What makes music cheesy?
 

Due to it being mentioned in the "Best Albums of 2017 So Far" thread, I am listening to the Ayreon album The Source right now and it strikes me as a regular cheese-tornado. But what does it really mean, when we say something is cheesy?

People hate Nightwish because they're cheesy.

I hate Dream Theater because they're cheesy.

My new avatar is cheesy.

But what is it really that makes us dismiss something as being cheesy?
It's easy enough to look up a dictionary definition of the word, but I feel like people mean a lot more when they use the term in relation to music.

So what is it really all about?

Is this cheesy (video below), and why is that so?

I'm guessing by cheesy you're meaning pretentious. I would call Meat Loaf cheesy if it wasn't so intentional. As for these guys, I was liking the first track before it went into some Dio riff, only Dio was a lot better.

Then again what do I know? I'm a sixties rockaholic :laughing:

When you try so hard to be awesome that you accomplish nothing but looking like a dork.

In all honesty, cheese is probably in the eye of the beholder. But I would say what makes things appear cheesy is if they have been done before (usually to death) - Oh look! A spoken intro to a power metal album with a dark voice, or a wibbly keyboard solo in a prog song etc - seem lazy, make no attempt at breaking out of the mould, and go for the path of least resistance/most monetary compensation. Maybe.

I personally get the impression that when people call music cheesy, it often has to do with the apparent earnestness of the music/vocals.

Not the only component by any means, but it seems to be part of the equation.

Basically when it should be a self-conscious joke but you take it seriously and the listener is just like, "Lol, that's funny... oh wait, I'm not supposed to laugh... oh ****." Well that's bad cheese I guess. As for cheese in general I suppose it's just when you're dorky.

Get ****ed.

**** you. Dio is a legend. Prepare to die.

cheesy musicians

I'm with elph that Dio is super cheesy too.

Of course Dio is cheesy. He's also fantastic. Cheesy is not a synonym for bad.

Duh.

A lot of prog bands would be considered cheesy by some. Rick Wakeman did something called the Six Wives of Henry VIII. From what I remember that one went over real well with the critics :rolleyes:

I usually feel prog is cheesy as hell, but I don't even know what the word means anymore.

Vibrato is almost always cheesy because it's such a straightforward thing to do that it's been run down by millions of boring artists.

I'll always hate Wpnfire for pointing out that Ron Rinehart from Dark Angel did it constantly in Time Does not Heal. One of my favorite thrash albums but now that I keep thinking about it it really does kind of irritate me cause it seems so cheap. Every single line he does it. **** Wpnfire.

No. Just no. Vibrato is a singing technique that is used in countless genres for all sorts of expressions. It's like saying chords are cheesy or something.



Anyone who thinks this is cheesy is living in some gray, colorless universe I wouldn't want to visit.

Vibrato is also incredibly easy, and artists who heavily rely on vibrato usually do so because they're not talented enough to use other techniques and approaches without them being a crutch.


I didn't listen to it, but I wouldn't say that cheesy and bad are inherently the same thing. They are for me, but that's because of my taste, not the definition of cheese.

I remember reading that there was a conflict between American and European opera singers about whether or not vibrato was desirable or not. Basically Americans liked vibrato and Europeans thought it took away from the purity of technique. Don't know why vibrato won out or if it just won out in America or whatever. But it interested me.

Only cause you misread and thought they were discussing vibrators!

Trollheart: Lowering the tone since 2010

I'm surprised that "cheesy" has veered so much in the direction of prog or metal that takes itself too seriously.

To me, the cheesiest songs are the ones that make a clumsy or obvious appeal to maudlin emotions. Clarence Carter has done some decent stuff I believe, but this song suffers from an overdose of cheese:-

I think pomposity is a bigger factor than earnestness. Also, trying to be super cool and failing super hard is a substantial factor.

Edit: Also, what Lisnaholic mentioned above, which I'd describe as sappiness.

One of the most cheesiest metal songs ever made.

Now if something managed to be both pompous, earnest and sappy at the same time, that might be a pretty cringey listen.

You listen to that **** all the time, you symphonic metal cretin.

pwned.

cringed

Except I don't think "sappy" applies to any symphonic metal song I actually really like. What someone else would think is another story. Also, symphonic metal is a pretty tiny part of my music diet.

Things that make music cheesy exhibit A:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...%282012%29.jpg

Symphonic metal in general is the definition of sappy.

When I think sappy, I think Celine Dion esque balladry, of which there's a fair bit in the symphonic metal genre. Thank god for skip buttons.

Generally speaking, and though I'd love to be contrary and argue, I think I'd have to agree.
Thank God for high-powered rifles with telescopic sights and tickets to the next gig.

Where were you in Las Vegas?

No court can prove I was.

When something is too over the top, over the top but not doing it well, or feels disengenious (like marketing made it instead of the artist, for example). Also Hi, I exist again.

No, you don't. Sorry.

The 80's.

^ That's interesting. We don't really use the word "sappy" in the UK- maybe that's why "cheesy" does double service for us.

We do have the word "soppy", but I've only heard that applied to people; someone who is overly sentimental or prone to crying. Usually applied to girls or women, 'cuz you know, that's what they do.

^ Yes, I'm sure most of us regard this as a very bad sign. We much prefer the sincere, empassioned underdog who pays his dues and is finally recognized for his talent. Step forward every MB member who is also a musician: :clap:

Two bands famous for being marketing creations are The Monkees and The Spice Girls. Any others?