Does good transend genre?

[General Winter]

I've listened to and liked quite a lot of music. I like to think that I like a lot of genres, many types of rock, some metal, quite a bit of pop, a little rap and hip hop, some country. A lot of the stuff I like is also the stuff that is thought of as the best in their respective genres, even in the genres I`m not as big a fan of.

So, do you believe that despite the kinds of genres you personally prefer, do you think that the "good" songs in that genre are better liked by everybody, not just people who like the genre?

 

[Queen Michael]

So, do you believe that despite the kinds of genres you personally prefer, do you think that the "good" songs in that genre are better liked by everybody, not just people who like the genre?

Could you rephrase this to help me understand the question? (Also, it's spelled "transcend.")

 

[General Winter]

So, do you believe that despite the kinds of genres you personally prefer, do you think that the "good" songs in that genre are better liked by everybody, not just people who like the genre?

Could you rephrase this to help me understand the question? (Also, it's spelled "transcend.")

Sorry, not a word I use that frequently.

So, say you are listening to a song in a genre you don't like with a friend who likes that particular genre. Would you both agree that the song is better or worse than other songs in that particular genre?

Sorry if it still isn't clear, it's a hard concept to get across.

 

[Queen Michael]

So, do you believe that despite the kinds of genres you personally prefer, do you think that the "good" songs in that genre are better liked by everybody, not just people who like the genre?

Could you rephrase this to help me understand the question? (Also, it's spelled "transcend.")

Sorry, not a word I use that frequently.

So, say you are listening to a song in a genre you don't like with a friend who likes that particular genre. Would you both agree that the song is better or worse than other songs in that particular genre?

Sorry if it still isn't clear, it's a hard concept to get across.

Actually, I get it just fine now. Thanks!

And that's an interesting question. I'd say yes. I listen to classical music more than most people I know, and even people who don't listen to it all that often like the really famous pieces, like "In the Hall of the Mountain King" and "Morning Mood."

 

[MysticSlayer]

I know that I tend to dislike everything from genres that I'm not a huge fan of, and the few songs I do like are not that popular among the genre's fans. Another case is that most people I know aren't major fans of my music, and they basically try to silence even the songs I find to be the best. My brother, who has accepted some of the music I listen to, has rather limited tastes in it, and basically only listens to songs that fit within the styles he likes across all genres. Ultimately, I think it comes down more to what you like in music, and that can be appreciated across multiple genres, but those songs in the genre might be odd by that genre's standards, and that's why someone can like X song regardless of disliking the genre on the whole and regardless of how the genre's fans view the song.

And as far as being able to rank songs similar to fans of the genre, I really don't think that's possible. Someone who enjoys the music as their main genre is obviously into what that genre offers than what someone outside the genre is. As a result, the standards are likely different, and the rankings will change with those changing standards.

 

[Eddie the head]

So, do you believe that despite the kinds of genres you personally prefer, do you think that the "good" songs in that genre are better liked by everybody, not just people who like the genre?

Define what "good" is. I'm tired of questions that rely on the ambiguity of language to be there major driving factor. Could I admit that an R&B song is musically competent? Yeah sure. Dose that mean I like it? No. Both of those could be calling something "good."

 

[lacktheknack]

From a technical standpoint, of course.

...and since that's the only objective measure of music quality (and it's not worth much), I'll stick with yes.

 

[Valkrex]

I would have to say yes. Every genre of music, even the ones you cannot stand, will have that one song that you love for whatever reason.

I primarily listen to hard rock and metal, but a few of my favorite songs are electronic (house music I think, I don't know electronic genre's very well) and usually I DESPISE electronic music.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I like to think that it works like that. I mean it applies elsewhere: A good movie is a good movie, a good game is a good game etc. There are a number of genres of music that I wouldn't ever chose to listen to but which still have songs that I enjoy. I don't see why that wouldn't apply to 99.999% of people in general.

 

[Olas]

Wow, did anybody else instinctively read the title as "Does good transgender?". It took my brain several seconds to untangle itself and read the title correctly.

There are many genre's I don't care for, and I'll ignore even the best songs in that genre because frankly I'll never like them nearly as much as the best songs in my preferred genre, and there's not exactly a shortage of music out there. But if I was forced to listen to either a good country song or a bad one I'd still choose the good one.

I don't think there would be too many cases where this wouldn't be true, whether it's for music, movies, food, games. etc. The only way I could see quality not transcending genre is if the thing people like about that particular genre is the exact thing you don't like about it. For example, if you hate singing in movies, and there's a musical people like more than average because it has LOTS of singing, well for you that would be a negative not a positive. Whereas for everyone else it would be a positive. I know it's a very simplified example but I think it illustrates my point.

 

[Strazdas]

Lets just say that i completely hate rap/hiphop and techno. Meanwhile there are two rappers that i really like and ive even heard of some listenable techno songs a few times.

So yes, it very much does. The question is not "is the song metal" but "is the song good".

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

Spoiler: My reaction

Is this even a real question? Of course it fucking does! You might as well be asking "Is it true that some genres aren't really all crap?" Considering something bad or thinking less of a song merely on the basis of its genre is one of the most ignorant things you can do. Plus I'm not a fan of the term to begin with. Good music is good music, be it rap, jazz, classical, rock or funk.

Sorry if I come across as mean, but it just infuriates me that people are asking this question in the first place.

 

[Vault101]

For some people it doesn't , I could show Somone an awsome expertly crafted rap song and they will still only hear trash, it really depends on personal preference and how open minded Somone is

 

[Tom_green_day]

I notice many people here seem to be mis-reading the question. I understood it was 'is a song popular with people who don't like a genre, also popular with people who don't like the genre'
No, I think fans of a genre will have different understanding of the musical and lyrical features of the song and will probably understand it differently. Look at games, do 'hardcore' gamers like the same in a genre (FPS, RPG etc) like the same as 'casual' gamers? No, of course not.

 

[Flutterguy]

I take it you've just recently got out of discerning entire genres? Really dismissing all rap, folk or EDM is unfair to the artist and yourself. Can't let a few bad examples ruin it for you. Doesn't mean you have to go off delving into unknown territory, but if you have inherent dislike for something try to figure out why, and if it is worth keeping.

I haven't met someone who is able to live without prejudice of some kind. That's asking to give up a very basic instinct.

 

[AdrianCeltigar]

An excellent piece of music will sound good to pretty much everyone. Of course, some genres are generally better received than others; it's easier to get people to agree that a well composed, sweeping orchestra piece is fantastic than any metal/rap/dubstep etc. I also think exposure might help with some specific genres; I find it very difficult to judge the quality of a song from a genre I rarely ever hear - especially a genre I don't care for.

Not everyone will like even the best songs of a genre they don't really enjoy, but there's a difference between disliking something and stating that it is objectively bad. I personally don't enjoy several genres at all, but I can recognize why others do and I simply have different preferences.

Of course, when it comes to something like music, there's not much of clear-cut way to decide what's good or bad. Something can be written and performed well yet still be boring. Is there an objective way of discerning which pieces are the pinnacle of a certain genre? Popular opinion is just that; an opinion shared by a majority. I guarantee that even among fans of a given genre there will a minority that dislikes the songs that are considered the best from it.

Anyone who has an active interest in music most likely also has specific things they look for and avoid. I think it is thus more accurate to say that even among genres someone generally dislikes, if a song has all the elements they normally like, they will probably like it anyway. That is to say, if the song pushes all the right buttons, and none of the wrong ones, it doesn't matter what genre it falls under.

TL;DR I think you'll find that a lot of people like specific songs that would seem to contradict their tastes, but the songs would differ a lot from person to person.

 

[dyre]

Sure, but "quality" and "taste" are not the same thing. And one factor is should not be assumed to be better or more important than the other*.

I've read books, watched films, and listened to songs that were sublime works of art, but simply not my cup of tea. Usually I'll attain some level of enjoyment out of them, but I wouldn't go out of my way to repeat the experience. And don't expect me to eat spicy food no matter how well-made it is!

At the end of the day, I'm not particularly interested in your rap song, your romantic comedy film, or your bowl of homemade chili, no matter how good it is.

*you'll have to decide beforehand where your values are on that matter. Is the enjoyment of a pig rolling in mud worth the same as the enjoyment of a cultured gentleman listening to Brahms? Is the boner you get from watching really good porn worth the same as the cultural, historical, and filmmaking appreciation you get from watching Schindler's List? Genres of art are less easy to categorize, but I do think an omniscient being could differentiate the slight differences in what different songs, films, etc trigger in your mind to cause enjoyment. I should think dubstep and classical music rely on rather different paths of enjoyment.