There are some artists whose songs sound the same, as we all know and appreciate.
Some of those artists we love because of this and some of those artists we hate because of this.

So, which artists do you appreciate despite knowing that their songs all sound the same and which artists do you hate listening to for the same reason?

And is there a difference between having a distinctive style that the artist always has and having a generic sound that the artist always has? Which artists fall into which category here?

It's great that, with Prince, we can proudly boast that we're fans of somebody who can sound almost obscenely eclectic, but what about those other musicians who still provide great music, but that music doesn't veer away from their tried and trusted formula?

For me, I find Jamiroquai unbelievably bland due to their (his?) endless, repetitive songs that sound like the same song over and over again just remixed.
But I love Enya, who's made a fortune out of using the same sound for 20 years or more.
Pet Shop Boys have made a career of songs that sound the same and I love them, but Mariah Carey's same old, same old just makes me want to garotte her.

Ah, it's all a wonderful, musical tapestry, but some artists repetition is great and some is just dire. And we're all guilty of discriminating.

Though they're not hugely relevant, the first that comes to mind (because I've been listening to them lately) is Classics IV. Their hits sound exactly alike - a good sound, but similar nonetheless. The other that I immediately think of is Jam & Lewis. A lot of their 80s catologue - even between artists they produced - sound very similar.

RipHer2Shreds said:

If i'm not mistaken, they used that Human League track (drums & percussion) for at least 2 other artists (I can't think of them at the moment.).


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Rage Against The machine ; they sucked

theAudience said:

some while back i sitting and listening to Cherrelle's Artificial Heart, and thinking were have i heard this,.. Janet Jackson's Escapade or When I Think Of You, .."oh' yeah it's a Jam & Lewis production".

I think all of the slow song's are similar.. there always seem to be use of a water drop sample.

and those damm Orchestra hits.

theAudience said:

The rhythm arrangement for The Human League's "Human" was similar to the technique used for The S.O.S. Band's "Just Be Good to Me" and "Just the Way You Like It." It's also a similar technique used for Change's "Change of Heart" and "You Are My Melody."

Personally, I don't think a lot of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis' songs sounded too similar, the omnipresent Roland 808 drum machine aside. The Flyte Tyme sound was definitely more original than the L.A. Reid and Babyface sound, where they admitted they gave all artists the standard assembly-line approach.
[Edited 5/20/07 19:38pm]

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis had a formula they used extensively throughout their recording careers.



So did Prince.

Nickelback.

chuckaducci said:

...Add Babyface and Teddy Riley to that list.

Fall Out Boi

I've heard people saying that Prince's songs all sound the same.

Haystack said:

Those would probably be mine, too. I really used to like Jamiroquai. But after the first 3 albums, it sounded like they were doing the Travelling Without Moving album over and over and over and over again, when they found a formula that could be a mainstream hit instead of just critically respected.


And Enya... yeah, she's made the same album 6 times now. Actually, her latest one is intersting in the sense that it's more stripped down than the others, but she kind of creates a world through her vocal soundscapes, and I do like it no matter how much of it sounds the same.