What's important to you in songs?

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What do you focus more on, the melody or the lyrics?

Personally I care about both, but I do pay more attention to the lyrics of a song and their meaning than the actual music part. To me, lyrics can tell a story, but the melody can't, though certain melodies can make me think of one story in particular if I've heard that melody in the right kind of situation and know there's a song for it and know how it goes.

Don't care about the lyrics.

Melody and rhythm are generally more important to me. For some of the songs I like, I don't even know what the lyrics are until I look them up. Some are also partially or entirely sung in another language.

In order:
Sitar
George Harrison's voice
Melody
Meaning or lyrics
Emotional truth (whether angry, sad, etc).

Listening to music is often something I do to help me de-stress, and that usually means giving the "people" part of my brain a break, especially from trying to fathom out the hidden meanings behind their words. So, it's mostly about the music for me, and I don't listen to much where the music seems to be mostly just a backing for someone to sing over (who usually gets turned up way too loud in the mix for my taste). I wouldn't even say that I listen out for melodies particularly, but that's partly my bias as a bass player and drummer getting the better of me, I think!

There are a few lyricists who I do admire, a few songs that I could grunt along to, and I even used to write and perform some of my own years ago; but even as a teenager, I was mostly into instrumental music. However, I do love the sound of a good voice, so I'll sometimes listen without paying the meaning any attention, and I do rather like music in languages that I don't understand (either foreign or invented).

For me melody and chord progression are hugely important for me while listening to music. So much so, that I do not listen to music when it only has a good rhythm or is sung by someone with a beautiful voice. I actually opened up a topic a few days ago to try and find out if I'm the only one with this approach to music:

viewtopic.php?t=381354

No reactions yet, so maybe I'm unique in this. Or maybe it's because it's hard for me to exactly explain what I'm looking for in music.

I've sort of stood back and watched the battle of opinions between music is a solid thing vs. music and taste are subjective. I'm increasingly of the view that the best way to look at music is that each piece, each song, or each album (if it hangs together well) is a prism or set of related prisms. They're prisms for emotional content, idea content, and they bring various things together in relationship to one another based on the architecture of the music.

The stuff that really gives me chills or brings tears to my eyes is stuff that really dials in on zones that seem to highlight truths that can't quite be put into words or that make profoundly beautiful connections between certain ideas that I hadn't thought of before. There are also the times where a certain band, solo guy or girl, or rapper is 'killing you softly' in that they're singing something profound that you've been through in better words and to better music than your resources could have lead to.

When I say it's a prism though - what I mean is it has a clear definition and shape, and the corners, the sides, the edges, pull certain kinds of content in. I think that's where people have very different tastes in music - sure, part of it is culture and nostalgia but I'm increasingly thinking that sheer wiring and the kind of feelings that a particular musical prism is pulling in is either there to be organized in wonderful ways or, for the lack of that, the song or track either does nothing for you or even actively switches you off.

Usually the lyrics.

I often dislike it when songs feature unclear slurred words, especially if it's coupled with a boring beat. Sometimes I get fixated on certain lyrics, they may even inspire an art project if the quote touches upon a topic I'm interested in. I like lyrics that conjure up interesting visuals in my mind, particularly if the song has a nice rhythmic structure.

Now, for certain bands such as OK Go, Rare Americans and The Correspondents my focus is on the music videos. OK Go has a reputation for rather extravagant and highly choreographed visuals. Songs by the band Rare Americans tend to have animations to go along with them, I particularly enjoy the animation for Brittle Bones Nicky. The Correspondents take an eccentric approach, combining new and old sounds with a retro aesthetic such as with their song Fear And Delight; the music video features visuals modelled/based on a zoetrope.

If I'm working on something, then I'll probably put on either instrumental or songs with fairly simple lyrics. Perhaps even a video game soundtrack, such as music from The Sims franchise. I'm also a fan of musical soundtracks, but I find it too tempting to sing along to those and not get any work done, so I avoid those when I'm working.

Sometimes I want to lose myself in the lyrics of a story/narrative based song, but I also enjoy songs with rather basic lyrics and a good beat. Depends on my mood and the setting.

Same! If there's a lyrics I get distracted easily. For studying, old stuff like "The Planets" or "Morning Mood" are the best in my opinion. The later does sometimes make me think of morning scenes in disney movies, but still.

Positive or intriguing lyrics, I hate it when singers trample on their ex's and make a power show.

But those can be positive too, at least for those who have been mistreated by their exes and want to get over them and the things they've done.

OK, I'll try and separate the two statements, please bear in mind that I'm stating a personal preference.

I find positive and intriguing lyrics in a song uplifting.

When music is used as a weapon against a faceless stranger, I tend to side with the stranger.

When Bob Dylan does it I have my reservations, when new artists break onto the scene with a breakup anthem it gets

my back up.

(this sounds a bit nuts doesn't it? I process lyrics in shops etc, involuntarily. Sometimes it gets me down)

So you're somehow trying to see the other side of things in the song, especially when you don't like the artist? : D

No I just react badly to music like that and lots of hip hop lyrics too. Music is a real distraction, if it's playing I can't concentrate properly. Sometimes I listen to very simplistic reggae to heal, not because I'm awestruck by the lyrics but because it's all peace and love.

Wonder what reggae you are listening to, most of it is about far more than peace and love.

Old school, roots reggae, the stuff that talks about unity and trust in Jah etc...
It's simplistic but there's nothing in it that upsets me.