What makes good music?

I've been thinking about this alot recently, wanted your opinions. What actually makes music appealing?

I think the way it sounds makes them good. Brown-Eyed Girl is a good one, but Country is my favorite genre overall.

Chose 'Harmonies and the way it sounds in general', and 'Messages, Connotations and Allegory behind the music' though that's less important in some genres. I don't think technicality, complexity or difficulty to play should matter at all, technical death metal is often ridiculously dull while Wire's first album was experimental and influential (and sounds great...) even though each song usually has just 3 chords.

There's no such thing as 'good music.' It's up to the person what makes a song good.

Originally Posted by .Socrates

There's no such thing as 'good music.' It's up to the person what makes a song good.

But there's definitely 'bad music'...

Difficulty...I suspect the OP means complexity... I don't think it matters too much. Else why would the same 12 bars with marginal variation sound so good over and over again.

Originally Posted by .Socrates

There's no such thing as 'good music.' It's up to the person what makes a song good.

But there is such a thing as bad music.

Originally Posted by Eire_Emerald

But there is such a thing as bad music.

But there's definitely 'bad music'...

What you might think as bad, another person thinks as good.

Originally Posted by .Socrates

What you might think as bad, another person thinks as good.

If someone thinks eating feces is good, does it make it good for them?

Forgive the crude metaphor, but it illustrates the point. Total subjectivity fails.

Originally Posted by DeadCanDance

If someone thinks eating feces is good, does it make it good for them?

Forgive the crude metaphor, but it illustrates the point. Total subjectivity fails.

Flame Removed.

Originally Posted by DeadCanDance

If someone thinks eating feces is good, does it make it good for them?

Forgive the crude metaphor, but it illustrates the point. Total subjectivity fails.

I don't remember there being a connection between taste in music and health. Let's try again.

Originality....

Harmonies and the way it sounds in general. I personally don't care if a song if a song keeps on alternating between ridiculous time signatures like 7/8 (for reference, the sort of music I listen to does), so long as it sounds good. If something has good, memorable melodies that can send shivers down my spine, I'll listen to it. And who knows, I'll probably end up buying the album.

Conversely, I have a friend who is very much into jazz and all he cares about is the complexity of a piece. A few years ago, he seriously asked me why Lou Reed's Walk On The Wild Side (I think that's what it's called) became so popular for such a musically simple song.

Picked Harmonies, etc for the same reason as God.
Picked Message, etc for the same reason as God.
Picked Other, etc for the sole reason of Satan.

Only time will show what makes good music....Cause good music lasts in time forever...Even a simple chord can last in time....Pink Floyd is a good example.Never played very difficult music but Dark side of the moon still sells 3000 albums every week.

Originally Posted by nettos

Only time will show what makes good music....Cause good music lasts in time forever...Even a simple chord can last in time....Pink Floyd is a good example.Never played very difficult music but Dark side of the moon still sells 3000 albums every week.

You know what else was popular? SS marching songs.

Originally Posted by Octy

You know what else was popular? SS marching songs.

So u tell me that people still listen to SS songs?Their songs last in time?I think i was misunderstood...I mentrioned this example not to proove that P Floyd sell but to mention that they last in time,the only way to proove it is not my words but their sales considering the year of release.If u believe that this album for example is not good or progressive or alternative still,i will just have to respect ur opinion.

Originally Posted by nettos

So u tell me that people still listen to SS songs?Their songs last in time?I think i was misunderstood...I mentrioned this example not to proove that P Floyd sell but to mention that they last in time,the only way to proove it is not my words but their sales considering the year of release.If u believe that this album for example is not good or progressive or alternative still,i will just have to respect ur opinion.

My history teacher does. He brought in a medley recently to listen to during class. It all sounds the same after a while...

Originally Posted by Octy

You know what else was popular? SS marching songs.

Coincidentally some of these are quite good.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

SHOCK SHOCK SHOCK I even listen to some of them. SHOCK SHOCK SHOCK

Originally Posted by vizigothe

No I'm not. That was what I had to do to get the right to vote in polls.

I will decide to not trust you on this matter.


Also, Gobbledigook (lovely name btw, gotta rep), TAKE MY EARNEST ADVICE AND DO NOT BELIEVE HIM. HE IS DECEIVING YOU!




Maybe he's actually a servant of diabolus after all then.

Originally Posted by nettos

Only time will show what makes good music....Cause good music lasts in time forever...Even a simple chord can last in time....Pink Floyd is a good example.Never played very difficult music but Dark side of the moon still sells 3000 albums every week.

Agreed 100%. Look at the beatles.

Yes because record sales indicate how good a band is!