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What do you consider good music?
- Thread starter Jason
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- ♬5,737
Yes there are those songs that make you feel deeply when you hear them. Or it could be that you just vibe with the genre or niche of the song.
Good music, for me, is less about genre or technical perfection and more about connection. It’s the kind of music that makes you feel something—whether that’s energy, comfort, nostalgia, or even curiosity. Sometimes it’s a beautifully written lyric, sometimes it’s an unexpected beat or a raw, imperfect performance that feels honest.
I also think context matters. Music often feels “good” when it brings people together at a live gig, a small jam session, or community-driven events where artists and audiences genuinely interact. Spaces like Jameson Connects highlight this really well by blending diverse sounds, local talent, and a shared cultural vibe. You may not love every track, but the experience of discovering something new with like-minded people adds a whole new layer to what makes music meaningful.
I also think context matters. Music often feels “good” when it brings people together at a live gig, a small jam session, or community-driven events where artists and audiences genuinely interact. Spaces like Jameson Connects highlight this really well by blending diverse sounds, local talent, and a shared cultural vibe. You may not love every track, but the experience of discovering something new with like-minded people adds a whole new layer to what makes music meaningful.
There's some great classical music out there, and sounds from around the world worth hearing, but I absolutely love contemporary Western music. Over the last hundred years or so, there have been too many great songs, albums and artists to count. From early jazz to the myriad of genres available now, music has gone through generation after generation of mind-blowing innovations. But no matter how it changes, there's always so much good music to be found.
Don't get me wrong, I don't love everything. Personally, I find excessive repetition excruciating. I usually don't care for harsh or grating sounds like screaming voices or screeching instruments. And in my opinion, a lot of music tries way too hard to be serious and emotionally deep but falls short. Flavor counts for a lot as well, meaning that some music out there is just boring tripe.
Quantifying what we love about music is more complicated, I think. As many have pointed out, taste is wildly subjective. There are also countless reasons to love or connect with a piece of music, some of which outright contradict each other. For instance, good music can be complex and sophisticated or simple and accessible. It can be cheerfully uplifting or devastatingly melancholy. Good music can have deep and meaningful lyrics or express utter nonsense just for fun. Sometimes it's relaxing; sometimes it's energizing. It can be fresh and imaginative or nostalgically reminiscent of its predecessors. It can define a genre or blur the lines between them. Most of these attributes are less polar than I'm making them sound, of course. Good music can fall anywhere on a spectrum between extremes. The only thing that matters, I guess, is that somebody out there loves it.
Don't get me wrong, I don't love everything. Personally, I find excessive repetition excruciating. I usually don't care for harsh or grating sounds like screaming voices or screeching instruments. And in my opinion, a lot of music tries way too hard to be serious and emotionally deep but falls short. Flavor counts for a lot as well, meaning that some music out there is just boring tripe.
Quantifying what we love about music is more complicated, I think. As many have pointed out, taste is wildly subjective. There are also countless reasons to love or connect with a piece of music, some of which outright contradict each other. For instance, good music can be complex and sophisticated or simple and accessible. It can be cheerfully uplifting or devastatingly melancholy. Good music can have deep and meaningful lyrics or express utter nonsense just for fun. Sometimes it's relaxing; sometimes it's energizing. It can be fresh and imaginative or nostalgically reminiscent of its predecessors. It can define a genre or blur the lines between them. Most of these attributes are less polar than I'm making them sound, of course. Good music can fall anywhere on a spectrum between extremes. The only thing that matters, I guess, is that somebody out there loves it.