What do you personally look for in music?
 

What elements make a song good in your opinion?

It really depends on the kind of music but in the most general terms if a song makes me feel something or transports me in some way I think it's good.

I, personally, always look for a good melody. Not that that's all that should be in a song, but some people can listen to the sound of trains shunting or whatever and call it music, or people banging on dustbin lids while yodelling. I don't find that musical at all.

To expand, in a song that's non-instrumental I like to hear good lyrics. I like lyrics that make me think, are clever or maybe rhyme well, or badly but badly well if you know what I mean. I also like to hear a "hook" in a song, be it a keyboard arpeggio, guitar solo, bassline or whatever. Most importantly, the musicians have to sound or make me believe that they enjoy what they're doing. I don't like music that's clearly created just to sell (only to sell) records without any real heart or soul or sincerity in it.

I also like something that I either I will remember later or that takes me by surprise by how good or interesting it is. Always nice to get a pleasant surprise, no less so in music than in anything else in life.

The triangle of innovation, technical skill, and fun. Few artists have all three.

How it feels; whether it's the melody telling an abstract story, or the rhythm throwing down a groovy atmosphere, all that matter's is how it feels.

1. Ability to evoke emotion of any kind.
2. Technical/musical skill or ability.
3. Tells a story or communicates an idea of some kind.

Generally, if music possesses either of these three things it'll be pleasing to my ears.

I've been getting into metal for the past couple of years. I enjoy the progressive/technical side of metal, but I also like metal bands that build around a heavy bass line as well. I like the Screamers and the low growl voice but I also enjoy the mixture of a good gROWLr along with a good clean conventional vocalist too. A song with good lyrics is always great but the lyrics are not always necessarily as important, if the music dominates the vibe.

Very difficult question. There's nothing specific that I look for. I don't have any set parameters for what I enjoy. Some songs just do it for me. Depends entirely on each song and what it makes me feel.

I can love one supremely talented guitarist, and be completely bored by another (see Satriani). And that method applies to literally every style of music,

Satriani is a technical genius, but there's less passion/soul/whatever-that-thing-is. I don't hear him ever really make a sensible "phrase". It's as if somebody said a bunch or eloquent words strung together in a way that's grammatically correct, but meaningless.

I look for skill, creativity, lyricism, style, and overall quality among other things. One or more of those things are usually present in the music I like, but I'm sure there're things that appeal to me that have none of them. Also if something is creative or lyrical or whatever, it's not an automatic selling point (though creativity usually does that for me).

I look for attractive people who can dance well.

Satanic messages.

:laughing: Such a JH response!

originality that is sooooooooooooooo hard to find now these days cus a lot of stuff has already been done


there is only so many bars and riff patterns on a guitar and bass


there is only so many drum beats and patterns u can do

etc etc etc

I personally look for originality in overall sound rather than component by component.

Anyway, creativity, energy and a good sound dynamic are probably the main things I look for. Don't really have a certain criteria. I know it when I hear it.

Ooo Satriani hate? You are making it hard to be friends with.

With the bulk of my favorites, there's a certain aura of heaviness... whether it's heavy depression, heavy anger, or heavy happiness, my favorite music is ****ing intense.

I also need creativity, I have riffs I love to hear recycled over and over again but there has to be something to set it apart from its peers and predecessors.

I wouldn't have taken you for a Satch fan. I agree with Goofle, his playing is too pretentious, even for me. That's saying a lot.

Yes, ever since I heard his album Engines of Creation back in high school. I went back and listened to Surfing with the Alien and loved him ever since.

Sometimes i hear the song and do not listen to the music, and then it appears, that its meaning is totally different from what i imagined

0____o

Instant wins:

• Early organ/mellotron/moog/theremin/actual synthesizers
• "Tight", precise drumming (but drum machines are easy to spot and pretty blah)
• Tamborines, handclaps (specifically in glam & 60s girl groups) and brass sections
• Meaningful, strong lyrics
• Harmonies, and atypical voices (if there's not something unique about the voice, no thanks)
• Audible (but properly mixed) bass
• Guitars and pianos that aren't computer-generated
• Analog sound as a whole

As long as most of these elements are present, I'm good.

Instant fails:

• Computer-generated instruments and voices/autotune
• Tinny/"recorded this on my imac in my bathroom" sound
• "Typical" female voices (you can't even tell the difference between them anymore)
• Stupid lyrics set to simple, shallow melodies
• Overly gritty "a wasp just flew in my mouth and I have explosive diarrhea" vocals
• Excessive layering and trashy mixing

Things that always have been:

• I have absolutely no fondness for pop music from the past 30 years.
• I love early synthpop because it still has that analog quality to it.
• You shouldn't be able to press a few buttons on a computer and call it "music".

I'm sure I'm missing a lot of things but whatever.

You shouldn't be able to just hit a few drums with sticks and call it "music" imo

If people want to tap empty yogurt pots in a rhythmic pattern and call it music, I'm down.

What I'm talking about is using a computer for a full composition. It just doesn't sound right.

...to you.

Obviously, but that's kind of the point of the thread.

I can't explain it, but certain types of differences in production quality make me really uncomfortable. Meh.

structured chaos delivered in the most raw way possible.



My fav bands tend to be Noise bands because i feel they're exploring music while breaking it, idk how to explain it and that's not the only thing i look for in music but it's one of the main ones.

Since my taste varies, the only thing in common all the bands i like have is that they stay true to what they like and work on evolvin their own personal sound outside the inluences of current fads.

Lofi4lyfe

I think music means so many different things to different people. If you're an intellectual, lyrics and their hidden meanings will stand out the most. If you're a guitar player, the complicated riffs will mean the most.

lofi more like nofi

It's hard to say for certain, but there are a number of things that my favourite artists share use of that together might be some indication.

• Imperfect or distinctive vocalists.
• Wry lyricism.
• Minor keys, dissonance, and key changes.
• Time changes, and interesting time signatures.
• Songs that build and rise to a climax.
• Someone with great attention paid to melody.

I think most of the albums I am very fond of dabble quite a bit in these things, but above all, I like to have my expectations set with something familiar, then completely violated in a surprising and unique way.

A certain type of vocals, good songwriting and a good melody. I'm not big into analysing lyrics, but I can appreciate the deeper meaning of a song, and that make it better. For example, New York Morning by Elbow is made a lot better by the lyrics.

Emotion.
I can listen to a man play the simplest of songs on a guitar but if he's singing and putting his heart into the song I will listen to it, and likely enjoy it. In fact, a lot of my favorites don't have a whole lot of technical ability but they play with heart, and that's what I like. Not to say you can't possess both heart and technical ability, by the way.

That's easily the most important for me. And since my taste vary so much; Its a bit hard to really make a list of this type.

I'm generally into darker music, but that's not always the case. I do listen to some upbeat and bright music.

A good bass, but equalled with good treble, and vocals that fit into the song