Does Apple Music Sound Better Than Spotify? Mailbag

This month we dive into questions about Prince, underground music, solo songwriters, and so much more

If you’re new here, this is Can’t Get Much Higher’s monthly mailbag, meaning the one week of the month where I answer questions submitted by readers. This month, we dive into questions about the 1990s’ swing revival, songs that mention instruments in their titles, the legacy of The Doors, and so much more.

Should you have a question for next month, you can submit it using the button below. If your question is selected, you get a free premium subscription to this newsletter for a month. Premium subscribers get access to our archive, biweekly interviews, and priority when submitting questions.

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Was Prince the most talented artist of last 100 years? He could sing, dance, produce, and play multiple instruments. - Skytop

When I think of mind-boggling musical talent, I usually think of Paul McCartney or Stevie Wonder. But if I’m being honest, “the most talented artist of last 100 years” is probably some forgotten vaudeville performer from the early-1900s who could sing, dance, and play a bunch of instruments, along with being a skilled mime, magician, and juggler. Then again, there is a notable performer who emerged from that tradition and became world famous: Sammy Davis, Jr.

Sammy Davis, Jr. was an extremely talented guy. Starting his career as a toddler, Davis, Jr. came to be a well-known actor, dancer, comedian, and musician. Singing classics like “Mr. Bojangles”, “I’ve Got to Be Me”, and “The Candy Man”, I think Davis, Jr.’s best remembered musical skill is his voice. But he was also quite the instrumentalist, playing the piano, vibraphone, and drums with great facility. I think he could give Prince a run for his money.

Thoughts on the 1990s swing revival, its sociocultural impact, and the quality of the music itself? - Mark

The 1990s were strange. When I start listing some things that happened in the music world in that decade, I am always shocked and confused

• A scuzzy rock band out of Seattle managed to unseat Michael Jackson at the top of the pop charts.

• As this scuzzy alternative rock went mainstream, a retirement-age Tony Bennett revived his career, getting videos in regular rotation on MTV and sharing stages with said rockers.

• Kenny G sold tens of millions of albums by making some of the blandest instrumental music of all-time.

• An album of monks performing Gregorian chants was purchased over a million times.

• Politicians danced the “Macarena” at the Democratic National Convention in August 1996. Two months later, enough people did the dance at a New York Yankee game to set a world record.

And, of course, swing music briefly became popular again. I wasn’t old enough to experience this revival revival firsthand, but every time I read about it, I am at a loss for words. For a few brief years, you had groups with names like the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy scoring hits with sounds pulled from the big band world of the 1930s and 1940s. I mean this stuff was so popular that Big Bad Voodoo Daddy played the Super Bowl halftime show in 1999.

How did this happen? Billboard and Stereogum have written fun histories of the movement, but it was sort of like anything else. There were small scenes making the music. A song or two got somewhat popular nationally. The music started appearing in popular movies like Swingers and The Mask. Then it was everywhere. And, not long after that, it was gone, leaving almost no trace of itself beyond the popularity of a few ska bands.

Frankly, we’re lucky it’s gone. Most of this music was horrendous. If you want swinging, big band music, go to the source. Listen to Benny Goodman or Glenn Miller. If you want a bit more edge to that sound, throw on Louis Prima or Louis Jordan. And if you really insist on listening to swing from the 1990s, stick to Brian Setzer. Though I prefer his work from the 1980s with the Stray Cats, he’s a good enough guitar player that he can make the swing stuff work.

What is the percentage of hit songs created by collaboration over time? I wanted to hug Alessia Cara when she recently said she writes all her own stuff alone. - Roy

Solo songwriting is a thing of the past. Since 1960, we have seen solo credits on number one hits decline steadily, while teams of two and three songwriters have become much more common.

I think some of this data is deceptive, though. Last year, I wrote a long piece for the website Tedium about how the number of songwriters credited on hits have increased dramatically over the last three decades. The easy conclusion from that fact is that songwriters have become less talented.

I don’t believe that’s the case. While the songwriting process has changed, the glut of songwriters on hits has been driven of lawsuits, samples, digital collaboration, and the unification of writing and production. I recommend checking out the full piece for more information.

Relatedly, I don’t think there is anything inherently better or worse about writing songs alone. Since the beginning of the 20th century, some of the greatest songs have been written by teams. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Creativity is meant to be shared.

As a Spotify user, I’ve seen a lot of discourse around Apple Music having much better sound quality. What causes the discrepancy in quality and can Spotify improve their product to match Apple? - Monica