Is it the beat or the songwriter?

[VaBusa]

...have this ongoing "fued" where I'm clearly right, he's clearly wrong

A good beat in a song is surely a plus, keeps you involved with the music I guess, but for me, I'm a fan of songwriters and I don't mean sappy stuff (well, not always) but the words to a song is what captures my attention more than anything. I am a huge fan of true songwriters and can usually relate what they write with every day life...the beat is fun, but it's not everything

What's the general concensus? Good beat or the lyrics?

And if it's the beat, what captures your attention more? The drummer or the guitarist?

 

[Dino]

I think the music sets the hook and the lyrics reel you in.

 

[flrider]

The lyrics as long as they are audible and not just a bunch of screaming into the mike and the words unintelligible.

 

[GSXTacy]

I think its the groove. There are plenty of very successfull groups/artist that have songs everyone loves but you cant understand a damn thing they say. James Brown and Pearl Jam are two that pop out real quick for me.

 

[Rayabusa0818]

Song writer

 

[Sannosuke]

Melody for me and then I'll listen to the words.

 

[djsin]

as a dj Im right on these things as I have entertained thousands upon millions of people in 20+ years...the beat is always what moves the crowd, you can test this theory by playing an instrumental with no lyrics, the drum beat is what everyone dances to....now with that being said if the lryics suck the beat isnt going to save anything....you can go to you tube or lime wire and download and listen to mashups...its where they take music from one song and the lryics from another you can see how different beats make a song better or worse...

billboards top 25 mixed up

ting tings shut up and let me go with the lryics from michael jackson and sugar hill gang

brittany spears and gwen stefani

napoleon dynamite and eminem and eurythmics you perverts will like watching the end of this one

 

[Justyntym]

You guys are missing it...it's apples and oranges.
Music/Artists are like different flavours of icecream.

The Allman brothers...many of their best songs don't have words.
Alot of the older blues songs are not lyrical genius but heavy in emotion.
Jeff Beck...whole albums, not one word.

And yet you have lyrical genius like Bob Dylan or the Beatles (althought the
Beatles the music is essential). Elton John, Billy Joel, Don McClean..the thing
a great song is not made up of seperate parts, they are intregral in a singular
creation. Like the engine and transmission...

The thing is...music is such a creative expression by many talented people
that can take many forms and styles...you can't really pin down it's a or b
when you also have the rest of the alphabet to work with. Each artist
even each song is different.

 

[BlueHaya]

Its the Beats......and the Writing that makes great songs.

 

[dadofthree]

It's probably a hearing thing, but it's the music and then the lyrics for me. I can't really hear the lyrics in a lot of songs unless I really concentrate.

Pearl Jam is a great group. Not only do you listen for the lyrics but that have an outstanding lead guitarist and their lyrics usually have a deep meaning.

Taylor Swift on the other hand takes you back to your high school years, and

Raschal Flatts is all about love.

 

[chrisjp]

its a mix the beat draws me to the song the lyrics ring in the head after

 

[MO-BUSA]

there's lyrics in the music I listen too??? who knew, na just kidding,
hard to say for me being a guitar player, I am listening for that most of the time but I also listen to the music as a whole, not just one thing in particular to draw me to it, I am amazed these days at how hard it must be to be a musician and to come up with new things..

 

[Jay Willie]

I'm not sure there'll be a definitive answer to this very interesting thought. Artisitic expression of any kind can take on a shape of it's own in any single mind's eye. The multiple complexities of style, such as Bach, Mozart, etc. are very expressive just as the youtube videos djsin shared (Wow! Those are so interestingly different! Thanks for sharing!) Words, beat, insturments each one will have it's appeal in so many different ways to so many different people.

Having said that, it could be anything for me-the beat, the lyrics, the music but something about music appeals to me in so many different ways and some more intensely than others. Memories, current life, hopes, pains, love-it can all be so moving...

Anyways, nothing like good music to elevate the heart...in whatever way!

 

[omslaw]

I think we need to add a poll to better see the results...but from what I see, "...and the Beat rolls on..."


Oh, and I'll add my :2cents:: Beat. I'm right, she's wrong. I'm a drummer, what can I say? LOL


If a song doesn't have a good beat, I won't listen to it. Also, I can KNOW all the words...and never "hear" the meaning...


So, beat it is...

 

[VaBusa]

Omar, trust me, you're wrong

I just find it amazing that so many listen to a good song and NEVER hear a single word LOL Hrmmm, who do I know named Omar that does this?!

 

[MO-BUSA]

 

[teamorion22]

yea apples and oranges, it has to be a combo of both, but i will tell you that i really dont like it when the vocals are too loud, at a concert or on an album, lead singers get a little too full of themselves sometimes

 

[afterhours]

what about the producer?


you can have strong lyrics, and a good beat.....but if the arrangemnt is wrong, then you have nothing...there are genius in the studio tht can turn people into stars

 

[dadofthree]

 

[VaBusa]

50/50 so far...half of you are wrong