Hi, i'm a gamer, and I like mainstream music.

[Generator]

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't think any less of you for it. You should listen to what you like and not let anyone tell you any differently. However, I doubt the music elitism on this site will end any time soon, sorry to say.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

-Long rambling rant wherein Archangel357 took my hyperbole way too seriously went here-

Wait, do you seriously want me to answer that? You realize A) I was (mostly) joking and B) I went out of my way to clearly indicate I was an elitist jackass, right?

Also you completely missed my point: I think all music is crap, minus the minuscule portion of it that is actually decent. Obscurity is no more a mark of quality than presence on the Top 40 charts, it just means it will be crap you never actually hear unless you go looking for it (or suffer from pretentious indie fans for friends).

Modern rock radio is a cultural wasteland - for every good song you might hear, there will be 99 samey, boring, annoying, or just outright terrible and yet inexplicably popular ones.

Oh, and since you did mention it, The Beatles ranged from decent to low-key annoying depending on the song. They get the same big resounding "meh" from me that most classic rock elicits, but if it's a choice between them or the auto-tuned garbage flooding the airwaves nowadays, I will be the eggman and/or the walrus in a heartbeat.

 

[GodofDisaster]

I?m not a big fan of today?s modern music especially those in the charts. However I can tolerate a few songs, and I completely respect your opinion.

 

[Sparkky]

This makes me laugh.
I love popular music.
As for being "not that music savy" I also listen to Ska, and some less popular stuff. I listen to mainstream.
I've been a part of Concert bands as a percussionist, I've played an small jazz band, pit bands for musicals and big bands.
I can appreciate classical music, and jazz.
I've listened to ambient music, hardcore punk, indie, techno, all sorts of stuff.
I subscribe to Last.fm and my radio station I listen to is mostly pop-punk, soft rock, even some rap.
I know when I go to the gym I have a lot of rap.
I spend a lot of time finding music I enjoy, I just really enjoy mainstream music. Its got much better production values, its got a LOT of effort and skill put in to make it sound good. I've got nothing to prove and like the Op I find it amusing with all these purists who love every little band that dies out in 6 months.

 

[That One Six]

I don't care what you listen to, I just severely dislike pop music. By lumping us all into the category of mainstream music haters, you are doing unto us what we supposedly do unto you.

 

[AcacianLeaves]

snip

I already addressed this.

Secondly, It's completely my prerogative to choose not to bother to scope out obscure artists if I don't think its worth it. Let me make it clear again that I have been exposed to music that I wouldn't normally listen to, by friends and the internet, and I've hardly ever found anything I like. I'm quite comfortable and happy listening to the type of music I already listen to, and judging by the fact that my past experiences delving into the unknown haven't been very good experiences, you can all surely understand why I stick with what I know I'm going to like. Yes?

Personally I'd like to see some examples of what you consider 'Mainstream Pop'. I've perused this thread a bit and haven't been able to see people really giving many examples of what they consider mainstream pop. For instance:

Michael Jackson - i don't care who you are most of his stuff is effing awesome. Smooth Criminal is the best music video of all time (yes, even better than Thriller)
No Doubt - I love the hell out of No Doubt and most of Gwen Stefani's stuff. It's catchy and
fun
Blue October - I know its whiny and a little on the emo side of things but I still enjoy it in spite of myself

You'll notice something about these three artists - they have almost nothing in common. Their only defining feature is that they got a lot of radio time and MTV exposure. Mainstream Pop is NOT a genre of music. It's a classification of the degree of exposure a certain artist receives in the confines of an enormously broad musical definition of 'pop'.

This is the problem. If you listen to only "mainstream pop", then you aren't listening to a genre of music. You're listening to whatever is on the radio. You aren't seeking out music based on your own tastes and preferences, you just turn on the radio and enjoy what's on.

That's all well and good, but you shouldn't be surprised when people call you out on it. You don't really have a musical preference, you just listen to what happens to be on.

 

[Sleekgiant]

If the music makes you feel good listen to it, don't worry what other people think

 

[NoNameMcgee]

This is the problem. If you listen to only "mainstream pop", then you aren't listening to a genre of music. You're listening to whatever is on the radio. You aren't seeking out music based on your own tastes and preferences, you just turn on the radio and enjoy what's on.

I listed other genres in my opening post.

Pop is a genre too though. It has its own distinct sound. You can say pop as a shortage of 'popular music', but you wouldn't call popular hip-hop or popular rock 'pop music' in a sense of actually lumping it all into the same genre. There are also a tonne of pop songs that aren't mainstream... Confusing yeah, but its stood on its own as an actual genre since the 50s or 60s.

 

[Allstar309]

I listen to the top 40 charts all the time and although the odd song comes on that I totally despise, I mostly enjoy it.

And I know what you mean by finding good unpopular music, its just easier to listen to what evers on.

 

[NoNameMcgee]

I don't care what you listen to, I just severely dislike pop music. By lumping us all into the category of mainstream music haters, you are doing unto us what we supposedly do unto you.

I'm not lumping you all into the same category, that's just you jumping to conclusions. If I disliked everyone here I wouldn't come here. However, I have witnessed first-hand the music elitism (as someone else here quite eloquently described it) and in this very thread you can even see personal attacks and insults at me and my preferred genres. I think speaking out about this was justified after everything I've read on this forum.

There are plenty of friendly people here at the Escapist. Sadly plenty of not-so-friendly people too.

 

[brainfreeze215]

One of my fave singers is Lady Gaga, and I'm going to see her in concert next month.

First of all, I completely agree with you.

Second of all, I saw Lady GaGa in concert on New Year's Eve and she was absolutely amazing. The show was mind-blowing.

 

[NoNameMcgee]

One of my fave singers is Lady Gaga, and I'm going to see her in concert next month.

First of all, I completely agree with you.

Second of all, I saw Lady GaGa in concert on New Year's Eve and she was absolutely amazing. The show was mind-blowing.

Yeah, all I've heard are good things about it from the people who went. Damn, I can't wait to go and party, GaGa style

 

[Satin6T]

I'm sorry, 90% of the music I listen too was made before i was born(1990)
I really don't get anything from a lot of new age music
it all sounds (basically) like the same song with repetitive lyrics

 

[TheZapper]

I like mainstream music too, even a few Lady Gaga songs.

I really don't understand musical elitism, it's not like there is a right or wrong answer, it all just comes down personal taste.

 

[Hobohodou]

I just want to say this to the OP:

Congratulations ! you...ugh...well, yeah, you certainly feel special about this...
Ugh, well, maybe no-one really cares if you like mainstream music...I can tell you, where I work, everyone cares about music, one of our supervisors makes it a daily task to try and prove he's into more obscure music everyday...oh, and it makes him an asshat, when people usually just fall into obscure tastes (usually little effort once you find something you love)

All of that aside, It's almost like you want a flaming stealth banana to split the sky wide open, just so a little angel can give you an award for being fed up of people judging you!

Hell, I get judged for the type of music I listen to, but it doesn't bother me, I listen to what I listen to...maybe you should do the same, but in the future, you know, just....well.....you could be a lot more quiet about it and just get on with your life...since you don't want any special attention for it....

....oh...wait..

EDIT: and if you want to feel less special, despite liking some strange music (when bunched together) Tool, The Ozric Tentacles, UNKLE, DJ Shadow, Morning Musume, Shiina Ringo/Tokyo Jihen, DR Octagon, (hed) p.e. Well, I can still listen to lady gaga, mainstream pop usually doesn't bother me much at all, so feel less special in the fact even "I" can get judged for listening to the same thing...

And in case you think i'm being negative/harsh/justanasshat, well, I am, but just so the OP can get over him/herself...

I'm sorry, 90% of the music I listen too was made before i was born(1990)
I really don't get anything from a lot of new age music
it all sounds (basically) like the same song with repetitive lyrics

Congratulations, ugh, yeah....

Not that I can say much, but most music is quite repetitive IMO, Prog is the way to go if you want to escape that...

 

[Ultracake]

I generally try to keep out of musical debates.

My taste in music is questionable at best.

Spoiler: Here's some lyrics

Eeyore (hidden track)

Meet the man that made me
Greet the can I came from
Oh the fucking sacred heart of Jesus
BLEW it in the back room
Feelin' like a real goon
Slam the fuck aside, man
I'M ON - YOU'RE NOT

I AM THE GREAT BIG MOUTH 2x
BURN!

Good riddance - though I'm sad to say
I didn't get to kill you
Rhetoric - Better look both ways
I gotta get an arm through
STAIN
What the fuck is up? Get the fuck away
Run if you want to
Innocent? You're a guilty conscience
Laugh last - break through
STAIN

Prepare you fucker

even though i wont-ask him

I don't give a shit, *****
I don't give a fuck, *****
I don't understand, *****
You don't matter
I don't give a fuck, man
I don't give a shit, man
I don't really care, man
I'm the super sized man
I'm the great big mouth

I don't even know WHY i enjoy listening to that..

Just relax about it. Don't let E-insults hurt you

so THAT's what it says. great album but a little garbled at some points. see what you did? i'm gonna have to listen to it again now, nice job hero!

Just doing my duty for the good of the public.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

However, I do contest your notion that "all music (except the kind you like) is crap"; I've already asked you this, but aside from subjective opinion, what makes "your" music better than the kind others listen to? What objective criteria of superiority does it fulfill? Or, indeed, what music do you listen to? Because unless you listen to Bach, Mozart and Beethoven exclusively, I still don't see how one type of pop music is better than another...

There are many reasons why bad music is 'bad' - overuse of atonality, jarring time signature shifts, repetitive and irritating melodies/choruses, insipid lyrics, tone-deaf singers, poorly played instruments, etc. But the common thread present in all bad music is, when you get right down to it, that it's not very good: some things just suck, there really isn't a better way to phrase it since any given terrible song may suck for entirely different reasons, and some rare bands can take stylistic elements that would place anything else firmly into the "bloody awful racket" category and somehow make it work, you never really know until you listen to it.

And in that light, what makes any pop I listen to 'better' is the bit where what I only like things that don't suck [small](and they don't suck because I like them, huzzah for circular reasoning)[/small]. Seriously though, I honestly don't know how else to explain it [small](also I don't listen to very much music that could be realistically classified as 'pop', precisely because most of it is awful)[/small]. But to answer at least part of your question, feel free to click the spoiler box below.

Spoiler: I certainly hope you like scrolling though, as you just asked a music nerd with obsessive tendencies and a penchant for making pointless lists what he listens to (and thus I have provided a list of EVERY contemporary artist/band/project that I at least partially enjoy).

Disclaimer: Appearing on the list does not necessarily mean that I like the artist/duo/project/band/etc unambiguously, only that I have judged at least one of their songs to be worth listening to. Ergo you will find bands I absolutely adore mixed in with ones I mostly loathe - even groups that put out a dud 9 times out of 10 will still have released 1 decent song to accompany those duds after all.

[hr]
10 Years
12 Stones
Adelita's Way
Adham Shaikh
A Fine Frenzy
After Forever
Agathodaimon
Alan Silvestri
Alex Parks
Alestorm
Alice Peacock
Alter Bridge
Amethystium
Amber Asylum
Amberian Dawn
Andrea Wellard
Andy Hunter
Angela Ammons
Angra
Angtoria
Anna Nalick
Antaeus
Arjen A. Lucassen's Star One
Artrosis
Ascension Theory
ATB
Attrition
At Vance
Apocalyptica
Augustana
Ava Inferi
Avantasia
Axel Rudi Pell
Axenstar
Ayla Brown
Ayreon
B.Impatient
B-Tribe
Balligomingo
BarlowGirl
Battlelore
Beautiful Sin
Bella Sonus
Bernward Koch
Beth Waters
Beyond Twilight
Bill Conti
Blackmore's Night
Blind Guardian
Bliss
Blue Man Group
Blue October
Bond
Booka Shade
Breaking Benjamin
Brian Crain
Brian McFadden
Broken Iris
Brooke Fraser
BT
Cadia
Carrie Rodriguez
Casting Crowns
Celesty
Celldweller
Celtic Woman
Chantal Kreviazuk
Chevelle
Christopher Franke
Cirque Du Soleil
Clint Mansell & Kronos Quartet
Clint Mansell
Cloudscape
Colbie Caillat
Cold
Coldplay
Communic
Conjure One
Copper Sails
Coronatus
Cosmic Gate
Course Of Nature
Craig Armstrong
Daft Punk
Dana Glover
Danity Kane
Danny Wright
Dark Moor
Darkwell
Dar Williams
Datar
Daughtry
David Bridie
David Cook
David Helpling
David Lanz
David Nevue
Default
Delain
Delerium
Delta Goodrem
Demons & Wizards
Dido
Dishwalla
Dive Index
DragonForce
Dream Evil
Dreamland
Dream Theater
Dutch Force
E.S. Posthumus
Echoes Of Eternity
Echo Slightly
Edenbridge
Eden's Curse
Edguy
Edwin McCain
Elis
Elvenking
Emmy Rossum
Enigma
Ensiferum
Enya
Epica
Eric Bachmann
Erik Wollo
Erin McCarley
Escala
Essence
Eva Cassidy
Evan and Jaron
Evanescence
Eve 6
Everything But The Girl
Evolution
Excalion
Eyes Of Eden
Falconer
Falkenbach
Far Beyond Frail
Fariborz Lachini
Fatal Force
Fauxliage
Finger Eleven
Fiona Joy Hawkins
Fireflight
Fisher
Flogging Molly
Florence & The Machine
Flyleaf
Freedom Call
Frou Frou
Gamma Ray
Gandalf
Gary Stadler
George Winston
Ginny Owens
Glow
Good Charlotte
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Greg Maroney
H.I.M.
Halestorm
Hammerfall
Hans Zimmer / James Newton Howard
Hayley Westenra
Heavenly
Helen Jane Long
Hinder
Holly Brook
Howard Shore
Howie Day
Hungry Lucy
Hurt
Hybrid
Hydrogyn
Iced Earth
Imogen Heap
Imperia
Incubus
Inkubus Sukkubus
In Tenebris
In This Moment
Ira Stein & Russel Walder
Jakatta
James Blunt
James Todd
Jem
Jennifer Knapp
Jennifer Thomas
Jens Gad
Jets Overhead
Jewel
Jim Brickman
Jim Chappell
Joe Satriani
Joey Fehrenbach
Jo O'Meara
John R. Burr
John Williams
Jon Dahlander
Jon McLaughlin
Jon Schmidt
Jorn
Joshua Radin & Schuyler Fisk
Joshua Radin
Joy Williams
Julie Gribble
Julie Moffitt
Kamelot
Karelia
Karmina
Karunesh
Kate Havnevik
Katharine McPhee
Katie Todd
Katra
Kazu Matsui
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Sweet
Keri Noble
Kevin Kern
Kirsty Hawkshaw
Korpiklaani
Kosheen
Kotipelto
Kris Delmhorst
Krypteria
KT Tunstall
Kutless
Lacrimas Profundere
Lacuna Coil
La-Ventura
Leaves' Eyes
Leigh Nash
Leona Lewis
Lifehouse
Lisa Kelly
Little People
Liz Phair
Loreena McKennitt
Lorie Line
Louise Setara
Love Like Fire
Luca Turilli
Luca Turilli's Dreamquest
Lucie Silvas
Ludovico Einaudi
Lunatica
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Magna Canta
Mainstay
Mandy Moore
Manticora
Marie Digby
Maroon
Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori
Masterplan
Matt Nathanson
Matthew West
Mercenary
Michelle Branch
Midnattsol
Mike Oldfield
Mindy Smith
Minipop
Minnie Driver
Missy Higgins
Mob Rules
Mortal Love
Mortal Treason
Mostly Autumn
Motorcycle
Ms. John Soda
Mundanus Imperium
Myleene Klass
Mythos
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Walker
Natasha Bedingfield
Nevarakka
Nickelback
Nichole Nordeman
Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor
Nightwish
Nina Gordon
Nine Days
Nocturnal Rites
Norah Jones & Adam Levy
Norah Jones
Nox Arcana
Nuclear Blast Allstars
OceanLab
Octavia Sperati
Operatica
Operatika
Pagan's Mind
Pain
Paradise Lost
Paramore
Passionworks
Paul Cardall
Paul Van Dyk
Peter Bradley Adams
Peter Kater
Plumb
Poets Of The Fall
Primal Fear
Queensryche
Rachael Sage
Rachel Diggs
Rebecca St. James
Red
Revolution Renaissance
Rhapsody Of Fire
Ride The Sky
Rob Dougan
Rob Thomas
Rollo
Rosi Golan
Royal Hunt
Royksopp
Rudy K
Rufus Wainwright
Russell Allen & Jorn Lande
Ryan Stewart
Sacha Sacket
Sara Bareilles
Sara Groves
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Dashew
Sarah McLachlan
Satyrian
Savatage
Saving Abel
Scar Symmetry
Schiller
Scott Cossu
Secret Garden
Seether
Sepultura
Serenity
Seven Nations
Shawn Colvin
Shinedown
Silent Force
Silentium
Simon Collins
Sinewave
Sirenia
Sister Hazel
Sixpence None The Richer
Skillet
Sleepthief
Snow Patrol
Solid Sessions
Sonata Arctica
Steel Attack
Stereo Fuse
Steven Anderson
Stratovarius
Stream Of Passion
Suidakra
Superchic(K)
Suspyre
Suzanne Ciani
Switchfoot
Symphony X
Tapping The Vein
Tara Leigh Cobble
Tarja
Tarot
Tempest
Tenacious D
Theatre Of Tragedy
The Birthday Massacre
The Black Mages
The Calling
The Crest
The Crystal Method
The Dropkick Murphys
The Gathering
The Goo Goo Dolls
The Lonely Island
The O'Neill Brothers (With Deborah Gibson)
The Real Matt Jones
The Romanovs
Therion
The Section Quartet
The Velvet Teen
Thievery Corporation
Three Days Grace
Threshold
Thunderstone
Time Is Up
Tim Janis
Tina Cousins
Tobias Tinker
Todesbonden
Tonic
Tori Amos
Tracey Thorn
Train
Trance Fury
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Tristania
Turisas
Twilight Dementia
Twilightning
Ulrich Schnauss
Universal Hall Pass
Unsun
Urn
Vanessa Renee
Vangelis
Vargo
Velveteen Robot
Venessa Nolan
Venus Hum
Vienna Teng
Virgin Black
Visions Of Atlantis
Walls Of Jericho
Weathertunes
Within Temptation
Xandria
Yanni
Zero 7
[hr]
And this is of course just the list of contemporary music, keep reading for my opinions about classical.

Classical music is my first and greatest love, though I would hardly include Mozart on the list of classical greats - he was a child prodigy who went on to produce mostly average compositions, if it wasn't for his remarkable talent playing instruments during his formative years, he would be just another obscure composer who produced inoffensive but rather uninspired work. Mozart is the "elevator music" of the classical period.

Give me Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Beethoven's quartets, Bach, Chopin, Smetana, and most of the lesser known composers from the Romantic Period, as just about everything from that period is excellent. Haydn and the rest of the early neoclassical period I can do without, not anywhere near enough emotionality to their compositions - it's hard to listen to those pieces and imagine that they were intended to be anything other than "music being played in the background".

[small]Music like Ralph Vaughan William's The Lark Ascending on the other hand...[/small]
[small]... defies my grasp of the English language to adequately describe how spectacular it is.[/small]

 

[Xvito]

Snippety

This is really off-topic but... I think that Lady GaGa is actually a troll. Not one of those that live under bridges, but one that is currently trolling the entire music-industry.

Also, you can listen to whatever you want. Although, if you can't be arsed with finding "music that isn't popular", then that's your loss...