Music is one of the oldest and far-reaching forms of art. Almost every culture has had a use for music, whether for spiritual purposes or purely for entertainment. For thousands of years, people have gathered around performers, sung for their own pleasure, or used chants and mantras in religious ceremonies. In these modern times, spiky-haired rockers and glamorous divas have taken the place of the minstrels and bards of old. The music industry is one of the biggest industries in the world, and is run by giant corporations who often care less about artistry and quality and about how many dollars they can earn by finding a new hit single to spam on the airwaves. Finding quality music can be quite difficult, and defining what makes it great can be even harder. There are, however, certain things that one can look for, such as originality, exceptional songwriting, and a music or lyrical journey.
One aspect of great music is its originality. Does the piece offer anything new, or is it merely copying previous works? While it’s practically impossible to create a song that isn’t influenced by other music, a band or artist should try to create something that touches new ground, whether musically, sonically, or lyrically. One extremely innovative band is Mr. Bungle. Their third and final album, California, features ten songs which are not only unique when compared to the rest of modern rock, but also totally distinct when compared to each other. With influences ranging from 1980’s hair metal, Buddhist chorales, 1960’s surfer rock, and even classical Middle Eastern themes, it’s easy to imagine how much variety and originality these songs offer. Some bands, however, get stuck on the rut of a single sound, writing album after album of songs that simply sound like reworkings of their older material. One band able to break out of this rut is The Velvet Teen. From their mostly mellow, guitar-driven debut Out of the Fierce Parade to their glitchy noise-pop epic Cum Laude, they’ve manage to redefine themselves and their sound almost completely from album to album. Lyrics are also an element in originality. Many bands are content to crone on about lost loves or the effects of drugs, but there are others that strive to find a new lyrical space. For instance, several songs by the prog-punk band Melvins, feature lyrics that are seemingly nonsense. While lyrics like “Milk maid dud bean / Master a load a head / Pill pop a dope a well run general hash pump a gonna led,” may not be the most meaningful or insightful, they certainly stand out against the crowd. Icelandic band Sigur Ros take this approach one step further, creating an entire nonsense language dubbed “Hopelandic,” providing a more abstract atmosphere to their work that isn’t weighed down by grammar rules or semantics.
Another characteristic of good music is that it is performed and written well. This can be approached in several different ways. Some bands, such as Liquid Tension Experiment or DragonForce, try to write music that is technically challenging and complex, at least for the average player, to perform. Blazing fast riffs, shredding guitar, or relentless rigorous drumming are a few things you might hear with this sort of music. But this style also has a potential to backfire, and when guitar solos become more about cramming a thousand notes into fifteen seconds and less about promoting a musical theme or mood, the song suffers. Music doesn’t have to be overly complex or complicated, however. The music of Canadian rock band Metric is deceptively simple. A straightforward beat, catchy but simple bass line, and earnest vocals are often all this band offers, but so much energy, passion, and class is packed into each note and word that they overcome the music’s apparent simplicity. Not every band can get away with this kind of simplicity, though. Punk rock bands that repeat a couple power chords for three minutes and call it a song would fail in this category. Vocals and lyrics also play a big part. Singer/lyricist Maynard Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle is not only a brilliant writer, but also a powerful vocalist, able to belt out the angriest of yells or the gentlest of whispers. Almost anything he touches is excellent due to amazing talent.
Another quality of great music is that it tells a story. This can range from a single song telling a specific story (consider Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody), to a narration spanning an entire full-length album. Of the latter type, the most amazing example is Dream Theater’s Scenes from a Memory. This epic masterpiece tells the story of a man whose dreams are haunted by a woman’s murder. As the album progresses, he realizes that this murder has actually happened, and begins to uncover far-reaching secrets as he gradually unravels the mystery of this young woman’s death. Featuring incredible songwriting by some of rock music’s most talented performers, this album is widely regarded as one of the best concepts albums of all time, and the journey it takes the listener on is an amazing experience. A story doesn’t have to be told by words alone, however. The stages of journey (innocence, initiation, chaos, resolution) or similarly the elements of plot (exposition, rising action, climax, resolution) can be represented musically. For example, “The Nurse Who Loved Me” by 1990’s post-grunge band Failure begins quite plainly with acoustic guitar and a simple vocal melody. As the song progresses, more and more layers are added in until the song’s climax; an explosion of distortion, percussion, and atmospherics. Just as suddenly as this plateau is reached, it fades back into clean guitar and voice as the song concludes and fades out. Prog-rock band Tool manages to do this with nearly every song they write; starting with a simple, often catchy, introduction which builds in intensity towards an explosive climax and subsequent resolution. One example of this is “Reflection” from their third album, Lateralus. The song begins with light percussion and bass, guitar, and synth are gradually introduced as the songs complexity and intensity grows. Lyrically, the song tells the story, in first person, of a man who is pathetic and lost. As the song continues, he realizes his faults and strives to correct them, and the song climaxes with a call for everyone to “crucify the ego, before it’s far too late,” proclaiming that “we are all one mind- capable of all that’s imagined and all conceivable.” This eleven minute epic is a perfect example of musical and lyrical journey, and an incredibly example of brilliant songwriting as well.
The qualities that make music great are often disputed, and will definitely vary from person. Some people only will only listen to poppy music they can dance to, like Christina Aguilera or Justin Timberlake, and others will prefer bands like Led Zeppelin that broke new ground and simply “rocked.” Ultimately, it comes down to personal taste, and it will often be impossible to define why a person likes a certain band or style of music. People will like what they like, and no two people will be able to agree on everything. And that’s the way it should be.
One aspect of great music is its originality. Does the piece offer anything new, or is it merely copying previous works? While it’s practically impossible to create a song that isn’t influenced by other music, a band or artist should try to create something that touches new ground, whether musically, sonically, or lyrically. One extremely innovative band is Mr. Bungle. Their third and final album, California, features ten songs which are not only unique when compared to the rest of modern rock, but also totally distinct when compared to each other. With influences ranging from 1980’s hair metal, Buddhist chorales, 1960’s surfer rock, and even classical Middle Eastern themes, it’s easy to imagine how much variety and originality these songs offer. Some bands, however, get stuck on the rut of a single sound, writing album after album of songs that simply sound like reworkings of their older material. One band able to break out of this rut is The Velvet Teen. From their mostly mellow, guitar-driven debut Out of the Fierce Parade to their glitchy noise-pop epic Cum Laude, they’ve manage to redefine themselves and their sound almost completely from album to album. Lyrics are also an element in originality. Many bands are content to crone on about lost loves or the effects of drugs, but there are others that strive to find a new lyrical space. For instance, several songs by the prog-punk band Melvins, feature lyrics that are seemingly nonsense. While lyrics like “Milk maid dud bean / Master a load a head / Pill pop a dope a well run general hash pump a gonna led,” may not be the most meaningful or insightful, they certainly stand out against the crowd. Icelandic band Sigur Ros take this approach one step further, creating an entire nonsense language dubbed “Hopelandic,” providing a more abstract atmosphere to their work that isn’t weighed down by grammar rules or semantics.
Another characteristic of good music is that it is performed and written well. This can be approached in several different ways. Some bands, such as Liquid Tension Experiment or DragonForce, try to write music that is technically challenging and complex, at least for the average player, to perform. Blazing fast riffs, shredding guitar, or relentless rigorous drumming are a few things you might hear with this sort of music. But this style also has a potential to backfire, and when guitar solos become more about cramming a thousand notes into fifteen seconds and less about promoting a musical theme or mood, the song suffers. Music doesn’t have to be overly complex or complicated, however. The music of Canadian rock band Metric is deceptively simple. A straightforward beat, catchy but simple bass line, and earnest vocals are often all this band offers, but so much energy, passion, and class is packed into each note and word that they overcome the music’s apparent simplicity. Not every band can get away with this kind of simplicity, though. Punk rock bands that repeat a couple power chords for three minutes and call it a song would fail in this category. Vocals and lyrics also play a big part. Singer/lyricist Maynard Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle is not only a brilliant writer, but also a powerful vocalist, able to belt out the angriest of yells or the gentlest of whispers. Almost anything he touches is excellent due to amazing talent.
Another quality of great music is that it tells a story. This can range from a single song telling a specific story (consider Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody), to a narration spanning an entire full-length album. Of the latter type, the most amazing example is Dream Theater’s Scenes from a Memory. This epic masterpiece tells the story of a man whose dreams are haunted by a woman’s murder. As the album progresses, he realizes that this murder has actually happened, and begins to uncover far-reaching secrets as he gradually unravels the mystery of this young woman’s death. Featuring incredible songwriting by some of rock music’s most talented performers, this album is widely regarded as one of the best concepts albums of all time, and the journey it takes the listener on is an amazing experience. A story doesn’t have to be told by words alone, however. The stages of journey (innocence, initiation, chaos, resolution) or similarly the elements of plot (exposition, rising action, climax, resolution) can be represented musically. For example, “The Nurse Who Loved Me” by 1990’s post-grunge band Failure begins quite plainly with acoustic guitar and a simple vocal melody. As the song progresses, more and more layers are added in until the song’s climax; an explosion of distortion, percussion, and atmospherics. Just as suddenly as this plateau is reached, it fades back into clean guitar and voice as the song concludes and fades out. Prog-rock band Tool manages to do this with nearly every song they write; starting with a simple, often catchy, introduction which builds in intensity towards an explosive climax and subsequent resolution. One example of this is “Reflection” from their third album, Lateralus. The song begins with light percussion and bass, guitar, and synth are gradually introduced as the songs complexity and intensity grows. Lyrically, the song tells the story, in first person, of a man who is pathetic and lost. As the song continues, he realizes his faults and strives to correct them, and the song climaxes with a call for everyone to “crucify the ego, before it’s far too late,” proclaiming that “we are all one mind- capable of all that’s imagined and all conceivable.” This eleven minute epic is a perfect example of musical and lyrical journey, and an incredibly example of brilliant songwriting as well.
The qualities that make music great are often disputed, and will definitely vary from person. Some people only will only listen to poppy music they can dance to, like Christina Aguilera or Justin Timberlake, and others will prefer bands like Led Zeppelin that broke new ground and simply “rocked.” Ultimately, it comes down to personal taste, and it will often be impossible to define why a person likes a certain band or style of music. People will like what they like, and no two people will be able to agree on everything. And that’s the way it should be.