Music is a very important aspect of my life. It is a constant companion, providing a soundtrack for everything I do. It has this incredible quality of versatility, you can use it to get your head in the zone when you need to study, and it can help you unwind from a stressful day of work (or procrastination, as is usually the case for me). Music is tied deeply to my memories of life itself, as I’m sure it is for many people. Certain songs bring me back to another country, another place. Music is capable of causing feelings of happiness and warmth, melancholy and nostalgia. It’s like a drug, and a powerful one at that.
If you’ve been nice enough to read any of my previous posts, you’ll know that another aspect of my life is my seeming inability to come to terms with the ageing process. Rather than stay in a state of perpetual denial, I thought I would once again turn to music and see if I could use it to figure some things out. As a result, I have formulated a plan.
In a potentially futile effort to try and understand and relate to the youth of today, I’m going to take a look at some of my all-time favourite songs. The greatest hits of my existence, you could call them.
And I’m going to compare them to some of the most popular songs of the last year.
This exercise is mostly to see if I’m still in touch with popular culture or if it’s completely passing me by at an alarming rate. It will also serve as a test of my music snobbery, which is admittedly quite bad. Pop music can’t all be shite, can it?
The system I’ve settled on is as follows: Whatever song I have chosen to look at, based on the date it was first released, I will compare it to the number 1 song on that date in 2020. So, if I’m looking at a song from the 20th of October 1990, I’ll have to compare it to the number 1 song from the 20th of October 2020. A simple yet effective system, if I do say so myself.
I thought I’d kick things off by taking a look at what I believe is the finest moment by the most influential group of all time, The Beatles (any music hipsters reading this who want to offer an alternative choice for most the influential group of all time can kindly, and I mean no offence, fuck off). Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), originally released on the 3rd of December 1965, is a Lennon-McCartney written masterpiece. It is a beautiful song, telling a vague and obscured account of a tryst that John Lennon had. The lyrics at times are non-sensical and opaque, leaving the true meaning open to interpretation, something I always appreciate.
"And when I awoke, I was alone, this bird had flown. So, I lit a fire, isn’t it good, Norwegian Wood?”
Sounds good to me anyway. George Harrison’s genius decision to include a sitar, a popular Indian instrument, in the recording adds a further mystical layer to the song, making it feel like a fable told around a fire. It is close to perfection, and I can listen to it on repeat (which is good because the song is short and sweet, coming in at barely over 2 minutes long) without ever feeling the need to change the track.
So, going head-to-head with Norwegian Wood, the number one single on the 3rd of December 2020, Positions by Ariana Grande.
Here we go.
Shockingly, I am not particularly familiar with the musical stylings of Ariana Grande, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this. Actually, that’s not strictly true. I was expecting pure bubble-gum pop horror shite of the highest order. The sort of music I imagine is churned out in some dystopian X-Factor type factory, soulless and solely commercial.
Middle of the road mediocrity.
I apologise dearly to any Ariana Grande fans reading this, I tried my best to put my music snobbery aside and to appreciate this song for what it is. But I can’t do it. I fucking hate this song. It’s so vacuous and over-produced. All I can hear when I listen to it is a group of music executives huddled around a table in a dark room trying to come up with something that will shift a million units. This doesn’t mean the song is wholly awful, I do think it has some redeeming features. It is semi-catchy. Funnily enough, I think this song and Norwegian Wood share some elements in common. The plucked guitar that forms the melody reminds me of the sitar on The Beatles track, while the lyrics share themes of sex and love, although Grande forgoes much of the subtleness.
“Boy I’m tryna meet your mama on a Sunday, then make a lotta love on a Monday”
And the subtleness is where the magic lies.
Am I sitting here and comparing Ariana Grande and The Beatles?
What the fuck is going on?
Next up, I thought I’d look at a track from my favourite band, Nirvana. The track in question is Aneurysm, originally released on the 10th of September 1991 as a b-side to Smells Like Teen Spirit from their world-conquering second album, Nevermind. For some reason, Nirvana didn’t think the song was worthy of inclusion on the album, which is bizarre because it is the band at their very, very best. Written before Kurt Cobain became jaded by the pressures of fame and success, the song features playful takes on usual pop cliches and the most effective use of the band’s signature soft-loud dynamic, which they picked up from The Pixies.
“Come on over and do the twist, over-do it and have a fit, love you so much it makes me sick, come on over and shoot the shit”
The song builds for three and a half minutes, bouncing between snarled verses and catchy choruses before Cobain erupts into a scream and launches into the fist-pumping, anthemic conclusion.
“She keeps it pumping straight to my heart”
Aneurysm encapsulates what Nirvana did better and what Cobain understood better than anyone else. Simple chords, catchy choruses and pop hooks and melodies transformed into something else. After listening to this song, it’s easy to see why Nirvana became such a cultural phenomenon.
Bringing me to the number one song on the 10th of September 2020. WAP, by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion. I know what you’re thinking right now, that I’m about to tear this song apart.
Incorrect.
This song is undeniably catchy, and when you hear it, it’s going to be in your head, stuck firmly on repeat for the rest of the day. The way the two rappers exchange bars is fluid and slick, sounding like a duo that has been recording together for years. It is full of energy and personality, as well as rather vivid imagery that would make most people blush.
“Certified freak, seven days a week” (These were the only lyrics I felt comfortable reproducing without this blog being banned for violating some site rules about explicit content, if you’re curious, go and look them up)
Like Nirvana and Nevermind, WAP also created a cultural phenomenon. It sparked widespread discussion over the portrayal of feminism in music, women’s role in rap music, and the power women had to express their sexuality. It is an empowering anthem about independence and positivity, about doing what you want despite what other people may think. It’s also a song I think Kurt Cobain would have enjoyed. He was a lifelong advocate for women’s rights and many of his lyrics feature strong feminist themes. It seems quite appropriate that I’ve ended up comparing these two songs. They are from disparate genres, but both are enduring anthems.
Finally, I looked at Where’d All the Time Go? by the American band Dr Dog. Originally released on their sixth album, Shame, Shame, on the 6th of April 2010, this song is a psychedelic and heartfelt mix of nostalgia, longing, melancholy and regret, and it holds a special place in my heart. The upbeat, almost whimsical sounding melody betrays the nature of the lyrics, which are about the passing of time, death, love and mistakes.
“Where’d all the time go? It’s starting to fly, see how the hands go, waving goodbye”
It has echoes of 1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins, and shades of Neutral Milk Hotel. It never fails to elicit an emotional response whenever I hear it, sometimes sadness and sometimes a sense of happiness and optimism, and therein lies the beauty of this song. It’s one song I wish more people had heard, so I recommend you go and listen to it immediately. Well, after you’ve finished reading this blog post, of course (or put it on now if you’re capable of reading and listening to music at the same time).
On the 6th of April 2020, the number one song was Roses by Saint Jhn. I have never heard of Saint Jhn, so this one made me feel particularly out of touch. Upon further research, it appears that this song made it to number one because it started appearing in popular TikTok videos.
Fucking hell.
It’s like this song was created to push me ever closer to irrelevancy. It took me an embarrassingly long time to even figure out what TikTok was or how it works, and now songs are topping the charts because of it. It might be time for me to call it quits and go live in a cave somewhere.
Anyway, back to the song, I feel I can sum it up with a couple of words.
Utter shite.
I’m not quite sure what I thought the outcome of this experiment would be, maybe that I would broaden my musical horizons somewhat? Maybe that I would learn to appreciate music, even if I am not a fan of the genre or the artist? That I would be able to put my music snobbery aside and experience something new without cynicism?
None of this came to fruition.
Instead, I found out what I’ve known all along. What I’ve always known.
The music I like is good, and the music I don’t like is shite.
Deal with it.