On this site you can find me putting songs by Ke$ha and Katy Perry on my Top 20 lists, but on sites such as Vote for the Worst, you'll find me making fun of them. Why is that?
Pop music sucks. You know it, I know it, even pop-stars know it (they just won't tell you). It sucks, but it sucks in the respect that the lyrics are less desirable than drinking a cup of warm cat-pee. Take, for example, an excerpt from the brilliant song (keep in mind italics can mean sarcasm) by the Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling."
Tonight's the night (hey)
Let's live it up (let's live it up)
I got my money (my pay)
Let's spend it up (let's spend it up)
Go out smashin' (smashin')
Like, 'Oh my gawd' (like, 'Oh my gawd')
Jump off that sofa (come one)
Let's get, get off
Fill up my cup (drank)
Maveltov! (Le Heim)
Look at her dancing (move it, move it)
Just take it off
Let's paint the town (paint the town)
We'll shut it down (shut it down)
Let's burn the roof (Wooh!)
And then we'll do it again
That was painful to type. Anyway, you can see what I mean when I say lyrics to pop songs tend to be on the awful side (Seriously, maveltov?!?). These lyrics are not deep, they're not good, they don't even make sense half the time. Yet "I Gotta Feeling" is the 4th most bought song of last decade, and it was released in 2009. That's right: this song, released with only a few months left in 2009, by midnight of December 31, 2009, managed to outsell all but 3 songs, some of which had almost 10 whole years to earn sales.
So why does this garbage sell so well? Rhythyms, melodies, and beats. Producers or artists know that the general public doesn't care one bit about the lyrics (save Tipper Gore and a few others)- the public is looking for a song that they can either 1) sing along to 2) dance to or 3) dance and sing to. If people really cared about lyrics, "I Gotta Feeling" wouldn't have been so successful. Producers, songwriters, and artists cash-in on this, and instead of wasting energy on song-writing, try to find a good melody and beat that people will dance to. Don't believe me? Listen to your local pop station (KISS FM should work). Listen to ten songs in a row (some of those ten might be the same one!). Out of those then, count how many songs you wouldn't be surprised to hear in a nightclub. I will be shocked if your answer is below 6. Now, listen againg, but try to find just one song in which the lyrics are deep and meaningful. No, not right now. It'll take too long.
Look, anyone who thinks "Tik Tok" is a deep and meaningful song is a moron. Why? Because it's not! In reality, it's just a shallow, poorly-written, fun, catchy, trendy song, and should be treated as such. If I'm going to listen to music for it's deep and meaningful lyrics I might as well not listen to music at all. Honestly, a song could just be random shouting for 3 1/2 minutes but if its got a good beat I'll listen to it.
Besides, when did I ever say "Top 20 Songs" meant "20 Best Songs Ever Written"?
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