That New Song Is My Old Favourite Old Song
September 29th 2009 06:18
So, you just heard a song on the radio, and you can’t get it out of your head. A couple of hours later, you hear it again, it’s so catchy, you really enjoyed it, and you even remembered the words to sing along in the chorus. So what is it that made this song so catchy?
Basically, it’s because you have heard the song before. Thousands of times before, over the many years of radio listening you have been involved in. it all comes down to music and the minimal combinations available.
Firstly - if the song is on the radio, it is because (approximately 97% of the time) the record company has paid the station to play it, or provided some freebies. Now, if the record company is pushing it, the music is from one of their artists, and you can guarantee that there are no cutting edge or quite original bands or singers there these days, it is all manufactured or selected because it sounds similar to what else is “current”. As is amazingly written in a Dead Kennedys song from the early 80’s, and is still true to this day – “if The Doors or John Lennon were getting started now, the industry wouldn’t sign them in a million years”.
Secondly - there are only 12 musical notes in existence, so with only 12 notes available to use, there are only so many variations available to make music. These notes also make the chords and music that is sung over by the artists and bands, so options for music is also at a premium. Sure, the same notes can be played in the many varying styles, but they are still the same notes.
There are only so many notes that sound good with chords, so, unfortunately, you are again limited by what chords you use for the song. There are happy sounding chords, sad sounding chords, and these fit together in certain ways. A friend of mine was once told by a renowned Australian musician to “pick a good song and re-write it” as he was looking for chart success, as it is all about familiarity.
The radio songs are the safe and soft option. I am certainly not saying they aren’t good songs (although there is some rubbish that makes me want to rip the radio out of the car and throw it as far as possible), but they are the songs that sound like others, and are the same kind of music as previous popular music. People therefore don’t write songs any more, they just write words as all the music on the radio is just a constant repeat from something earlier.
Blue Meanies, The Fall Of Troy, Mr Bungle, even bands like Muse and Radiohead head this list along with plenty more you have never heard of. If you have the chance, and are not scared, have a listen and you will more than likely find that you don’t like it at all, but at least you had a go. You never know unless you do.
I don't mean to sound preachy here, as there is no right or wrong answer to music. You can't help what music you like (I own a copy of the CD single of Mariah Carey's Without You), I am just getting out of my system the fact that it is just so repetitive out there it basically drives me nuts.
Basically, it’s because you have heard the song before. Thousands of times before, over the many years of radio listening you have been involved in. it all comes down to music and the minimal combinations available.
Firstly - if the song is on the radio, it is because (approximately 97% of the time) the record company has paid the station to play it, or provided some freebies. Now, if the record company is pushing it, the music is from one of their artists, and you can guarantee that there are no cutting edge or quite original bands or singers there these days, it is all manufactured or selected because it sounds similar to what else is “current”. As is amazingly written in a Dead Kennedys song from the early 80’s, and is still true to this day – “if The Doors or John Lennon were getting started now, the industry wouldn’t sign them in a million years”.
Secondly - there are only 12 musical notes in existence, so with only 12 notes available to use, there are only so many variations available to make music. These notes also make the chords and music that is sung over by the artists and bands, so options for music is also at a premium. Sure, the same notes can be played in the many varying styles, but they are still the same notes.
There are only so many notes that sound good with chords, so, unfortunately, you are again limited by what chords you use for the song. There are happy sounding chords, sad sounding chords, and these fit together in certain ways. A friend of mine was once told by a renowned Australian musician to “pick a good song and re-write it” as he was looking for chart success, as it is all about familiarity.
The radio songs are the safe and soft option. I am certainly not saying they aren’t good songs (although there is some rubbish that makes me want to rip the radio out of the car and throw it as far as possible), but they are the songs that sound like others, and are the same kind of music as previous popular music. People therefore don’t write songs any more, they just write words as all the music on the radio is just a constant repeat from something earlier.
Blue Meanies, The Fall Of Troy, Mr Bungle, even bands like Muse and Radiohead head this list along with plenty more you have never heard of. If you have the chance, and are not scared, have a listen and you will more than likely find that you don’t like it at all, but at least you had a go. You never know unless you do.
I don't mean to sound preachy here, as there is no right or wrong answer to music. You can't help what music you like (I own a copy of the CD single of Mariah Carey's Without You), I am just getting out of my system the fact that it is just so repetitive out there it basically drives me nuts.
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