As millennia after millennia passes, trends come and go, but some acts of leisure have remained constant. In particular, and especially in today’s current day and age, music has continued to perpetuate pop culture and become a tool to inspire, to catalyse change, and to unify people from all around the world. Music taste differs slightly from person to person, certainly, but are there some songs that can truly be considered universally liked? Tom Haverford, a charismatic character from the popular show, Parks and Recreation, has devised a rigorous test to determine if a song is scientifically a “banger”. Haverford has laid out a few guidelines–”beats per minute, number and dopeness of drops, and a complete absence of acoustic instruments”–but it’s difficult to judge these often subjective and relatively flexible categories. Can a song be objectively classified as “good”? And if it can, is it good because it is universally liked or because it simply causes an emotional response?

Nihal Singhsachathet (11) doesn’t think such a universally liked song exists. “Music that is liked by everyone just isn’t possible,” he says. “People have different cultural backgrounds, therefore I don’t believe people have the same sensibilities when dealing with music. I think people have grown up in different cultures with different experiences, so when they listen to music they have a separate, individual experience with the music that is unique to their own personal life. So individual people may have their own ideas of what “good” music consists of, but it’s not a universal acknowledgement.” He conceded, however, that if he had to choose one genre of music that could potentially be loved by everyone, it would be classical music, because “the simplicity and elegance of pure sound is objective, and the absence of lyrics makes a relatability and a relevance that is timeless.”

Paola Lindo (11), however, has a more optimistic perspective. “I think all music can be classified as good. I don’t think a song needs to be universally liked or technically ‘perfect’ for it to be considered a ‘good song.’ I think that even if one person likes a song, that automatically makes it inherently good, at least for that one person. Music is meant to be subjective and emotional and it’s because of our different experiences that all types of different songs can be so universally adored. If you listen to any song enough, or in a certain context, it can become your favourite song. Even if you hate a song that other people love, you still have an emotional response and a connection to them music. I think, even if your reaction to a song isn’t positive, it’s still a reaction nonetheless and shows the sheer power and influence of music.” When asked which song she thinks might just be liked by everyone, she responded confidently that “Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen is definitely a banger.”

Sofia M