Have the great songs all been written?
Discussion
I am thinking of songs of the consistent quality that appeared on records like the Ella Fitzgerald Great American Songbook series, or Sinatra's Capitol albums.
Over the succeeding decades popular music came up with a number of songs of this quality, regularly from the likes of Paul Simon, Carole King, the Beatles, Dylan, etc. and, a few one-off's like Don McClean's Vincent, and for a while it seemed to be another golden age.
But is there anyone producing songs of this quality in the 21st century? I pay Spotify a tenner a month, and I don't mind looking - but where?
Over the succeeding decades popular music came up with a number of songs of this quality, regularly from the likes of Paul Simon, Carole King, the Beatles, Dylan, etc. and, a few one-off's like Don McClean's Vincent, and for a while it seemed to be another golden age.
But is there anyone producing songs of this quality in the 21st century? I pay Spotify a tenner a month, and I don't mind looking - but where?
Roofless Toothless said:
Or am I just feeling jaded and in a wistful mood?
Don't worry, chief, I think you're just jaded and wistful.There's 12 notes in the chromatic scale, so the scope for creating any given tune is endless both harmonically and melodically. The same set of notes was used by J.S. Bach to write his Toccata & Fugue in D minor, as Steve Vai used to write For The Love Of God for example.
As an extreme example, you could argue that instruments aren't necessarily needed to make music based on the musique concréte school of thought.
Roofless Toothless said:
I am thinking of songs of the consistent quality that appeared on records like the Ella Fitzgerald Great American Songbook series, or Sinatra's Capitol albums.
Over the succeeding decades popular music came up with a number of songs of this quality, regularly from the likes of Paul Simon, Carole King, the Beatles, Dylan, etc. and, a few one-off's like Don McClean's Vincent, and for a while it seemed to be another golden age.
But is there anyone producing songs of this quality in the 21st century? I pay Spotify a tenner a month, and I don't mind looking - but where?
Suggest some other songs for me to understand, please?Over the succeeding decades popular music came up with a number of songs of this quality, regularly from the likes of Paul Simon, Carole King, the Beatles, Dylan, etc. and, a few one-off's like Don McClean's Vincent, and for a while it seemed to be another golden age.
But is there anyone producing songs of this quality in the 21st century? I pay Spotify a tenner a month, and I don't mind looking - but where?
Well, it is going to be subjective, of course, and perhaps that is at the heart of it all, but one song that has always raised bumps on the back of my neck is Moonlight In Vermont.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyyRi3l7E_k
This video has Ella and Frank duetting, so can't get better than that. There is something about a song like this that is capable of passing down the generations. It not just a thing of its own times, and there are many good songs that are important and significant in a contemporary context, but I am looking for more than that.
Listen to the way that the words 'falling leaves of a sycamore' are set to a descending melody. Just perfect symbolism. And the struggle for rhymes is avoided by simply not having any.
I am always intrigued by songs that have a wide range of pitch, an octave or more, perhaps. In this an example would be Hoagie Carmichael's Stardust. This is a recording of the song performed by the composer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2fbOAyNOpM
George Harrison's Something is a great song.
Who is writing songs of this quality today?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyyRi3l7E_k
This video has Ella and Frank duetting, so can't get better than that. There is something about a song like this that is capable of passing down the generations. It not just a thing of its own times, and there are many good songs that are important and significant in a contemporary context, but I am looking for more than that.
Listen to the way that the words 'falling leaves of a sycamore' are set to a descending melody. Just perfect symbolism. And the struggle for rhymes is avoided by simply not having any.
I am always intrigued by songs that have a wide range of pitch, an octave or more, perhaps. In this an example would be Hoagie Carmichael's Stardust. This is a recording of the song performed by the composer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2fbOAyNOpM
George Harrison's Something is a great song.
Who is writing songs of this quality today?
Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
The only one I am already familiar with is Ed Sheeran. On my son's recommendation I watched his set at Glastonbury this year. First of all, I am immediately inclined in favour of anyone who has the bottle to stand up all on his own in front of a crowd and entertain them all for thirty or forty minutes. He is certainly very talented. The songs themselves though - will anybody be singing them in 50 years time? Has he created a song with a life of its own that will translate to other performers and different audiences?
It probably is a matter of taste, and you are right calling me on this.
As everyone knows, back in the old days ....
The only one I am already familiar with is Ed Sheeran. On my son's recommendation I watched his set at Glastonbury this year. First of all, I am immediately inclined in favour of anyone who has the bottle to stand up all on his own in front of a crowd and entertain them all for thirty or forty minutes. He is certainly very talented. The songs themselves though - will anybody be singing them in 50 years time? Has he created a song with a life of its own that will translate to other performers and different audiences?
It probably is a matter of taste, and you are right calling me on this.
As everyone knows, back in the old days ....
No, great music is still being written.
However there are so many different factors these days that mean it will never be back to those glory days of the 60s/70s/80s
-Almost total corporate control over the pop charts and hit-writing process
-Image more important than ever
-So much more choice for people to listen to, as well as other activities
-Less political meaning for many people, songs have less emotional meaning
etc.
But also many of the older artists have still produced fantastic music over the last decade or so - Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainright, Stevie Nicks etc.
But hard to see any songs being hailed as classic in the same way. In 50 years people will still play Queen, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Gershwin songs etc. They won't play Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran (even he doesn't write all his own stuff)
However there are so many different factors these days that mean it will never be back to those glory days of the 60s/70s/80s
-Almost total corporate control over the pop charts and hit-writing process
-Image more important than ever
-So much more choice for people to listen to, as well as other activities
-Less political meaning for many people, songs have less emotional meaning
etc.
But also many of the older artists have still produced fantastic music over the last decade or so - Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainright, Stevie Nicks etc.
But hard to see any songs being hailed as classic in the same way. In 50 years people will still play Queen, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Gershwin songs etc. They won't play Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran (even he doesn't write all his own stuff)
TheGuru said:
But hard to see any songs being hailed as classic in the same way. In 50 years people will still play Queen, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Gershwin songs etc. They won't play Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran (even he doesn't write all his own stuff)
They might not be playing Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran but they might still be playing others. That's the problem. I don't know the current artists well enough and don't listen to the lyrics much so who knows. And as Ed Sheeran gets older might he write more "accepted" songs?Rewinding 10-15 years, which songs might be played in 30 years' time (apart from Christmas songs
).It's an interesting topic.
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