By exploring the term “melody,” the author shows the complexity and ambiguity of this concept using examples from the music of Bach and the me­die­val Dies irae sequences. A comparison of the melodic beginning in Mozart and Schubert leads to the same conclusions. In the researcher's opinion, the melodic element was most fully manifested in the work of the Romantics and the representatives of the new Eastern European schools of composition that relied on the principles of Romanticism. According to Biryukov, as music moved away from romanticism and folklore basis, the role of melody decreased. Singling out Sviridov's work as one of the last pillars of melody and songfulness, Biryukov speaks of the crisis of modern melody, including that of the minimalists, who seem to recognise the importance of intonation. However, the author doubts the full-fledged and large-scale revival of melody, although at the end of the essay, he expresses hope for the affirmation of melodic beginning in such unsentimental musicians as hip-hoppers.