Ontmusic16. Bad Music: What makes it bad?

Definition of Bad Music

What is meant by bad music?

After a semester of thinking about music, I am still unsure as to what constitutes "good" or "bad" music. I am also still inclined to think about it teleologically. Our discussion on profundity seemed to me to be very similar to our discussion on good and bad music. Perhaps we are simply stating preferences . . . perhaps we are muddling our terms . . . perhaps there is an objective "good" for music. Although I don't have any new answers, I have added a few more "good" pieces for you all to enjoy.

I originally thought "Oh good! Choosing a bad piece will be so simple! There is so much bad music out there!," but the task of actually sitting down and finding one was rather difficult. As it turns out, I have either seriously over-estimated the amount of awful music or I have had to repress the horrible "pieces" I have heard.

But this piece - "Ade! Ich Muss Nun Gehen" - by Friedrich Nietzsche - sprang to mind. On the surface, there isn't much to point to as to what makes the piece bad. Nothing sticks out as horribly offensive: no poorly-handled dissonances, no random fragments of melody, and no awkward rhythms. A casual listen-through might even spare the song some dignity. But something about the song is . . . annoying. While trying to put together my thoughts, I listened to the song on a loop and wanted to pull my hair out. Nothing breaks any "rules", the form is predictable . . . too predictable. As Levitin points out, there is a sweet spot between too simple and too difficult. This song is much, much too simple. There is nothing surprising and unexpected to catch the listener and draw them in.

And there is also something vaguely comical about it. For example, the thumping, plodding descending bass line at around 11 seconds is reminiscent of a portly older man trying to make his way down the stairs - neither elegant nor subtle. The exclamation at 40 seconds makes sense musically, but seems forced.

Overall, the piece is technically "correct", but lacks grace, elegance, and subtle points of interest. As Berlioz so aptly termed it, this piece is "insipid" and "innocently stupid". (bold not in original)

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Additionally, there are characteristics of the music itself that I could describe as "bad." It is loud and grating, repetitive, contrived, and commercially driven. (bold not in original)

What determines the badness of music?

Is bad music bad only because of subjective and arbitrary criteria?

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NOTES