There is no such thing as bad music

[Tobin S.]

You could argue that music with bigoted lyrics is bad, but I think that even that kind of music serves a purpose. I'd much rather hear a bigot releasing his ignorant rage in a song than see him take it out on someone.

There are some genres of music that I don't care for generally, but to quote Suicidal Tendencies, "Just because you don't like it don't mean it ain't no good."

Music, in general, is a celebration of life. From Metallica to Willie Nelson to Madonna; from Rush to Toby Keith to Lady Gaga; from Avenged Sevenfold to Miles Davis to Michael Jackson; from The Grateful Dead to Phish to The Allman Brothers; from Elvis to The Beatles to The Rolling Stones; The Eagles, The Temptations, AC/DC, Nickleback, The Arcade Fire, Triumph, Soulfly, The Sex Pistols, Iron Maiden, Kenny Rogers, Charlie Parker, Beethoven, Marvin Gay; you name it and it makes someone out there happy, probably a lot of people.

I don't know what I'd do without music in my line of work. I drive anywhere from 500 to 700 miles a day and I'm alone most of the time. I think I'd have a hard time doing this if it weren't for music. It really means a lot to me. It enhances my life and maybe even saves my sanity sometimes.

So, your music does not suck. ;)

[rrneck]

1. The same could be said for all the arts,

although I have to admit there is some stuff that I find really questionable formally speaking. But people seemed to like it, and there is value there.

I would that people found that value without the help of some corporation. Most of the music and art that I dislike the most is the "production stuff"; work that was developed for its marketability instead of an attempt to give a deeper insight into the human condition. If there was any bad music, I think that would be it.

[TZ]

4. I agree with you on marketability making mediocre music

I think the stuff where the singers voice is so bad that alot of studio work has to be done (ie autotune) to make it sound good is not what I would consider "good" music.
In other words, enhancement to sell a product is something that ruins music for me. There are plenty of good musicians around that I just happen to not particularly like..but its this overproduced crap (and I'm looking at Ashlee Simpson and Brittney Spears as the biggest offenders here) that is not particularly good.

[Tikki]

2. I agree..

Anyone who has a song to sing is free to do so, I say.

I, especially, enjoy 'live' performances.


Tikki

[dawg]

3. Oh yeah?

Nevermind.

[HopeHoops]

5. Bubblegum Pop would qualify for bad music except for ONE minor detail.

IT ISN'T MUSIC!

[Deep13]

6. Exhibit A in rebuttal...

[The Magistrate]

31. Two Words, Sir: Bobby Goldsboro

There is some very, very, very bad music out there....

[jobycom]

7. Only bad musicians.

:P

I pretty much agree with you. Most of the time when I trash music, or any art form, it's only to lampoon someone else doing it by going after something they love to show them how it feels.

Except the whole Rush thing... But I have other reasons for that.

[TZ]

9. about that Rush thing

I think it has something to do with that tin ear thing...:rofl:

[jobycom]

10. Actually it's about a certain DUer who isn't you

originally anyway. Now it's just a game.

Not saying I like them. My refined ear cannot handle the weak, screeching impersonation of Robert Plant, and my love of writing will not stomach the juvenile rantings they consider lyrics. But that's not to say the music is inferior. Some people just prefer grating glass sounds belting out rejected fanboy lit. :P

[TZ]

11. Then I guess I shouldn't tell you

about me running out to buy Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (Rush 2112) the moment it comes out next week...

[jobycom]

15. Laugh!

I approve hardily. A bunch of amateur air guitarists belting out lyrics out off key and off rhythm to Rush's music cannot help but improve it. :rofl:

[TZ]

19. PFFFT.

BTW, I'm convinced Geddy Lee could call better plays than Jason Garrett...:P

[jobycom]

22. We agree on that, for certain.

:rofl: You know I love you, even if your musical taste is... is... :P

[Hosnon]

8. I agree. And there's not a class of folks I look upon with disdain more than music snobs. nt.

[The Midway Rebel]

12. Bad Music for Bad People...

Is the only Cramps albulm I own. I bought it brand new in '84.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGui8NWBsRU&p=E95E585309645BAF&playnext=1&index=4
Uraniam Rock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTXrxW7-Ons&feature=related
I Can't Hardly Stand It

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQQjfmKjXNU&feature=related
Goo Goo Muck

[grasswire]

13. I present an exhibit of rebuttal.

The pop song "Delilah."

Blech. Blech. Blech.

[Art_from_Ark]

29. I heard "Delilah" on "This Is Tom Jones"

and loved it, especially the accompaniment.

[grasswire]

37. I should have used its full name "Hey There Delilah"

that's the one I hate.

[Art_from_Ark]

38. Now you've roused my curiosity

I'm going to look up a performance to "Hey There Delilah" to see how bad it is.

[The Midway Rebel]

14. Peoples tastes in music are a lot like their tastes in food.

People like the type of stuff/sonority they were raised on and are familiar with and it goes w-a-a-ay back to your mom. Babies can hear and respond to sounds inside of the womb.

Most tastes in music and food are nearly fully developed by the time you are a young adult. If you don't like Klezmer music or green beans in your early teens, you probably will not like them as an adult either.

Often teenagers will rebel against and reject their parents music but, by the time they get to their 20's, they circle back and embrace it.

[kentauros]

24. Perhaps some of it goes back to your mom,

but I know mine never listened to "avant garde" music. I learned to like that from public radio, specifically a Pacifica station :D I was also in my teens at the time and I still enjoy Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Glenn Branca, Morton Subotnick, Louis and Bebe Barron, and so on ;)

That's not the only kind of music I like, but it's certainly some of the harshest and least-liked by most people, including my parents. Oh, and I'm 49 now :P

forgot to add a couple of links:
http://www.ubu.com
http://blog.wfmu.org

[Fire Walk With Me]

16. Sure, but when you get to music done solely for ego, and/or strictly as product for profit

then it becomes sickening. Dishonest. I look to music for honesty. Even "negative" music, done honestly, is far, far better feeling to me than anything say by Disney, strictly created and marketed as product, which is purest cynicism. It's the same thing as turning on Fox, expecting some truth, and NOT GETTING ANY. You feel...well, we all know that feeling, that station.

To quote Dead Can Dance: "All...my...senses...rebel."

Sure, it makes some people happy, but so does opium addiction. I can't say which is better for your soul. :shrug:

[NuttyFluffers]

35. i heartily agree. you've said my piece.

and you get kudos for quoting Dead Can Dance. :7

i also, as a student of the humanities, can attest that aesthetics can be defined with parameters (depending upon the cultural and subcultural values). and anything that has parameters can be used as a metric in which to judge creations within such parameters. so yes, judging artistic creations is a very real, and not futile, exercise. some like to cop out that their creations are "genre changing," and therefore impossible to judge, but even that too can be measured -- and often it's mere sensationalistic promotion than a true paradigm shift.

i do believe in personal taste. however, i have always taken exception to the notion that because of such personal taste no real judgment can be made upon any form of "creativity." it's a notion based on ignorance of the study of aesthetics or a callous manipulation of said ignorance for greater profiteering. both things displease me.

[Swede]

17. I agree completely.

To each there own.

[Orsino]

18. Sure there is. There's just little consensus on exactly which music that is. n/t

[alarimer]

20. I have to disagree

While taste is subjective, some music is just BAD. Most mainstream music is just schlocky crap. Your mileage might vary of course.

[elleng]

21. Yes, there is no such thing as bad music, but some have bad taste!!!

:hi:

Chopin on now!

[sakabatou]

23. Smooth jazz should be banned. It's that awful.

[kentauros]

25. "Weather Channel Jazz"

:P

[Jokerman]

26. Music is also timeless.

It always cracks me up when someone says that all new music sucks or criticizes a piece as being too old for their tastes.

In any given time period there is some music I like and a lot of music I don't like.

[AllenVanAllen]

27. Music makes life better, bearable in some cases

and whether it's "good" or not is all relative to individual taste.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

28. There is some music I would not miss

Music from thousand-watt amps and huge subwoofers jammed into the back of a car. There's some music I could live without.

Now, when you say my music does not suck, well, you haven't heard me sing. :)

:hi:

[Art_from_Ark]

30. I wouldn't miss gangsta rap-- ever

especially after hearing lyrics like the following blasted over the PA system in a Japanese import shop, of all places:

"I'm gonna get you, bitch,
I'm gonna kill you"

Who the hell can say with a straight face that THAT is music? It just about drove me crazy. Luckily I had my iPod with me so I could drown that shit out.

[Skip Intro]

32. Well, Maiden rocks for sure. Wonderful metal. Rap sucks. Have you listened to rap?

Yuck.

[Skip Intro]

33. Triumph. Yeah! Bad song they had...

Much like Boston, who you didn't mention. Triumph. I gotta hear that song, now. Moving to youtube for a minute...

lay it on the line, that has to be the song you're referring to, yes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyemGXWHkTo

[old mark]

34. TS, if it had not been for music, much of my life would have been unbearable.

I play it, and listen to all kinds and types of music, and I find something that interests or intrigues me in all of it.

Enjoy your drive today, dude. I hope your new career turns out better than you ever imagined.

mark

[Dash87]

36. That means you haven't heard a Ke$ha song yet. lol

♥

[mvd]

39. I mostly agree. Though bigoted music is bad music, IMO. So is..

the music of tea party nuts like The Rivoli Revue. But I will almost never criticize someone for their taste. Lyrics, sound, melody, etc. are VERY subjective.