Music isn't just 'melody'. You'd have to do a lot of generalizing to narrow it down to just a melody. Brilliant music is made without focus on 'melodies', that doesn't mean it isn't worth somebody's time.

^^Exactly. Music is the organization of sounds. That organization doesn't have to be harmonious. Otherwise rhythm and improvisation wouldn't be considered music and that is a great part of it through the entire 20th century.

A song could have the most brilliant lyrics or awesome rhythm/beat, but if it doesn't have a good melody, I don't consider it to be good music. When you're singing along to a song, it's the core melody you're singing along to. If you play an instrument that doesn't allow you to harmonize and you play a song all by yourself, it'll be the core melody you're playing. That to me is the heart and soul of the song.

Music in its original, primitive and essential form is melody.

You can harp on me all you want, it doesn't take away the fact that a song with a bad/boring/bland melody doesn't appeal to me. It's not something I've decided, that's just what I feel when I listen to music.

Maybe I'm using the wrong word/term here. English isn't my native language. When I say melody I mean the tune of the whole song in general. The actual 'music' if you'd strip away all lyrics, harmonizations, instrumentations and arrangements. What you'd sing if you performed a capella.

i cant believe the amount of member who listen to solid albums. i find it reeeallly boring. i need to break everything up :D

I don't find it boring, I just enjoy playlists with lots of different songs and artists (played at random) more. I think that comes from all the mixtapes I used to make back in the day.

I can't believe the amount of members that DON'T listen to full albums, truthfully. Based on the threads I'm usually participating in, anyway.

Well, you did basically say 'melody is music'. Melody by definition is the succession of single tones in musical compositions, as distinguished from harmony and rhythm. Music isn't just a melody, it's often various melodies with harmonies/rhythms/atmospheric presences. And if you generalize that far, it's just a fraction of what music really is.

And if a song didn't have a melody, would you just not consider it music? I'm not trying to harp on you; Just trying to understand.

Well like I said, I might have been using the wrong term. Melody to me is the core tune of a song, from start to finish. What's left when everything else is stripped away.

I'm not saying the actual tune is the be all and end all of music, but what I am saying is that it's the most important thing in a song for me and what I judge it by. When you sing along to a song, you don't sing along to the atmospheric presences or rhythms. And I consider harmonies (and chord progressions) to be part of the melody too because they help carry it.

You're going to have to give an example of a song with no melody because I can't even fathom what that kind of music would be like.

IT depends on my mood. Sometimes I'll listen to one random song and sometimes I'll listent o the whole album first. But sometimes I'll also skip a song while listening to the album.

Sorry to break in your conversation. I hope you don't mind. I want to address the bold part. When you strip a piece of music (I'm not talking just about song form, but any form) from everything else, as you said, you are actually left with abstract tones, not melody, because all the connections between those tones are gone with harmony, rhythm, and most importantly composition (a meaningful succession and arrangement of tones).

Now, the question is - can those abstract, random tones be considered music? I believe - yes. Because, if you can make the connections between tones in your mind, than it is music. Besides, music doesn't even exist without its listener.

I think I'm being misunderstood.

What I mean with the melody when everything else is stripped away is not abstract random tones.

Say you're playing an instrument that doesn't allow you to harmonize but forces you to only play singular notes in a progression, say like a flute. Say somebody asks you to play "Sweet Child O' Mine" (just to give a random example). You might start playing the melody of the intro, then you go on playing the melody of the verse (what Axl sings) and later move on to play the melody of the chorus. THAT's the basic core melody I'm talking about. I don't know how to make it more clearer than that.

If I sit around a campfire and want to sing a song a capella, I'm not going to be singing background ambience, guitar arrangements or drum rhythm. I'll be singing the song in its basic form. The melody. And I want that basic form to be good.

I think it really depends on the album (as alot of others have said). Since I have Devin Townsend on my mind right now, I'll use his stuff as an example.
With the album Biomech, it is almost a necessity to listen to the full album because listening to individual tracks or shuffled tracks gives you the impression of simplicity and takes alot away from the album.
Now if you were gonna listen to the album Addicted, I feel the songs bear such a loose connection that you could easily listen to the tracks in any order and feel the same amount of satisfaction.

I usually listen to the full album. It feels strange when the wrong song comes on next. When I'm trying to think of a song that's slipping my mind, if I can remember how the song before it ends, I can usually remember it from there.

I do a little bit of both. I have albums, cassettes and cds in my collection there for years where some I listen to in entirety and others I pick the needle up, FF or skip to the next song.

I usually try to give neglected songs a listen though over time to see if my opinion of it has changed or if I still hate it. Sometimes I soften to songs I used to think sucked but usually my opinion remains the same.

most of the time full albums

Please, don't be so rude to the OP for asking a simple question. People DO have different approaches to their listening sessions....

For me, it depends on my mood. When I'm listening to a new artist, I generally try and listen to the album from start to finish. Same case with albums I really love...I also 'shuffle' when I'm in the mood for it, especially with random pop tunes I like.

I wasn't being rude I only asked him if it was a stupid question.

I don't know about you, but that's rude in my books.

Off topic, but yay! 15 posts!

I agree. I don't see how it's rude.

Posing it as a question doesn't change its nature. 'Isn't that a stupid question?' means the same as 'that's a stupid question' in terms of intended meaning, and that is something the majority of people would consider rude. I'm surpirsed you think otherwise! Anyway, I'm done on the subject, I'm not dragging this thread off topic any further.

It's like saying "don't be a bitch" and then claiming you're not actually calling the person a bitch. :p:

Not that I care about this little argument in any way, just sayin'.

Well, it really depends upon the mood I'm in and also the album in question.

http://itsnaturaltobeafraid.files.wo...dtroducing.jpg
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing...

http://www.maulee.cl/wp-content/uplo...en-300x296.jpg
Iron Maiden - S/T

http://persimusic.files.wordpress.co...st-was-won.jpg
Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won

The only albums I've listened to entirely in one sitting.

double disc ftw

Off topic: your avatar annoys me

On topic: I shuffle most of the time, however once I decide an artist I feel like abusing I then focus on albums.

You don't like my avatar? I think I'm gonna shed a tear. :(

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_K-W3DdZpZM...3624394694.jpg

Come on, it's representing rape of little girls:

http://edmol-life.sakura.ne.jp/trans...-Beroringa.jpg