What do you look for in a song?
 

What are the specific elements that you look for in a song/band/album?
I have my own peronal list of 'rules' that I look for in a song/band/album.

For me I like to have first of all, a fast driving tempo that makes the song feel like it's going somewhere. I'm a big fan of psychedelia but the big problem I find a lot of bands in that genre, just do what Roger Waters describes as 'Pyschedelic' noodling, cannot stand this aimless floating around that bands like Tame Impala do, especially on their latest album where on a lot of songs, they feel like they're going to go somewhere, but they end up pulling out too early and leaving you feeling disappointed. It's a similar disappointment to being with a one night stand who's all talk, but when it comes down to it, they're pretty disappointing. Contrast them with Ty Segall and I feel that all of his creations never disappoint.

I also like novelty, as explained previously, I go for stuff with strong driving rhythms, so you're probably assuming then that I like metal. I am initially attracted to it but then I get bored with metal pretty quickly, as I find so much of it doesn't really sound distinctive or have much novelty value.
Talking of novelty value, I'm a big fan of all things Joe Meek. Telstar is one of my all time favourite songs, purely from how novel it sounds.

I'm also a sucker for anything Blues derived and my rule about finding metal boring can be easily overridden if a particular band has used a couple of Blues riffs in their music.

Lastly and this is the most important rule, the song has to feature lots of guitar, for example I much prefer Radioheads The bends album, compared to later offerings like Amnesiac, becuase of all the big ballsy guitar. Although they're some exceptions to this rule, for example I really like Kraftwerk but that's becuase their songs often fall in line with my second rule of sounding novel and distinctive. Although I do also really like some Synth based stuff, I really like Gary Numan for example.

Well, I listen to a bunch of different music, so I look for different things depending on the genre.

Lately, though, I've been looking for a lot of low tempo stuff. I've found myself being very attracted to songs/pieces that have a haunting type of vibe. I love the sound of a guitar being played in low tempo (acoutic or electric).

all like all kind of songs but it must have good music and meaningful lyrics

It depends. Usually a good melody is up at the top of the list.

If its rock and roll/hard rock/country, I listen to the musicians first and foremost. The lyrics can be stupid if the band is super-hot;

and the singer even off-key, if they have personality or the lyrics are great, like Xcene or Jason from the Scorchers...

I listen to a lot of music from other cultures and I cant understand the lyrics at all because they're in a foreign language. At that point the singer becomes just another instrumentalist, and I like that sort of thing.

Wow, some people make music sound like a chore. As though one was supposed to have a checklist, with boxes to tick or not tick.

I cannot give a meaningful answer to the question. i do not "look for" anything in a song. The song either moves me or it doesn't.

I listen to a lot of progressive rock, which I suppose means I am automatically resistant to the idea that a song must have this, or must have that. Perhaps it's something record company executives sweat over.

Certain kinds of rhythms. I don't know how to be more specific than that.

This.
Songwriter's stuff such as Billy Joel's 'Leningrad', Don Henley and pretty much anything by Springsteen.

It varies on my mood and context.

Generally, I really like music that meshes well while gaming. A lot of rock/metal music tends to feel just right. I'd also like to bring up dubstep hitting the right spot too.

For a lack of a better description, the metal I tend to listen to sounds power metallish (yet doesn't have to be power metal) and arcadish.

Melody, melody, melody (and hooks)!

I have a propensity for ponderous, resonant, and unfamiliar tonalities.

And while I certainly enjoy harmonic variety, I am likewise fully capable of embracing simpler, blues-based structures when they are presented in a more abstract context.

My focus isn’t so much melodic complexity as it is on abstraction. To my ear, most lyrical music comes across as obvious and contrived. I make exceptions for artists who explore stream-of-consciousness lyricism where language takes a back seat to rhythmic structure, and for groups like Cocteau Twins and Sigur Ros who invent their own languages.

Put simply: I seek out the abstract.