Why You Shouldn’t Judge Someone on Their Taste in Music
Music is important — very important to most of the people I know. Music is very important to me. If I’m not at a festival, concert, or local show then I am surely in my car and blasting music, at home listening to music, or doing other daily tasks while I have music blaring. If you look at my playlists on my phone you’ll see that there are a lot of different things going on. Electronic, classic rock, punk, country, oldies-but-goodies, metal, mainstream pop, and even some Disney soundtracks are sounds in my arsenal. I really love music and I love the memories that certain songs trigger in my mind. I know that if I have countless memories and feelings in direct correlation with certain songs then other people probably do as well. This is a major key in why you shouldn’t judge someone on their taste in music.
While certain songs and sounds can remind someone of happy, blissful times, certain songs and sounds can also remind someone of desperate and dark times. Just because you might not like Slayer, Dolly Parton, Lady Gaga, or Dillon Francis doesn’t mean that other people can’t enjoy their music. If you’re in the car with your friend and they put on a song or an artist that you don’t like then there’s always a way to express your dislike in a mature and respectful way. Think about this, if someone puts on a song that you don’t like and you obnoxiously state your opinion then you could be unintentionally dismissing every tear, every laugh, every kiss that they have had to that song. While you’re bashing, they could be thinking, “Hey, I had my first kiss to that song…” Think about your favorite song; now imagine someone tearing at it, just going to town on how terrible it is. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but music is personal. Music can be an intimate thing. The key is to be respectful and conscious of others. When someone’s choice in music bothers you, think about some of your favorite tunes and how they might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
A common experience that many might relate to would be listening to your parents’ music when you were younger. When they were dropping you off at school, taking you with them to run errands, hanging out in the living room, they probably had some of their favorite music playing on the record, cassette, or CD player. At one, or multiple points, you might have complained about their music and they might have said something along the lines of, “This is a good song. Really listen to it. I saw these guys live when I was your age.” Their pleas and reactions don’t seem so irrelevant now, do they? You might even find yourself adoring the music that was popular when they were growing up. I used to whine like a brat when my dad would always have the music he grew up to playing in his turquoise f150 as he picked me up from school. Now I play the same music that he “tortured” me with when we’re together because it’s something I grew to love and because it makes him happy. The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and so many other artists have created music that I listen to on a daily basis. If we went back a decade and asked teenage me if I thought I would voluntarily listen to my dad’s music when I grew up I would have said absolutely not. Oh, how times change.
Remember the true importance of music. Think about the time that some of it was written in. Think about what was going on in the social, political, and economic atmosphere. Think about the story someone is trying to tell. Think about how happy it makes you feel or how certain songs can bring tears to your eyes. Think about how a song can actually make you cringe and uncomfortable. Think about the kick-ass time you saw someone live and had one of the best nights of your life. Think about that one song you have tucked away in your playlist that reminds you of that one bad break-up. All music is important. It shapes us as human beings and affects us in ways that we can’t even grasp. Next time someone is playing a song or an artist you don’t care for, try to think about why they might be playing that song, how that music might make them feel, and be considerate of their personal memories tied to that music. Music is a form of art and not all art is liked or appreciated by everyone. Art is subjective. Grasp this piece of information and you’ll never need to stress about someone’s musical tastes again. If you don’t want to be judged for having that Christmas playlist on your phone in the month of July, don’t judge someone else for having “Problem” by Ariana Grande on their playlist.
Featured photo provided by Kenny Hoff
