What defines 'real music'

[Yeargdribble]

The only time I judge someone for their choice in music is when I know that it has nothing to do with how much they actually like it, but rather that the music they listen to is part of the image they want to reflect.

Like what you like, but like it because you like it... not because it's cool to do so.

Whatever the OP listens to is more "real music" than the packaged and labeled brand crap that other people are calling "real music" for the sake of being cool.

It's "real" because it's popular. The more popular it gets the more manufactured it becomes.

[Hambone]

<s>I would say that REAL music belongs to Ms. Spears, amirite?</s>

I believe that there is no such thing as real music. If "real" music existed, wouldn't there need to exist a "fake" music? Regardless, it's subjective.

I've been a musician for almost six years now (and might I add, there is nothing I find more rewarding). When I first started out, I became heavily immersed in the world of Baroque, Classical, and Romantic music, and was quick to deride anything that I wasn't used to hearing or playing (SPOILER)(even Early Modern music, quite ironically, because I just got a One [which is the highest score one can achieve] at a state Solo & Ensemble competition and I was playing an Early Modern piece), I was quick to insult the metal that my brother plays and listens to, and in effect I severely limited myself to the diversity that exists within all of music. Within this time I've grown and, while there is music that I certainly don't see what people find so alluring in it, I don't patronize it. Instead I've learned to let people like what they like, their "real" music.

[Fynn]

My twelve years of musical education, as well as that of my girlfriend (who is studying musicology at the moment) tell me that the definition of "music" differs greatly between various cultures. Heck, some peoples don't even have a word for it! But on topic, it's true that there's music and there's music. I have also been criticised for listening moslty to vgm soundtracks, but it came from my girlfriend. I understand where she's coming from - she's basically against popular music as a whole, since she finds value only in artistic music. While videogame music is miles better than the pop stuff most people consider "real" music, it still cannot be classified as "high" music. It's good if it's not the only thing you listen to. I took her advice and listened to some 20th century Polish artistic music. Some dodecaphonic and aleatoric pieces are still a bit hard to swallow (though some sound awesome), there are many beautiful pieces (I advise you guys to look for Henryk Górecki's symphony of sorrowful songs, or whatever it's called in English).

I see that the main difference between contemporary artistic and popular music (which is the only distinction that I consider close to the "real" and "fake" stuff) is that the latter is meant to sound nice and be catchy, the former usually aims at something more, something higher. Consequently, it often requires some background reading...

[Mirage]

Your friends are a bunch of hipster faggots. Ditch them.

[Markus. D]

Music is a huge multitude of things.

Music is anything and everything that has been composed and merged, Akira Yamaoka has proved that.

[sir helix]

REAL music is anything that is not modern rap ( oh im sorry hipity hopity) or modern country (of i appologise again, it called i have to sing like everybody else so the listoners cant tewll the difference).

And would someone please put those god forsakken micky mouse abortions out of our misery befor they can cause my children any more damage then what they already have. (refering to cyrus, johnas brothers,etc, etc) that go through disney and dont make a clean enough break.

hell, justin temberlake and britney spears did it, justin now is extremly popular, and britney is wel.....................lets just leave it at that.

GO t.A.T.u, Rammstein, nightwish, MCR, and all you acid rockers who think your fruit (that wasnt a gay joke, there was realy a guy who dropped acid, though he was an orange and wouldnt let anyone touch cus he ws afraid his juice would run out........)

[Iceglow]

Generally speaking game soundtracks are still music however the question comes down to not what is real music but what is good music. In your friends opinion you just have crap taste is what they mean by saying you don't listen to real music.

[Mo-Nercy]

Whatever the OP listens to is more "real music" than the packaged and labeled brand crap that other people are calling "real music" for the sake of being cool.

Agreed. I've had people criticise my taste of "car music". I don't know what it is about people having to make sure whatever comes out of their car speakers is 'cool', but it's ridiculous. I don't give a smurf if others can hear that I prefer to listen to slow songs and Asian songs.

[Rad Bromance]

If it produces an audible rhythm, it's music.

[KentaRawr!]

REAL music is anything that is not modern rap ( oh im sorry hipity hopity) or modern country (of i appologise again, it called i have to sing like everybody else so the listoners cant tewll the difference).

And would someone please put those god forsakken micky mouse abortions out of our misery befor they can cause my children any more damage then what they already have. (refering to cyrus, johnas brothers,etc, etc) that go through disney and dont make a clean enough break.

hell, justin temberlake and britney spears did it, justin now is extremly popular, and britney is wel.....................lets just leave it at that.

GO t.A.T.u, Rammstein, nightwish, MCR, and all you acid rockers who think your fruit (that wasnt a gay joke, there was realy a guy who dropped acid, though he was an orange and wouldnt let anyone touch cus he ws afraid his juice would run out........)

This is what I was describing when I said a lot of people say that music isn't real because it doesn't fit their style, by the way.

[Mirage]

REAL music is anything that is not modern rap ( oh im sorry hipity hopity) or modern country (of i appologise again, it called i have to sing like everybody else so the listoners cant tewll the difference).

You're no better than all the other musical "elititst". Get outta here.

[SephirothSylverstream]

real music has a story behind what s being sung about such as Buck Tick's song Romance

[Madame Adequate]

real music has a story behind what s being sung about such as Buck Tick's song Romance

So it's not music if there are no lyrics?

[Hythloday]

Honestly, I get a little frustrated when people play vgm or soundtracks when I'm in their car as well.

I wouldn't say it's not music but it's not music you've truly sought out. It's music you've kinda been weened on. Maybe I am an elitist, but when someone is playing music for me I want to hear something that makes me say "Oh, this is cool, who is it?".

I don't want to hear the House theme song (no offense, Massive Attack). Or FMA's opening track (no offense, j-rock fans). Why? Because idk, there's a whole WORLD of underexposed, talented, and figuratively starving (maybe literally?) artists you could be listening to. I mean like, you like what you like, that's great that you have things I know on your iPod from games I've played... but a lot of those songs don't even make sense out of context. One Winged Angel does not get me hyped to go to the grocery store, nor does it truly speak anything about who you are and what your interests are except maybe that you really like FFVII.

Don't get me wrong, I will never tell someone to turn something off or that it isn't music. But yeah, I mean, I will be disappointed. And I find it to be a tragedy because when you find a song that really connects with you, not just one that's grown on you because it's a theme song or part of something you already liked, it's true insight to who you are. I can hear a song I liked 3 years ago and say to myself "that song said where I was at during that point in my life".

Go on MySpace, Last.fm, Pandora, hypem.com, music blogs, your friend's last.fm, go somewhere and just listen to some stuff you've never heard. I mean, really search for hours until you find something that speaks to you, and when you do you'll know what they meant by "music". I really think they meant music in the sense that you know it by something other than movies, shows, or videogames.

[The Man]

Blue Lines, man. I haven't heard another trip-hop album that grabbed me the way that record did.