[quote=@Inkarnate]
I don’t think I’ve ever attempted to quantify [i]mood[/i] in my record collection. There are many things I’ve attempted to quantify, but it has never been that aspect of music as it varies. There are brilliantly written songs about hopeful and optimistic fonts just as much as there are profound works scripted in cynicism and despair. I don’t go out of my way to seek out mood very often, but on that loose point I’d like to say when I am depressed or anxious I often listen to depressed and anxious music such as I listen to the opposite when I am not. When my mood is neutral it ends up a little of column a and column b, as well.
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I do agree that good music is pretty much anywhere you look, if you look hard enough for it. I'd possibly consider writing purely positive vs negative music might require completely different writing to make them brilliant. But I know plenty of overall positive songs that are brilliantly written, but a lot of them do stem from triumphing over the greatest struggles. The 'finding the light through the darkness' hopefulness that is a strong sentiment, but I'd argue it still needs that "negativity" or the more accurate word "drama" to be powerful.

The idea of not searching for mood in music is an interesting one and really I don't have much consistency in my playlist or when just casually looking up stuff to listen to either. Listening to some sad melancholic rap to, in your face metal, back into some happy pop song on the fly. Usually only in the most extreme moods do I every really purposefully avoid certain music. Though I am interested in asking, does your "seldom searching for a certain mood in music" include when your writing/roleplaying? Do you/can you not write with music playing? I find it sometimes a necessity for me to write certain scenes I'm creating with the write music to get me into that mindset.

[quote=@Inkarnate]
I do not agree with this assessment. Many albums have proven that music attempting to inspire “light” emotions can be just as intelligent and profound as any dark record. It just so happens that the tortured artist point-of-view is a well-known perspective and while it is true that much profound music has come from the “dark side”, that does not mean that the opposite cannot or is not.
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What are some examples you'd consider is purely wholesome, good and optimistic albums. (not just songs.) But entire albums with nothing but positivity, ignoring or minimizing as much as possible of the drama and the adversity and the overcoming of such things. That is overall a brilliant piece of writing? I know a lot of fantastic albums where the light is at the end of the tunnel, and is so strong because of the darkness previously displayed. But I really don't have many all fun and games albums that I'd consider lyrically brilliant or anything but fun to listen to. I suppose other than the parody and silly ones that come to mind. (and the good musically though not lyrical in writing, purely instrumental bands that put on the feel good vibe.) So a couple examples would be fantastic. ^-^

[quote=@Inkarnate]
When it comes to albums, most contemporary pop music is a [i]singles[/i] game and not an [i]albums[/i] game. That is why even the most conventional and basic rock music will outsell basic pop music on a median average. You must understand that just because pop art is called pop does not mean it is popular; that is a longstanding musical [u]myth[/u] that anyone with a modicum of education in music understands.
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I do understand that. Those "pop is popular" discussions were not ones lead by me. I don't know if I made that clear, but yeah I'm aware that's not the truth. But don't have much more to add. <.<