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Social Sciences
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English (U.S.)
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“Good” and “Bad” Taste in Music

Essay Instructions:

Choose two pieces of music: one that you believe is generally considered to be a piece of music in "good taste" (by whatever community or taste-makers you decide; it doesn't need to be "formally" declared good by anyone, though you are welcome to draw on reviews from Pitchfork or any other source you choose), and another you believe is generally considered to be a piece of music in "bad taste."

SOME GUIDELINES:Do not choose (1) something that you have written yourself; (2) a song that was discussed in this week's lesson (e.g., Rebecca Black's "Friday"); or (3) a work of classical music.

Keep in mind that the task is not to choose something you like and something you don't like; it's to choose something you believe is in good taste and bad taste. (Arguably it's pretty common to like a song that you believe to be in "bad taste"; we usually call them "guilty pleasures" or something like that.) So focus on taste, not how much you like or dislike it.

Then choose two of the authors we examined this week and analyze those two pieces of music from each of their perspectives (i.e., what would Author A say about Song 1 and Song 2?  what would Author B say about Song 1 and Song 2?). What would they say about this music?

On what, if any, points would they agree? Disagree? Are there any aspects of the author's views on taste that are not helpful or applicable to the song you're discussing?

Be sure to ground your assertions in what we know of those authors' views! For example, don't write simply "Author A wouldn't like this song—it's bad." Instead, describe what in Author A's understanding of taste would lead you to make that conclusion on Author A's behalf.

Essay Sample Content Preview:
Name: Professor’s Name: Course: Date: “Good” and “Bad” Taste in Music One piece of music that is generally considered to be a piece of music in “good taste” is “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by the Beatles. One piece of music that is generally considered to be a piece of music in “bad taste” is “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” by U2. When it comes to “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by the Beatles, Hume would say that the song is an iconic song. It has “catholic and universal beauty.” What makes the song good is the fact that it has stood the test of time. It has been fifty-one years since the Beatles released “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and the song still sounds modern. It continues to show up in cover versions, movies, and on critics’ lists of the best songs of all time. When compared to U2’s Pride (In The Name Of Love),” Hume would say “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by the Beatles has a high aesthetic value. The song has very delicate drumming – no pounding on the skins. The song has no back-beat, which gives it a feeling of almost floating and a nice descending bass line. When it comes to Pride (In The Name of Love)” by U2, Hume would say that the song is substandard. The song has not stood the test of time. It was a key part of the U2’s live shows in the 1980s and was selected as one of the five-hundred songs that shaped rock and roll in the 1980s. Much of the song’s success was in the 1980s and 1990s, but its success did not cross over to the 2000s. The aesthetics of Pride (In The Name of Love)” are second-rate. The U2 drummer is laying down the typical, heard in a thousand songs, rock drum part. There is nothing unique about the drum part. The drum part is overdone. After giving...
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