Music is a universal language. We all speak it, and it speaks to us. We all have favorite bands and songs, and I think it is very important to recognize who they are because it makes it easier to find new music with a similar sound.
But how many times do you listen to your favorite band’s main influences? Listening to the bands that help mold the sound of your favorite band will help you understand the band’s foundation and will ultimately help you appreciate how they make music.
Take Coldplay as an example. I’ll start by saying I love Coldplay, and “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends” is one of the better albums of the last 20 years.
It isn’t hard to discover who has influenced your band of choice, as a quick Google search will reveal what you’re looking for. Sometimes Wikipedia will have an “Influences” section, which really makes it easy.
Via Wikipedia, Coldplay’s chief influences are U2, Oasis, Muse, Arcade Fire, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Paul McCartney and Peter Gabriel. Just right there, you have thousands of hours of listening that, in the end, will help you appreciate Coldplay more. You understand what has been brought together to create Coldplay’s trademarked sound.
I actually did this with Coldplay. I went through and listened to some of these listed artists. At times, I didn’t like the music, but I loved hearing it. I loved hearing something new that explained more about a band I liked. I would catch myself making comparisons like, “Wow, he really sounds like Bono (of U2) here.”
Think of this in terms of people. Maybe you are especially fond of a certain individual. Would you not appreciate them more if you knew they had a unique hobby like woodworking or swordfish wrestling? Would that not make them more interesting? At the very least, it should make you appreciate them a tad bit more, as you have come to understand them better.
If you know the foundation of Coldplay, or any band for that matter, you will appreciate them more. So if you really love a band, get to know them a bit better. Find out what makes their sound distinctive.
All things considered, if you want to love something more, get to know it a bit better. Put forth some effort and dig deep to discover what makes something unique.
