Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Why does one person say a song is great and another says it stinks? In the Art vs Commerce post, we looked at two versions of the song 32 Flavors and how the Boston Songwriters Workshop (BSW) members reacted to it. (Click here and here to listen to the two versions of the song.) Finally, we asked, “How do you go about measuring a song’s success?” Read more to learn the answer.
In the U.S., success often gets measured in numbers. If a lot of records or downloads get sold, we call it a popular success. Or, if it pleases the reviewers, we call it a critical success. If you want to be a pro songwriter, you can’t have much better goals than that.
Nevertheless, we often see them as the only goals. We forget that there can also be other valid purposes for a song. How you measure success depends on what you want to do with a specific piece of music.
This article uses technical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
Measuring a Song’s Success: What Do You Want to Do with Your Song?
An interview with Harriet Schock in the Lyrical Line Newsletter talked about how she views her songs.
. . .she pointed out that it is relatively easy to dazzle people with a clever line, when the song has little substance…
She has a new song that fits this paradigm perfectly. The first line is, ‘Starbucks Starbucks burning bright, first Starbucks I see tonight.’ The song is clever and popular, she told me, but it gives her less satisfaction than her other songs that speak more to our emotions.” (Issue #18)
Click here to hear the song:
A songwriter needs to decide what he wants to do with a song – who the ultimate audience will be. For example, if he writes a song for fun, he may just play it for family and friends or at the local coffee house. In some cases, that may be enough.
Conversely, he may have the goal of having a national career. Suddenly, his songs will be measured by different standards. Standards that will influence how he and others see his music in terms of success.
Many music markets exist, having a wide range of styles. Therefore, how you craft a song can vary widely. The critiques of 32 Flavors reflects this.
Each BSW member measured the song’s success in terms of his own internal vision of what success means. Some saw success in terms of being a pro songwriter. Others saw success in terms of personal expression and creativity. (Though they don’t have to be mutually exclusive.)
Knowing the Music’s Genre when Measuring a Song’s Success
In addition, it can be difficult to measure a song’s success unless you know something about the genre. Obviously, you know whether you like a song or not. This can be a valid reaction if not the best way to judge an artistic work.
For example, I’ve never really been a fan of rap. However, I gained much more respect for Heavy D when he described his music as a collage of musical samples. He said that he spent a substantial amount of time picking pieces of music to juxtapose.
Now, I could say that rap stinks because I don’t like it. However, it could just be that I don’t know the goals of the genera and the artists who work in it.
Concluding Thoughts on Measuring a Song’s Success
What about 32 Flavors? When measuring the song’s success, each version has some good points and some bad points. They designed each version for different markets – markets containing people with different wants and needs.
Some people want to be challenged, while others just want to be entertained. Each version serves its purpose, either by giving insight into the human condition or by giving a brief distraction from the cares of life. At its best, art will do both.
© 2022 Geoffrey Keith
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Glossary
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