When it comes to vocal vs. instrumental music, it seems as though most listeners prefer one over the other.  A lot is determined by what genres they are driven to. For example, rock, “pop” or blues etc. use more vocals than other styles such as Classical or Jazz.

Other vocal based styles include  Folk music, Country, Bluegrass,  R&B, Opera, and many others. On the other hand, there are genres that are primarily instrumental such as Jazz, Classical, and dance oriented forms of World Music.

In most cases most people prefer vocal music over instrumental. A lot depends on what type of music they were exposed to as a child.

Lyrics in a song usually deliver a specific message or story, while instrumental music encourages the listener to use their imagination and emotional memory. The sounds in music often mimic sounds we hear in everyday life, conveying  a certain mood or emotion.  Instrumental music can do this without words.

I have been intrigued with the vocal v.s. instrumental music syndrome since the early 70’s when I began producing a daily radio program with an  eclectic music mix.  The show featured everything from Blues and Jazz to World music, Classical, Funk, and everything in between.  Listeners would give me feed back on what they liked and didn’t  like – quite often commenting on the vocal vs. instrumental issue.

I had to make sure to choose the right pieces of music so as not to get genre shock ,(or too much contrast between pieces) striving for the right blend of different styles to achieve a pleasant sound with continuity while presenting a wide variety of music from many cultures and time periods.

Drawing on many styles, I had to look for pieces that were compatible and had things in common to play off of, regardless of when or where they were written.

It’s interesting to listen to comments listeners make about the music, responding to the melody, lyrics or tempo or the emotional feel of the music itself.

Some folks were a bit uncomfortable listening to instrumental music -saying  “it was as if they were driving with their eyes closed”.  Some never thought about it, or noticed the music as having words or not.

Examine  your own tastes and see what you prefer!

March 2020