RolloTomasi

When I say "a fan of", I mean that you consistently listen to that genre and own more than a few cds or so in that genre.

It seems that in my circle, I am one of the few people who has a somewhat eclectic taste in music. Most of my friends tend to stick to one genre, and are apathetic to mostly anything that is outside of it. Sometimes they are even hostile to such outside music being played in their presence, regardless of its quality. I know hip-hop, rock, and punk fans that are like that - when I try to make suggestions that are outside their chosen genre, they demur.

I know that musically inclined people, expecially those that play instruments or want to break into the industry, usually have variegated tastes; but I just listen to music casually. Nevertheless, I can listen to various genres (mainly rock, rap, electronica, with a little jazz and such on the side) without too much difficulty. But I can't seem to find many other people like that. One of the few people that I know that actually listened to more than one genre was a "convert" from rap to rock; he disavows rap and no longer listens to it.

Is this a common trend, or do I just have closed-minded friends? Is it difficult to adapt one's ear to listen to a wide variety of music? Or maybe it's just hard to keep up with more than one genre consistently, I don't know.

Thoughts would be appreciated.

Gooch

I listen to a lot of different genre's, but like you mentioned before, I'm also musically inclined.

I like rock, Jazz, Big Band, a few country...and overall a little bit of everything.

shrike

To quote Natasha Lyonne in Detroit Rock City "Good tunes is good tunes". I like and collect all kinds of music. If hear something I like it I buy it. I don't care what genre it's in. I have some friends who laugh at some of the music I have because they only like heavy metal, rock, or grunge. I don't care. I had so many friends and family with different tastes I guess a little of all of them rubbed off on me. And when I was in Junior High I took a class on music appreciation with a wonderful teacher who really opened my eyes (or ears) to a lot of different things. If it sounds good, if you connect with it, if it speaks to you on whatever level who cares what label they stick on it.

Three Day Delay

I like all of them.....period. A good song is a good song, whether it was written in the 20's or last week.

Aghama

I won't touch country with a 10 foot pole, most everything else is fair game....except maybe free jazz, black metal, adult contemporary, and new age.

Gdrlv

I listen to just about everything. The genres I listen to most are jambands (is that even a genre?), alt-country, rock, and jazz. I listen to some metal, industrial, folk, classical, etc., etc.

lordzeppelin

I listen to pretty much everything except folk and country. I routinely bump some Jay-z, then some Zepp, then deftones, then op ivy, then rachmaninov, then coltrane, then SRV, then some tribe called quest...it's sick.

Scheherazade

I listen to just about everything but I do it in spurts more than really listening to it all at the same time. I guess it depends on my mood or the weather or something. I'm on a gothic cello-rock kick right now so I'm listening to a lot of Rasputina which works out nicely since their new ablum is nearly out!

~Scheherazade

madcougar

With the exception of speed metal, I think I have almost every other genres represented. My favorite is alternative rock, with others such as adult contemporary, hip hop, tejano, spanish rock, spanish pop, country, blue grass, classical, easy listening, classic rock, heavy metal, r&b, and jazz bringing up the rear.

Aghama (or anyone else who can answer it) what is "black metal"?

gilbertr76

Probably refering to death metal.


As for the original question, most of what I listen to falls under the alternative genre. There is such a wide range within alternative music, however, that I definitely consider my tastes to be highly varied. From goth to punk to industrial to new wave to alt-rock to hardcore to electronica, there is a huge difference in style. I also listen to a lot of reggae and several artists from other genres like Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, and many more.

Copenhagen

My cd's are mainly both country and rap (over 100 each) with some jazz, metal and pop mixed in. I'll listen to pretty much anything that catches my ear.

Josh-da-man

My main genres of interest...

Metal (including black/death)
Goth
Classical
60s rock (Beatles, Stones, Doors)
Folk
Acid Rock
Punk
Ska
Reggae
Some jazz (in small doses)
Alt. Rock
Grunge
Celtic

I can tolerate in small doses...

Arena Rock (Journey/Boston)
Pop (Some pop I can handle, but it generally drives me nuts. Except, of course, when it's old and become kitschy)

I despise...

Country/Western (except maybe some older stuff)
(c)Rap/R&B/Hip-Hop

Josh-da-man

Though there aren't any hard and fast definitions, black metal is generally a European variant of speed metal that deals with Satanic themes (and occasionally pre-Christian Paganism). The most notable bands/scene would probably be centered in Norway and Northern Europe, with a political anti-Christian bent. Political in the sense that there's a movement to replace Christianity with the old Viking gods. That scene is also associated with some pretty nasty violence and vandalism, sort of reminscent of gangsta rap.

I've also heard the label applied to older metal bands like Slayer and Venom, as well as Deicide and Morbid Angel.

SnoopDogg

I mix in all types of music, mostly in Rap and Rock though.

atlantamoi

I once had a friend accuse me of being closed minded because I hated late 80's hair bands. I laughed and asked this guy if he liked reggae ("No."), country ("No."), dance music ("No.") and on and on. I have severe dislike for a few forms of music... mostly heavy metal and jam bands, but I love just about anything else.

I don't understand why more people don't listen to country (good stuff like Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams and Dwight Yoakam) and in the next instance be able to listen to electronica. I could probably make a compilation CD of techno and country on one CD and love it. I can't imagine listening to only one form of music all the time... part of the reason I'm so sad that "alternative" radio today is one grunge wanna-be band after another. It sucks.

I'm not musically inclined at all, but I enjoy listening to it very much. I think one of the cool things about late 70's punk and new wave was that many songs threw in all kinds of styles. I'm sure the Clash's love of reggae turned me on to it. I mean, that was a time when all forms of music were GO. I miss that today.

edclem

I listen to a bit of just about everything. Granted, it's mostly metal in some form or other, but I have quite a bit of classical, jazz, blues, etc....... basically everything except country.

Giles

I for the most part like alot of genres. However, the majority of hardcore gangsta rap, I dont care for.

einTier

I can't think of a genre I don't listen to. Currently, my weakest areas are Jazz and Broadway musical, but I'm starting to get a handle on those as well.

I have many friends that make fun of one or more of the things I listen to, and here's my take on that. I think a lot of people use music to identify who they are. Like, "I listen to punk because the image of punk is the way I want others to see me." They will have a hard time understanding that people listen to music for reasons other than identity purposes. I listen to a lot of country, but I don't (and never have) owned a cowboy hat, boots, spurs, or a pickup truck. I've ridden a horse exactly once, got thrown off, and decided I'd had enough of that. But, if I'm listening to country with friends, it seems they expect me to pull out a can of Copenhagen. Whatever.

Right now, I've been on a 80's hair band kick, but I'll probably roll into another genre in a week or so.

gondorspit

Britpop, old country, some punk, and anything from the eighties if I'm drinking.

No rap.

Yancey

The most common answer to, "What type of music do you like?"

"Everything but rap and country."

Does anyone else think this is classist? I certainly do. Two genres of music that, in a generalized way, represent a lower class lifestyle (although each are moving farther from that direction, which is probably why they are the two most popular kinds of music right now). Somehow music that is associated with poverty or simplicity is not embraced by a lot of people, the same people that proclaim to be populists, disliking elitists, etc. It's just a strange situation.

Admittedly this was more prominent five years ago, but I think it's a strange distinction. Anyone agree?

Giles

As I had stated before I cant think of any hardcore rap that isnt recycling the same stereotypical depiction of what we are to perceive of urban black life, I find it depressing, non-forward thinking in that one has to be misogynist, racist (all white people are evil) and the use of violence is an answer. There is nothing to relay a positive aspect/response to solve anything.

Yancey

I am not a huge hardcore hip-hop fan, but why should it try to solve anything? That's not their job. I don't think that's something you can hold against someone.

Giles

well their doom and gloom atitude isnt certainly one of their winning attributes is it? The can bitch and complain all they want I choose to ignore it.

ziggy

that is usually what I say, but I don't think of it as elitist. I think just the opposite. The rap that I like is the old school rap when it was about life in the ghetto - I say as my mind breaks off into an Elvis song -shiver- - and the country that I like is the old school country when it was indistinguishable from folk and blues. For the most part, new rap is about money, girls, and drugs. I like all three of those things, but music about them seems unimportant - like a waste of time. New country just seems to be mostly twangy pop music. Since I don't like pop music either and twangs do nothing for me, then country is right out


In general, I tend to like mostly "important" music - music that represents a lifestyle, or social change, or even just musical change. I don't know, for me music has to be about something - or purposely about nothing (the avoidence of something is about something too) - regardless of genre.

Tandem

I'll listen to just about anything as long as I don't get offended by bad language. I like variety and what really bothers me is listening to a radio station that repeats songs every hour.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned opera music. I'll listen politely for couple of songs then I'm out of there. After a while it just drives me up the wall.

Polka anyone?