Can a song be considered worse than another song?

Discussion in 'Music' started by GiggleBlizzard, Jun 29, 2012.

  1. GiggleBlizzard Well-Known Member

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    Can a song be considered worse than another song?

    This is a question I often ask myself or others. Is there bad music, can you compare music and is there a song that can be considered better than another one? Can you objectively judge a song?

    If you were to say one song is better, would it be because one is more complex or because the other was more popular?

    Before you start shouting out that this is pointless and that music is purely subjective, that's the reason for why I want to discuss this. Is music really completely subjective on every levels, or just a few, or none at all?

    To begin I will take up two mainstream songs from different time periods. The first one is I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles



    This is a very simple song. The chord progression is nothing fancy, the rhythm is plain and the lyrics are not very inspiring or deep.

    The next one is Little Girl by Sparklehorse



    This one has more to it. The chord progression is less generic, the rhythm is very advanced and the lyrics are very complex.

    Yet I Want To Hold Your Hand would probably considered more preferable by most people and was much more successful than Little Girl probably ever will be. So which one of these songs can be considered the 'better' one and why?
  2. UnitRico Well-Known Member

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    Define "better".
  3. PineappleJoe Well-Known Member

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    Yes.

    DICK IN YOUR FACE!!! 1:50
  4. GiggleBlizzard Well-Known Member

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    I'm not sure, more successful or more complex? Maybe none of those? What would you say?

    Alright so let's take a song everybody knows, The Trooper by Iron Maiden is objectively better than this song here?
  5. UnitRico Well-Known Member

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    I'd say something like more enjoyable for a person, but then we return at the "it's all subjective anyway" part.
  6. GiggleBlizzard Well-Known Member

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    Indeed, I would like a debate thread where people can discuss songs and wether they are good or bad and argue for why because it is an interesting subject, but apparently people weren't to fond of that the last time and Stalin locked it.
  7. Chives Newest Member

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    EXHIBIT A: A song


    EXHIBIT B: An objectively worse song
  8. Melanthropist Well-Known Member

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    No one in their right mind would acknowledge that someone else has "objectively" superior music, and they shouldn't. It's a stupid fucking notion that people shouldn't entertain. Check this(5)out, not a single(3a) one of these dictionary(adj. 3a) entries would define music as objective in a way that is relevant to any normal person. This is a conversation that people who are into the science of music could have and enjoy, but to the average Joe it's infuriating for people to suggest their music is better than yours (in the very least, that's how I feel). That is of course if you aren't the one suggesting that your music is "objectively" better.

    So yeah, people probably aren't too fond of this topic.

    By someone's own standards, yes.

    On some levels probably.

    Depends on what the individual considers more important.

    As I said above, I think on many levels it's subjective, but just because I don't know much at all about the science of music I'll grant you that it's possible on some levels (music being objective).
    The Shaw and UnitRico like this.
  9. Skyicewolf City States Godmod Patrol

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    Having one piece of music being better than another is like saying one piece of art is better than another. It's a subjective decision, and is made on an individual basis.
    Cover and ironchin like this.
  10. Chives Newest Member

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    Please look at my previous post.
  11. BattalionOfRed Mr. Fred Battaliono

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    In my standards, this


    Is much, much better in this particular genre of music than this


    The first fits its genre, it is pleasant to listen to, the other, is bollocks and I cannot sit through it.

    And that's what we mean by which is worse.
  12. UtterlyImpeccable Well-Known Member

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    This thread reminds me of a certain Onion video.



    And while I agree that what music people enjoy is subjective, there must also be some standards of 'good' music, even if that standard is not making the majority of the population seriously consider what it means to be human.
  13. Anwrise888 Well-Known Member

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    THIS IS REAL MUSIC
  14. UnitRico Well-Known Member

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    Note the word "my". Just because you dislike it doesn't mean it's objectively worse.
  15. greatmustachio Mount & Blade Branch Head

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    Objectively speaking, every piece of music with an electrical guitar in it is inately better than music without it.

    @Anwrise888 Two thumbs up!
  16. UnitRico Well-Known Member

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    Fixed that for you.
  17. greatmustachio Mount & Blade Branch Head

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    It was correct the way I posted it. Those who disagree will be purged Warhammer 40k style xD
  18. UnitRico Well-Known Member

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    No, it wasn't. I personally also generally prefer music that has electric guitars in them, but I much prefer this:

    over this:


    Then again, I do think most of those metal songs have good music, but they decided to complete rape the living shit out of it by giving the microphone to someone with the vocal capability of a gorilla.


    Of course, I could also take you and your post very seriously and explain the difference between subjective and objective.
  19. greatmustachio Mount & Blade Branch Head

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    You could, but you hurt your credibility on the matter by disliking Amon Amarth ;)
  20. UnitRico Well-Known Member

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    The only one who'd be hurting his credibility in this case would be you saying something like that over something subjective.

    I don't necessarily dislike them, and generally find that most instrumental music of those kinds of bands is pretty damn awesome. I do find it such a shame they find the need to completely ruin it by...well, it sounds like they're eating the microphone while being fucked in the ass, but I think they try and pass it off as singing.

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