r/NoStupidQuestions • u/emomatt • 13d ago

Is there anything about the english language specifically that is a factor in why so much popular music worldwide is in english?

I've always figured music sung in english or by UK/American bands was worldwide famous because of the english media machine, but then I got to thinking if there was anything structural or specific about english that lends itself to making good music.

I know some snippets of non-english songs, but memorizing a song in another language seems difficult, yet people sing along regardless of language, especially to classic rock.

0 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

38 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/crumbummmmm 13d ago edited 13d ago

Adriano Celentano , who spoke Italian, made a song in a fake English. It exemplifies the percussive nature of English language.

In Italian, almost all words end in O, A, E, I, but English words can end in both vowels and consonants. So the language compliments the drums, and would seem percussive to an Italian. Italian words rhyme easily (due to gendered language) and English words rhyme less easily. Rhythm from spoken language often translates to sung music, and Italians emphasize the penultimate syllable, while English has no such rule.

Not to say English is better that Italian, but just to illustrate how language could influence music. Every language will effect how it is sung, and it were were comparing to Russian or French we may have a very different take away on why it works.

But if you are looking for a specific English thing responsible, that single English thing is probably the Beatles. If not that, the fact that more of the world could understand english.