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Lyrics or Instrumentals?

In most cases, what do you enjoy more? Insturmentals? Or lyrics?


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  • 17,600
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    • Seen May 9, 2024
    Be it an instrumental composition such as the ones that are in most video games and soundtracks for movies, or be it a song straight from an album from a [pop] artist, everyone has their choice on what the better of the two. There are pros in cons in both ways. Ever since I was a kid I thought that songs with lyrics in it ruined the song completely. Since I was/am involved with music classes, I still believe that to an extent. However, once I became a teenager and started learning the different cultures of music with the internet, I became more intelligent of songs with lyrics. I believe the only song I liked as a kid was Christmas songs with lyrics. Though, I believe that all of those songs combined do not compare to the Trans Siberian Orchestra's talents, I've learned to enjoy songs with lyrics in them over the years and now that's what I usually listen to unless it's a soundtrack from a movie; like Harry Potter soundtracks.

    So, what do you prefer? Do you enjoy songs that have purely instrumentals? Or do you enjoy songs with lyrics in them? Or, for the sake of agreement, both?
     
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  • 87
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    • Seen Dec 17, 2009
    I listen to music solely for the lyrics, personally. If a song has bad lyrics, but is really catchy or has good music in general, chances are I won't listen to it. I'm not into music itself, more songs with lyrics. But in that sense, music is my life. lol So I'm definitely on the side of music with lyrics, because while lyrics aren't much without music, it's the lyrics that make me like or dislike a song, and the music is just an added bonus, if you will.
     

    Gummy

    by fire be P U R G E D
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    I like to listen to songs with lyrics when the words have a deeper meaning and the only reason I'm listening to music is to past time. Sometimes I need music to stimulate my brain when writing and usually use instrumentals for that, with the occasional lyrical song.
     
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    Lyrics don't make a song, in my opinion. 45:33 by LCD Soundsystem is a fantastic composition, with the bare minimum in lyrics, and albums such as Daft Punk's Homework feature many songs with little or no lyrics, and which can be considered some of the best of their genre. Lyrics can break a song, of course, but they don't make one.
     

    Lo-chan

    Seme Dara will get you :o
  • 358
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    Lyrics and instruments.

    With lyrics, I won't listen to the song if I find the lyrics to be just plain stupid. It doesn't attract me very well if the lyrics are bad. Same goes with instruments. A song can annoy me very much if the instruments are obnoxious or stay loud/quiet all the time.

    I'm picky with my music.. D:
     
  • 3,509
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    • Seen Nov 5, 2017
    Both; I listen to drum and bass a fair bit and typically that has no or very few lyrics and as stated by Erebus Daft Punk have either no lyrics or a few words that are repeated throughout the song; and I love Daft Punk. Then there's Phil Collins (as a solo artist and with Genesis) one of my favourite artists who nearly always has plenty of lyrics.
     

    Candace

    Beauty Trainer
  • 137
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    I listen to both. I can't listen to a song I can't stand the lyrics of, so at times like that I chose instrumental over it
     

    Thomas

    HAIL HYDRA!
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    I chose songs with lyrics because lyrics are my thing, if a song has awesome lyrics I don't care what the song is composed like. I love to write lyrics so lyrics are BIG thing to me.
     

    jasonresno

    [fight through it]
  • 1,663
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    Instrumentals have their place on an album but they are never interesting enough for me to be the only thing going on. Yeah, complex and moody music is cool and stuff but nothing embodies the meaning of music and art more than heartfelt lyrics screamed/whispered/spoken/sung through a microphone.
     

    Volkner's Apprentice

    PC Veteran Prize Fighter
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    Both; sometimes it's awesome to just crash on your couch and blast an orchestra from the background of a video game or a popular techno crazy song. It sends me off into daydream land which is always a good place to find oneself when home doing nothing. =]

    Buuuut, there's also nothing better than singing along to lyrics that just flow perfectly. And usually for me that isn't slower-variety songs, I usually stick to intensity and good beats, so if it's alternative, pop, techno, or reggae I'm down with singing.
     
  • 7,741
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    The music that speaks is the music without words, ironically — by provoking one's imagination.
    Shamisen, violin and piano are favourites.
     

    Aurafire

    provider of cake
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    Lyrics can be very important to a song's overall quality, but I think the instrumental elements of songs are much more important. The combination of all the instruments in a song is what makes a song great.

    However, I do think that vocals can be considered an instrument in some instances =P
     

    Renyui!

    ascender
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    Probably instrumental. I never really seem to hear the lyrics when I listen to a song, but I focus on the instruments. Maybe it's 'cause I play a lot of instruments 0.o
     

    HeidiMoose

    [Insert User Title Here]
  • 264
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    As a musician of 15 years, I have a very wide taste in music.
    Growing up I learned to appreciate classical music such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc... And when I was much younger that was the only type of music I listened to.
    When I got a little older, and was able to understand the concept (more or less) of lyrics, I began to listen to more mainstream music.

    When I listen to the song, I'm more concerned about the instrumental part of it than the lyrics part. If a song is good instrumentally, but the lyrics are poop, I still like it. However, if there's a poop instrumental background but good lyrics, I still listen to it anyways. However, I tend to find at least one thing good about the instrumental part of a song.
    Listening to straight-out instrumentals is something that I enjoy too, such as video game music or anime music, or so on.

    As I usually tend to say, I have a wide variety in my music, and I'll listen to anything from Bach to Tupac.
     

    Goðafoss

    Smothered
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    Though instrumental songs aren't bad, I like songs with vocals more. Without vocals I always have the feeling something's missing. xD

    Best instrumental song imo: Trivium - The Crusade.
     

    Dukey

    oh.my.gaskarth.
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    This really depends on the type of song here.
    Vocals would be... horrible to say the least, on a metal/screamo rock song.
    But Alternative [Rock] are usually pretty good with vocals.
    Instrumentals, are great with Rap/Hip-Hop & Again, Alternative [Rock]
    I went both, as it really depends.
     
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