What's the most important ingredient in music?

Melissa Torres4 said:The most important thing for me is that the music is progressive (?).

You beat me to it...😠 😳

The band's vibe, everything surrounding them, the lyrics, the vocals, how catchy the tunes are, that insane energy at a show from start to finish, the interviews... all of it.

Melissa Nelson2 said:The whole vibe of the band—everything surrounding them, the lyrics, the vocals, how catchy the melodies are, that insane energy they bring to a live show from start to finish, even their interviews... it all counts.

I mean, seriously, what does an interview have to do with how good a song actually is?

Ashley Perez62 said:It might sound like a cliché, but music literally feeds my soul.

When I get home from work, I always throw on some music videos on YouTube—usually whatever I’ve been obsessed with this week or month. There are these five or six videos I love so much I have to listen to them every single day. Don't get me wrong, I love the visuals, but I’m primarily a music listener; I just use YouTube because the selection is massive and everything is easy to find. Honestly, I've gotten a bit out of the habit of using physical media...

I'm really into electronic music: electro, techno, breakbeat, deep house—but it has to be well-produced, not just some mindless, repetitive noise.

I crave that edge in electronic tracks, and I love a well-balanced electro sound with those sharp textures and filtered accents...

The sense of space in electronic soundscapes—and beats that actually make sense instead of those stupid, endless builds.

I feel certain types of music so deeply, it’s like it flows through my veins. When I dance to it, I don't need to "think" to experience it; it's purely visceral. I feel this need to define every single sound spatially through my body movements while dancing. It’s an intuitive, spontaneous kind of movement, where my hand or foot seems to anticipate the next second of sound and aligns with it perfectly—it’s just total immersion.

I enjoy pop too, provided it has some actual identity. When it comes to that era, I much prefer the eighties and the early nineties.

There was just more soul back then; nowadays, everything feels so overproduced and forced.

For instance, with classical music, I am completely swept away by the way violins and similar instruments build tension and release. Antonio Vivaldi creates this internal image of sunlight breaking through, or the sheer mass of a river like the Mississippi River when listening to something epic.

With Enye Caribbean Blue, there's a beginning that reminds me of looking out at the open ocean from a small plane skimming the water—it captures that feeling of being intoxicated by the sea.

Enye Orinoco Flow gives me images of massive waterfalls crashing down, spraying everywhere; it feels like looking down at the Earth from orbit as it glimmers below. It feels like an exponential journey, and the end of Orinoco Flow, with that choral sound, makes me feel like some spirit is merging with you (it gives me chills every time).

I love the harp in that kind of way.

Vangelis is in a league of his own—his music triggers such intense mental imagery:
Antarctica—sounds so pure they evoke a biting coldness, like floating between icebergs with glimpses of a dark blue, almost black, ocean beneath.
Alpha—that blue chill and the distant echo of a star.
Intergalactic Radio Station—the intro describes the heavy, massive scale of space, followed by a constant drone that sounds like traveling through radio frequencies.

Enigma—Age of Loneliness—the tribal vocals feel like a call from the future, stretching me through time until my throat aches with sadness, followed by a sudden shiver from something much larger and beautiful.
Enigma—TNT for the Brain—that steady opening sound evokes coldness, danger, mysticism, and a journey into one's own subconscious.

So yeah, that's a lot of music stuff, but I love synesthesia—the blending of senses. When music manages to pull that off, that's when it's good in my book.

Hehe... kudos to you for the effort and the descriptions.🙂

For me, it’s all about what the critics say—especially Cyanide, they were always my favorite. I used to be a huge Smiths fan, and honestly, I thought Morrissey was some kind of poet, but then he dropped a few bitter lines and it was like a lightbulb went off for me; now, I can't even stand him. At the end of the day, I don't really have my own opinions, I just follow what everyone else thinks, which makes life pretty easy.

The best ingredient? It’s definitely the vocals. I honestly have so much respect for listeners who don't give a damn about the melody, the rhythm, or any of that... they can take a song that's barely recognizable and turn it into a massive hit just because the singing was flawless.
Genre doesn't matter. Nothing does. Just the voice. I've always been a sucker for great singers.
Take that duet between Toša Proeskog and Naum Petreski with the song "imati li pesni"... that's exactly what I'm talking about. Pure, perfect vocals.

Adam Moore said:Honestly, I mostly just care about what the critics think—especially Cyanide, he was always my absolute favorite. I used to be such a huge Smiths fan, too; I actually thought Morrissey was some kind of poetic genius back in the day, but then he dropped a few really bitter, nasty lines and it was like a lightbulb went off for me, totally changing my perspective, much like Saint Paul's conversion. Now? I can't even stand him. But hey, I don't really have any opinions of my own anyway; I just follow whatever everyone else is saying, which honestly makes life pretty easy.

Total coma...👎

Honestly, all I care about is when Borg gets all hyped up about something 🙂

wanderingraven20 said:For me, all that matters is when Borg shows some genuine enthusiasm.🙂

🤣

Reasons, I guess—not that I’m much of a critic anyway.

That full-bodied sound...

Beautiful voice 😛

that electric guitar and drum kit combo 😁

This is one of those rare threads that actually matters. Unfortunately, the way people post here isn't really a dialogue; it’s not actual thinking. Instead, we just get a list of why things are "good" based on someone's—usually unconscious—impulses.

I'm not criticizing criticism just for the sake of it, but I'm fairly certain that a huge chunk of us, even the ones who don't just treat music as background noise, have no clue what we are ACTUALLY looking for in a song. We can claim to "know" it by saying "I love the melody" or "I love the lyrics" (which is how this thread usually functions), but from the answers I've seen, it’s still unclear what the core pursuit actually is.

Let me try to offer my own take on this concept. Lately, I've been finding myself less interested in purely formalist music—a good portion of jazz, electronic stuff, even high-quality IDM and whatever else falls into that category. It feels like you can only enjoy it in the immediate moment. While you're listening, it’s almost purely hedonistic, sort of like eating food. Once you're done eating, the pleasure is gone. On the other hand, there is music that expresses an idea. Written words express ideas too, perhaps more purely, but in a different way than music or painting. In this context, music has the potential to embed that idea through non-verbal means—through sound. Sound has its own logic, one that isn't as easily decoded as the logic found in words. That's an advantage, really. Because it stays somewhat hidden, it hints at something, allowing for play and a wide range of interpretation without drifting into being something completely undefined.

When music merges with lyrics in this way, the words provide precise direction, while the music provides the free, emotional, imaginative context for those words. To me, that transmission of meaning and idea feels like the true purpose and essence of music.

So basically,
when that specific chemistry finally clicks within the band, the whole circle closes, creating this massive surge of energy that we experience as pure sound.

Kimberly Lewis63 said:SO
WHEN THE CHEMISTRY WITHIN THE BAND ALIGNS, THE CIRCLE CLOSES, AND THAT ENERGY EMERGES AS SOUND.

A totally predictable response. There will be more of them. I’m well aware that having an actual opinion is a rare commodity these days, much like any attempt at self-reflection or trying to make sense of anything at all.

But I’ll point one thing out to you—I’m not here for the thrill of being right on this forum. It’s not my goal to broadcast how enlightened I am, nor do I care what anyone else thinks about my thoughts. I don't need validation. I made this post because I actually care about understanding music (my own kind), and I'm hoping someone in the replies might actually offer a perspective that helps me grasp it a little better.

EDIT:

@Kimberly Lewis63 next post—fine, you took it the wrong way.

placidlynx23 said:Honestly, it’s such a predictable response. There’s always going to be more of them, isn't there? I mean, let's face it—having an actual opinion is pretty unpopular these days, and heaven forbid anyone actually tries to understand themselves or anything else going on around them.

But if I could just point one thing out to you—look, being some kind of enlightened guru on this forum isn't my goal, nor is it my idea of a good time to go around dropping "brilliant" insights on everyone. I truly don't care what anyone thinks about my takes, and I’m definitely not fishing for likes or validation. I only put this post out there because I actually CARE about understanding music (my own stuff), and I was really hoping that maybe, just maybe, someone replying would offer something that helps me wrap my head around the music a little better.

oh, NOT SO BRILLIANT, MY FRIEND, YOU TOTALLY MISREAD MY POST WHICH WASN'T EVEN A REACTION TO YOURS. I WAS JUST SHARING MY OWN TAKE ON THIS TOPIC BASED ON MY ACTUAL EXPERIENCE ACTUALLY MAKING MUSIC. JUST SO YOU KNOW: the whole world doesn't revolve around how much smarter you think you are.

Look, everything you're saying makes sense, just please don't raise your voice

Technical mastery has to come first. I’ve always had a massive soft spot for Jazz and progressive metal/rock—mostly because of that sheer level of finesse in the compositions. Let’s be honest: you can't just have some random amateur stumbling through these kinds of bands; there's a barrier to entry that requires actual skill. But more importantly? It has to have soul. If it's just mindless, flashy shredding without any heart behind it, then what's even the point?

Emily Hernandez28 said:The color of the underwear :/ plus when gentlepuma20 looks back at you :P

😕