NationStates Jolt Archive

Yes another music thread, pretty straight forward too. WHat songs do you like from an artist you would otherwise never listen too?

Me: Rock You (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cPQ75fgWhk&feature=channel) By Justin Timberlake.

Ugh. That's pretty terrible. Most artists I listen to I listen to many of their songs. I've never been a fan of musical elitism. "Oh they were so much better before X" nonsense.

"Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco

Ugh. That's pretty terrible. Most artists I listen to I listen to many of their songs. I've never been a fan of musical elitism. "Oh they were so much better before X" nonsense.

It depends why you listen to music. Not that musical elitism isn't frustrating in others, but so too is the notion that popularity is a mark of musical quality.

Personally, I've always quite liked the first Killers album.

Ugh. That's pretty terrible. Most artists I listen to I listen to many of their songs. I've never been a fan of musical elitism. "Oh they were so much better before X" nonsense.

well sadly it happens a lot that bands just start sucking after a certian point. For example, Metalica - they fucking ruled up until they released Load which was a load of shit...

As for artists I hate but like a few songs from... Britney spears :$ and Justin Timberlake :fluffle: I'm ashamed of it but I just can't help dancin' when I hear 'Rock you'

Oh, man, there are so many.

See, I am a Serious Classical Musician. I know music. I have Taste. Unfortunately, I also have a butt that likes to be wiggled around to anything remotely catchy. Therefore, I have a great many "guilty pleasure" songs - I can tell you exactly and in detail WHY they are terrible, and yet I just...keep...listening. And singing along. And dancing around the room.

*wanders away singing "up! side! in! side out! she's livin' la vida loca! she'll push! and! pull! you down! livin' la vida loca-a-a!"*

Oh, man, there are so many.

See, I am a Serious Classical Musician. I know music. I have Taste. Unfortunately, I also have a butt that likes to be wiggled around to anything remotely catchy. Therefore, I have a great many "guilty pleasure" songs - I can tell you exactly and in detail WHY they are terrible, and yet I just...keep...listening. And singing along. And dancing around the room.

*wanders away singing "up! side! in! side out! she's livin' la vida loca! she'll push! and! pull! you down! livin' la vida loca-a-a!"*

*watches butt wiggle*

Oh uhm... Thats another one for me too... Ricky MArtin was by no means a good artist in my opinion but I'll be damned if I couldn't help but sing with that song; and I didn't even like it.

Miley Cyrus and the Veronicas. :$ Don't judge me.

I actually own the complete CD the Numa Numa song is on. AND I LISTEN TO IT.

*hangs head in shame - catchy, catchy shame*

I actually own the complete CD the Numa Numa song is on. AND I LISTEN TO IT.

*hangs head in shame - catchy, catchy shame*

Bastard. Utter, utter bastard. That'll be in my head all night. And it's displaced "Stand and deliver".

"The Fear" by Lily Allen
"Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake (though I prefer the cover version by The Cliks)
"I Write Sins not Tragedies" by Panic! at the Disco
"Dance Dance" by Fall Out Boy
"Starz in their Eyes" by Just Jack

Plenty more where that came from. My main favoured genres are metal and aggrotech, but I'm willing to recognize when there's something decent on the radio, and will buy (not download, honest!) an album if I hear several songs I like, even if its something I wouldn't normally appreciate. Its a bit pretentious to like something and claim that you can't like it because its uncool

I am not a fan of modern Country Western Music, but I could listen to an entire album by Brad Paisely

"Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats (or jobs, for that matter)

"Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats (or jobs, for that matter)

We can dance if we want
We can leave your freinds behind
Because your friend sdon't dance
And if they don't dance
Well they're, no friends of mine.

I am not a fan of modern Country Western Music, but I could listen to an entire album by Brad Paisely

His whiskey lullaby music video always makes me cry.
*sniff*

Just about everything by Michael Jackson.

Bad to the Bone, by whoever wrote it.

Bad to the Bone, by whoever wrote it.

George Thorougood

Lucky, by Britney Spears.:(

"Anybody Seen My Baby?" by The Rolling Stones
"God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Johnny Cash
"This Kiss" by Faith Hill
"Hey Mr. DJ (Keep Playin' This Song)" by Backstreet Boys
"Pop" by N*SYNC
"See You Again" by Miley Cyrus

The list goes on, but those are the ones that pop into my head first.

like three songs by Poison.

also a bunch of new agey rock that my brother has. that entails the killers and a couple other bands that i dont know.

like three songs by Poison.

also a bunch of new agey rock that my brother has. that entails the killers and a couple other bands that i dont know.

The Killers and Franz Ferdinand are two of those kind of bands that I actually like a lot, the rest not so much.

Justin Timberlake "Sexy back". I can't stand most of his other stuff but shamefully I must admit I listen to that.

Don't Cry For Me, Argentina by Madonna

Don't Cry For Me, Argentina by Madonna

Do you just like the Madonna version, or...am I really about to defend Andrew Lloyd Weber?

Wait, I have an answer for the thread, for complicated reasons I like Jesus Christ Superstar even if I think Weber is a silly bastard.

"White Flag" by Dido (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMB4xtnFlvo)

For whatever reason, I just like that song...I blame Eminem, lol...

Paradise City by Guns N Roses.
Beating Heart Baby by Head Automatica.
The Masterplan by Oasis.
Shiver by Coldplay.

That's all for now.

"Found Out About You" by The Gin Blossoms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7WaJt02sTE

Most times, if a band makes a single song that I like, I'll soon discover (or perhaps "invent" is a better word) the virtues of most of their catalog. That said, there are some expections that not even my patented MotherVision can overcome:
"Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats (or jobs, for that matter)
^^^
Exhibit A.

Exhibit B would be "Monster" by Abandoned Pools. They're largely crap, but there is something about the lyrics of this one song.
"Everyone's a genius,
Brushing up on irony
But....no...
No one's free.
Everyone's a salesman
Gushing with sincerity
Or so ... so it seems
I want to go another round
I want to go in Monster Town
I want to go another round
Because I am coming up
I am coming back
Everyone's a rock star,
Look how cool and dark you are,
Oh what's become of me now
We'll bust out the mission
We'll bust the holy *something*
Okay, then we'll be free,
I want to go another round
I want to go to Monster Town
I want to go another round
Because I am coming up
I am coming back.
Lay me on the table
Operate on me
Spin me like a record
Scratch the needle back in for......................
/guitar break/
I want to go another round
I want to go in Monster Town
I want to go another round
I want to go in Monster Town
I want to gooooooooooooooooooooooo
Another round
Because I am coming up
I am coming ... back!
Because I am coming up
I am coming back."
As far as I can tell, it is something about that chorus. The desperate desire to return, to continue living, despite the fact that all we've got is a crapsack world. Undefeated, and perhaps undefeatable, the singer is returning to the world for some damn reason or other.

"White Flag" by Dido (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMB4xtnFlvo)

For whatever reason, I just like that song...I blame Eminem, lol...

That one is my guilty secret too.

That one is my guilty secret too.

Conversely, mine is the Eminem version of that song.

"Beth" by KISS

"The Fear" by Lily Allen
"Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake (though I prefer the cover version by The Cliks)
"I Write Sins not Tragedies" by Panic! at the Disco
"Dance Dance" by Fall Out Boy
"Starz in their Eyes" by Just Jack

Plenty more where that came from. My main favoured genres are metal and aggrotech, but I'm willing to recognize when there's something decent on the radio, and will buy (not download, honest!) an album if I hear several songs I like, even if its something I wouldn't normally appreciate. Its a bit pretentious to like something and claim that you can't like it because its uncool

You might try Lesson One from Just Jack also, and Snowflakes.

Why Are There So Many Songs About Rainbows? by Kermit the Frog

Oh, man, there are so many.

See, I am a Serious Classical Musician. I know music. I have Taste. Unfortunately, I also have a butt that likes to be wiggled around to anything remotely catchy. Therefore, I have a great many "guilty pleasure" songs - I can tell you exactly and in detail WHY they are terrible, and yet I just...keep...listening. And singing along. And dancing around the room.

*wanders away singing "up! side! in! side out! she's livin' la vida loca! she'll push! and! pull! you down! livin' la vida loca-a-a!"*

OK, serious music question - if the song's catchy enough that it gets you singing and dancing along, what exactly and in detail is so horrible about it? Please tell me.

OK, serious music question - if the song's catchy enough that it gets you singing and dancing along, what exactly and in detail is so horrible about it? Please tell me.

It depends on what you are judging it based on. I got into this discussion with my daughter on Saturday. I explained to her that while "The Beastie Boys" have every right to be her favorite......she can't state that they are the "best band ever" based on the criteria that I have.....she has different criteria though.

If I'm going to rate a "good band" I have things I ask.....

can they sing?
do they play their instruments well?
are their lyrics timeless?
do their songs appeal to differing generations?
have they consistently come out with good music?

This criteria doesn't allow for many bands to be "good", however I do like bands that don't match up, I just can't bear to say they are "good music".

I like tons of music that is from a technical standpoint "bad" because I feel it has a place in my musical library due to being "fun" or "nostalgic" (remember I grew up in the 80's, not a lot of "good" music came out of that decade and yet I still sing along to tons of it.


All of that being said......to answer the OP, I loathe Miley Cyrus......however I have to listen to her by proxy.....and I like one of her songs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqyz79LChfI).

For the most part, I am bored by Tina Turner...but she did songs for Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, and I love them both.

Umm I quite liked U2 back in the day but find them boring now. Does that count?

Paradise City by Guns N Roses.
Beating Heart Baby by Head Automatica.
Good call on these, tack on Guns N Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" too.

Umm I quite liked U2 back in the day but find them boring now. Does that count?
Sort of. They've always been boring. Though I suppose you could add "With or Without You" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" to the list.

OK, serious music question - if the song's catchy enough that it gets you singing and dancing along, what exactly and in detail is so horrible about it? Please tell me.

Well, usually, it'll be something like "it has all of three chords, the lyrics are moronic, the guitar player seriously sucks, the singer is using unbelievably bad vocal technique even for a pop song, and the guy playing the bass has actually fallen asleep because his part is so freaking boring."

The thing is, though, "horrible" is admittedly a tricky thing to define when it comes to pop music, because it's not uncommon that no one actually ever had any intention of making the bass part non-totally-boring, or using more than three chords. They just wanted it to make your butt wiggle, and so, if it succeeds at that, you can reasonably argue that it is "good" at what it intends to be, even if taking the same tune into an intro-level composition course would get you a D-. :p

Well, usually, it'll be something like "it has all of three chords, the lyrics are moronic, the guitar player seriously sucks, the singer is using unbelievably bad vocal technique even for a pop song, and the guy playing the bass has actually fallen asleep because his part is so freaking boring."

The thing is, though, "horrible" is admittedly a tricky thing to define when it comes to pop music, because it's not uncommon that no one actually ever had any intention of making the bass part non-totally-boring, or using more than three chords. They just wanted it to make your butt wiggle, and so, if it succeeds at that, you can reasonably argue that it is "good" at what it intends to be, even if taking the same tune into an intro-level composition course would get you a D-. :p

well I guess that's the point though, no? If a song is designed to be "catchy" then it can be good at that, despite being a technically horrendous piece of music.

"Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats (or jobs, for that matter)

I have that on 45. I'm that old.

well I guess that's the point though, no? If a song is designed to be "catchy" then it can be good at that, despite being a technically horrendous piece of music.

Indeed. Hence my embarrassing collection of shitty, shitty, oh-so-much-fun music. :p

Indeed. Hence my embarrassing collection of shitty, shitty, oh-so-much-fun music. :p
It is only "shitty" in the sense that a hacksaw is a shitty hammer.
They both belong to the same category (Tools), but they've got entirely different purposes and should be evaluated on different criteria. Complaining about the simplicity of pop music is like bitching that your hammer isn't sharp enough.

I tend to think that any judgement of what is "good" in music is entirely subjective. You may say that complexity is a measure of goodness. But that criteria is subjective in itself. I remember Roger Waters once saying that the only thing is whether the music moves you. If a simple pop song moves you then surely it is good music by your standards. Mind you the "moves you" criteria is subjective also. So, what I'm trying to say is... What was the question again?