More musical thoughts

[Kiki]

What exactly makes an album a "favorite"? Why do we choose different albums from each other and then mostly agree on there being tiers of what is great? Is it because they are the albums that many people seem to agree on, although not everyone? But what if they are picked as favorites for this reason?

I wonder if someone could pick any album... say from the top 1000 on the overall chart here and have it become their favorite if they listen to it enough times and strip away their prejudices on the music. The latter being much more important. Can you say honestly in your own mind (You don't have to say here, just think it) that you haven't when rating music downrated a mainstream artist who is nothing but commercialism with a melody and tried not be too harsh on a more arty musician because you didn't want to look like you might not "get it"?

Again, what makes an album a "favorite"?

I'll leave it at that. See if it starts a discussion Might get some of my other ideas to fully form when I hear what others have to say.

[Guest]

I think a lot of people undervalue the impact that a musical experience can have on a person's favorite albums. Sure, a lot of us dislike mainstream pop music because it's mainstream pop, but is that necessarily wrong? I personally dislike mainstream pop because it all sounds the same to me and I'm sick of hearing it (it's also not my cup of tea, but that's never a reason for me to call something shitty, I think). Had I never heard a single pop album in my life and then on a whim I decided to pick up the most recent Katy Perry album, I probably wouldn't enjoy it, but I wouldn't have the same attitude towards as I would in real life given the context.

It's for this same reason that A Night at the Opera has and likely always will be my favorite album: Maybe it wouldn't have been had I not heard it so early in life, but over the years it's taken on a tremendous amount of nostalgic value for me, and even if I hear an album that I ordinarily would have enjoyed more, nothing will ever top that emotional meaning for me.

To connect this to the original question: These musical prejudices are inherent, and I don't think repeated listens can necessarily get rid of that. I also don't think they're necessarily a bad thing, as they're what shape our musical tastes.

[Guest]

For me, and I think for a lot of people (if not everyone), well... my opinions on a certain album can widely depend on what I have heard before it, and also, after it.

I have been exposed to Muse and Coldplay years before being exposed to Radiohead. IMO Coldplay might as well call themselves "The Bends", and Muse might as well call themselves the "OK Computer Band". But I didn't know these comparisons at the time... I had simply never heard these albums. Later, when I heard The Bends and OK Computer for the first time, the seemed just sort of decent to me. It didn't make the same connection for me as it might have had I heard it first in the 90s. Then again, I do wonder if my opinions would have changed anyway, you know... had I listened to The Bends and OK Computer first then AFTERWORDS hearing Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to the Head, Origin of Symmetry, and Absolution.

In the end, all these albums lose for me. Hearing one made the other feel less impressive, both had less of that... well, whatever makes you "feel it" when listening to music.


Then again, I still have Dark Side of the Moon at number 2 on my chart, thinking about moving it back to number 1. Sure there HAS to have been albums made very similar to it. If not, perhaps I could do enough research to find specific songs from various artists and make some sort of compilation that recreates Dark Side in a way. You know, find a song with a similar mood/tempo/style as the first song, then the second song, then third, etc. If I did that, after hearing it would I think less of Dark Side? If not, what if it somehow turned out even better, would I THEN think less of Dark Side? Or is that the thing... maybe it is just darn well impossible (hypothetically) to come up with anything legitimately better, therefore the reason DSotM is ranked so highly (for me)? Is there such thing as legitimately better?

Perhaps its a combination of uniqueness and a certain level of refinement. But what makes an album "refined"? An album that never gets old? There are albums people say they have listened to a thousand times, yet they could be the same albums I have a difficult time getting through, say, the third time. Is it because they have been exposed to music differently... like... they have heard different music, or not as much or even more music, or a combination of the two having been exposed in a combination of the same and different music as me, in a different order and at a different time in their lives? Perhaps it goes beyond music, maybe personal life experiences affect (or effect? i can't grammar) musical tastes as well?

Maybe genetics also impact music tastes. Like... some people are more left brained or right brained, and many intricate things in between. How does that change an individual's opinion on something as seemingly non-factual as what music is good or bad? Perhaps this could be tested? Maybe it has nothing to do with intelligence types but more to do with brainwave patterns. Could THAT be tested? Can opinions actually be measured?


And overall, I'm not sure but.. maybe my point is that musical tastes all depend on experience, genetics, and now that I think of it, it can also be impacted by influence (like when your peers say an album is good/bad, or when an album is well known or unknown, or when certain people that you like/dislike say something is good/bad).

[paladisiac]

i think it all boils down to nature and nurture. Genetics play a part -- certain personality types seem to be draw to certain types of music. And of course, what your parents listened to, what your friends listened/listen to, as well as your life experience, all place a role in how much you like music. (i think i'd side nurture over nature for the most influence.)

As to why certain favorites are the favorites (on BEA) amongst the most people ... I think that has to do a lot with exposure. The more people that listen to a certain album the more will like it. It doesn't matter whether it's a critical favorite (say, "Dark Side of the Moon") or a trite, pop album (say, "The Bodyguard" soundtrack).

Of course, in the battle between the classics and the trite, the classics inevitably will win ... mostly due to our pal, nurture.

That's my take, anyway.
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[pearljammer13]

The biggest thing for me when listening to an album is how it effects me. If it gives me goosebumps at various points, if it totally changes my mood. Simply put, how enjoyable is it to listen to and how does it make me feel.

This is why I have Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins at #2 on my list. Every single time I listen to it, it totally lifts my mood, no matter how I feel before popping it in. I get goosebumps from various moments, and I enjoy the hell out of listening to it. Those things are what turn albums into favorites for me personally.

[Xavygravy]

All the above responses are awesome

Right now, I'm just trying to listen to as many 'great' albums as possible, and rating them based on both how much I enjoyed it on the first couple of listens, and how much I think I'll enjoy it on future listens. Many of the albums on my chart, e.g. Joy Division, I haven't listened to a lot, but I know I'll enjoy it more with more listens.
Similarly, if it's a 'mainstream' artist, I might like it on first listen, but I can anticipate that I'll like it less over time, and so I don't classify it as a favourite.

A favourite, by definition, is something we prefer above others. Simple.
As for the different 'tiers' of greatness - it's just a matter of a collection of many people's opinions/favourites. You could argue then, that there is a huge support for Justin Beiber amongst teenage girls, and so that would make it 'great'. Maybe, but only if you're a teenage girl. 'Greatness' is just dependent on whose opinions you pay attention to. On this site, we pay attention to the opinions of those either looking for great albums or wanting to list their favourite albums. Either way, the members of this site will (generally) have a more open mind towards listening to new music, and thus an increasingly-more developed taste in music than the average person. These are the favourites/opinions I would like to pay attention to.

[videoheadcleaner]

Connection.

That is the main thing that helps to determine a favourite. Right at this moment, I am listening to a band called Brainstorm from Latvia. Their album Four Shores is becoming a favourite of mine. It is not a masterpiece. It is not an obscure artwork that takes time to listen to. It musically is not life-changing or innovative. I jsut find a connection to the songs. It is possible with my Latvian background that I have a piece of me that "wants" to like it. Maybe it is a pop mentality that I like in music from time to time (eg Bowie's Tonight and Cure's Wild Mood Swings)

I think that conditioning yourself to an album can make it a favourite because that connection of familiarity has been made. I had Unknown Pleasures sitting in my collection for a long time and would occasionally listen to a few tracks here and there. It was only until I listened as a whole that I appreicated it and it would be considered a favourite.

For every individual, a favourite album is a great album. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a favourite. Just because others see your taste in music as different, immature, stupid, too weird, eclectic or just strange, it shouldn't diminish what you see as a favourite.

[albummaster]

yes, it's more than just the music that makes something a favourite. For me, I've been living in Spain about ten years now, and have gotten to love flamenco fusion. I think if anyone heard some of this stuff for the first time, they might not 'get' it. But the longer you are in an environment, the more it creeps under your skin. Whenever I hear this kind of music now, my mind wanders to long Andalucian summer nights, with the smell of dama de noche in the air, clapping out the rhythms and oléing the rasgueados. I don't think it would mean much to anyone reading this, but as harkan says, it's a lot to do with a personal connection with the music.

I listen to a lot of albums these days by flamenco guitarists (I particularly love Paco de Lucía and Vicente Amigo who I've both seen in concert, and they are amazing live as well). I think my taste has become a lot more eclectic over the years, and I really don't favour any one genre now, and try and look past the 'coolness' factor of having to conform to other people's tastes. In fact, I think it's fairly cool to not be bothered (that much!) what other people think

[Necharsian]

[Xavygravy]