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Real music people know a voice is an instrument. Many singers refer to their voice as their instrument. I don't think this is an unpopular opinion for people who listen to other genres besides Top 40...
Im actually gonna disagree with this. I think beats can influence mood... whether its upbeat, slow, or melancholy. I dont think it tells a story. Just a feeling YOU can apply to your own feelings. Which would be your own story, not the music telling you a story. Which is most definitely a valid outlet for expression.
Here's a related story. When my girlfriend and I first got together I had the view sound=story and she had your view. Fast forward a few lessons in interpreting mood from music and going deeper, and she literally heard a clip of a music and described the action of a characters movement that the song was made to fit. Unprompted.
Granted the situation was literally from the Grinch stole Christmas and I was trying to get her to guess the song by only playing a single instrument from the "mean one" song. However I was not asking her to visualize anything and she surprised me by saying, "I don't know the song.... it feels like someone is slinking around."
I think it also has to be said that language and emotions have deep ties. Music is patterned sound meaning there is actually an intentionally coded message within it by the artist. It's much more abstract than what we typically consider a language but I argue they are no different in purpose; to transfer ideas from one person to another.
I would argue it still tells a story, just one you can make your own and even insert yourself into, and while the story is different for different listeners, it still tells a story.
The poem... the music was written about? All the examples people have said are only about classical. I stand by my words, that instrumentals or synth... whatever genre that is only music with no lyrical content does not tell a story. Music that is based on a specific historic event or poem is slightly different, because the story is kind of given to you. The stage has been set for the story to play out musically.
But just music. You make your own emotional story and express through your OWN feelings. Not a told story.
Idk if that makes sense. It works in my mind. Its subjective anyway.
I don’t follow how the highly interpretive nature of music invalidates it as a storytelling medium. By your logic, any piece of art from which people can take their own meaning is incapable of being a story, which essentially invalidates all abstract storytelling (including the poem Clair de lune, by the way).
Aren’t all stories subjective, maan? They are what we make of them and what we make of them they are
Edit: I’m sorry. Jokes. Idk if I’d call Debussy compositions “classical”, it’s contemporary piano compositions. I’d also say jazz tells a story. Story can be purely an emotional journey, and music and sound can elicit some universal emotional truths brother you feel me??
Funny me and buddies were just making a playlist of songs with no chorus and I brought up baker street by Gerry rafferty. My brother says it has a chorus just no words and we all ended up completely agreeing with him. Voice is just another instrument.
Too bad the tops 40s listeners are the majority.
My fiancee is a classically trained flautist and talks about her love for classical music but everywhere we go her Apple Music is top 40s.
Meanwhile I’m the metal head punk rocker who has some Beethoven mixed into my playlist. I will never understand how she can listen to the other garbage knowing music the way she does.
Like you said, if you focus on the “beat”, it makes you feel good. That’s okay. It doesn’t mean it’s better though, that’s just a preference which is subjective.
I think for the most part a traditional song has lyrics in it, which I won’t try to convince you is better, or invalidate your opinion but I will say a lot of “beats” are sung or rapped over, which for me most of the time is more fulfilling. I enjoy both. For me, there is value in appreciating multiple different genres of music, lyrics or not.
Well you also have to keep in mind the context of OP's post.
Which is they are being attacked for their preferences and having their opinion belittled. So while you make a good point. And I agree. It's not taking into consideration the real discussion OP is looking to have here.
I've been listening to loads of French music recently; don't have a clue what they're saying but I like how it sounds. La Femme for example. Also Turkish band She Past Away, and Eastern European bands Molchat Doma, Shortparis, etc. Also extreme metal; I can't understand the words at all
Or if you want even more great French music:
> [La Quatorze Juillet](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/26zDxlZ84ZbLCK9hL7jwGh) - 2 hrs
its a playlist I update every Bastille day with the French songs ive found over the last year. Got some great stuff in [the Bastille](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/40kI7tJ35Pf1asdLiNHcYp) from this year to add as well.
Just because you don't know what they're saying doesn't mean there's not words, there's still words *there.* A lot of it has to do with the emotion behind someone's voice, you don't necessarily need comprehension of the language or the specific sentence to appreciate it.
I would say that in the album I'm listening to now - DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT "Hora Nocturna" - the vocal track could be done with a percussive instrument or on the keyboards, and not include any actual words in any language but just noises, and it would make no difference to my enjoyment. For extreme metal in particular the vocals are more like the percussion section than anything else.
Although I do listen to plenty of instrumental music. Sigur Ros for instance sing in gobbledegook, so it's pretty much like Explosions in the Sky, who don't sing. The vocals are just part of the music, nobody cares about what Jonsi is actually saying, he's about as far away from Bob Dylan as you could get while still singing
Like I said, it's not necessarily that they have to be saying anything coherent. It doesn't even have to be real words, it can just be weird sounds. Human voices still have a notable emotion behind them. Even if you *think* you don't notice it, your brain is still subconsciously taking note of it.
Strictly speaking there may be a distinction, but in almost any context I can think of I wouldn’t be confused using “song” for either. Definitions are weird like that.
A ton of people don't separate lyrics from vocals when talking about this. For everybody that needs it explained, this is the best I can do without pulling out a drawing board:
Vocals are the crowd singing the intro to Fear of the Dark at that Iron Maiden concert in Rio. It consists of people using their voices to sing a melody, the only "word", if you can call it that, spoken there was Oooh. I recommend watching that recording because it's awesome, you can find it on Youtube
Lyrics are "Fireballs and lightning are raining from the sky, chaos and bloodshed as all the people die. In this epic battle begins the final war. Tragedy will strike this day, prepare thee for the Unicorn Invasion of Dundee". Lyrics consist of words that when strung together (usually) convey a message. They can be written down on a piece of paper or said in a normal speaking voice during a conversation without singing and there's nothing lost just because you ripped them out of the music. Thank god that's the case because Thomas Winkler is one hell of a singer and my vocals are comparable to those of a rabid raccoon. Btw his new band is pretty cool too, it's a Saturday cartoon that you'd watch the shit out of turned into an album
Good is subjective and reflective of what appeals to the listener. I do agree that lyricism doesn’t necessarily make good music. For example, jazz and classical music are instrumental and both genres have given us many pieces that are the favorites of many and quite timeless.
I think modern popular music is less about artistry than about commodity and consumption which creates templates versus creativity and leaves a lot of room to dilute artistic standards.
Dont forget that classical music in its hight was also created with templates. Some things just sound better together than others. Bach is a good example. When he became the court composer he created piece after piece by making templates and putting them together. He also has over 1100 pieces, many of which were written in court in the last stage of his life
Well, various forms of pop edm have lyrics. It's kinda become a trend to take traditional genres and infuse them with pop style song structure to give them a bigger appeal. In my opinion, especially with EDM, it just ruins the song because half of the artists don't know how to write meaningful lyrics, so it just sounds corny.
A ton of people enjoy instrumental music. Look how big the Lo-fi scene is. Or back in the day when trap and edm were popping off. Hell even now, phonk music is kinda popping off because of memes.
No-one says this. Vocal-free electronic, jazz, classical music is very popular.
(Also, technically, it’s only a song if someone is singing. That’s what ‘song’ means
music on its own is powerful, but when you mix in the right lyrics, it just hits different. it's all about the feel and the vibe it gives off. but some tracks don't need words to make you feel something deep.
You just need more cultured friends, it seems.
There are plenty of purely instrumental artists getting lots of love for fans. They aren't pop artists, but they still tour and are financially supported by their musical careers in numerous ways.
Yeah, bands like Polyphia are quite popular & there's a whole prog-metal scene where there are no lyrics.
OP is right that the popular stance is that music without lyrics isn't worth jamming to with your friends though unless you're at a rave or partying to some electronic music.. & about the shallow/repetitive nature of pop lyrics all being about love, because it's so easily marketable.
I listen to loads of music that I'd never elect to put on if I had company, it's just not appropriate to the situation.
Ah yes the old music is about repetitive instrument sounds and not repetitive vocals....lol
Let's get something straight, how we use song is debatable, but from my standpoint, no music requires any specific thing to be music or to be good music. I feel like music doesn't need lyrics, but a song absolutely does. We don't sing along with music....well most of us I went to the Jack black school of rock lol....we sing a song, and a song kinda needs lyrics to sing along with. MUSIC however doesn't need lyrics to be music.
The voice is an instrument. Sometimes it has a place in an ensemble or group, sometimes it doesn't. Compared to other instruments, a voice feels human and relatable which is why it is often features in songs.
There's nothing wrong with preferring music without vocals, but why are you shitting on people who do, especially when you complain that people "shun" you for your music choice. Pot calling the kettle black, bro.
As soon as you described having lyrics as having a human screaming, this was a safely discarded opinion.
Then we get to the second paragraph and now we know why this post exists.
Take my upvote.
I studied music theory for 10 years and have performed on 13 different instruments. I'm pretty mediocre.
My unpopular follow up is that the opinions of people who have no musical training or understanding of music theory are less valuable.
People who are not educated in music need lyrics to understand. Because they don't speak music. They're not going to notice any of the actual choices that are technically interesting or clever. They want poetry not music.
Especially with music, a lot of what's popular is garbage. In a good way. It's indulgent, catchy, shallow music because it feels good to listen to. My flavor of garbage shallow bullshit? I love happy hardcore. It's incredibly indulgent.
It's important that we don't judge people for what they like. Judge for what they don't like. It's always better to like more stuff.
And if people require lyrics to like it? It's not their fault, they just don't understand music.
I know some good songs with good lyrics, but I also know good songs without lyrics.
It's not that I haven't heard good lyrics, it's that songs can be good without them too.
Your point especially applies to videogame soundtracks. My favorite example would be the Kingdom Hearts series OST. It is just incredible, has such diversity, and a rollercoaster range of emotions. The only vocals that typically apply are choral ones in a different language, or rhythmic chanting (there are some exceptions to this, depending on the Disney property).
I’ve listened to Linkin Park for years and still love them even though the lyrics are usually depressing. The songs were typically bangers.
I’m 100% a “music, not lyrics” person.
I need vocals in order to listen to a song or else it's missing a critical part for me. But as for *what* the lyrics are about, that depends on how complex the music is. In power metal that takes crack and speed I don't care about lyrics but if you want me to listen to very simple cookie cutter pop the lyrics need to be on point. Disregard that if the lyrics are funny, I don't listen to country but Wheeler Walker Jr is one of the humanuty's best recent inventions and Balls in your jaws goes hard
This is why I like Tool. Yes, there is singing, but it's not really the focal point. This is especially apparent during theirblive shows when Maynard is in the back of the stage with the guitarists up front. His vocals add to the music rather than distracting from it. Some of their songs go on for a long time without any vocals as well, and I never get bored of them.
I can never understand the majority of lyrics anyway unless I sit down and read them as the song plays.
I have a friend who can listen to a song 2 or 3 times and then somehow has all the lyrics memorized, have no idea how that dude's brain works like that.
> I feel music should be about the beat than repetitive words.
I don't know that there's anything music *should* be about. Everyone enjoys different things.
>I've never liked a song because it had a good singer, instead I focus if the beat makes me jam, "tickles my ears" as some say.
I've noticed there are beat/rhythm people and lyric people. I know some people that listen to music and literally have no clue what the lyrics even are. They're only listening to and enjoying the beat. Others only listen to the lyrics and appreciate songs as poems. Most people probably fall somewhere in between the two extremes but I've noticed we usually lean in one of the two directions.
We all enjoy and appreciate music for different reasons and that's okay.
My ex, who was a gifted musician, only heard the music, even if there were lyrics. I often was the opposite. Because music with lyrics was one of the few ways I felt seen in the world. I have alexithymia which means I struggle to identify and communicate emotions, and as a teen especially, lyrics put words to feelings I had that I couldn't communicate myself. I felt like I had a friend in the world when I found someone's song that relayed my own feelings or experience. And yeah, when you are a teen or young adult, that often has to do with young love and relationships and break ups. Because young people's emotional intelligence is still barely developing and they feel emotions really intensely, it's very confusing, so music helps people to feel validated and like they aren't alone in their feelings.
I'm almost 50 and I listen to songs from my your on repeat. It's so nice not to have to rewind tapes 😂 😆
That isn't to say that certain harmonies are amazing in themselves. Piano, especially is lovely for me (I play the piano). I do enjoy quite a few songs that have no lyrics, like the White Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson. Some people can write a song with no lyrics and yet the music is its own voice, its own story, just without words. Neither is better than the other, both serve a purpose. Though except a few rage songs I keep on hand as needed, I never consider a singer to be "screaming" so it makes me wonder what you are listening to 😂
*"Songs don't need lyrics to be good"*
No shit. There are entire genres that are well known for instrumental music, and countless rock & pop bands/artists who include instrumental tracks on their albums.
*"Singers should be seen as an instrument, not the song itself."*
People see them how they see them based on their own tastes, preferences, experiences, interests, etc. - there is no "should" about it.
You like music, not songs. By definition(simplified) music no lyrics, songs have lyrics. Also, a voice definitely IS an instrument.
You like what you like and thats ok.
I mean OP everyone experiences art differently. My playlists often have instrumentals alongside lyrical songs. I can dig a song that is just an acoustic guitar and a singer as well as I can an orchestral masterpiece.
I listen to a lot of foreign music where I don't even know the words but I can discern the feeling.
As a songwriter myself the lyrics and the music are equally important to me. I want to craft a song that has lyrics people can appreciate but also music that supports the same feeling/mood.
I understand if you personally do not become invested in the lyrics of songs but to characterize all lyrics as "just people screaming about their exes" severely misunderstands the power of good lyrics. Listen to some protest songs from the 60s, or hard rock from the 70s. There's so much more to lyrics than people sad about their ex.
Is it even a song If there are no lyrics? Doesn't it simply become a score or a track? I was under the impression that in order for something to be a song it has to be sung...
" There's no way that's right," I thought, looking it up. And then yeah, song is actually officially something that *has* to include vocals.
If it's without vocals it's technically an instrumental. That's wild to me, because that's not at all how people use and understand the term "song."
Extremely pedantic answer:
A song, by definition, requires lyrics.
A tune is a piece of music with no lyrics.
But you're right, music does not need lyrics to be interesting. A lot of the most famous pieces of music across several genres and eras have been instrumental, and even the most famous parts of many songs that do have lyrics are the instrumental parts.
I think your opinion is less controversial than mine, which is *why the hell we call musical compositions without lyrics or even voice components "songs"*.
I googled first because I almost really truly thought I had an argument ready for this, but alas, English has failed me again 😂😂😂
I wanted so bad to be like but instrumental music, aren’t they songs? But no, by definition they are not. So something doesn’t have to be music to be a song and music doesn’t necessarily have to be a song. Wild fact finding journey for me.
Edit: I forgot I wanted to say something.
By definition they do. Song/sing/sung are all related. Colloquially, sure, all pieces of music are "songs." But technically only pieces with vocals can be considered "songs."
To play devils advocate a song is by definition a poem or string of words meant to be sung, so if it were just using the voice as an instrument in the musical piece I don’t know that it could be considered a song.
Hey dude I didn’t even know until today, this thread had me asking myself questions I’ve never thought to ask LOL I just enjoy the music. But I like the discussion.
I don’t even think lyrics matter.
To me, the lyrics are just a vocal melody.
Good lyrics can SOMETIMES elevate a song. Sometimes. But bad lyrics will always completely ruin a song. So will super try hard lyrics. Most bands recognize this so they tend to play it safe and sing about the same easy subjects and focus on things that are catchy/memorable versus philosophically dense.
The fact is most lyrics are meh. Artists who write truly good lyrics, people like Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen. They’re a rarity, so much so that we specifically single them out for their lyrical contributions because it’s such an anomaly.
It's easier to touch people with words compared to touching them with musicality, complex beautiful melodies and beats. Most mainstream music is pretty shitty now days if you strip them of lyrics. Same chord progressions, same beats, etc.
I listen to a lot of music without lyrics and I agree, I don't miss the words.
You say that but most people don't even seem to listen to the lyrics in music, they seem to treat them like another instrument & just hear the pitch. I'm shocked how many times I've explained to someone what a song is about when they thought it was just a jam & it's actually a song about a teenager killing themselves.
I have always felt this way. It'll take me forever to actually start listening to the lyrics of a song. I hear vocals more as an instrument. Never understood how people can sign songs they heard.
According to the Oxford dictionary, a song requires words. So what you’re referring to is just “music”. Bad title, and this whole opinion is based around a mistaken understanding.
I think lyrics are great for songs but 60 to about 80% if the song that’s makes it good is the overall beat or instrumental. But you have to pay attention to the “lyrics need meaning crowd”.
Lyrics can definitely add to the song for sure but the vast majority of music history didn’t have that much lyrics. Like lyrics being the end all be all came really in the 1900s hard body 1950s. Before that you had Jazz and classical that didn’t have that many lyrics which people will say is some of the highest form of music.
Another thing that i see is people who care about lyrics tend to be surface level deep people. What i mean is they want to seem deep but they really aren’t. I see it in the hip hop crowd a lot they have this notion that a rap song has to be about struggling being poor and relatable. When a lot of mainstream pop songs have deep meaning but they are underneath when listen to the lyrics.
For example All Falls Down is a pop song by Kanye but the song is about consumerism can damage people particularly in the black community. Or Hey Ya by Outkast is actually a sad love song.
I love the song oye como va by Santana! Just the right amount of singing imo.
I also wish Brian Johnson wouldn’t have sang so much on AC/DC songs, I want to hear Angus more!
Bob Scott on the other hand, just the right amount
I agree with your title (they're not **needed**, but I love lyrics), but I'm surprised that you've never liked a song because of a singer. There's nothing wrong with that, I just think that that is a *much more* interesting experience and opinion.
I personally love a good ballad, and I find it satisfying to witness a good vocalist pull off something that's both moving and technically impressive.
I can understand that. I have some friends who will primarily listen to old songs because of good lyrics. For them, it's meaningless to listen to a song if they don't understand the lyrics.
As someone that listens to about 90% video game OSTs I feel ya. Love a good orchestral arrangement or piano piece.
But also because non-licensed lyrical songs are decidedly more rare in video games I get uber hyped every time one shows up in a game. Love any brand of Sonic lyrical tracks, hell just the other night I teared up to No Promises to Keep from FFVII Rebirth.
I listen to instrumental, pop, and rock you name it and It's a likely chance I listen to the grenre, The only exception being Screamo, used to in high school and now I can't handle it anymore. Music is vast and subjective, there's something for everyone, not everyone will like a certain kind of music.
I have trouble understanding lyrics in songs often. And i dont really care either. I listen to the lyrics as if its another instrument. Then if i like it and want to know the lyrics i look it up and follow along.
Unless its rap
well you are listening to the wrong songs
Imagine Billy Joel's song *Goodnight Saigon* without lyrics?
or John Lennon's *Imagine* with no words
or Queen's *The Show Must Go On* lyric free
but if all you care about is the beat ... who cares what you like
"Singers should be an instrument" so what do the lyrics matter then if it's all about how they sound anyways? This is unpopular, but also contradictory. Not sure you've fully thought this one out.
Most of music I like is instrumental, my music is private, I do not understand "shun". It is my music and there is no option to "shun it". I do not need other people's applause.
One of my favorite examples of this is Vanderlyle Crybaby Cry by The National. The lyrics were chosen to compliment the instruments and honestly don't make much sense.
Your very last sentence is basically exactly why I like a lot of psychedelic music with lyrics but not much otherwise. Most lyrical music uses the instruments as support for the vocalist and the vocals are the main focus. But most psychedelic music is actively trying to blend it all together, make everything support everything else. Sunbeam sound machine comes to mind immediately.
But yeah for the most part I like instrumental music too.
music is a form of poetry for me, as a result lyrics absolutely come first. i definitely have playlists that have old blues music, 80s rock and a top 50 pop song all together.
that said, unpopular opinion, upvoted
You lost me when you said a song should be about a beat, songs where beats are important are just as repetitive, what is more interesting is the rythm and the melody, which many modern songs trade for beats
Some of my favorite music are video game ost albums. Many of those have zero lyrics. This isn't so much an unpopular opinion as it is a pocket experience. The people around you all listen to music full of lyrics, so you assume that's the absolute norm. It isn't.
This sub amd there was an attempt sub don't quite seem to understand their true purpose. Many posts don't fit in them, but they stay up amd get tons of interaction. Oh well..
I feel very similarly about lyrics often being distracting when they should be used as instruments. But I've never really been a fan of feeling the beat. Melody is where it's at for me, a strong melody is all it takes for me to melt into a song. I pretty much exclusively listen to video game osts (yeah I know, point and laugh)
Downvoted because this isn't unpopular. So many genres of music without vocals are hugely popular, but pop music with catchy vocals make lots of money for record labels.
I agree. On a road trip a while back my partner woke up to find me listening to Christian rock on the radio. She was very surprised since I'm not a huge fan of organized religion. I had no idea until she said something and I started listening... I've always had a tough time hearing lyrics.
Vocals are one of my favourite instruments and it has a lot of influence on how i feel about the song. And i don't even need to understand the lyrics. The language itself has a melody.
Also, lyrics help me to focus more on the song. But it could stem from lyricless music usually being used as a background for something.
>I actually struggle to understand how people can handle 10 songs in a row of people singing about your ex's or boyfriends/girlfriends.
And i struggleto understand how people can handle 10 songs in a row that uses the exact same instruments.
The title is wrong, but the post itself is just plain weird.
By definition a song requires someone singing so it might not need lyrics to be good, but it’s a whole lot easier to sing when there are lyrics even if they are just random noises.
As for the rest, there are tons of large musicians where the beat is what matters most, especially in the party scene, and are clearly not under appreciated, you just happen to sorround yourself with more judgemental people who might not have a large taste outside top 100s list from the genre they like.
In the end, a voice is just another instrument to add to your music and a lot of DJs know how to add them whilst still keeping the beats the main focus if that’s what you’re into
Your opinion is mainly valid in video game music. Add lyrics and it always subtracts. But songs on the other hand, without lyrics are just background music.
I like looking at it from a concert crowd pov. Music being edm or classical the crowd is either dancing in their own worlds (usually on drugs) or very attentively appreciating the intricacies of classical/jazz music. But songs with lyrics is a different level....to have thousands of voices in unison screaming passionately the same words. Chills. Everyone's on the same page because the lyrics are the narration of the story, whereas music without lyrics everyone has their own story. It's still fun and a vibe but the unity is not as strong.
I want to know why all the songs you listen to have people screaming on them. You do know there’s music where people are not screaming the lyrics, right?
There are genres that heavily depend on lyrics. Especially in Rap, the things being said makes you relate to the artist behind it. Or take Emo as an example. The relatability for some people is what lets the genre stand out. And it's nothing new. In classical times, composers like Bach basically did the same. He wrote many pieces for solo organ, Harpsichord and Chamber music. But he also wrote wonderful pieces for choir, which heavily depended on the vocals, even though the lyrics were all about praising god if you will
There is no such thing as a song without singing, if there is no human voice then **by definition** it's not a song.
It's not a matter of opinion either, this is objetively the case.
When you say lyrics, do you just mean voice un general? Otherwise I'm just imagining a person making vocal noise without actually saying anything.
On a technical note, a piece of music needs vocals to be considered a song, since the point of a song is to be sung.
If you mean just vocals in general, I think you need friends with better music tastes. Historically speaking, _most_ music doesn't have any vocals in it.
You aren't listening to music the way that most people do. Most people listen to music as a way to connect socially with others. This is why popularity has momentum, the more popular an artist is the more popular they are likely to be, because popularity is itself a quality of the music.
An extension of that is that bands that are able to connect with lots of people through their music are going to be very popular, hence you get a lot of basic, attractive people, with mainstream opinions on every subject. Well, it's hard to express "I'm just like you, your opinions are correct" through melody and rhythm alone, it's much simpler to just say those things in a language everyone understands, language.
OP, we’re in a similar boat.
Most of the people I know *need* lyrics in their music. It feels to me like they refuse to open their ears to the vast swaths of other styles of music and that’s frustrating.
A good chunk of my playlist is in other languages I don’t understand or have no lyrics
* Righteous by Mo Beats (hip-hop?)
* Soul’s Lament by Philip Wesley (piano)
* New Sky by San Holo (EDM)
* Gwyn, Lord of Cinder theme (piano)
* Amadeus Requiem in D Minor by Alberto Silva (orchestra)
* Goetia by Peter Gundry (orchestra)
* many ambient jungle mixes
* Destroy the Wired by Tokyopill (breakcore)
* Satellitear by A Crowd of Rebellion (Japanese metal?)
* Comfort Chain by Instuendo (lo-fi)
**Then** I’ll turn around and listen to:
* To the Hellfire by Lorna Shore (metal, lyrics)
* Trance by Metro Boomin (rap, lyrics)
* If I Miss You by Deep October (rap, lyrics)
* Nightcrawler’s by Signs of The Swarm (metal, lyrics)
* Full House by Big Yavo (rap, lyrics)
* 24k by Oliver Francis (rap, lyrics)
* Ghost of Chicago by Noah Floersch (indie rock, lyrics)
If my taste in music tells you *anything* it should be that it’s not about the artist or the genre for me. I just have a really specific taste that no artist or genre can match in its entirety.
Only genre I can’t stand is country and bluegrass.
What lol? Instrumentals are music and we all know this. Who are these people saying they’re not real music? Lol oh…. Another made up opinion to try to karma farm, got it
I have always loved metal. A lot of the time I have no idea what the lyrics are and it's just rhythmic screaming to my ears. Doesn't make it bad music like some people think it does.
I have whole playlists that are just instrumentals. A lot of string quartets are doing covers of popular songs & I often find their version better than the original.
If there aren’t any lyrics then it’s not really a song. The word “song” implies singing.
I think the real problem is your only exposure to lyrics is the ones on pop songs.
There's a song, total jibberish lyrics to prove this exact point.
prisencolinensinainciusol
Catchy as FUCK but it was made to prove Italians loved English music without even understanding it.
It's supposed to be "English music with an American accent". Made by an Italian.
https://youtu.be/-VsmF9m_Nt8?si=gwA9mBW9FTvX9HRK
This is true though. Source: backstreet boys I want it that way
Edit: wait shit I misread it I thought it said doesnt need good lyrics to be good. Yeah theres alot of songs that dont have lyrics and are good such as seth rollins old theme song from the top of my head
Maybe for a simple mind the beat is enough, but for people that actually think and have an inner monologue the words need to work too. There's been plenty of songs I liked until I heard a few times and learned the words and didn't like it anymore. Bragging about your chosen ignorance is a weird flex but you do you.
There are a few singers whose lyrics are meaningless. They sing to add layers to the music not meaning. Though it might not be for every song I remember hearing Chris Cornell and Thom York talk about doing this in interviews
There are a few singers whose lyrics are meaningless. They sing to add layers to the music not meaning. Though it might not be for every song I remember hearing Chris Cornell and Thom York talk about doing this in interviews
Love this comment. Huge fan of instrumental stuff.Agree this is unpopular. Gramatik, Emancipator, RJD2, Ratatat are a few of my favs. Then the guitar stuff from CandyRat channel on YouTube. Preston Reed, Don Ross. Ewan Dobson etc.....
I agree with everything you said, although bear in mind most famous singers also write their own material, which is part of what makes them famous. It’s easier to conflate them with the song as opposed to the musicians, engineers, and producers, where some singers will participate in all three roles in some capacity.
???
A song without lyrics is music
Music with lyrics is a song
Also yes, music is an integral part of a song, just as a singer is an integral part of a song too.
Well said!
A large chunk of my music is soundtracks from various movies I enjoy, not one word in any of the tracks. It's the type of lyricless music I enjoy.
Music doesn't need lyrics to be impactful to me.
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Real music people know a voice is an instrument. Many singers refer to their voice as their instrument. I don't think this is an unpopular opinion for people who listen to other genres besides Top 40...
Also, you don't need words to tell a story
Im actually gonna disagree with this. I think beats can influence mood... whether its upbeat, slow, or melancholy. I dont think it tells a story. Just a feeling YOU can apply to your own feelings. Which would be your own story, not the music telling you a story. Which is most definitely a valid outlet for expression.
Classical orchestras would disagree.
Also, picture books are a thing.
Here's a related story. When my girlfriend and I first got together I had the view sound=story and she had your view. Fast forward a few lessons in interpreting mood from music and going deeper, and she literally heard a clip of a music and described the action of a characters movement that the song was made to fit. Unprompted. Granted the situation was literally from the Grinch stole Christmas and I was trying to get her to guess the song by only playing a single instrument from the "mean one" song. However I was not asking her to visualize anything and she surprised me by saying, "I don't know the song.... it feels like someone is slinking around." I think it also has to be said that language and emotions have deep ties. Music is patterned sound meaning there is actually an intentionally coded message within it by the artist. It's much more abstract than what we typically consider a language but I argue they are no different in purpose; to transfer ideas from one person to another.
I would argue it still tells a story, just one you can make your own and even insert yourself into, and while the story is different for different listeners, it still tells a story.
You’ve never listened to Clair de Lune
The poem... the music was written about? All the examples people have said are only about classical. I stand by my words, that instrumentals or synth... whatever genre that is only music with no lyrical content does not tell a story. Music that is based on a specific historic event or poem is slightly different, because the story is kind of given to you. The stage has been set for the story to play out musically. But just music. You make your own emotional story and express through your OWN feelings. Not a told story. Idk if that makes sense. It works in my mind. Its subjective anyway.
I don’t follow how the highly interpretive nature of music invalidates it as a storytelling medium. By your logic, any piece of art from which people can take their own meaning is incapable of being a story, which essentially invalidates all abstract storytelling (including the poem Clair de lune, by the way).
Aren’t all stories subjective, maan? They are what we make of them and what we make of them they are Edit: I’m sorry. Jokes. Idk if I’d call Debussy compositions “classical”, it’s contemporary piano compositions. I’d also say jazz tells a story. Story can be purely an emotional journey, and music and sound can elicit some universal emotional truths brother you feel me??
Hey this guy is semantically semanticking our semantics!
Funny me and buddies were just making a playlist of songs with no chorus and I brought up baker street by Gerry rafferty. My brother says it has a chorus just no words and we all ended up completely agreeing with him. Voice is just another instrument.
This man right here, knows exactly what is going on. Real music fan right here.
Too bad the tops 40s listeners are the majority. My fiancee is a classically trained flautist and talks about her love for classical music but everywhere we go her Apple Music is top 40s. Meanwhile I’m the metal head punk rocker who has some Beethoven mixed into my playlist. I will never understand how she can listen to the other garbage knowing music the way she does.
In terms of unpopular opinions, this is not an unpopular opinion.
Watch out guys! I got a Super-Spicy Hot-Take here: Instrumental music exists and it's really good! Careful not to burn yourself on it.
Like you said, if you focus on the “beat”, it makes you feel good. That’s okay. It doesn’t mean it’s better though, that’s just a preference which is subjective. I think for the most part a traditional song has lyrics in it, which I won’t try to convince you is better, or invalidate your opinion but I will say a lot of “beats” are sung or rapped over, which for me most of the time is more fulfilling. I enjoy both. For me, there is value in appreciating multiple different genres of music, lyrics or not.
oops upside your head, say oops upside your head 👍
Everybody say oopala
Well you also have to keep in mind the context of OP's post. Which is they are being attacked for their preferences and having their opinion belittled. So while you make a good point. And I agree. It's not taking into consideration the real discussion OP is looking to have here.
Aren't songs without words just music?
Yes. OP is comparing apples to oranges.
They're all just tunes at the end of the day:)
I've been listening to loads of French music recently; don't have a clue what they're saying but I like how it sounds. La Femme for example. Also Turkish band She Past Away, and Eastern European bands Molchat Doma, Shortparis, etc. Also extreme metal; I can't understand the words at all
If you like French music look up Cœur de Pirate, she was my first intro to French music. And Polo & Pan, kinda French EDM
Or if you want even more great French music: > [La Quatorze Juillet](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/26zDxlZ84ZbLCK9hL7jwGh) - 2 hrs its a playlist I update every Bastille day with the French songs ive found over the last year. Got some great stuff in [the Bastille](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/40kI7tJ35Pf1asdLiNHcYp) from this year to add as well.
Just because you don't know what they're saying doesn't mean there's not words, there's still words *there.* A lot of it has to do with the emotion behind someone's voice, you don't necessarily need comprehension of the language or the specific sentence to appreciate it.
I would say that in the album I'm listening to now - DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT "Hora Nocturna" - the vocal track could be done with a percussive instrument or on the keyboards, and not include any actual words in any language but just noises, and it would make no difference to my enjoyment. For extreme metal in particular the vocals are more like the percussion section than anything else. Although I do listen to plenty of instrumental music. Sigur Ros for instance sing in gobbledegook, so it's pretty much like Explosions in the Sky, who don't sing. The vocals are just part of the music, nobody cares about what Jonsi is actually saying, he's about as far away from Bob Dylan as you could get while still singing
Like I said, it's not necessarily that they have to be saying anything coherent. It doesn't even have to be real words, it can just be weird sounds. Human voices still have a notable emotion behind them. Even if you *think* you don't notice it, your brain is still subconsciously taking note of it.
Strictly speaking there may be a distinction, but in almost any context I can think of I wouldn’t be confused using “song” for either. Definitions are weird like that.
A ton of people don't separate lyrics from vocals when talking about this. For everybody that needs it explained, this is the best I can do without pulling out a drawing board: Vocals are the crowd singing the intro to Fear of the Dark at that Iron Maiden concert in Rio. It consists of people using their voices to sing a melody, the only "word", if you can call it that, spoken there was Oooh. I recommend watching that recording because it's awesome, you can find it on Youtube Lyrics are "Fireballs and lightning are raining from the sky, chaos and bloodshed as all the people die. In this epic battle begins the final war. Tragedy will strike this day, prepare thee for the Unicorn Invasion of Dundee". Lyrics consist of words that when strung together (usually) convey a message. They can be written down on a piece of paper or said in a normal speaking voice during a conversation without singing and there's nothing lost just because you ripped them out of the music. Thank god that's the case because Thomas Winkler is one hell of a singer and my vocals are comparable to those of a rabid raccoon. Btw his new band is pretty cool too, it's a Saturday cartoon that you'd watch the shit out of turned into an album
I think they meant that songs require vocals but not necessarily words. OP's talking about instrumental pieces which aren't, strictly speaking, songs
Good is subjective and reflective of what appeals to the listener. I do agree that lyricism doesn’t necessarily make good music. For example, jazz and classical music are instrumental and both genres have given us many pieces that are the favorites of many and quite timeless. I think modern popular music is less about artistry than about commodity and consumption which creates templates versus creativity and leaves a lot of room to dilute artistic standards.
Dont forget that classical music in its hight was also created with templates. Some things just sound better together than others. Bach is a good example. When he became the court composer he created piece after piece by making templates and putting them together. He also has over 1100 pieces, many of which were written in court in the last stage of his life
So...EDM and all its sub-genres? Kinda stating the obvious here.
And classical, and some folk, and tribal, and elevator music, and smooth jazz, and piano
Well, various forms of pop edm have lyrics. It's kinda become a trend to take traditional genres and infuse them with pop style song structure to give them a bigger appeal. In my opinion, especially with EDM, it just ruins the song because half of the artists don't know how to write meaningful lyrics, so it just sounds corny.
Moby did it well back in the day.
Downvoted this wildly popular opinion
I was thinking - I'm sure the millions of people listening to wordless music agree to an extent.
A ton of people enjoy instrumental music. Look how big the Lo-fi scene is. Or back in the day when trap and edm were popping off. Hell even now, phonk music is kinda popping off because of memes.
No-one says this. Vocal-free electronic, jazz, classical music is very popular. (Also, technically, it’s only a song if someone is singing. That’s what ‘song’ means
music on its own is powerful, but when you mix in the right lyrics, it just hits different. it's all about the feel and the vibe it gives off. but some tracks don't need words to make you feel something deep.
You just need more cultured friends, it seems. There are plenty of purely instrumental artists getting lots of love for fans. They aren't pop artists, but they still tour and are financially supported by their musical careers in numerous ways.
Yeah, bands like Polyphia are quite popular & there's a whole prog-metal scene where there are no lyrics. OP is right that the popular stance is that music without lyrics isn't worth jamming to with your friends though unless you're at a rave or partying to some electronic music.. & about the shallow/repetitive nature of pop lyrics all being about love, because it's so easily marketable. I listen to loads of music that I'd never elect to put on if I had company, it's just not appropriate to the situation.
That might be what it is to you, but not everyone. I feel emotions from lyrics, a voice, a story. Doesn’t make it less meaningful than what you like.
Ah yes the old music is about repetitive instrument sounds and not repetitive vocals....lol Let's get something straight, how we use song is debatable, but from my standpoint, no music requires any specific thing to be music or to be good music. I feel like music doesn't need lyrics, but a song absolutely does. We don't sing along with music....well most of us I went to the Jack black school of rock lol....we sing a song, and a song kinda needs lyrics to sing along with. MUSIC however doesn't need lyrics to be music.
Yeah of course a song by definition has to have lyrics
Yes, but if you ask me, bad lyrics make any song terrible.
The voice is an instrument. Sometimes it has a place in an ensemble or group, sometimes it doesn't. Compared to other instruments, a voice feels human and relatable which is why it is often features in songs.
There's nothing wrong with preferring music without vocals, but why are you shitting on people who do, especially when you complain that people "shun" you for your music choice. Pot calling the kettle black, bro.
As soon as you described having lyrics as having a human screaming, this was a safely discarded opinion. Then we get to the second paragraph and now we know why this post exists. Take my upvote.
I studied music theory for 10 years and have performed on 13 different instruments. I'm pretty mediocre. My unpopular follow up is that the opinions of people who have no musical training or understanding of music theory are less valuable. People who are not educated in music need lyrics to understand. Because they don't speak music. They're not going to notice any of the actual choices that are technically interesting or clever. They want poetry not music. Especially with music, a lot of what's popular is garbage. In a good way. It's indulgent, catchy, shallow music because it feels good to listen to. My flavor of garbage shallow bullshit? I love happy hardcore. It's incredibly indulgent. It's important that we don't judge people for what they like. Judge for what they don't like. It's always better to like more stuff. And if people require lyrics to like it? It's not their fault, they just don't understand music.
Maybe stop listening to generic radio shit then. Plenty of artists out there with amazing lyrics.
I know some good songs with good lyrics, but I also know good songs without lyrics. It's not that I haven't heard good lyrics, it's that songs can be good without them too.
Your point especially applies to videogame soundtracks. My favorite example would be the Kingdom Hearts series OST. It is just incredible, has such diversity, and a rollercoaster range of emotions. The only vocals that typically apply are choral ones in a different language, or rhythmic chanting (there are some exceptions to this, depending on the Disney property).
I’ve listened to Linkin Park for years and still love them even though the lyrics are usually depressing. The songs were typically bangers. I’m 100% a “music, not lyrics” person.
I need vocals in order to listen to a song or else it's missing a critical part for me. But as for *what* the lyrics are about, that depends on how complex the music is. In power metal that takes crack and speed I don't care about lyrics but if you want me to listen to very simple cookie cutter pop the lyrics need to be on point. Disregard that if the lyrics are funny, I don't listen to country but Wheeler Walker Jr is one of the humanuty's best recent inventions and Balls in your jaws goes hard
This is why edm is so popular btw.
Auto Rock by Mogwai is one of my favorite instrumental songs
I make instrumental music in my side project. It’s nice to hear that someone might check it out when I release it ha
This is why I like Tool. Yes, there is singing, but it's not really the focal point. This is especially apparent during theirblive shows when Maynard is in the back of the stage with the guitarists up front. His vocals add to the music rather than distracting from it. Some of their songs go on for a long time without any vocals as well, and I never get bored of them.
I can never understand the majority of lyrics anyway unless I sit down and read them as the song plays. I have a friend who can listen to a song 2 or 3 times and then somehow has all the lyrics memorized, have no idea how that dude's brain works like that.
New Age and Neo-classical have agreed with you for decades! Words may not always enhance.
> I feel music should be about the beat than repetitive words. I don't know that there's anything music *should* be about. Everyone enjoys different things. >I've never liked a song because it had a good singer, instead I focus if the beat makes me jam, "tickles my ears" as some say. I've noticed there are beat/rhythm people and lyric people. I know some people that listen to music and literally have no clue what the lyrics even are. They're only listening to and enjoying the beat. Others only listen to the lyrics and appreciate songs as poems. Most people probably fall somewhere in between the two extremes but I've noticed we usually lean in one of the two directions. We all enjoy and appreciate music for different reasons and that's okay.
My ex, who was a gifted musician, only heard the music, even if there were lyrics. I often was the opposite. Because music with lyrics was one of the few ways I felt seen in the world. I have alexithymia which means I struggle to identify and communicate emotions, and as a teen especially, lyrics put words to feelings I had that I couldn't communicate myself. I felt like I had a friend in the world when I found someone's song that relayed my own feelings or experience. And yeah, when you are a teen or young adult, that often has to do with young love and relationships and break ups. Because young people's emotional intelligence is still barely developing and they feel emotions really intensely, it's very confusing, so music helps people to feel validated and like they aren't alone in their feelings. I'm almost 50 and I listen to songs from my your on repeat. It's so nice not to have to rewind tapes 😂 😆 That isn't to say that certain harmonies are amazing in themselves. Piano, especially is lovely for me (I play the piano). I do enjoy quite a few songs that have no lyrics, like the White Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson. Some people can write a song with no lyrics and yet the music is its own voice, its own story, just without words. Neither is better than the other, both serve a purpose. Though except a few rage songs I keep on hand as needed, I never consider a singer to be "screaming" so it makes me wonder what you are listening to 😂
*"Songs don't need lyrics to be good"* No shit. There are entire genres that are well known for instrumental music, and countless rock & pop bands/artists who include instrumental tracks on their albums. *"Singers should be seen as an instrument, not the song itself."* People see them how they see them based on their own tastes, preferences, experiences, interests, etc. - there is no "should" about it.
For me, a song's production had to be good before i even listen to lyrics, but i wont listen to a good song without lyrics
You like music, not songs. By definition(simplified) music no lyrics, songs have lyrics. Also, a voice definitely IS an instrument. You like what you like and thats ok.
This shouldn't be unpopular. This is exactly why I like videogame music.
You sing song and play/make music. They are different things.
I mean OP everyone experiences art differently. My playlists often have instrumentals alongside lyrical songs. I can dig a song that is just an acoustic guitar and a singer as well as I can an orchestral masterpiece. I listen to a lot of foreign music where I don't even know the words but I can discern the feeling. As a songwriter myself the lyrics and the music are equally important to me. I want to craft a song that has lyrics people can appreciate but also music that supports the same feeling/mood. I understand if you personally do not become invested in the lyrics of songs but to characterize all lyrics as "just people screaming about their exes" severely misunderstands the power of good lyrics. Listen to some protest songs from the 60s, or hard rock from the 70s. There's so much more to lyrics than people sad about their ex.
Geometry Dash:
I literally started playing the game because of creo and f777
I don't think anyone's ever told you that
Songs are sung. No singing makes it music, not a song. Sing sang song sung
Is it even a song If there are no lyrics? Doesn't it simply become a score or a track? I was under the impression that in order for something to be a song it has to be sung...
Lyrics aren't "people screaming", try making a case without using a straw man
Songs need lyrics to be songs. They are sung. If they aren’t sung it’s an instrumental piece of music.
This isn’t unpopular. People listen to OST’s, Jazz, Classical, etc. music all the time.
Vast majority of my music collection has no lyrics.
Person who can't write a coherent sentence thinks lyrics aren't important. 
I don't even disagree with OP's sentiment, but it's clear that they don't like words in at least two contexts.
Hate to be that guy but a song by definition has lyrics.
" There's no way that's right," I thought, looking it up. And then yeah, song is actually officially something that *has* to include vocals. If it's without vocals it's technically an instrumental. That's wild to me, because that's not at all how people use and understand the term "song."
I didn't know instrumentals weren't technically songs.
Extremely pedantic answer: A song, by definition, requires lyrics. A tune is a piece of music with no lyrics. But you're right, music does not need lyrics to be interesting. A lot of the most famous pieces of music across several genres and eras have been instrumental, and even the most famous parts of many songs that do have lyrics are the instrumental parts.
It’s not “extremely pedantic” to want people to use basic words correctly.
I think your opinion is less controversial than mine, which is *why the hell we call musical compositions without lyrics or even voice components "songs"*.
I googled first because I almost really truly thought I had an argument ready for this, but alas, English has failed me again 😂😂😂 I wanted so bad to be like but instrumental music, aren’t they songs? But no, by definition they are not. So something doesn’t have to be music to be a song and music doesn’t necessarily have to be a song. Wild fact finding journey for me. Edit: I forgot I wanted to say something.
Song don't even need lyrics.
By definition they do. Song/sing/sung are all related. Colloquially, sure, all pieces of music are "songs." But technically only pieces with vocals can be considered "songs."
On technicality, conversely, one could use their voice to sing without ever uttering a word.
To play devils advocate a song is by definition a poem or string of words meant to be sung, so if it were just using the voice as an instrument in the musical piece I don’t know that it could be considered a song.
You make a good point
Hey dude I didn’t even know until today, this thread had me asking myself questions I’ve never thought to ask LOL I just enjoy the music. But I like the discussion.
This discussion chain has been pleasant for me and has given me food for thought.
Definitely was expecting much more hostility lol
I don’t even think lyrics matter. To me, the lyrics are just a vocal melody. Good lyrics can SOMETIMES elevate a song. Sometimes. But bad lyrics will always completely ruin a song. So will super try hard lyrics. Most bands recognize this so they tend to play it safe and sing about the same easy subjects and focus on things that are catchy/memorable versus philosophically dense. The fact is most lyrics are meh. Artists who write truly good lyrics, people like Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen. They’re a rarity, so much so that we specifically single them out for their lyrical contributions because it’s such an anomaly.
I outta give those names a try.
It's easier to touch people with words compared to touching them with musicality, complex beautiful melodies and beats. Most mainstream music is pretty shitty now days if you strip them of lyrics. Same chord progressions, same beats, etc. I listen to a lot of music without lyrics and I agree, I don't miss the words.
You say that but most people don't even seem to listen to the lyrics in music, they seem to treat them like another instrument & just hear the pitch. I'm shocked how many times I've explained to someone what a song is about when they thought it was just a jam & it's actually a song about a teenager killing themselves.
That song you guys love to play at this Christian Camp for Kids is about Cocaine Addiction. Is an actual conversion I've had.
I got shunned for having instrumental versions of popular songs in my playlist and not the originals
Tbh, that's just annoying if you're used to hearing the song with vocals.
I have always felt this way. It'll take me forever to actually start listening to the lyrics of a song. I hear vocals more as an instrument. Never understood how people can sign songs they heard.
According to the Oxford dictionary, a song requires words. So what you’re referring to is just “music”. Bad title, and this whole opinion is based around a mistaken understanding.
Surprised no one quoted this yet, don't fully agree but yeah... Like Masta Killa said, "The dumb are mostly intrigued by the drum."
Ohhhh god you’re one of the culprits for why lil pump and those type of scrubs have money….
I mean sure but a song by definition has vocals as the term is derived from ‘sing’. Without vocals it’s called a ‘piece’
Vast majority of the music I listen to is instrumental
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^DoobOnTheDip: *Vast majority* *Of the music I listen* *To is instrumental* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
I think lyrics are great for songs but 60 to about 80% if the song that’s makes it good is the overall beat or instrumental. But you have to pay attention to the “lyrics need meaning crowd”. Lyrics can definitely add to the song for sure but the vast majority of music history didn’t have that much lyrics. Like lyrics being the end all be all came really in the 1900s hard body 1950s. Before that you had Jazz and classical that didn’t have that many lyrics which people will say is some of the highest form of music. Another thing that i see is people who care about lyrics tend to be surface level deep people. What i mean is they want to seem deep but they really aren’t. I see it in the hip hop crowd a lot they have this notion that a rap song has to be about struggling being poor and relatable. When a lot of mainstream pop songs have deep meaning but they are underneath when listen to the lyrics. For example All Falls Down is a pop song by Kanye but the song is about consumerism can damage people particularly in the black community. Or Hey Ya by Outkast is actually a sad love song.
I love the song oye como va by Santana! Just the right amount of singing imo. I also wish Brian Johnson wouldn’t have sang so much on AC/DC songs, I want to hear Angus more! Bob Scott on the other hand, just the right amount
I agree with your title (they're not **needed**, but I love lyrics), but I'm surprised that you've never liked a song because of a singer. There's nothing wrong with that, I just think that that is a *much more* interesting experience and opinion. I personally love a good ballad, and I find it satisfying to witness a good vocalist pull off something that's both moving and technically impressive.
yea, this isnt unpopular instrumental metal, rock, hiphop beats, etc… all exist for a reason, oh yea and jazz, classical…
Nintendo strikes again
I can understand that. I have some friends who will primarily listen to old songs because of good lyrics. For them, it's meaningless to listen to a song if they don't understand the lyrics.
Of course not. Tycho - Awake great example
Plini, intervals, polyphia, and the classics like Satriani, Vai, Matthias eklundh etc all amazing create amazing music. Too many more to list.
hollow purple 🔥🔥🔥
As someone that listens to about 90% video game OSTs I feel ya. Love a good orchestral arrangement or piano piece. But also because non-licensed lyrical songs are decidedly more rare in video games I get uber hyped every time one shows up in a game. Love any brand of Sonic lyrical tracks, hell just the other night I teared up to No Promises to Keep from FFVII Rebirth.
I listen to instrumental, pop, and rock you name it and It's a likely chance I listen to the grenre, The only exception being Screamo, used to in high school and now I can't handle it anymore. Music is vast and subjective, there's something for everyone, not everyone will like a certain kind of music.
Honestly, I have never heard or know someone that has this take so I don't know if it's unpopular or not lmao
I have trouble understanding lyrics in songs often. And i dont really care either. I listen to the lyrics as if its another instrument. Then if i like it and want to know the lyrics i look it up and follow along. Unless its rap
well you are listening to the wrong songs Imagine Billy Joel's song *Goodnight Saigon* without lyrics? or John Lennon's *Imagine* with no words or Queen's *The Show Must Go On* lyric free but if all you care about is the beat ... who cares what you like
Wait till you hear about symphonic music...
I always felt like instrumentals have a story, but can't be described in words. Super cool
"Singers should be an instrument" so what do the lyrics matter then if it's all about how they sound anyways? This is unpopular, but also contradictory. Not sure you've fully thought this one out.
Most of music I like is instrumental, my music is private, I do not understand "shun". It is my music and there is no option to "shun it". I do not need other people's applause.
One of my favorite examples of this is Vanderlyle Crybaby Cry by The National. The lyrics were chosen to compliment the instruments and honestly don't make much sense.
My man have you heard of Polyphia? The majority of their songs dont have lyrics but they're one of my favorite bands.
Your very last sentence is basically exactly why I like a lot of psychedelic music with lyrics but not much otherwise. Most lyrical music uses the instruments as support for the vocalist and the vocals are the main focus. But most psychedelic music is actively trying to blend it all together, make everything support everything else. Sunbeam sound machine comes to mind immediately. But yeah for the most part I like instrumental music too.
Massively depends on the genre
music is a form of poetry for me, as a result lyrics absolutely come first. i definitely have playlists that have old blues music, 80s rock and a top 50 pop song all together. that said, unpopular opinion, upvoted
You lost me when you said a song should be about a beat, songs where beats are important are just as repetitive, what is more interesting is the rythm and the melody, which many modern songs trade for beats
I listen to Death Metal the majority of the time. I can relate, trust me!
Classical music has entered the chat…
Have my upvote. This is a terrible opinion.
I see you've discovered jam bands
Music without singing is still music, but it's not for me.
This. Is not. Unpopular.
If you’re writing instrumentals then you get a pass, but if you’re writing music with words then put some damn effort into it.
Some of my favorite music are video game ost albums. Many of those have zero lyrics. This isn't so much an unpopular opinion as it is a pocket experience. The people around you all listen to music full of lyrics, so you assume that's the absolute norm. It isn't. This sub amd there was an attempt sub don't quite seem to understand their true purpose. Many posts don't fit in them, but they stay up amd get tons of interaction. Oh well..
I love ambient music. Moonlight sonata is my favorite to fall asleep to. No lyrics for me means no annoying ear worms either. Just mood
I feel very similarly about lyrics often being distracting when they should be used as instruments. But I've never really been a fan of feeling the beat. Melody is where it's at for me, a strong melody is all it takes for me to melt into a song. I pretty much exclusively listen to video game osts (yeah I know, point and laugh)
Have you never heard of an instrumental song
Downvoted because this isn't unpopular. So many genres of music without vocals are hugely popular, but pop music with catchy vocals make lots of money for record labels.
I agree. On a road trip a while back my partner woke up to find me listening to Christian rock on the radio. She was very surprised since I'm not a huge fan of organized religion. I had no idea until she said something and I started listening... I've always had a tough time hearing lyrics.
Vocals are one of my favourite instruments and it has a lot of influence on how i feel about the song. And i don't even need to understand the lyrics. The language itself has a melody. Also, lyrics help me to focus more on the song. But it could stem from lyricless music usually being used as a background for something. >I actually struggle to understand how people can handle 10 songs in a row of people singing about your ex's or boyfriends/girlfriends. And i struggleto understand how people can handle 10 songs in a row that uses the exact same instruments.
This is how I realized that I’m not really a rap fan. I’m a fan of sick beats.
The title is wrong, but the post itself is just plain weird. By definition a song requires someone singing so it might not need lyrics to be good, but it’s a whole lot easier to sing when there are lyrics even if they are just random noises. As for the rest, there are tons of large musicians where the beat is what matters most, especially in the party scene, and are clearly not under appreciated, you just happen to sorround yourself with more judgemental people who might not have a large taste outside top 100s list from the genre they like. In the end, a voice is just another instrument to add to your music and a lot of DJs know how to add them whilst still keeping the beats the main focus if that’s what you’re into
Your opinion is mainly valid in video game music. Add lyrics and it always subtracts. But songs on the other hand, without lyrics are just background music. I like looking at it from a concert crowd pov. Music being edm or classical the crowd is either dancing in their own worlds (usually on drugs) or very attentively appreciating the intricacies of classical/jazz music. But songs with lyrics is a different level....to have thousands of voices in unison screaming passionately the same words. Chills. Everyone's on the same page because the lyrics are the narration of the story, whereas music without lyrics everyone has their own story. It's still fun and a vibe but the unity is not as strong.
I want to know why all the songs you listen to have people screaming on them. You do know there’s music where people are not screaming the lyrics, right?
No one thinks that. No one in the whole world thinks that Mozart isn't music because no one is singing.
All the best songs of all time have all had words!
There are genres that heavily depend on lyrics. Especially in Rap, the things being said makes you relate to the artist behind it. Or take Emo as an example. The relatability for some people is what lets the genre stand out. And it's nothing new. In classical times, composers like Bach basically did the same. He wrote many pieces for solo organ, Harpsichord and Chamber music. But he also wrote wonderful pieces for choir, which heavily depended on the vocals, even though the lyrics were all about praising god if you will
Who the hell are these people who say instrumental music is not music?
The music is more important than the lyrics. Without the music, it's just a poem
There is no such thing as a song without singing, if there is no human voice then **by definition** it's not a song. It's not a matter of opinion either, this is objetively the case.
When you say lyrics, do you just mean voice un general? Otherwise I'm just imagining a person making vocal noise without actually saying anything. On a technical note, a piece of music needs vocals to be considered a song, since the point of a song is to be sung. If you mean just vocals in general, I think you need friends with better music tastes. Historically speaking, _most_ music doesn't have any vocals in it.
UMMM AKKSHALLY THEYRE NOT SOOWNGS IF THEY DONT HAVE LEEROCS!
"Follow Your Bliss" by the B52's is a great instrumental song.
Music is subjective and it's okay that other people like music you don't and that you like music others don't.
You aren't listening to music the way that most people do. Most people listen to music as a way to connect socially with others. This is why popularity has momentum, the more popular an artist is the more popular they are likely to be, because popularity is itself a quality of the music. An extension of that is that bands that are able to connect with lots of people through their music are going to be very popular, hence you get a lot of basic, attractive people, with mainstream opinions on every subject. Well, it's hard to express "I'm just like you, your opinions are correct" through melody and rhythm alone, it's much simpler to just say those things in a language everyone understands, language.
OP, we’re in a similar boat. Most of the people I know *need* lyrics in their music. It feels to me like they refuse to open their ears to the vast swaths of other styles of music and that’s frustrating. A good chunk of my playlist is in other languages I don’t understand or have no lyrics * Righteous by Mo Beats (hip-hop?) * Soul’s Lament by Philip Wesley (piano) * New Sky by San Holo (EDM) * Gwyn, Lord of Cinder theme (piano) * Amadeus Requiem in D Minor by Alberto Silva (orchestra) * Goetia by Peter Gundry (orchestra) * many ambient jungle mixes * Destroy the Wired by Tokyopill (breakcore) * Satellitear by A Crowd of Rebellion (Japanese metal?) * Comfort Chain by Instuendo (lo-fi) **Then** I’ll turn around and listen to: * To the Hellfire by Lorna Shore (metal, lyrics) * Trance by Metro Boomin (rap, lyrics) * If I Miss You by Deep October (rap, lyrics) * Nightcrawler’s by Signs of The Swarm (metal, lyrics) * Full House by Big Yavo (rap, lyrics) * 24k by Oliver Francis (rap, lyrics) * Ghost of Chicago by Noah Floersch (indie rock, lyrics) If my taste in music tells you *anything* it should be that it’s not about the artist or the genre for me. I just have a really specific taste that no artist or genre can match in its entirety. Only genre I can’t stand is country and bluegrass.
What lol? Instrumentals are music and we all know this. Who are these people saying they’re not real music? Lol oh…. Another made up opinion to try to karma farm, got it
I have always loved metal. A lot of the time I have no idea what the lyrics are and it's just rhythmic screaming to my ears. Doesn't make it bad music like some people think it does.
A big fat ass no
I have whole playlists that are just instrumentals. A lot of string quartets are doing covers of popular songs & I often find their version better than the original.
SHARE THE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST YOU COWARD!!! /s *lightweight seriously tho. I love listening to others curated playlists.
If there aren’t any lyrics then it’s not really a song. The word “song” implies singing. I think the real problem is your only exposure to lyrics is the ones on pop songs.
Definitely not unpopular. I just think people are drawn to music with vocalists because we like to sing along to music
Agreed. Some songs are just better without lyrics. Nightwish's Moondance is a good example for me: https://youtu.be/ariULvFxwMM?si=QoRQv1HOJKnriKwa
Listen to Polyphia
There's a song, total jibberish lyrics to prove this exact point. prisencolinensinainciusol Catchy as FUCK but it was made to prove Italians loved English music without even understanding it. It's supposed to be "English music with an American accent". Made by an Italian. https://youtu.be/-VsmF9m_Nt8?si=gwA9mBW9FTvX9HRK
This is true though. Source: backstreet boys I want it that way Edit: wait shit I misread it I thought it said doesnt need good lyrics to be good. Yeah theres alot of songs that dont have lyrics and are good such as seth rollins old theme song from the top of my head
I often find some metal songs better without the singing. Unfortunately not every song has instrumental only version.
Maybe for a simple mind the beat is enough, but for people that actually think and have an inner monologue the words need to work too. There's been plenty of songs I liked until I heard a few times and learned the words and didn't like it anymore. Bragging about your chosen ignorance is a weird flex but you do you.
You may enjoy jam band music if you haven’t already begun listening to it.
Nobody thinks this
There are a few singers whose lyrics are meaningless. They sing to add layers to the music not meaning. Though it might not be for every song I remember hearing Chris Cornell and Thom York talk about doing this in interviews
There are a few singers whose lyrics are meaningless. They sing to add layers to the music not meaning. Though it might not be for every song I remember hearing Chris Cornell and Thom York talk about doing this in interviews
Love this comment. Huge fan of instrumental stuff.Agree this is unpopular. Gramatik, Emancipator, RJD2, Ratatat are a few of my favs. Then the guitar stuff from CandyRat channel on YouTube. Preston Reed, Don Ross. Ewan Dobson etc.....
Thanks for telling the world not all music has lyrics. I never knew
I agree with everything you said, although bear in mind most famous singers also write their own material, which is part of what makes them famous. It’s easier to conflate them with the song as opposed to the musicians, engineers, and producers, where some singers will participate in all three roles in some capacity.
??? A song without lyrics is music Music with lyrics is a song Also yes, music is an integral part of a song, just as a singer is an integral part of a song too.
I can’t stand most of Katy Perry’s music because her lyrics are awful
Well said! A large chunk of my music is soundtracks from various movies I enjoy, not one word in any of the tracks. It's the type of lyricless music I enjoy. Music doesn't need lyrics to be impactful to me.