# Opposite of "The Blues"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264 "2011-12-15T01:53:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/1 "2011-12-15T01:53:30Z")
Is there a muscial term for music that is the oppoiste in style to that of Blues music? What words are used? …Allegro? Others? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/2 "2011-12-15T02:01:32Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Is there a muscial term for music that is the oppoiste in style to that of Blues music? What words are used? …Allegro? Others? I’m not exactly sure what would be the opposite of the blues. The blues covers a wide range of sounds, but generally it involves music with a certain scale, a certain chord progression, a certain harmony (heavy in dominant sevenths), and usually with a certain verse pattern. Asking what the opposite of blues is makes about as much sense as asking what the opposite of a polka is. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/3 "2011-12-15T02:06:39Z")
Sousa marches. They are the opposite of The Blues. This is a totally subjective reaction. I don’t know what the opposite of a polka would be. Possibly a pavane. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/4 "2011-12-15T02:17:15Z")
Allegro is a description of the tempo and style the music is to be played in, not a description of the content or the feeling. You could write a piece of music based on the blues scale, put some sad lyrics to it, and do it allegro. There’s a whole genre of blues music called jump blues where a direction like that might make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/5 "2011-12-15T02:34:00Z")
Thanks for the thoughts! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/6 "2011-12-15T04:06:34Z")
Chromatically, it would be The Oranges. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/7 "2011-12-15T04:11:17Z")
In the pink. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/8 "2011-12-15T04:27:38Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Chromatically, it would be The Oranges. Aw shucks, that’s what I came in here to say. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/9 "2011-12-15T07:57:54Z")
Little Richard once demonstrated that the Blues sped up was Ragtime. Although Professor Longhair’s albums are sold in the Blues section, I always thought Jazz or Ragtime would be a better fit, as his music seems so upbeat. So that’s my guess. Ragtime. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/10 "2011-12-15T08:28:02Z")
Presumably, the lyrical content is about being happy and content with your faithful mate and well-paid, rewarding job. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/11 "2011-12-15T08:51:31Z")
Anything with lyrics about being happy, comfortable, having a steady loving relationship with your SO and sufficient cash. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/12 "2011-12-15T10:19:20Z")
The opposite of the blues is the reds; when they come together, you get the yellows. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/13 "2011-12-15T10:55:34Z")
Gospel ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/14 "2011-12-15T13:05:45Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Chromatically, it would be The Oranges. This is why we need ‘Like’ buttons. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/15 "2011-12-15T13:26:09Z")
According to Townes van Zandt there are only two kinds of music: There’s the blues, and there’s Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah. ---
**Author:** ![raskolnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e47c2d/32.png) [@raskolnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raskolnik)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/16 "2011-12-15T13:41:34Z")
Isn’t Gospel usually Major? ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/17 "2011-12-15T14:05:03Z")
I am going with [Happy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_hardcore) [Hardcore.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSbAu-PAQ0c&feature=watch_response) 1. It’s happy, the blues is sad. Opposites! 2. It’s techno based, the blues is \*soul \*based. Again, Opposites! 3. It’s very fast and right on the beat, the blues is laid back with a groove. Opposites! Thus I have proven definitively that Happy Hardcore is the opposite of the blues, and I managed to do it without saying mean things about rave music so bonus points to me. What do I win? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/18 "2011-12-15T15:18:19Z")
Third-wave Ska. ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/19 "2011-12-15T15:37:23Z")
Sarah Brightman ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264/20 "2011-12-15T15:40:26Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Is there a muscial term for music that is the oppoiste in style to that of Blues music? What words are used? …Allegro? Others? “hard to play” ?? (my guitar playing is blues based, so I accuse of it being easy to play with tongue-in-cheek…) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-the-blues/606264.md?page=2)