Posted by moonsover on 9:30 PM



I think identifying favorite songs is less like a formula and more like a recipe.  I guess some people's favorite songs could be more like a formula and less like a recipe, but there's a good chance I'd call those people's favorite songs, well, formulaic.  


I also think there's a difference between favorite songs and favorite songs of all time.  I have a ton of favorite songs, but to become a FSOAT, it has to have an extra special ingredient.  So, at least for right now, here's my (rather vague and subject to extreme subjectivity) recipe for favorite songs:

Favorite Song

1 part intellectually pleasing lyrics (add philosophy, cleverness, and/or symbolism to taste, sift for vulgarity)
1 part sonic satisfaction (dice beforehand:  1/4 cup gripping beat, 1/4 cup tonal instrumental interplay, and 2/3 cup catchy hook or melody) 
1 part choreographed dynamics (blend pace, volume, and style, add to mixture while stirring)

... of All Time

2 parts emotionally ubiquitous catharsis (the most rare and secret of ingredients - that the song resonates with whatever emotion I may be feeling:  happy, sad, lonely, mad, and a thousand more nuanced feelings besides)


Marinate, bake, and serve.

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