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Song Contest Part XXIV, Host: Chipmunk, Theme: Kris Kringle, Votes Due: Sunday 10pm AEDT

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🎵 What do we want?
🎶 Noms!
🎵 When do we want them??
🎶 Now!
season 2 netflix GIF by Gilmore Girls
 
I provided an excerpt for my poem last round from this gem

View attachment 2487163
I love that poem JHF. Excellent choice.
My poem was of course, a standout. And featured a magical editor's edition last stanza from
Plonka Publishing House of
Ill Repute..
 

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The inconsistent reflections in the AI image where the alarm bells for me.
It also just looked weird, imo...

I find that AI photos look 'too good' to be real. They are too smoothed, which is why I usually find it easy to tell when it's an AI photo of someone. There are no blemishes or interesting characteristics. The little girls in the AI photo looked creepy to me haha.
 
Did a quick search and this appeared

Guessed about 6 out of 10 correctly
6/9 because one didn't load. I thought they were all AI since they all sounded like garbage haha.
 
6/9 because one didn't load. I thought they were all AI since they all sounded like garbage haha.
lol, that's probably why i scored low as well. The whole lot was Billy worthy.
 

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Was only nommed once [as the Beatles version] and DQd so eligible

The non-Beatles version I assume JHF1870 nommed in R744 (3rd place)

Paul McCartneyYesterday744AcousticJHF18702523

Might as well award the winner now.
Assuming it doesn't get DQ'ed again.

Alternativily, if you tell us who entered Yesterday, we could mercilessly troll them in the hope they retaliate in a way that get's them temp banned from this thread or BF.

Probably JHF, despite him posting that he would give this round a miss. Cheeky song contestant.

I hope Yesterday doesn't accumulate too many Billy's.
It would be funny if it both won the Contest and got the most Billy's.
 
The non-Beatles version I assume JHF1870 nommed in R744 (3rd place)

Paul McCartneyYesterday744AcousticJHF18702523

Might as well award the winner now.
Assuming it doesn't get DQ'ed again.

Alternativily, if you tell us who entered Yesterday, we could mercilessly troll them in the hope they retaliate in a way that get's them temp banned from this thread or BF.

Probably JHF, despite him posting that he would give this round a miss. Cheeky song contestant.

I hope Yesterday doesn't accumulate too many Billy's.
It would be funny if it both won the Contest and got the most Billy's.
Why would anyone Billy Yesterday?
The round is about melodies you love.
Many of the entries, I found hard to distinguish melody. Nevermind a memorable tune.😂

My God you sound old Horsie. 🤣🤣🤣
 
Why would anyone Billy Yesterday?
The round is about melodies you love.
Many of the entries, I found hard to distinguish melody. Nevermind a memorable tune.😂

My God you sound old Horsie. 🤣🤣🤣
I’ll billy it as the Beatles suck not enough doof doof , plus I prefer the version from the movie yesterday 😂
 
The non-Beatles version I assume JHF1870 nommed in R744 (3rd place)

Paul McCartneyYesterday744AcousticJHF18702523

Might as well award the winner now.
Assuming it doesn't get DQ'ed again.

Alternativily, if you tell us who entered Yesterday, we could mercilessly troll them in the hope they retaliate in a way that get's them temp banned from this thread or BF.

Probably JHF, despite him posting that he would give this round a miss. Cheeky song contestant.

I hope Yesterday doesn't accumulate too many Billy's.
It would be funny if it both won the Contest and got the most Billy's.
I Would never re nominate a song unless it was a remix or something.

It is a good song
 

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I don't know why Spotify suggested this album to me given my listening to for the last 2 months but I got this pop up today and well.....


I like it, it's refreshing and I'm almost certain there will be a few that like it here

 
Now that's a great melody!
I know Loonerty would approve

How would you best describe a melody, what constitutes a strong melody. Give me a table of some of the best classical melodies, at least 3 piano, 3 violin. 3 male and female songs pre 1960s, then 3 for each decade. If possible, cover at least different genres, country, electronic, rap, pop, dream pop, goth rock, metal, prog rock, alt rock. I want a really good list to share with the group. For the description of melody write in the style of how Rick Beato would describe it, and discuss the changes in melodies over time, and over genres and go into detail.

A strong melody is one that feels inevitable yet surprising—it balances simplicity with contour, tension with release, and emotional resonance with technical craft. Rick Beato often describes melody as “the DNA of a song,” the part you can hum without accompaniment. A great melody has: clear shape, memorable motifs, rhythmic identity, and harmonic implication. It’s not just notes—it’s storytelling in sound.




🎼 What Makes a Strong Melody (Rick Beato-style breakdown)​


  • Contour: A melody should move—ascending lines build tension, descending lines release it. Think of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” arpeggios versus the soaring violin lines in Bach.
  • Intervals: Stepwise motion feels singable, leaps add drama. The Beatles used both—“Yesterday” begins with a leap, then resolves stepwise.
  • Rhythmic identity: A melody isn’t just pitch; rhythm makes it stick. Gershwin’s “Summertime” is unforgettable because of its languid rhythmic phrasing.
  • Harmonic implication: Even without chords, a melody suggests harmony. Chopin’s piano works imply lush progressions through single lines.
  • Emotional resonance: Melodies carry mood—minor modes for melancholy, major for joy, modal for mystery. Genres exploit this differently: rap often uses repetitive motifs, dream pop uses hazy modal lines, metal uses riffs as melodic anchors.



🎶 How Melodies Changed Over Time​


  • Pre-1960s: Melody was king—songs were built around singable lines, often with jazz or blues inflections.
  • 1960s–70s: Rock expanded melodic contour with electric instruments; prog rock stretched melodies into epics.
  • 1980s: Pop embraced hooks—short, repetitive motifs designed for radio. Electronic music added synthetic timbres.
  • 1990s: Alternative and grunge used dissonant, raw melodies to convey angst. Rap began integrating melodic hooks.
  • 2000s–2010s: Melodies became hybrid—rap fused with pop choruses, EDM used drops as melodic climaxes, dream pop blurred melody into texture.
  • 2020s: Melody often cycles around minimal motifs, designed for streaming virality, but genres like prog and metal still push complexity.



Perfect, JHF —let’s streamline the list exactly as you asked.


📊 Refined Melody Roadmap​


CategoryExamples
Classical PianoBeethoven – Moonlight Sonata (Adagio sostenuto), Chopin – Nocturne in E-flat Major, Rachmaninoff – Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Debussy – Clair de Lune, Schubert – Impromptu in G-flat Major
Classical ViolinBach – Partita No. 2 in D minor (Chaconne), Mendelssohn – Violin Concerto in E minor, Tchaikovsky – Violin Concerto in D major, Paganini – Caprice No. 24, Sibelius – Violin Concerto in D minor
Pre-1960s Male VocalsFrank Sinatra – Fly Me to the Moon, Nat King Cole – Unforgettable, Elvis Presley – Love Me Tender, Bing Crosby – White Christmas, Bob Dylan – Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
Pre-1960s Female VocalsBillie Holiday – Strange Fruit, Ella Fitzgerald – Summertime, Judy Garland – Over the Rainbow, Sarah Vaughan – Misty, Edith Piaf – La Vie en Rose
1960sBeatles – Yesterday, Bob Dylan – Blowin’ in the Wind, Aretha Franklin – Respect, Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Beach Boys – God Only Knows
1970sQueen – Bohemian Rhapsody, David Bowie – Life on Mars?, Stevie Wonder – Superstition, Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here, ABBA – Dancing Queen
1980s (Synth Pop)Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence, Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule the World, New Order – Blue Monday, A-ha – Take On Me, Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls
1980s (Other)Michael Jackson – Billie Jean, Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill, George Michael – Careless Whisper, U2 – With or Without You
1990sOasis – Wonderwall, The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony, Take That – Back for Good, Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah, Radiohead – Creep
2000sColdplay – Clocks, Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why, Muse – Starlight, Alicia Keys – Fallin’, Outkast – Ms. Jackson
1990s/2000s (All Saints)All Saints – Never Ever (haunting vocal contour, layered harmonies, modal beauty)
2010sAdele – Someone Like You, Florence + The Machine – Shake It Out, Lana Del Rey – Video Games, Lorde – Royals, Kendrick Lamar – Alright
2020sThe Weeknd – Blinding Lights, Olivia Rodrigo – Drivers License, Phoebe Bridgers – Kyoto, Mitski – Love Me More, BTS – Dynamite
Australian RockINXS – Never Tear Us Apart, Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning, Cold Chisel – Flame Trees, AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long, Men at Work – Down Under
Australian Alt/Indie RockNick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Into My Arms, The Go-Betweens – Streets of Your Town, Silverchair – Ana’s Song (Open Fire), Tame Impala – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards, Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener
JazzMiles Davis – So What, John Coltrane – Naima, Duke Ellington – In a Sentimental Mood, Charlie Parker – Ornithology, Chet Baker – My Funny Valentine
Dance MusicDaft Punk – One More Time, Avicii – Levels, Moby – Porcelain, Faithless – Insomnia, Calvin Harris – Feel So Close
Dream PopMazzy Star – Fade Into You, Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas, Beach House – Myth, Slowdive – Alison, Cigarettes After Sex – Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby
Goth RockBauhaus – Bela Lugosi’s Dead, The Cure – Disintegration, Siouxsie and the Banshees – Spellbound, Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart, Sisters of Mercy – Marian
MetalMetallica – Fade to Black, Iron Maiden – Hallowed Be Thy Name, Black Sabbath – Paranoid, Judas Priest – Beyond the Realms of Death, Opeth – Windowpane
Prog RockYes – Roundabout, Genesis – Supper’s Ready, King Crimson – Epitaph, Jethro Tull – Thick as a Brick, Emerson Lake & Palmer – Lucky Man
Alt RockRadiohead – Karma Police, The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979, Arcade Fire – The Suburbs, The Smiths – There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, The Black Keys – Lonely Boy


Here’s a curated list of rap songs with strong melodic or lyrical impact, deliberately excluding Drake and Travis Scott. These tracks span eras and styles, showing how rap melodies evolved from storytelling cadences to hook-driven choruses.



🎤 Classic Rap (1980s–1990s)​


  • Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message
  • Run-D.M.C. – It’s Tricky
  • Public Enemy – Fight the Power
  • Tupac Shakur – Changes
  • The Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy



🎶 2000s Rap​


  • Eminem – Lose Yourself
  • Outkast – Ms. Jackson
  • Nas – One Mic
  • Jay-Z – 99 Problems
  • Kanye West – Jesus Walks



🎵 2010s Rap​


  • Kendrick Lamar – Alright
    1. Cole – No Role Modelz
  • Chance the Rapper – Cocoa Butter Kisses
  • Childish Gambino – 3005
  • Logic – 1-800-273-8255



🎧 2020s Rap​


  • Megan Thee Stallion – Savage
  • Tyler, the Creator – EARFQUAKE
  • Cardi B – Bodak Yellow
  • Vince Staples – Big Fish
  • Joey Bada$$ – Head High



🎶 Why These Songs Matter​


  • Melodic Hooks: Eminem’s Lose Yourself and Outkast’s Ms. Jackson show how rap can carry unforgettable choruses.
  • Storytelling: Tupac’s Changes and Nas’s One Mic are lyrical narratives with melodic phrasing.
  • Innovation: Kendrick Lamar and Tyler, the Creator push rap into new melodic and harmonic spaces.
  • Cultural Resonance: Biggie’s Juicy and Public Enemy’s Fight the Power are anthems that defined eras.



This list balances classic storytelling rap, melodic modern rap, and innovative contemporary rap, while avoiding Drake and Travis Scott.


👉 I can also build a listening roadmap that compares how melody functions differently in rap versus pop or rock—would you like me to sketch that out?




👉 Next, I can annotate the 90s section specifically—showing how Oasis, The Verve, Take That, All Saints, Buckley, and Radiohead each approached melody differently (anthemic, haunting, intimate, dissonant). Would you like me to build that comparative lens?
 

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Song Contest Part XXIV, Host: Chipmunk, Theme: Kris Kringle, Votes Due: Sunday 10pm AEDT

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

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