thing is the vocals.
and the rest falls under it.

but then again, we must consider music as an art. and therefore the different ways of executiona and uniqueness come into the scene.

this is why sometimes, i regret not knowing other languages, like japanese, german, chinese real well. whenever this happens, when one doesnt know the language, no matter how good the lyrics are or how close the translations get.... you lose the little nuances that make the lyrics great. (meh i disappoint myself)
in music,
duh....

[gyrobot]

A good clubanger makes me feel good, but I do like something that is not too sleazy(American Pop Music these days) yet it doesnt reek of manufactured pop(J-pop unfortunately has this flaw.)

[yung]

sometimes the lyrix just make me crazy...(Japanese/Korean/Chinese only...)
....maybe all of the options make the music unique...at least...full of any kinds of mixtures...

[lordpochacco]

Good music overall is music that makes sense to most people who listen to it. There has to be some underlying rhythm or tactic to it, even if that is purposefully playing off-rhythm for a bit. Music that people can appreciate, tends to be music that they can follow (the logic and sequencing can be picked up easily enough). Something needlessly complex or retardedly simple will not engage anyone =P

That being said, there is room for niche music, that doesn't appeal to most people, and those can be good too, just not for everyone.

[pawlee]

hmm what makes music great? Honestly, a well written melody, it doens't need to be difficult it can be just simple, but soothing, that'd be great already. Technique, is *not that* important, compared to something like the melody, which i would very much consider the 'soul' of a piece technique is not as important, the melody must be a truly wonderful melody, or the piece can easily be lost. But the definition of a good melody can also be varied, but with NO melody, there is no music, hence i don't like rap.

I agree that melody is very important. However, sometimes I really enjoy listening to unaccompanied percussion pieces (like taiko, steel drums, and "Stomp"). So, I don't think a melody is essential to qualify as music, but then it may be less of a song and more of just a musical performance.

Of the options in the pseudo-poll, I would vote for Vocals. Ironically, my favorite genre of music is electronic, which is thought of as inorganic and without lyrics (except for possibly repeating phrases or sampled words). But the juxtaposition of a great female voice singing along with all these artificial sounds really makes a song wonderful to me.

And I usually only really love a song outside of the electronic category if it has well-performed female vocals. I don't care for the diva-style singing, by which I mean almost all pop artists, opera, and broadway/musicals. ORIGA and Martha Sebestyen are my fav singers ATM, but I like a whole bunch :)

[kamui1986]

Melody + Technique + Feelings = Real cultural musical hit
Vocal + Rithym + Idol Star = Commercial hit
Lyrics + instruments + melody = Underground success
Rithym + Technique + Sobrenatural Feeling = .Hack//SIGN OST (The best OST ever!!!)

[level3]

1. Vocals
2. Lyrics
3. Instruments
4. Rithym/speed/beat/timing
5. Melody
6. Techneque (how it is played, or how difficultt)
7. Other

Every part scores but the I would rate the basic stuff in this way: Music (melody, arrangement) > performance (instruments and vocals) > lyrics

The advanced stuff are the skills and ways of expression.
Masterpieces are often expressed with excellent skills, and unique but full expression of the feeling inside the piece of work.

[thirdman]

hmm, I just once learnt, the simple stuff in life, is the best
same goes with music, if its a simple melody, people are goingt o love it :)
the more its complicated, the risk of the song being bad gets bigger

[chriscvf]

For me, I think the most important is vocal, coz I dont judge songs by the looks of a person or group. 2nd might be rhythm, then is lyrics. Why? coz I'll still love that song eventhough I dont know wat the lyrics mean, like when u're listerning to other languages music.

[Floemp578]

a good and catchy melody makes the song, text, rythm and the like goes second =)

[maekhamin]

for me the most important things are... that you love what you play, determined to what you play, and able to cooperate with others in the band... and if they able to make something that's very different... i can guarantee they can make great music....



Melody + Technique + Feelings = Real cultural musical hit
Vocal + Rithym + Idol Star = Commercial hit
Lyrics + instruments + melody = Underground success


i agree with that...

[Alkarl]

1. Vocals
2. Lyrics
3. Instruments
4. Rithym/speed/beat/timing

[Renzon]

I don't have strict guidelines for liking music, I just like what I like. I don't look for deep meaningful lyrics or amazing technical ability, but just the quality of music as a whole. I don't discriminate against any kind of music as long as it's good (electronic, metal, rap, classic rock, whatever). I do tend to prefer music that makes me feel certain ways. It's all about the emotion. However, bad musical quality does detract from the emotion.

Whole-heartedly agree with this post. I listen to various styles and it always depends on my mood.

For instance I like to listen to Rage Against the Machine or the like when I'm just really upset about something. There are songs I listen to when I just want to sing or play along which may include those heavily driven guitar songs.

Also I tend to listen to some music more depending on the climate or time of year. For example I love listening to Santana and Rob Thomas' "Smooth" when driving anywhere during the summer. Usually when I hear the song before the start of summer it lets me know that summer is close by. :)

[Shybal Noom]

wow... that is truly called thinking... coming up with a question like that is like answering the meaning of life...
lol
anyways,
skill and technique is a factor. if the band or whatever and play for beans... you wont like it
lyrics because it has to move your heart and hit something with some sense.
and environment. like... i look at classical music as enjoyable. well, i grew up in a well brought up family. but, in east compton... you play that... NO ONE likes it...
hmmm... maybe its not environment but more peer pressure...
lol

-2 lol's in this post-

[KyKitBaK]

Haha, well there is a whole philosophy on music.

I like to see some innovation, feeling, and dpnds on the type of song but rhythym

its got to be from the heart ^^