Sting Speaks On Monotonous AC/DC Style: “Not For Me”
During a new interview with Rick Beato, the Grammy Award-winner musician Sting has shared his honest opinion on classic AC/DC style and admitted that it’s not always good to know what you’re going to get.
The Grammy Awards-winner rock band AC/DC was formed in 1973 by the band’s legends Young Brothers, Malcolm and Angus Young. Before the band released its debut studio album, High Voltage, they had undergone several line-up changes. Adding a different aura to each album, AC/DC is widely considered as one of the most successful bands in rock and roll history.
Being the ninth-highest-selling artist in the US, AC/DC has sold more than 200 million copies with its 17 studio albums, 3 live albums, 11 video albums, and more stuff. At press time, the band’s highest-selling album is their seventh studio album Back In Black, with more than 50 million units. Due to years of success, AC/DC‘s musical impact has been inspiring people from generation to generation.
However, recently, Sting discussed his admiration for one of the rock pioneers AC/DC. At first, Sting said that AC/DC is one of the bands that he admires. The musician has also added that the band’s sound is great.
“I admire AC/DC,” Sting says. “I think what they do is fantastic, the way they play together, the sound is fantastic.”
Sting Comments On Monotonous AC/DC Style
Sting then opened up about his honest opinion on the classic AC/DC style. According to him, AC/DC fans always know what they’re getting from the band, which is not for him.
“You always know what you’re getting with an AC/DC record,” he continued. “It’s high-quality, but you know what you’re going to get, and that’s not for me.”
Sting has also commented on what is the essence of the music. Discussing his musical preferences, the singer claimed that surprise in music is everything.
“To me, the essence of all music is the surprise,” Sting claims. “When I listen to a piece of music, if I’m not surprised within the first eight bars, I’ve stopped listening, I’ve switched off.
“I need surprise. Dominic [Miller. Sting’s guitrist] and I both have a teacher called J.S. Bach, and you play eight measures of Bach, and you’re surprised every time.
“And then the next eight bars, and then the next eight bars… So, the composition is really about surprise.
“It’s not about theory for me, it’s just an instinct that I have… 3/4 time. I love 3, it’s very old-fashioned, you can only do the waltz to it, it’s not military, but there’s something about the waltz that I’m a sucker for.
“And the 6/8 time, which I adore, and I just have fun with that stuff. I’m not here to belong to a genre or adapt myself to any kind of rules.
“I just do what I instinctively feel I want to do, and I’m lucky to have that opportunity and that privilege to do that.
“I’m also helped by some fantastic musicians who feel the same way, exploring the whole spectrum of music and not just saying, ‘We’re in this ghetto here,’ they’re not, they play everything. Jazz, classical, pop, soul.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Sting had praised The Beatles. According to the 70-year-old artist, The Beatles was an amazing influence on all of musicians.
“I’m glad you mentioned the Beatles because the reason I’m a musician is because of the Beatles,” he says.
“They conquered the world with their own songs, and therefore gave permission to a younger generation, a decade younger, to try the same thing, ‘Oh we’ll try that, I know those four chords – I could do that, probably.’”
“And we all tried. We owe a lot to the Beatles, they really were an amazing influence on all of our lives.”
What a clickbait title. He says he likes them, but he personally prefers changing style, and the title becomes “monotonous, not for me”… give me a break!
Yeah with sting you might get something good… or you’ll get utter garbage
Beautiful interview.Sting is so original and his music is incredible.
Love Sting, and the Police, but he has to be realistic. The Police had a lot of repetition inside their songs, to the point of almost needing to turn it off. They would push it right to the edge. They were innovative, but I wouldn’t say they were dramatically different album to album as some other famous bands. Over time he’s mixed up his sound, but was a more pronounced change when he became a solo artist.
@Ostracio.Don’t see any conflict here. As a musician I can say it’s absolutely normal that one can love a band or some music style to listen to but you don’t to play it in your own band projects.
Well he wouldn’t like my Favourite Band
STATUS QUO 🤣 and no chance would I listen to sting , would put me to sleep.
He didn’t say he didn’t like AC/DC’s music, he was clear that he did. He said they are consistent in style, and that’s not for him, he wants to vary and explore the musical landscape.
Anybody and everybody loves ACDC to some degree or other.
Music is universal.
I’d take AC/DC over the pompous Englishman any day, maybe that’s why the Scotts kicked the English all the way back to England, sting your a pompous ass. I met you guys behind my father’s place in the village of old roslyn new york in 1975 when the police played there, Stewart and Andy were cool you weren’t so friendly pal. Then at sir in New York I went to the fridge to drink my drink I bought and those jerks there accused me of drinking your stinking orange juice. I was never so humiliated in my life your an ass. I hope I never meet you again you jek
The irony of Sting saying any artist is monotonous! dear god he makes Ed sheeran look rock n roll! Blagged a career on being bland and monotonous!
It is you’re an ass not your an ass🤣
Yes! Of course, because De Do Do Do De Da Da Da is full of surprises. Never heard a more sophisticated song. Never.
AC/DC is amazing. It is what rock n’ roll is supposed to be. If it’s not for you, then rock n’ roll is not for you. Perhaps Sting is now more into adult contemporary… his music certainly is.