Why do like one artist/style over an other?

I don't reckon there is any answer to this. Many people love Queen, I detest them with a fervour. I love the Smiths, whereas others cannot stand them. A great friend of mine loves Shostakovic, but it leaves me cold. Perhaps a PhD thesis is in order. Come to think of it, I should have done that, rather than fish foraging.

Nigel

It would indeed be an interesting subject to study - I would need to think carefully to give a sensible answer. I do like artists with a touch of originality, but I'm not keen on originality for its own sake - I like a lot of Lou Reed's songs (not all), but his most original work Metal Machine Music is just about the worst record ever (I think he did it to annoy the record company): I can't believe anybody would like it, Lou Reed doesn't.

Mary Chapin Carpenter does country/folk in a refreshingly different way, but underneath it all she is a very good singer/songwriter.

However, I've no idea if what captures my attention is what captures others attention and leads them to like an artist.

On this forum many contributors love Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra and I fail to understand the appeal at all. I saw a documentary on Ella and my thoughts were - what an incredibly nice person, but the music wasn't for me. I'm not convinced Frank was as nicer guy - perhaps he was, but again leaves me cold.

However, when I postulate quite genuinely that I like Chas & Dave, I detect almost disbelief - I love musical hall songs and have records by Harry Champion, Marie Lloyd and others in my collection; I like Gracie Fields and George Formby - and just maybe Charles Hodges and David Peacock are the modern incarnation - as to some extent is Richard Digance who is one of my favourite entertainers.

Perhaps there is not even a trend in the music I like that is easy to create a formula for - but it is true that lots of forum members share similar taste on many artists.

An interesting topic ..... when I first joined there seemed to be lots of Steely Dan threads, but now almost never mentioned .... now there are lots of Genesis threads; Pink Floyd threads still come and go, but not as often as they used to .... yet almost no interest in the new Martha and the Muffins CD - which I'm still waiting for. No right or wrong in this - just an observation and I wonder where I could do that PhD.

Wonderful thread

ATB Rotf

It's the memory, the ear and the heart, that's what you hear.

Different for each of us, and in a state of continuous flux, when awakened.

Just now, I am in process of memorizing the themes for Bach's WTC, a few Haydn Trios will be selected, the Chopin Preludes and the Debussy Preludes.

The few pieces in memory as themes seem more lucid and expressive, no matter the performance, and in reading a score, structure is more apparent. Well, at least that's how it seems to be working for me :-)

We'll see how it goes ...

Exposure to certain musical styles as a youth has something to do with it I'm sure. My family had almost no music in the house and I got stuff from my 'cool' older cousin which had me in a sort of social/cultural group at the outset. If my big teenage influence had been heavy rock or black soul maybe I'd have developed a very different taste.
Equally if my older brother likes something, then by definition I considered it rubbish!

I think personal musical talent and understanding does influence it a bit. I have no ability or technical appreciation of music, my responses are purely emotional and instinctive. If I had some more knowledge perhaps I might 'get' jazz or more varied styles of classical music as I'd be more involved in the process and performance.

Bruce

quote:

My theory is that most of the music I like I can imagine me playing it,

That doesn't work for me - I can't play Brain Salad Surgery on my penny whistle.

Mind you I was caught in a dream once and imagined I was on Stars in Their Eyes saying "tonight Matthew, I'm going to be Alice Cooper".

I think it is fairly visceral and instinctive. You hear it and either it floats your boat or it doesn't, most of the time at least. I have some records that I really did not like the first time I listened to them then found myself listening to years later and being surprised at how good they were. However, this is the exception to the rule for myself at least.

Musical enjoyment begins when you hear a tune you like, without forethought. These are the tunes that will be cherished for a good long while.

But everything good to consume has a sell by date, and so tunes fall out of favor.

Some, like me, want to play Frankenstein, and extend a musical love longer than otherwise.

So I learn more about those tunes.

What tunes they may be, that's something different for each of us.

It's nice to discuss that, after feeding :-)