JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum So Where Does Your Song Rank On Ourstage?

You guys are missing the first word in the genre title "Singer" Songwriter.... if you sing REALLY well and have a great song, you can do it easily with just a guitar or piano and do very well. If you aren't a SINGER.. the first half of the title of the genre, then you'll do lousy. That's not the genre for someone who can't sing. And it shouldn't be.

The quality of the singer is more important in finding a commercial audience than any other factor. It's a reality that you'll need to deal with. It doesn't mean the singer has to be a 5 octave freak of nature. A weak singer with an interesting voice that suits the mood of the song (think Tom Waits) can also do very well. But it will always been crucial for a general audience to appreciate it that you have a singer they enjoy. Remember that this isn't just other songwriters voting. That's a good thing. If you can't or won't find a way to please an audience, then you can't expect success against those who do figure it out. By the way, the easiest way, in my opinion, to find the songs that are doing well ONLY because they stack the deck with fans and themselves voting a zillion times? A weak singer reaching the top. Unless you have the most hilarious hook line that people will vote for and trump vocals (I think that's the only way to do it) the better singers will always do better than a better song.

Brian