re: Does The Average Person Have Poor Music Taste?

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I just want to add that although I have pushed back against this idea of "poor taste" and objective comments about it, I do personally agree with much of what you're saying about mainstream music. I think much of it is very dull and predictable. I think some of it is inauthentic, and as you said, "soulless" (that word makes me somewhat uneasy because I think that some may have a religious interpretation associated with that relative to their definition of "good"). I feel that way about various other things that are mainstream as well (e.g., mainstream news). However, I do like some mainstream music.

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It has nothing to do with mainstream music IMO. There is bad mainstream music just like there is bad indie or more unknown music.

You're a perfect example of the average person.

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Wrong

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Wrong. The question was about defining quality. Listing comparisons is not a definition.

Really, I don't see a point in continuing with this. The posters who think they have objective perception of the world just ignore, cherry-pick, and confuse a subjective viewpoint with objectivity.

I mean of you really want to get down to it, there's no objective truth to anything.

There's not even an objective certainty that either of us are really alive right now. See how easy that is?

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Same with food, movies, travel, and everything else you can find on cable TV that caters to the sidewalk critic. Everyone has become a ______ snob. People like to feel exclusive. Watch a few tv shows, become a critic.

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In most areas people have no problem conceding that while there may be subjective taste, some people's opinions are objectively better than others.

Case in point, I don't know dick about fashion. Never cared about it, rarely think about it, and I hate to shop. While "fashion" in a very general sense is just as subjective as music, I would never say that my subjective opinion is worth as much as someone who makes fashion their career or hobby. I wouldn't think i would get much argument there, yet some people insist that the arts are somehow "special" and all opinions are "equal". That's a completely absurd position to take.

I can objectively tell you aspects of music that are better than others though. I can tell you if certain songs are more difficult to play, more original, etc. Bubble gum pop always follows specific formulas, same with the way mainstream country. I can objectively tell you that Statesboro Blues is better musically than Nickelbacks Rockstar. Wether a person likes the Nickelback song more than the Allman brothers, that's their choice. But I can tell you which is more original.


Maybe taste was a poor word choice used to start this discussion. People can like what they like and certain things can sound good to people and bad to others. But at a certain point you can be objective in these topics. If you stick to top 40 hits, that's fine... If that makes you happy, good for you. Like what you like. Maybe I should've just said that the average persons music taste is unoriginal. I listen to music for escape, I listen hard to it. Not everyone does the same. I'm not going to say someone is dumb or some shite like that for liking what they like, but they likely aren't as into music as someone like me. The people I know that are music lovers don't stick to just mainstream sounds.

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In most areas people have no problem conceding that while there may be subjective taste, some people's opinions are objectively better than others.

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So is the nature of art. We like what we like because it means something to us, as individual. Maybe for sentimental reasons, or a myriad of others.

I never changed my opinion, at least not intentionally, of course people will consume all types of shite, I was trying to point out that I was not saying everything I listen to is high quality. I have bad taste in a whole range of topics which I have delved in to, it isn't meant to be some huge negative thing.

I don't know what else you have asked but what is a threshold for quality? It is dependent on a variety of factors so you can't say "well they need 40,000 downloads, 1 Grammy nomination, x hours of radio play and 10 sold out concerts" but we accept that the Beatles are higher quality than most others. Of course for the subjects that are close to the line, there will always be up for debate but that is true for pretty much everything in the world.

You can't define good vs. evil or anything that is a matter of opinion or taste or perspective, however you want to state it, but we don't hear argument about a range of other subjects that there is a line somewhere.

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Same with food, movies, travel, and everything else you can find on cable TV that caters to the sidewalk critic. Everyone has become a ______ snob. People like to feel exclusive. Watch a few tv shows, become a critic.

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Exactly.

I mean, there are people who are more knowledgeable about specific areas, and if I want advice, I may value their advice/opinion, but a knowledgeable opinion on art doesn't make other opinions objectively bad or wrong. And OP didn't ask if the average person was bad at writing music reviews, or critiquing various aspects of music. The OP is about taste, and is referring to individual preference. Something that is subjective by definition.

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I can objectively tell you aspects of music that are better than others though. I can tell you if certain songs are more difficult to play, more original, etc. Bubble gum pop always follows specific formulas, same with the way mainstream country. I can objectively tell you that Statesboro Blues is better musically than Nickelbacks Rockstar. Wether a person likes the Nickelback song more than the Allman brothers, that's their choice. But I can tell you which is more original.


Maybe taste was a poor word choice used to start this discussion. People can like what they like and certain things can sound good to people and bad to others. But at a certain point you can be objective in these topics. If you stick to top 40 hits, that's fine... If that makes you happy, good for you. Like what you like. Maybe I should've just said that the average persons music taste is unoriginal. I listen to music for escape, I listen hard to it. Not everyone does the same. I'm not going to say someone is dumb or some shite like that for liking what they like, but they likely aren't as into music as someone like me. The people I know that are music lovers don't stick to just mainstream sounds.

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Define objective?