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Topic: What makes a song a "standard"?

17th Jul 2021, 4:32 PM
	23skidoo Member since Jul 2014 4159 Points	The other day I was messing about on YouTube and I did a search for "The Galaxy Song", which was introduced in the film Monty Python's the Meaning of Life in 1983. Performed in the movie by Eric Idle, it has since been reprised countless times. Steven Hawking of all people recorded a version, a couple years back there was a UK TV special featuring Idle, scientist Brian Cox, Hannah Waddingham, and others and the song was the grand finale. Everyone knows it. Ditto another Monty Python tune, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life from 1979's Life of Brian - that one is well regarded enough that Idle performed it during the London Olympics closing ceremony. Since both songs are "relatively new" (if you call 40 years relatively), it made me wonder, at what point does a song become regarded as a "standard"? Linda Ronstadt recorded a trio of "Great American Songbook" albums in the mid-1980s and the songs featured were described as standards - yet many of them were, at the time Linda recorded them, newer than the two Python songs are today. And I would argue that Bright Side of Life and Galaxy Song could be considered standards. But, if you'll pardon the awkward wording, is there a "standard" for determining when a song becomes a standard, or is it just based on public opinion? I could list hundreds of rock and roll songs from Rock Around the Clock up to stuff from 20 years ago and newer that could claim to be standards if that's the case. Any ideas?