Are Excessive Lyrics Ruining Pop Music?

[ibobunot]

Words Words Words

"Pop music has become ever more long-winded. The year-end top 10 songs from 1960 to 1969 have an average word count of 176. For the 1970s, the figure jumps to 244. In 2007, the average climbed to 436. The top 10 for the week of Feb. 2, 2008, features six songs over the 500-word mark. Chris Brown and T-Pain use 742 words in their "Kiss Kiss." While music can express what words cannot, music rarely gets a chance in contemporary pop, and certainly not in "Kiss Kiss." Except for the first two seconds, vocals fill the song's every moment. Entirely absent are instrumental phrasings that allow a song (and singers) to breathe."

--William Weir--

I think people are afraid that if the singing stops they'll have to listen to Kenny G.

....

[bluetele54]

...too many songs in the "key of Me"...over burdoned by the need to express ad nauseum...

[ramblinmike]

Well being I always have trouble writing lyrics, I'm going to take this as a sign to just use less vocals. Attempt to buck this trend.

[Tele Fan]

I'd say this is one of the factors that are ruining pop music.

[wvmatt26041]

I have long been under the impression that modern pop music isn't really music at all. Much of what you hear is electronically generated noise, not music. The true musicians on this board should agree with me there.

I won't even get into the performance side of it, where the singing is lip synced, just so the artist can do a choreographed dance, ridden with blatant sexuality - Perfect for the kids who look up to them huh?

[trag-o-caster]

Less vocals...

... more guitar solos!

[Nick Fanis]

it depends...

there are "lyrics" (obviously the "product" of a dork...)

http://www.lyrics007.com/Britney%20S...%20Lyrics.html


and than there are LYRICS (obviously the product of a genious)

http://www.asklyrics.com/display/Nic...rics/54576.htm


if the lyrics are like the ones in the second category I don't think they are ruining pop music...

[bendecaster]

I don't think it is the number of words, as much as what, and how it's being said.

[mikespe]

I don't think it's just the lyrics...it's a total lack of talent among the pop artist. And I agree that most of today's "pop" music is all computer generated anyway. However, let's look at a band like Dave Mathews (in all honesty I am not a big fan of his but I think he is very innovative). I think he took what was good with rock/folk music and put a modern flare to it. He does use CRAZY chords but it works for him. He has the right idea about evolving "real" music. The Goo Goo Dolls IMHO, are a smaller example. There electric stuff really isn't that great. But listen to these guys acoustically. (There is a video you can get on eBay or other called "Music In High Places: The Goo Goo Dolls Live In Alaska". It's all acoustic and they really are an amazing band. I wish they would release more acoustic stuff. Their lyrics are really amazing "Scars are souvenirs you never lose" is from the song "Name". That is very deep to me. I have a version of them singing Wish You Were Here that sounded awesome (No not like the original but VERY Good!).

The internet is a big part why music is so poor...YES the Internet! Less musicians are signing with record companies so they can do it themselves on the internet. They don't get the signing bonuses but they get to keep rights over the master recordings. What they don't realize is that the record companies put millions into publicity. Go to Soundclick or My Space and listen to some of the musicians. Some of them (VERY FEW) have some serious potential. But without the backing of the record industry probably won't have the resources to make it big. This really isn't my thought...I was listening to Howard Stern one morning and he had Gene Simmons on talking about new artists. Now Gene is a marketing GENIUS so there must be SOME truth to his words!

Anyway, I am WAY off track here. Look at the country music boom. Many of the songs are getting too pop, but all the GOOD artists still touch the souls of the audience with their lyrics. Brad Paisley's Letter To Me brought tears to my eyes when I heard it! I believe he collaborated with someone on that song. But back in the day, musicians wrote their OWN lyrics...usually from the heart. THAT'S what makes the music from back then STICK. Fast or slow...the FELT the music.

Anyway, my rant is over. I haven't posted in a few days and I had a lot to say!

[StuH]

No because I think people are more into the rhythmic/percussive elements of music today than they are into melodic elements, and the creators of this music are substituting whatever they can like rapid lyric to keep a looping groove fresh.

I think this music has been dominating the mainstream because the technology is accessible to almost anyone and the bulk of the technology excells at affordable loop and groove based composition. Easy to do and easy to get stuck in a box. Get a hook, keep the hook going and add as much as possible to keep the hook from going stale for 3 minutes.

I think this trend will continue but you will see more tempo variations on the same principle as sample based composition tools are becoming more adept at handling odd ball timings easily.

[tiktok]

Pop songs are longer today, on the average, then they were back then, so I'd look at the words/minute. But yes, I'd agree that making sure that there are vocals present at virtually all times has not been a good thing overall.

[601210]

Originally Posted by trag-o-caster

Less vocals...

... more guitar solos!

Halfway around the internet, another music forumer is complaining about obnoxious guitarists. IMO, a happy balance of Vocals, Guitars, Drums, and Bass good music makes.

[purpletele]

The Bruce Springsteen song "Blinded by the Light" was real long winded. I don't think his version was considered a pop song, but the Manfred Mann version definitely was.

"A version of the song recorded by Manfred Mann's Earth Band was a major hit, reaching #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 on 19 February 1977. As of 2007, the Manfred Mann's Earth Band recording of "Blinded by the Light" is still Springsteen's only Number 1 single as a songwriter on the Hot 100."

[Dan German]

I may be wrong, but it looks like that is just a raw word count, not a count of individual words. If I am correct, it would be interesting to see the figures for total number of words used (i.e.: don't count repeats). My bet is that the difference would shrink because modern pop is so freakin' repetitive. And often has much less to say.

I am actually surprised by these figures because of my least favourite aspect of modern pop vocals; that is, the insistence–particularly among female vocalists–to turn each syllable into three or four or twenty-seven. I'd like to see a syllable count comparison.

[ibobunot]

Originally Posted by mikespe

Anyway, my rant is over. I haven't posted in a few days and I had a lot to say!

Gene Simmons is the devil, he should do a CD with Kenny G...




Good to see you back on the boards...


..

[Telakaster]

I'd say pop music is ruining excessive lyrics. Remember 'Like A Rolling Stone'? That wasn't too shabby.

[trag-o-caster]

Originally Posted by 601210

Halfway around the internet, another music forumer is complaining about obnoxious guitarists. IMO, a happy balance of Vocals, Guitars, Drums, and Bass good music makes.

That's why I'm on THIS side of the internet, and I don't participate in THAT forum!

[zoso]

I think that the reason for non stop lyrics is that its the only thing that non musicians can relate to. they want to hear music that is more tangible to them. that is one of the reasons so many people like music videos.

[jumpnblues]

Confession time...I almost never listen to song lyrics. I immediately focus in on the music and if doesn't do it for me the lyrics aren't gonna' rescue it. I really have to force myself to focus on and actively listen to song lyrics, and I probably couldn't recite the lyrics to virtually any popular song. For me it's the music, the music, the music, and I can't seem to integrate the two.
I can't even remember song lyrics. I have a non-musician buddy that can recite the entire lyrics to almost any rock song from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. And I know I couldn't recite a single song. I can write lyrics like nobody's business...just can't remember 'em. Go figure.


Tom

[Dep]

I don't mind longer lyrics if they weave a story or make a point.

Mike mentioned Brad Paisley's "Letter to me". I, too, felt moved by that song. It was like he wrote that song about me. I know many others felt the same way. Heck, my 13 year old heard it and was deeply moved.

So being wordy for the sake of being wordy is a no, but something with substance, I have no problem with. (As long as their is a guitar solo or two thrown in )

Dep

[tboy]

Originally Posted by trag-o-caster

Less vocals...

... more guitar solos!

More Cowbell

[GhostofJohnToad]

Originally Posted by bluetele54

...too many songs in the "key of Me"...over burdoned by the need to express ad nauseum...

Yes! And I think this is largely due to the omnipresent nature of being "connected". What I mean is with sites like myspace and facebook and to a lesser degree cell phones and text messaging there seems to be this constant need for contact and communication ad nauseum. Telling everyone who will listen every unfascinating thing happening every minute.

[pengipete]

Originally Posted by Dan German

I am actually surprised by these figures because of my least favourite aspect of modern pop vocals; that is, the insistence–particularly among female vocalists–to turn each syllable into three or four or twenty-seven. I'd like to see a syllable count comparison.

"And I-ee-ey-ee-ey will always love you-oo-oo-oo-ee-oo"

[emu!]

Originally Posted by bluetele54

...too many songs in the "key of Me"...over burdoned by the need to express ad nauseum...

My thoughts exactly.

But may I add: Over the years music instrumentation has been minimized. Drum corps were replaced by the trap set. Brass sections were replaced by syths. Guitar solos were replaced with nothing. Rythm sections were replace with software. It's now all about the front man/woman, more specifically, the front man/woman's visual appearance.