LoveGalore said:

IanRG said:

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Agreed. And because the perfection is in the emotions of each member of the artwork's audience it is not able to be controlled or prescribed by the artist. There are simply too many variables and so many are based on the time, place and circumstances of the audience.

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The song "Hurt" in Reznor's hands is just a good album song. In Johnny Cash's hands it is perfect. Not that Reznor performed and recorded it worse that Cash, but that Cash's version evoked so much more emotion - especially with video. It is time, place and circumstance

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The subjective evoking of emotion can also destroy a song or artist. I love music and I hate the Beatles. I came to realise both these at the same time as a child on one of those long summer days when there was nothing to do. One of those shallowly thoughtful Beatles songs came on and it sparked the realisation that music is so fantastically powerful because it can spark emotion. However, the only emotion that song sparked was that this song was dreary, whinging and boring. I could not wait for this to be over and for the next song to come on. I appreciate that there may be others who feel differently about the Beatles and I have tried to relisten to them but it is time, place and circumstance, and, for me, they were in the wrong time, place and circumstance. I was later into Wings (but boy didn't McCartney do some crap aftwards) and George Harrison but never the pretentiousness of Lennon.

Cash's version of Hurt is cringey and boring.

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Which is my very point - Nothing makes a song perfect for everyone - there is virutally no objectiveness in what you like as a song, let alone what is a perfect song. Many people will agree with you and many more agree that Cash's version is better than Rezner's (based on relative sales and repeat plays or streams). The common thing is that both groups will make up their minds about the different versions of the song largely on subjective grounds. Many of these subjective grounds will be based on the time, place and circumstances of each individual person in the audience, and therfore beyond the control of the artist/composer/producer etc.

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If there was a universal objective formula for the perfect song, then all the attempts to consistently make a number one hit by formula would not have failed.

[Edited 5/19/22 13:45pm]

heartpeacesheart said:

Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) is my answer to what makes a perfect song. Particularly because of the background vocals.

The ink is not yet dry and neither is the well. Or moist like a well-oiled machine. And that, in essence, is what makes for a perfect song.

heartpeacesheart said:

Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) is my answer to what makes a perfect song. Particularly because of the background vocals.

That!

And also Stevie Wonder's songs come to mind...

Vannormal said:

That!

And also Stevie Wonder's songs come to mind...

Maybe unpopular opinion but I think his best album is Fulfillingness' First Finale. Maybe has less perfect songs than a couple of others, but it has the least filler or mistakes for me.