Introduction
Contemporary society is characterized by advancements in technology that have led to increased access to a variety of resources and products that were difficult to access in the traditional context. Notably, the increased streaming of music has constituted access to music both from the past and the present. Digital social networks such as YouTube, My Space, Deezer, and Spotify continue to provide various music both from the present and the past. It’s important to highlight the fact that with the increased access to music streaming sites, it has been easier to analyze the quality of music and, as a factor, highlight what constitutes a great song. According to Hiller and Walter (2015), the music industry has undergone structural and technical changes in music that have affected their distribution and delivery, thus leading to quality. In this context, it can be highlighted that several elements constitute a good song or, in essence, what makes a song classified in the category of “Greatest of All Time.” While several elements constitute good music, it’s important to highlight the fact that there are specific key elements of good music. In this context, it’s important to highlight the three key elements that make up good music, and they include melody, harmony, and lyrics.
Thesis statement: Melody, rhythm, and harmony constitute what makes good music and, in essence, characterizes the greatest songs of all time.
According to Hook and Saburnan (2020), the melody makes up the soul of particular music. Melody, therefore, is the most integral part of key songwriting. According to Brown et al. (2015), melody generation enables the music to present an interactive composition. The melody thus provides an easier way through which the audience can interact with and enjoy the music. Melody also creates the artistic flow of the song, where the owner finds it easy pouring emotion and soul into that particular music. A characteristic element of the greatest songs of all time, the melody is often designed to be simple, brief, and flexible. (Brown et al., 2015).
The harmony’s also a critical element of good music and, when properly integrated, provides some of the greatest music of all time. Harmony is the absolute expression of the song, giving a recognizable and consistent pattern, one that relates one note to the other. (Hook and Saburnan, 2020). Harmony thus provides remarkable conjunction of various notes. According to Mihelac and Povh (2019), harmonic progressions can either be regular or irregular and, in essence, can characterize the complexity of the song. Some of the grates songs of all time are quite simple in their presentation and, as a result, are consistent with the regular harmonic progressions. The chords and riffs of harmonic progression characterize the song and, in essence, guide the audience in intertwining their emotions to the song. As a characteristic element of some of the greatest songs of all time, harmony creates understanding enables the audience to decipher how the song resonates with them.
The lyrical component of a song is also a key element in its composition. While there are great songs with bad lyrics based on the integration of harmony and melody in the perfect context, the lyrical component is crucial in enveloping the song to the audience. The lyrical component characterizes lyric-focused songs as the greatest of all time. According to Gonzalez (2021), lyrics are often a reflection of the social beliefs and the culture or social interactions of the intended audience or the artists. In this context, some of the greatest songs of all time have been channeled into developing their lyrical component to connect to the emotional social appeal of the audience. These three key elements are crucial entities that make up the greatest songs of all time.
References
Brown, A. & Gifford, T. & Davidson, R. (2015). Techniques for Generative Melodies Inspired by Music Cognition. Computer Music Journal. 39. 11-26. 10.1162/COMJ_a_00282.
González, S. (2021). The importance of song lyrics in perceptions and the sense of identity of young people. 414-424.
Hiller, S. & Walter, J. (2015). No Longer Durable? The Rise of Streaming Music and Implications for the Bundled Album. SSRN Electronic Journal. 10.2139/ssrn.2670976.
Hook, T. & Sarbunan, T. (2020). The Four Elements Of Music -Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, And Dynamics pianonotes.piano4u.com/index.php/2012/07/the-four-elements-of-music-melody-harmony-rhythm-and- dynamics. 10.13140/RG.2.2.22008.26880.
Mihelač, L., & Povh, J. (2019). The impact of harmony on the perception of music. In 15th International Symposium on Operations Research in Slovenia SOR (Vol. 19, pp. 360-365).
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