Words with a meaning or enticing?

[Krystof01]

Would you rather write a song that you felt was great and loved or an anoying one that got on your nerves but reached the top ten?

And both things do not follow-some songs are realy shit after you've heard them 10 times and you don't listen to them any more, others grow on you.

[drstawl]

What's wrong with doing both?
Even more exciting when you can get both in the same tune.

[Qasper]

That's the ultimate goal every time out, isn't it? To blend quality with mass-consumption? I mean, as far as I know (granted, I don't know much, but work with me), the point is never to completely loose your audience, right?

I've got some songs which I KNOW will never make it up any chart. They just aren't set up that way. But it all depends on what you're trying to bring across...

I'd never write a song about hemispheric economic inequity and expect it to go anywhere on Billboard, just because to put a heavy topic on light music would make it self-destruct.

Then again, I don't think all party songs are necessarily shit. If the goal is to get people dancing, it can definitely be light and good... ok, so I don't have any examples in mind right now, but trust me on this... Oh, yeah, Lauryn Hill has some great material which did make no.1.

Balance is the key. Not overstepping the boundaries between topic and melody. I've made the mistake and man, the final result was nasty.

[Qasper]

...but to better answer your question, Krystof01, I've written pop (and I mean POP) songs which would probably sell great... But no, I would never sign my name to them. I have to be able to back up anything I put out there. If I can't stand it, forget it. It stays in the box.

Chances are, I'll use the good parts on a future project anyways.

[gordone]

Me,
I only write for myself (and anyone willing to listen), my songs tend to be introspective/singer-songwriter/sensitive guy type songs, So I don't care about my stuff becoming top-ten. I'd much rather write something that I care about. Most of the music I listen to these days is like this too. I don't listen to any "pop" radio, I do listen to WXPN (88.5) in Philly, but mainly I listen to alot of acoustic singer/songwriter type stuff.
Check my stuff out at http://home.earthlink.net/~egordon99/seasons.html

Back to songwriting (oops, I meant code writing :-( )

-Evan

[JimH]

gordone, you struck a nerve. I moved to San Jose from South Jersey ten years ago and one of the things I really miss is WXPN, specifically Stars End. Years ago, they used to run it from 11 PM until 6 AM on Saturday nights. But I've heard it's very cut down now. There was also a good morning show that followed it at 6 AM but I can't remember the name of it now. Nice pleasent waking-up-to music.
They also play some good jazz , and I think folk. (Wasn't there a show called Homegrown? Some of it is getting a bit foggy now.)

[Buck62]

Thre's a newer song by Mariah Carey that is supposed to be "inspirational", but she's so fake and self-absorbed that it just comes off as the usual phony "I care about you" crap she always puts out.
If an unknown singer that wasn't half-naked sang the same song, it would have been more believable.
The point is, sometimes the song can be well written and genuine, but the artist is so conceited that it ruins the song.
A classic example....
Whitney Houston sings the national anthem during halftime of the Superbowl. She does all that typical ooooooh-ahhhhhhh crap and puts a ghetto-spin on it.
It's all about HER... not the song.
But when a disabled WWII veteran sings the the national anthem, he does so with tears in his eyes, because he gave so much to his country and the song really MEANS something to him.
As for the original question...
I prefer to write songs that are based on real emotions, but I like to toss in some pop stuff now and then to lighten things up and make people forget about thier problems.

[phillybean]

Has anybody heard the Marvin Gaye national anthem?
It's great and hilarious at the same time.
It sounds like somebody pushed the "demo" button on one of those mid-80's casio keyboards with 100 voices, and he just sang the national anthem over it. But it's Marvin Gaye, so it's gotta be great.

[dragonworks]

After playing, writing, and singing for 35 years; at this point in time I have written enough songs with meaning. Just give me the
cash, I am ready to sell out.

[Salabim]

i care either way, good or annoying....
but i am sure it would be more satifying writing a really great song...

[Salabim]

i dont care either way, sorry...

[Helmut]

What is good or bad music, I mean some ppl out there claim that rave is "good" music. You choose a car because you like it (or can afford it), you choose your wife that way and your job (in most cases) so why not what you want to do with your music.

[Torpid-x]

If you write your own favorite song...job done. If everyone else hates it...your done.
if you can make a buck with it... its allot more fun.

Hey a new verse.
Rich