What Makes A Great Song? Tempo? Rhythm? Beat? Lyrics? Dynamics? Genre? Instruments? Voice? Artist?

Long Live Rock and Roll Long Live Rock and Roll -Daughtry- Well I was born The year that disco died And U2 was in high school Thank the Lord that they survived Got my first taste, on a Seger 45 And since that Kiss I rocked out All day and partied every night We still argue about who's better Elton John or Billy Joel We still wonder if Kurt really Wrote the song she sang in Hole No we'll never stop believing That's the Journey of our lives So won't you help me Pour Some Sugar On these memories tonight? Sing it Long live rock Long live roll Long live big guitars and music for the soul Sing it Don't give up, don't grow old Long live crazy nights and records made of gold Long live rock and roll Summer of '96, I got my first guitar I played it till my fingers said "You're gonna be a star" Grunge was everything, at least it was to me A Marshall in my Chevy Sprint Just running down a dream We still argue about who's better Motley Crew or G&R We still can't believe Van Halen Turned into Van Hagar Now the record shops are gone for good And no one seems to care But me and you and all our friends Keep Living On That Prayer Sing it Long live rock Long live roll Long live big guitars and music for the soul Sing it Don't give up, don't grow old Long live crazy nights and records made of gold Long live rock and roll Went to bed in Cleveland Woke up in Tenessee No matter where I'll roll tonight I'm chasing history We still argue about who's better The Beatles or The Stones They're forever 27 Jimmy, Janis, Brian Jones And we stand here in their memory 'Cause their songs, they still survive So throw your lighters up And, darling, sing with me tonight Come on Long live rock Long live roll Long live big guitars and music for the soul Sing it Don't give up, don't grow old Long live crazy nights and records made of gold Long live rock and roll

Beat Strong, clear beat that I can tap my toes to

Dynamics Contrast between soft and loud Build to the chorus Well I was born The year that disco died And U2 was in high school Thank the Lord that they survived Got my first taste, on a Seger 45 And since that Kiss I rocked out All day and partied every night We still argue about who's better Elton John or Billy Joel We still wonder if Kurt really Wrote the song she sang in Hole No we'll never stop believing That's the Journey of our lives So won't you help me Pour Some Sugar On these memories tonight? Sing it Long live rock Long live roll Long live big guitars and music for the soul Sing it Don't give up, don't grow old Long live crazy nights and records made of gold Long live rock and roll

Genre Pop Rock Country Folk R&B Jazz Alternative Blues Some Rap and Hip Hop NO HEAVY METAL!!!

Instruments Acoustic guitar (no riffs!) Piano Percussion to keep the beat (maybe a shaker or cowbell ) Fiddle or violin

Lyrics Lyrics I can identify with –Doesn’t have to have a moral or lesson, just has to be something I can connect to –Can have a message or just be silly Nothing crude or gross Aligns with my personal beliefs –Ex. Can’t Choose (JRDN ft. Cardinal Offishall) or Gorilla (Bruno Mars)

For example… “born the year that disco died” (around the time I was born) References the names of a lot of bands/musicians I listened to while growing up (U2, Beatles, Journey, Elton John, Billy Joel, Guns and Roses, Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin) References songs I recognize –“pour some sugar” –“never stop believing” Makes reference to some changes in the music industry (“record shops are gone for good…”)

Vocals Singer must be able to carry a tune –Ex. The Taylor Swift vs. Miley Cyrus dilemma His/Her voice doesn’t need to be traditionally good, it might have a cool tone or interesting sound (ex. Shakira) –Chris Daughtry’s voice is rough/gritty. It’s interesting.

My criteria for a great song… Dynamics-contrast of loud and soft Genre-likely pop or rock Instruments-piano and guitar Vocals-good or interesting

My challenge to you… Think of a song you heard on the radio, a music app, or your friend’s iPod. You know, the one you just had to know the name of and artist so you could download it for yourself. Think of the song you have on repeat on your iPod. You know, the one you listen to a million times and know every beat and lyric to. Or

Now-figure out… What makes that song so interesting to you? Is it the beat? Genre? Artist? Rhythm? Choose your criteria for deciding what makes a great song and, using one of your favourites, evaluate that song based on your criteria.

Happy Listening!