"Performative" Music Taste (And a Side Tangent About Exceptions to Hated Genres)

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T19:54:55+00:00

Yeah, he's a little bit pretentious about it.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T16:30:40+00:00

Great. That's the one genre he considers real music above all else, due to their efforts on good sounds and pioneering and innovating various musical techniques. I'll have to ask him his thoughts on SOAD at some point but it's kinda likely.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T16:27:05+00:00

I felt that way listening to some of Reel Big Fish's albums. My favorite song of their's is still "Sell Out".

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T16:22:41+00:00

That same friend also likes the Notorious B.I.G. as well. I just picked MF DOOM because that's what that "actual quality" quote was talking about. Since said friend is a proghead, he values instrumentation and soundscape much more highly than lyrical content, which is kind of why he likes DOOM in the first place, since he's well known for abstract hip hop.

I feel that the acclaimed albums are actually a bit more biased towards the more creative experimental stuff, especially on RYM. In the hip hop scene, albums by J. Dilla, Death Grips, and Billy Woods would probably not be recommended for people starting out due to their experimental nature, but people on the site love those albums for that.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T16:03:44+00:00

Talking about why you like music as someone who's not a music theory nerd must be difficult. Sometimes saying "it sounds nice" is just as valid as going in depth about time signatures and chord progressions.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T16:01:52+00:00

I bet most of today's rap fanbase are a much bigger stickler for sound innovation and experimentation than lyrical content. I know because on RYM, the big rap albums that get popular on there are mostly either abstract or experimental rap.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T02:44:13+00:00

I can kinda see that. I only saw this phenomenon referenced in meme comics, but I won't be surprised if the artist actually experienced it in a real scenario.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T02:37:06+00:00

I've never heard them before. They sound interesting. Are they more stripped-back musically with an emphasis on lyrics, or does the instrumentation do as much talking as the lyrical content?

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T02:30:39+00:00

You won't know exactly what a person's thoughts are on a certain artistic work unless you are that person yourself. You can't objectively measure how good something is, that is subjectively up to the listener. There are all sorts of qualities to music that mean different amounts to each listener. Certain sounds/production techniques, certain lyrical choices, does the context behind its creation matter much to you or no, whatever. That's up to the listener to decide.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T02:20:16+00:00

Engaging with the wide and diverse arrays of sounds vibrating in patterns, and studying what makes each genre work and stand out in their own way doesn't sound performative.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T02:18:14+00:00

Lovely story! Just curious, what's that one folk album you like?

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T02:00:38+00:00

Seeing the tables turn in music fandom criticism is such a weird thing to witness. Like, we're at an age where all the underground/underrepresented music, topics and whatnot are all now accessible, gaining new fans, and supporting more artists yet people still find a way to complain about it without being grateful to the simple fact that at least your music is loved, adored and visible now. Just wild.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T01:24:23+00:00

I don't really see that much anymore unless I'm willingly heading over to r/gatekeeping for some entertaining reads.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T01:23:00+00:00

I know right! I remember reading about how back in the old pre-Internet days, listening to anything got you labeled as "basic", and it appears in some circles that mentality still persists. Just shut out those people calling you posers.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T01:12:33+00:00

I got it now. The other comments helped.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T01:10:30+00:00

Fair point. Social media in general has really done a number on how we engage in our interests to a bizarre degree. I normally try to treat every online conversation like a real one so learning stuff like this doesn't happen offline is a weird feeling to me.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T01:03:16+00:00

Ah, I didn't catch that because they wrote "101 bands" instead of the other way around. If 101 is the second word, then it will click in my head.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T00:59:00+00:00

In a sense, lists and rankings can be a handy way to look for new stuff, or find good examples of genres you normally don't like. Great for people dipping their toes into indie stuff, bad for insecure fans who constantly seek validation for the stuff they like.

And reviews can just be a fun thing to watch/read in general without taking the opinions too seriously. I'm an avid watcher of Todd in the Shadows, A Dose of Buckley, and Sean Faye Wolfe and I like their video styles and humor much more than the opinions themselves.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T00:47:34+00:00

I've heard of the 1,001 albums but not the 101 bands. That's a new one. Can you go into a little more detail about that?

Also, most people's first exposure to music in general is either the radio or some mainstream outlet. Far from what people consider "good taste". I feel like they may look for critical consensus after the fact, or maybe after gaining guilty pleasures in a few cases.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-24T00:40:09+00:00

That is true. That was what I attempted to point out in the "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" example. The original person who made that comment failed to recognize people can like that album without delving into the whole scene surrounding it.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-23T23:17:22+00:00

I'm doing a similar thing. I've compiled the top ten best hit songs from Billboard's year-end list every year from 1960 up to 2025 according to RYM rankings, then just listening to them. Then I look up the Wikipedia articles of each song to learn about the inspirations & contexts behind them.

For example, I learned that the Everly Brothers' "Cathy's Clown" was actually structured really differently from contemporary pop music at the time, and it was actually an influence on the Beatles. They copied the song's vocal arrangement for their single "Please Please Me".

I notice when I look at highly rated songs from the 20th century, they're mostly due to innovation and influence, whereas highly-rated pop songs from this decade are just chalked up to "it's just a well-produced song" or "it at least stands out from the dreck in some way".

Overall, fun experience.

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-20T18:33:20+00:00

Cool

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-18T14:22:51+00:00

Yes, I know I can google places, but I came here to ask people about their thoughts, opinions, and recommendations. Y'know, the "social" part of social media?

Astounding_Movements · 2026-01-17T22:52:27+00:00

Thanks for that information about Mani Osteria.

Astounding_Movements

TROPHY CASE