What defines a good song?

[Donald Duck]

In your opinion, what do you think makes a good song?

Is it the beat being fast or slow, is it the singer or singers, is it the score? For me, I'm more attracted to the villain songs because of the power in them and the meaning of them. Poor Unfortunate Souls, Prince Ali (Reprise) and Be Prepared are good examples. They each have a sort of jazzy tone to them which you can always dance and sing along to. Also the Oogie Boogie song is a great song and so upbeat, even for a villain song. So what do you think defines a good song for you?

[Briar Rose's Dark Knight]

That is a excellent question. In the end, I think a strong song comes down to how well the song captures the scene in the movie that accompanies it. A great song will capture something about the theme of the film and/or the character the song is about. For instance, Sleeping Beauty's I Wonder is a very different song from Beauty and the Beast's Belle. I Wonder is very, very short while Belle is a rather lengthy song. However, both songs give you insight into the character and fit within the framework of their respective films.

I Wonder is simple and beautiful. It merely describes Briar Rose's desire to fall in love and wondering if it will ever happen to her all within the framework of Tchaikovsky's score. Almost the entire song is sung as Briar Rose walks leisurely through the forest and stops to rest by a river or pond.

Belle, on the other hand, is a very high energy, grandiose musical number that moves all over town. People often find themselves humming and singing along as the song progresses.

Two other great songs are completely different. I Will Go Sailing No More and When Somebody Loved Me from Toy Story 1 & 2 are also tremendous songs, but very different from the quiet hopefulness of I Wonder and the high energy of Belle. Instead these two songs are poignant ballads about shattered hopes and dreams not realized. Yet at the same time they each convey what has happened to this character. Buzz has learned the hard truth that he's just a toy with no special powers and Jesse looks back longingly on days that will never come again.

All of these songs are important parts of their respective films, yet in entirely different ways.

[liongirl]

I believe a song has to have not only a good beat, but good lyrics. Those are the 2 things I look for in a song. The songs that tell stories, especially, I really like those. The lyrics are important, otherwise, it wouldn't even be a song, it would just be music! I think music most of the time is better with lyrics than without. That's my view.
L.G.

[Butterscotch]

I think the most important thing is who sings it. Lyrics are important, but it's possible to like a song in a foriegn language, but if the person who is singing has a good voice, it can transcend language.

[drpepper]

To me its the fact that I want to listen to it over and over ago. I don't why but I like the villian songs alot. It might be the power like someone said before. But I also like upbeat songs.

[Silver]

For me it's a combination of all the elements flowing together. When I listen to a song in general, it has to have the fluid instrumentals, a singer whose voice has great vocal technique & emotional connection, lyrics which are universally inviting but stand on it's own for that paticular moment, and it must complement the scene. If it has all these ingrediants then most likley that song will end up playing on my CD for quite sometime. Here's a short list of songs I thought were brilliant in all aspects and have been longtime favorites- Circle of Life, Part of Your World, When You Wish Upon a Star, A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, The Bare Necessities, A Spoon Full of Sugar, That's How You Know, Reflection, You'll Be in My Heart, and A Whole New World! All different genres but the songs have majesty and catchy rhythem so matter how often I play them, it's just as magical as the first time.

There have been a few songs by Disney in which I felt only one componet stood out. But when that happens , the rest of the song falls flat. I just loose interest. I guess in a sense I'm very critical in what I like.

[athena]

I think the beat is important for your first impression of the song. If I don't like the tune, I won't like the song easy, then it takes a lot of time for me to get used to it xD
The singer is also quite important. The voice needs some kind of power, like is said before.

[joplin4]

For me, it's all about the lyrics. Of course, if those lyrics are not matched with a good melody, it is not a good song. But, mostly it's about the lyrics.

[LauraHonest]

For me it is the combination of good lyrics, beat, melody, and the emotions that it invokes. Also a lot depends on my mood

[angelgirl]

I believe a song has to have not only a good beat, but good lyrics. Those are the 2 things I look for in a song. The songs that tell stories, especially, I really like those. The lyrics are important, otherwise, it wouldn't even be a song, it would just be music! I think music most of the time is better with lyrics than without. That's my view.

(Yeah, I know, I copied my other post as liongirl, sorry!)

The only other thing I would add is that a great villain song can redeem a not-so-great villain. (I don't really care for Ursula, adore her song!)