good music / bad music
I decided to download a new ringtone or two for my phone, and am currently perusing the 6,000+ songs available for download. There are quick links to "favorite selections" and "top downloads" - and the songs most people download all suck. There's no other way to say it. The most popular downloads are over-produced pop and pop-hip-hop-rap. Despite the fact there are perfectly good songs available, from Ben Harper to Cream (I'm only up to the C's so far.. I'm sure there's more).
So then, because I over-analyze stupid things way too much, I wondered why people choose to listen to crappy music? A couple years ago I discovered the wonderful world of music trading. Add in the internet, and you have access to so many great bands and musicians. Half an hour ago I downloaded most of the music that's been used in Season 2 of House M.D. (even though I admit to complaining that it's not nearly as good as the music they used in the first season over all - it's still varied and good, and not in the annoyingly hip way of The O.C.).
Even when I was a kid, I tended to listen to way better music than just your standard pop. (Actually, I listened to classical and tons of jazz and classic rock and punk and....) I don't know anyone who listens to bad music for enjoyment, and I don't recall ever having friends that did*.
So who are these people and why don't they get it?
*I did and do know people who liked both good and bad music, like my friend Heather who loves *NSync, but also people like Tony Lucca. Or Silver Turtle Boyfriend, who listens to anything from Clay Aiken to ICP to Aerosmith to people you'll never, ever hear of. But they don't listen to bad music excessively or exclusively.
**When I say "bad" music, I'm referring to songs like Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl (Bananas!). I don't think that just because something is a pop style (or any particular style) it is instantly sucky.
So then, because I over-analyze stupid things way too much, I wondered why people choose to listen to crappy music? A couple years ago I discovered the wonderful world of music trading. Add in the internet, and you have access to so many great bands and musicians. Half an hour ago I downloaded most of the music that's been used in Season 2 of House M.D. (even though I admit to complaining that it's not nearly as good as the music they used in the first season over all - it's still varied and good, and not in the annoyingly hip way of The O.C.).
Even when I was a kid, I tended to listen to way better music than just your standard pop. (Actually, I listened to classical and tons of jazz and classic rock and punk and....) I don't know anyone who listens to bad music for enjoyment, and I don't recall ever having friends that did*.
So who are these people and why don't they get it?
*I did and do know people who liked both good and bad music, like my friend Heather who loves *NSync, but also people like Tony Lucca. Or Silver Turtle Boyfriend, who listens to anything from Clay Aiken to ICP to Aerosmith to people you'll never, ever hear of. But they don't listen to bad music excessively or exclusively.
**When I say "bad" music, I'm referring to songs like Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl (Bananas!). I don't think that just because something is a pop style (or any particular style) it is instantly sucky.
posted by Silver Turtle at
10:01 PM
5 Comments:
hmm....I think "hollaback girl" is great. I dig me some Kanye West too. There's some good thought behind that stuff.
Interesting post though. Someone last week said something along the lines of, "just when you see something like Bush getting reelected or something so absurd and dumb, you think....there's no way America could be this dumb.......Then you hear that Nascar is the fastest growing sport in the nation, and you see Kid Rock is a millionaire."
I know I got some of that wrong, but it's the basic idea. The people you're around aren't really the norm. No offense to Brent, but go hang out in the BMV for a day. You'll get every instance of the midwest in one day, and 70% of them seem to be operating on borederline intellectual functioning compared to the people we hang around.
By
Anonymous, at 10:43 AM
It's all about taste. Pop caters to the lowest common denominator, just as McDonald's does with food. Yeah, McDonalds food is sometimes tasty and fills you up, but it's not the same as a home cooked burger, much less a home cooked steak, much less a chef prepared filet.
I guess some people just don't strive to ever learn anything better than a Big Mac.
By
acw, at 4:42 PM
Like ACW says...its about taste. I like to think that I have a rather sophisticated palette. Thats why I am able to enjoy a broad range of musical styles.
Its kind of like being literate. The more you read, the better your vocabulary.
By
FreedomGirl, at 12:54 AM
I compare it to bananas.
Somepeople like bananas....then others like it B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
By
Anonymous, at 10:26 AM
I consent that the people I hang around aren't "the norm".
And at first I really liked ACW's analogy of McD's to steak. But let's face it, steak is much more expensive than a $1 menu burger. Listening to crappy music just involves, a lot of the time, changing the radio dial.
I'm really not a music snob - I don't think anything on the radio or 'mainstream' is bad simply because it's got some exposure - I listen to the radio kind of a lot, really. And often I admire the production work on an album.
I guess I'm just not clear on why anyone would choose to download Kid Rock or 50 cent songs.
By
Silver Turtle, at 11:33 AM
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