WHY IS BAD AND UGLY BETTER THAN GOOD IN MUSIC?

I’ve often talked about things I don’t believe in, like “stop and quick chats” in the street, elevator conversation, tight jeans, cats, and other important issues… Musically I think that lists and “TOP thingies” are absolutely pointless and intrinsically wrong. I also believe that people who say that a musician/singer has to suffer or feel the blues in order to be a true artist are full of shit and should be talked to in elevators and be forced to wear tight jeans. Another load of bollocks is that only deep, sad or depressing songs are truly great classics… The absurd notion that only the Bob Dylan’s, Lou Reeds, Tom Waits, Nick Caves and Nirvanas of this world can truly claim to have written sublime meaningful classics… Don’t get me wrong, I love those guys and think that deep, sad and meaningful songs are essential to music, but it really gets on my tits when people criticise musicians or singers based on the fact that the music is not played on a minor key to incite suicide.

You know what I mean… this whole aura of “heroin addicts with scruffy hair, who die young and live dangerously” (i.e. Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jannis Joplin, Pete Doherty, Amy Winehouse, etc.) seem to have this “legend” status were their songs are considered better just because they couldn’t or can’t sort their lives out. Everyone thinks Paul McCartney is a prick and John Lennon is a demi-good, nearly as veered upon as Steve Jobs (god himself), and Paul might be a bit of a twat, but he’s as much a musical genius as poor old John.

Music is music and songs are songs, and we should enjoy and analyse them for that, but music is also a social status and a statement of our personality so nobody wants to sing “How Sweet it is to be loved by you” (even if it’s a fucking great song) and would rather beg for people to “Rape me”.

I love happy tunes, uplifting melodies and songs about how great the world is. There I said it. Anyone who doesn’t should spend some time in Brazil. One of the richest musical cultures in the world is all about the celebration of life through music. All its musical genres (samba, bossa nova, etc.) are about happy people singing about how wonderful life is even if it isn’t for most Brazilians. Tom Jobim’s music, songs and lyrics are as good as it gets.

So because I like contradicting myself, I’m going to make a list of “the top 50 dance hits of all time” to celebrate happy music. Lalalalalalalalalaa