What Makes a Good Song?

[Moe Shinola]

I think a good song requires evidence of some kind of craft, that some effort when into adhering to the forms of whatever style it is. If not, there'd better be some serious originality there. I play acoustic guitar and power is not necessarily just in the beat. Look at Pink Moon, by Nick Drake. There's a hushed sort of power there, like dark matter or something.

[BONES]

I find that attitude a bit elitist. WHilst I think good production is important, a really good song will transcend that. e.g. Early Sisters of Mercy sounds terrible but the songs are still mostly good.

The most important aspect is melody, this is what Paul Mccartney is considered to be the best songwriter of all time (and rightly so).

You are confusing good with popular but the best things are rarely the most popular.

[Robmobius]

I find that attitude a bit elitist. WHilst I think good production is important, a really good song will transcend that. e.g. Early Sisters of Mercy sounds terrible but the songs are still mostly good.

The most important aspect is melody, this is what Paul Mccartney is considered to be the best songwriter of all time (and rightly so).

You are confusing good with popular but the best things are rarely the most popular.

Absolutely... I'd rather listen to my dog getting sick than listen to anything by Paul Mccartney.

[BONES]

Seriously? Even I like McCartney's stuff. In fact, I'd rate Live and Let Die and Eleanor Rigby amongst my favourite songs.

[revvy]

Seriously? Even I like McCartney's stuff. In fact, I'd rate Live and Let Die and Eleanor Rigby amongst my favourite songs.

I’m with bones.

[nirm123]

I find that attitude a bit elitist. WHilst I think good production is important, a really good song will transcend that. e.g. Early Sisters of Mercy sounds terrible but the songs are still mostly good.

The most important aspect is melody, this is what Paul Mccartney is considered to be the best songwriter of all time (and rightly so).

You are confusing good with popular but the best things are rarely the most popular.

Melody is a crucial component of what makes a song memorable, emotive, and engaging. It is the part of a song that is most easily recognizable and sticks in the listener's mind. A strong melody can make a song stand out and help it resonate with listeners on a deeper level.

Melody is essentially the main musical idea of a song, and it is what makes a song distinctive and memorable. A good melody is characterized by its ability to evoke emotion, capture the listener's attention, and be easily singable and memorable. It should be harmonically interesting yet accessible, and it should be able to support the song's lyrical content and overall mood.

Moreover, melody is often the driving force behind a song's arrangement, with other instruments and parts being created to support and enhance the melody. Therefore, a strong melody can also provide a foundation for the other musical elements of a song and help create a cohesive and engaging musical experience.

a strong melody is essential to what makes a song good because it is the core musical idea of a song, it captures the listener's attention and evokes emotion, and it supports the song's arrangement and lyrical content.

Regarding Paul McCartney: While popularity doesn't always equate to quality, in the case of Paul McCartney, his reputation as one of the best songwriters of all time is based on his exceptional talent and accomplishments, not just his commercial success. McCartney is widely recognized for his ability to craft intricate and memorable melodies, and his versatility across a range of genres. Additionally, he has been honored by numerous institutions and fellow musicians throughout his career, which further attests to his significance as a songwriter. So, I believe it's fair to say that McCartney's status as a great songwriter is based on his artistic merits, rather than just his popularity.

[jocknaethick]

I find that attitude a bit elitist. WHilst I think good production is important, a really good song will transcend that. e.g. Early Sisters of Mercy sounds terrible but the songs are still mostly good.

The most important aspect is melody, this is what Paul Mccartney is considered to be the best songwriter of all time (and rightly so).

You are confusing good with popular but the best things are rarely the most popular.

Melody is a crucial component of what makes a song memorable, emotive, and engaging. It is the part of a song that is most easily recognizable and sticks in the listener's mind. A strong melody can make a song stand out and help it resonate with listeners on a deeper level.

Melody is essentially the main musical idea of a song, and it is what makes a song distinctive and memorable. A good melody is characterized by its ability to evoke emotion, capture the listener's attention, and be easily singable and memorable. It should be harmonically interesting yet accessible, and it should be able to support the song's lyrical content and overall mood.

Moreover, melody is often the driving force behind a song's arrangement, with other instruments and parts being created to support and enhance the melody. Therefore, a strong melody can also provide a foundation for the other musical elements of a song and help create a cohesive and engaging musical experience.

a strong melody is essential to what makes a song good because it is the core musical idea of a song, it captures the listener's attention and evokes emotion, and it supports the song's arrangement and lyrical content.

Regarding Paul McCartney: While popularity doesn't always equate to quality, in the case of Paul McCartney, his reputation as one of the best songwriters of all time is based on his exceptional talent and accomplishments, not just his commercial success. McCartney is widely recognized for his ability to craft intricate and memorable melodies, and his versatility across a range of genres. Additionally, he has been honored by numerous institutions and fellow musicians throughout his career, which further attests to his significance as a songwriter. So, I believe it's fair to say that McCartney's status as a great songwriter is based on his artistic merits, rather than just his popularity.

ChatGPT???

[nirm123]

it's everywhere!

[BertKoor]

Yeah, melody... And lyrics! There's gotta be that urge for a message to be delivered.
Great songs have lyrics that by themselves are poems already.

[jocknaethick]

I guess you need to clarify in your mind what actually constitutes "good". I always felt songs that got the punters off their arses jumping up and down and having a bloody good time to be our good songs. Of course, some might feel if they can get the hipsters sitting there stroking their beards contemplatively then they have created something of worth...like all things musical and establishing quality it is pretty bloody subjective. I always said a hook was important, nay, vital, but then, referencing back to the Beatles, they sure could write a hook but from my perspective, I'd sooner repeatedly slam my bollox in the car door than listen to anything by the Beatles...we are, indeed, all very different.

[revvy]

Wow, GPT response better than some of the human ones.

Subjectively, natch.

[BONES]

Melody is a crucial component of what makes a song memorable, emotive, and engaging.

Maybe for you but it is not in any way important to me. Join in teh Chant is as memorable as any song I can think of and it has no melody at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGHMS_zh0zM

It is the part of a song that is most easily recognizable and sticks in the listener's mind.

Many people woudl suggest that a song that gets stuck in your head is a bad thing, not desirable at all.

Melody is essentially the main musical idea of a song, and it is what makes a song distinctive and memorable.

It can be, it doesn't have to be. Comparatively little hip-hop has melody, for example, yet it is wildly popular. Personally, I am far more engaged by rhythm than I am by melody. A song without a driving drumbeat will not normally hold my attention for long.

A good melody is characterized by its ability to evoke emotion, capture the listener's attention

The same can be said for rhythm.

... and be easily singable and memorable.

Again, I think you are confusing popular and good. Shaddap You Face meets your criteria, yet few would consider it a good song. MOst advertising jingle meet your criteria but they are designed to be annoying, not good.

I guess you need to clarify in your mind what actually constitutes "good". I always felt songs that got the punters off their arses jumping up and down and having a bloody good time to be our good songs.

That works for me, too, and it usually has f**k-all to do with melody. Melody will get the cigarette lighters out but that's about it.

[Robmobius]

Seriously? Even I like McCartney's stuff. In fact, I'd rate Live and Let Die and Eleanor Rigby amongst my favourite songs.

Yup! I can't stand the overrated muppet. To be fair, Live and Let Die is a classic song (I'd forgotten about that, tbh). But that was designed specifically for the Bond movie so it was very different to his usual twee material.

Someone like Prince or Michael Jackson I'd rate above leather-faced Paul even though I wouldn't say I like their material, as it's not my bag, but I can appreciate their writing talent.

[BONES]

I can't stand either of those c**ts or their music. Michael Jackson wrote less than half the songs on most of his albums. Interestingly, though, the first single off Thriler was his duet with McCartney. ANd I'm f**ked if I lknow how anyone coulg hear Eleanor Rigby or Helter Skelter and think McCartney's songwriting was twee. The latter is credited as creating the Heavy Metal genre.

[Dirtgrain]

The Beatles songs make for nice jazz pieces. Melodies, harmonies, and rhythms are great sounding and memorable. There is a lot to learn from them. I don't know to what degree this or that song is Lennon or McCartney or Harrison.