What Makes A Song?

I thought it would be interesting to explore what makes a song so good. I'm going to be stating what makes a good song in my opinion, but I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment!

For me, there are two elements that make or break a song: the music itself and the singer. I don't have a hard and fast rule for music, it really is random. Generally speaking, I prefer faster songs or songs that are more upbeat, but there are plenty of songs that are slow that I really, really like. The singer's voice is super important. Singers that have a very distinct voice I generally either really like, or really don't. Again though, there are no hard and fast rules. Even singers who I basically don't like to listen to have a song or two that I like. 

Lyrics are second for me. If I like the music and singer, then I look at lyrics. I'm talking in a Christian context here, so there are no bad songs. Lyrics uplift me and they can really speak to me. But if the music or singer don't work, it does not matter how great your lyrics are, I will not listen to it. Plus, Owl City and Relient K are two of my favorite bands and so many of their songs make no sense, but the music is SO COOL!

Case in point (please don't hate me!) - the song Oceans by Hillsong. I may be the only person in the world, or at least the States, who does not like this song. I don't like the music or the singer's voice. AT ALL! If a different person had originally sung it and/or the music was different, I might have liked it because I'm sure the lyrics are great! But alas, I cannot listen to that song at all because I can't get the original out of my head.

All that said, if we are talking about secular music, the reverse is true. Lyrics absolutely come first. I may really like your music and voice, but if your lyrics are bad, sorry. I'm out of there. It's been hard because there are songs that I really, REALLY like the music of, but the lyrics are either bad, or just not the best I could listen to, so I basically don't. Two examples are "Shut Up & Dance" and "Honey I'm Good". The music is so fun but the lyrics, while maybe not bad, I could fill my mind with better. 

Those are my thoughts. I really am fickle. There is no rhyme or reason sometimes as to why I like one song and not another, but you have a general idea now. How about you? Are you a lyrics person, a music person, a mix? Comment and let me know!