# Music without singing, must be classical!



## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

I find it funny that this seems to be such a popular misconception, that just about any music that doesn't have singing or vocals gets labeled as classical. You can actually see it in action all over the identification forum, I'd say that only half of the clips posted there are actual classical genres, and the rest are a mixture of things like electronica, new age, pop, metal, and more. That's actually what prompted me to make a thread, because I see it so much there! 

Where do you think that belief comes from? Is it because so much of the more more modern/popular music styles almost exclusively involve singing, and classical is the only style of music most people know of that doesn't always involve singing?


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Remember Telstar? No singing! Is it classical? I think so...


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Something similar but different - have we taken over this thread!


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Stargazer said:


> I find it funny that this seems to be such a popular misconception, that just about any music that doesn't have singing or vocals gets labeled as classical. You can actually see it in action all over the identification forum, I'd say that only half of the clips posted there are actual classical genres, and the rest are a mixture of things like electronica, new age, pop, metal, and more. That's actually what prompted me to make a thread, because I see it so much there!
> 
> Where do you think that belief comes from? Is it because so much of the more more modern/popular music styles almost exclusively involve singing, and classical is the only style of music most people know of that doesn't always involve singing?


I don't regularly look at the music identification section of this forum, however I think that some of this may be related to the observation that regarding pop, rock and other non classical style, most people like music with vocals, whereas the most popular classical music is instrumental classical and not vocal classical (esp. opera). I did this thread which is somewhat related a while back:

http://www.talkclassical.com/15745-pop-classical-split-between.html

Of course in terms of non classical, you got instrumental music as well. I'd think this dichotomy is created by the mass/popular preference regarding each type of music. With classical, instrumental (esp. orchestral) is the most popular genre, all others follow that. Opera is probably the least popular overall - but I'd guess that neither solo instrumental or chamber or choral can out compete orchestral. Think of all the classical pieces that everyone, or virtually everyone knows, that are orchestral.

In terms of non classical, music with vocal is what most people like. Indeed, the divas and idols of non classical going way back dominate the scene. Think of Frank Sinatra of earlier times, or Elvis Presley, or Ella Fitzgerald. Or closer to now, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Tina Turner and so on. But there are stars that have done lots of work thats purely instrumental, eg. Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. But they're in the minority, I'd say.

But maybe a thing outside this is things like techno and dubstep, which kind of don't fit neatly into either instrumental or vocal, cos a lot of it is basically made by machines/technology, not people. So that's a trend to consider amongst all this as well...


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

It's because we jump on people for calling a classical work a "song."

In a similar vein I get fed up with my Rhapsody account or with Amazon when they call an album of one long symphony an "EP." I guess it's because it may have only four "songs." (Of course in Mahler's case it may indeed have songs.)


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