I just had a thought.
For me, music is a BIG DEAL. Sure, I don’t actually play anything, but my iPod and I are inseparable (I take him- his name is Jean-François- to work, when I go out, to bed, EVERYWHERE!), and it is a rare moment to find me not singing. I’m lucky enough to be interested in quite a few genres. I favour pop, pop rock, and big band swing music. But I also have a deep love of rock, country and classical. Essentially, if you were to name a genre, I could come up with at least one corresponding song I enjoy. I even like rap! I sometimes like to sing along about mah bitchez and hos. And I can totally get off on fiddle music. Two step, anyone? Sue me.
So, like I said, I’m lucky. I have a wide range of music appreciation.
But, not all people do. In fact, if I had to guess, quite a few people my age don’t enjoy the sexy sounds of Frank Sinatra (Blasphemy, I say!). Judging by one of the most popular radio stations for my age group, Vibe98.5, most people like Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Leona Lewis. And so do I. Excellent.
I got to thinking about those people who only like one genre of music. What if they lived in a different time? How would someone who loves rap do in 1942, when every second song played on the radio was my dear Frankie? Is there something built in to our personality that dictates which music we find appealing? Or is it more, like, what we’re exposed to? If a rap fan today were to have been born in the late 1920s, and therefore have been a teenager in the 1940s, would they then be turned into a Sinatra fan, just because that was what was most readily available to them?
What about you? Would you be able to survive in a different decade, or is your Britney Spears CD the be-all and end-all of your musical tastes?
Hmmm… that’s a really valid and interesting point of thought.
I think I would somehow survive… I’d find something that I like. I think it could be the same for other people too…
I, too, have a semi-wide range of musical taste but I don’t think as wide as yours… but I think appreciative of most music.
Good question! To be perfectly honest I think I’d be fine :D. I love music from all genres. Well, everything but gangsta rap. I think I’m okay with other types of rap though- I have a CD that’s almost entirely French rap XD.
Ooh, interesting question. Someone should do research on this. Somehow. :P
I think it has a lot to do with what we’re exposed to. Only when you’re exposed to something can you decide whether or not you like it. (Usually.)
As for me, I have practically no knowledge of musical genres (unless Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Impressionistic count), so I can’t exactly confine myself to a definite one. I tend to focus more on song lyrics, although the melody is pretty important, too.
While people do show a personality streak in the kinds of songs they like, I think it takes from the kind of music they’re exposed to. So, suppose if someone was exposed to a lot of Frank Sinatra, and they didn’t like him at all (hypothetically, of course), then perhaps they’d be looking for other bands that they would like. I don’t know how much sense that makes.
As pour moi, I like music from most genres too! I know I’ve got about 20 genres on my iTunes favourites list right now. So I guess if I was in a different time frame, it wouldn’t be so much of a problem. Especially since I like Frank Sinatra too, and he’s so timeless it’s weird.
We-ell if you lived in 1942, you couldn’t know you liked only rap :P. So at most you wouldn’t listen to music, I guess.
I know I was very surprised when Jem declared that she didn’t listen to it.
I couldn’t imagine not listening to music. I’m also very lucky that I can listen to it at work, because I’m not interacting with customers.
I believe I could survive in another decade with only a certain amount of music. I don’t like rap and I’m not into pop that much, I prefer rock. I do like a bit of classical and I do like the oldies.
Just like you, I’m also lucky to have such a broad appreciation for music. However, I do not like opera and classic so I couldn’t survive in those centuries wherein they were the main attraction. But besides that, I would probably survive in another decade (especially the ’60s! ’60s pop culture is love).
I don’t like rap at all, but I do lots lots of other kinds of music. I love music. I can’t imagine a world with no music! I’m not a big fan of 70’s disco type music, but I’d survive if that’s all I had to listen to. 80’s music rocks the most in my opinion.
I guess if I lived in another decade, I would just love the music from that time period since i am such a music fan.
“And I can totally get off on fiddle music.” - That cracked me up!
I don’t listen to a lot of music so it wouldn’t be a huge problem for me. My music is limited to one or two groups and classical. Classical…hm…that wouldn’t have been a problem then. :P
I really think I should have been born in the 1600’s, classical = <3
That’s a very interesting question
The thing is, in terms of music, I really have no interest in comtemporary stuff. So it wouldn’t be a huge travesty to me to have been born decades ago at all, quite the opposite actually, because mainstream music really doesn’t speak to me. The most “recent” music that I listen to is from the 1970s, so as you can hear, I’m kind of behind :P
I guess you can also say that I don’t really have a broad taste in music. I can appreciate different stuff, but I generally listen to one particular genre, and that’s it
I wish I could’ve been young in the 1960s. That would be my dream scenario :P
I hate rap. I hate the fact I sing to Eminem & know every word of his ’songs’ (its the hubbys fault really). I didn’t like the idea of my beloved Mr. Manson going on stage with Eminem. But then again I have nothing to say as I seemingly would stalk Marilyn Manson if time permitted. I really don’t know what I would do without my genre of music. Prolly listen to country as I know the words to a lot of country songs. That is all my moms fault. Besides my grandma & I would watch those movies with swing bands & all. I could do. I think. I am just blabbing.
I love music of all kinds. I know I’d be alright when ever. Gimme some Etta James, a little bit of Ella, Sinatra, oldies, 70’s, 80’s… i guess i could even handle disco. Maybe >< I love opera, and classical.. and old folk. So yah, I’m pretty confident I’d be ok listening to any time period. If you want to expand your musical knowledge by era, I’d recommend Musicovery.com. You can set the time period and the mood and it generates music for you. It’s totally awesome.
I *LOVE* music. I live it, I breathe it, and I appreciate all of it — even the genres I’m not so fond of, because they’re the ones that remind us to have standards, LOL.
Anyhoo, I absolutely ADORE Frank Sinatra! And Sammy Davis, Jr. Ella Fitzgerald… I love it all! But my true love is ’80s music. New Wave & Heavy metal = LOVE. After ’80s rock I adore Alternative and Indie Rock. Finally, I’m a complete sucker for Rap and Hip-Hop — 2Pac, Nas, Snoop, etc.
It’s a bit complicated, really. I stopped listening to the radio a long time ago, mainly because of all of these one-hit wonders invading the airwaves. And I don’t like Pop… but I like Britney Spears.
I guess I enjoy any type of music as long as I feel the artist is being authentic, or if I can really identify with X-aspect of the song. I just embrace what I love =P