If a song is engaging and memorable enough, there’s a lot that audiences will happily put up with––subpar recordings, imperfect performances, messy production. But, in the long run, one thing listeners won’t tolerate is a forgettable song. Writing forgettable music isn’t the sort of artistic crime that draws boos from crowds at live shows or negative reviews. Instead, what happens to unestablished artists who write music that never sticks is, well, nothing. Bland music that follows trends might be just inoffensive enough to draw in a few fairweather listeners shortly after it’s made, but it won’t mean anything to audiences over the long-term. If we want to create meaningful music that endures in the lives of our listeners, we have to make songs that are worth remembering.