Earlier this week, my dad walked into my bedroom complaining about the racket blaring from my speakers. Now, I will admit that some of my music can be a bit intense, but I figured my dad would enjoy at least some of the songs I play. I mean, I enjoy his music quite a bit. I’m a big fan of Mötley Crüe, AC/DC, Journey and other famous bands from the 80s. So, why didn’t he appreciate my music? What makes my dad’s Classic Rock superior to my Punk Rock? Does Classic Rock contain greater messages? Does it contain better guitar riffs, drum solos and other instrumental sounds?

To answer these questions, I decided to have a little competition between these two genres. The competition will consist of three rounds, each round comparing a popular Classic Rock song to a Punk Rock song. The winner of each round will be determined by three categories: the song’s message, the lyrical structure and its musical compositions (instrumentals). The genre with the most wins will be the genre to beat.

So let’s get started!

Round One: “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard vs “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” by Fall Out Boy

Released on April 16, 1988, “Pour Some Sugar On Me” became one of Def Leppard’s most iconic songs, earning the #2 spot on VH1’s “100 Greatest Songs of the 80s.” Written by the lead singer, Joe Elliott and the producer, Robert John “Mutt” Lange, the song consists of all primary elements needed to form a solid lyrical structure. The song opens up with the Introduction, “Love is like a bomb,” presenting the topic of sex. It then moves on to verse one and two which set up the situation of a man desiring a woman he sees. After, it transitions to the two line pre-chorus which is used to slide into the chorus that reveals the man’s desire of the woman to pour sugar on him. The rest of the song emphasizes these points, consisting of verse three and four, the pre-chorus, chorus, verse five, the pre-chorus in an elision format and lastly an ad lib of the chorus before Elliott’s vocals fade out, leaving the power chords to strum a few more keys before cutting out. In an interview, Joe Elliott said this song is "The metaphor for whatever sexual preference you enjoy." And by the song’s lyrics, it appears Elliott may have a kink for sugary condiments being poured on him. But apart from the lyrics, the song consists of nine chords in total, three easy power chords: A major, E major, and B major, repeated throughout the chorus and the rest of the chords used in the beginning’s 40 second riff and the verses.

“Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” was released on April 12, 2005 and was Fall Out Boy’s breakthrough single. Written by the bass player, Pete Wentz, the song tells the story of a young boy who has fallen for a girl who is already taken. The song jumps right into a six-line verse which sets up the guy’s question of whether or not he is good enough for the girl. It is revealed that he knows he doesn’t mean anything to her and pretends that she doesn’t mean anything to him. The song then moves onto the pre-chorus which suggests that everyone falls for the wrong person, and this idea is emphasized in the chorus by the line “A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it” which suggests that she might as well just kill him because her not wanting to be with him hurts a lot. The rest of the song follows with a new verse, the pre-chorus, chorus, two ad-libs of the chorus which are used as bridges to jump into the chorus one last time. Regarding instrumentals, the song consists of five main chords: D major, G major, B minor, A major and C major. These chords are used throughout the song with slight variations between the verses, pre-chorus and chorus. A simple ten second guitar solo is placed between the chorus and the second verse, using four of the five chords.

Now, for the final evaluation. Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me” has a more advanced instrumental composition compared to Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down.” One point for Classic Rock. However, Fall Out Boy’s lyrics contain greater metaphorical meaning that can be interpreted in multiple ways where as Def Leppard’s are often interpreted literally without underlying messages. One Point for Punk Rock. Taking a look at lyrical structure, Def Leppard’s piece is more complex, once again. Fall Out Boy’s song contains only two verses, a pre-chorus, a chorus and variations of the chorus while Def Leppard’s contains an intro, five different verses, a pre-chorus, chorus, an elision pre-chorus and an ad-lib chorus. So, it is only fair to conclude that Classic Rock wins the first round of this competition.

But will Punk Rock make a comeback in Round Two? Or will Classic Rock take the title of the genre to beat?

(Disclaimer: I am not an expert at analyzing and interpreting music. This is simply my opinion.)