Is there a such thing as having bad taste in music or is it completely subjective?

Submitted by SlurpMyDaycare t3_ycmfvm in Music

I am constantly told I have a shit taste in music which I guess I kinda agree with but I like what I like and there’s artist people love which I cannot understand but maybe they’re seeing something I don’t or maybe some people’s ears just don’t work?

Let’s say Playboi carti for instance; I don’t think he’s talented. Maybe some of his beats are good but I feel like that’s it. Then again, one of my favorite artist is Chase Atlantic which is I guess some experimental pop type shit which I don’t love every song because they do have bad songs but even the songs I think go hard af most people around me say it’s gay as fuck which I can understand why they primarily have a female audience but fuck it. I don’t think they make music as a passion considering most of the new shit they put out, I feel like they are just trying to get the bag.💰

People shit on others constantly because they are Youngboy fans, maybe they unironically are NAV fans, they like country, Cardi B, or the one I hear the most shit about is new MGK.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I believe. I’d like to know other peoples take on this topic though.

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[deleted] t1_itn08mc wrote

Suggestive. I don’t understand why people try to make others feel like shit over their music choice. Listen to whatever makes you happy. Everybody has opinions, let them keep them. Music can be extremely unifying if people let it.

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SlurpMyDaycare OP t1_itn25du wrote

I’ll mess with my friend about Playboi carti and he gets really upset about it and I tell him look what I like and look what you like, you think everything I listen to is ass and vice versa we agree on somethings though, I don’t understand his taste nor does he mine but like it shouldn’t really matter, I personally don’t think it’s that serious. We are just different and that should be okay.

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[deleted] t1_itn2vj4 wrote

totally. in the end, everybody should be able to listen to whatever makes them happy, without serious criticism.

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BuddhistSlater t1_itn0tjh wrote

I think saying someone has bad taste is essentially synonymous with saying their musical taste isn't interesting to you personally. It's the same as saying the music someone likes "sucks", like they say like it is an objective fact but we all know it's subjective and what they're really saying is "I don't like this thing you like".

So my judgement of you OP would be that your taste is uninteresting to me personally. It would be a lot more interesting to me if you liked guitar based bands that I've never heard of or are generally interested in technical rock music or artists that are trying to do something different or innovative, because that's what I'm into. I could be mean and say your taste is bad though.

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SlurpMyDaycare OP t1_itn43dn wrote

That’s a good way to put it, most people go straight to nah that artist is dog ass why do you like this? I’ve done this growing up too but I’ve been working on my flaws and understanding that everyone is different, the whole PC thing and having friends born as male being non binary was weird to me but I’ve come to terms with it really does not affect me in anyway so if this person wants me to refer to them as They/them now on and I care about them why not just do it. Even furries, I don’t understand that shit but it’s not me at the end of the day so if that’s what makes them happy then so be it I guess. Basically if no one is getting hurt it shouldn’t affect anybody else, right?

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DoodooExplosion t1_itn0tz0 wrote

All subjective. No matter what someone tells you opinion is not fact. Like what you like and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.

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UnderhandedLoki t1_itn0lnp wrote

Like you said, it depends on personal preference. Don’t let other people get to you if it does.

I personally hate Cardi B, Carti and those kinds of artists.

I love pop punk stuff, old rap, old hip hop that sort of thing. Vast majority of new rap nowadays is mumbling, which I don’t personally enjoy either. I avoid it like the plague, but as long as i can’t hear it I’ll have no complaints

Suppose it also depends if you think a large segment of the modern population is dumb for listening to whoever, or if you think that every artist out there has talent.. or something inbetween

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SlurpMyDaycare OP t1_itn33mj wrote

Pop punk like neck deep tssf or none of that mainstream shit? I see they’re going more pop than punk now but personally I think it kinda goes hard like the Proper Dose album from TSSF but the older fuck you fuck everything kinda songs slap too.

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BrassOwlRing t1_itn1979 wrote

I think taste is subjective and I would never say someone has a good or bad taste in music, but the identifiers to me are how varied is a person's taste and how much do they know about the music they listen to.

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GlueForSniffing t1_itn8h6a wrote

I mean " Gay AF " isn't an insult like they want it to be.

Like, cool you limit yourself from liking things you may consider feminine? Good on you for being a follower and seeking out approval from other men? Like no, fuck off.

If women like an artist more often than men it doesn't mean it's bad and that idea is ridiculous.

I do think people can have BLAND music taste? Like if you only listen to mainstream-mainstream music it's very formulated. I like some of it too but like . . . at some point it feels less like a person's taste and more like " SAFE JAMS for your dentist office / kid's party " in pop music.

and I feel like a lot of rap is starting to sound the same especially in male rappers. Very few are mixing it up and doing something where they don't sound like 20 other guys who make it to mediocre success because they're a dime a dozen.

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SlurpMyDaycare OP t1_itna5ep wrote

Shit, I’ll even fuck with some Ariana Grande, If it sounds good then why not listen to it. I’m not a masculine male and I mean I get some people wanna be THE MAN but don’t just say something is garbage because it’s not manly, women can make some good ass music too even if it’s more focused on their gender. It doesn’t have to be talking about fucking bitches and getting money, sure I like some of that music but because some of it just sounds nice to my ears. I like a lot of forms of pop but I’ll Listen to many different genres as well and I don’t care if the song is more on the feminine side, if it’s a good ass song I’m listening to it.

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GlueForSniffing t1_itqmyb7 wrote

I think women are still not taken seriously and are severely underestimated in music.

They've done a lot of legwork in shaping what music is.

This modern folk-pop and Indie style everyone is trying to do right now? Wouldn't exist without Kate Bush's major success but, the US sort of cockblocking her success taking over there makes them ignorant to realize the waves in music she has made.

Kate was really the first person to SUCCESSFULLY in the MAINSTREAM break from music formulas as largely as she did and include things like spoken word and high classical headvoices in POP mainstream?!? She was using literary references and pioneering usage of the farmlight CMI back when people were not using technology to further music and sound very widely. She is the reason for the Indie uprise and also arguably started the heavy synth use and exploration of the 80's.

and she isn't the only one.

Tina Turner shifted the expectations of how women were supposed to sound MASSIVELY. She did follow in the footsteps of men but her doing that in the 60's brought range into music expectations of what women could do. She broke the frilly mold. Because back then all successful female acts were in knee length or longer dresses singing about " OH my boy, he loves me I love him so " not ripping skirts off to show their legs and singing about dancing and where they came from.

and then Cher? Cher is the only majorly successful ALTO to ever happen and again PIONEERED USE of the vocoder. Without her doing that? Will.iam and T-Pain wouldn't have careers. She is also the only PERSON to have a major hit in 6 different decades. Not even The Beatles did that.

Women shape music just as much if not arguably more than men do.

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DreamFighter72 t1_itnd8uv wrote

Music is absolutely subjective. There are artists that I love with all of my heart that other people hate and there are artists that other people love that I absolutely hate. It's always been like that and it always will be like that.

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fattsmann t1_itn1roj wrote

It's subjective AND you can have shit taste. Both can be mutually exclusive.

Eg, if 100 people tell you that you have shit taste, then perhaps that opinion is closer to fact. Perhaps your judgment of what is "good" is actually quite narrow and limited.

Also, how open/closed mind to differing opinions and tastes is another factor.

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McDonalds_Toothpaste t1_itn26mk wrote

Music is like food. If you wouldn't make fun of someone for liking tomatoes then you shouldn't make fun of someone for liking Black Eyed Peas. You can't help what sounds good to your ears any more than you can help what tastes good on your tongue.

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SlurpMyDaycare OP t1_itn5kiq wrote

I think it’s okay to joke about it a bit but some people take that shit so serious.

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AJayayayay t1_itna0xx wrote

Completely subjective

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CauliflowerBoth866 t1_itnbajp wrote

If you ever sought out new things to listen to, then decided whether you liked it or not, this is you developing your own taste.

If you are only listening to whatever gets played on your favorite stream or station, then no you don't have taste, you are depending on someone else's taste.

Cerulean

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normisgood t1_itnseoh wrote

Art is subjective. Don’t go to a hoe down expecting a mosh pit.

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bluetriumphantcloud t1_itn1wwa wrote

Taste can be developed, or underdeveloped. If you're taste in music isn't more developed than it was when you were younger then your taste isn't any 'better' than it was, but it def could be.

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SlurpMyDaycare OP t1_itn5cgu wrote

More developed as in expanding such as when I was little I didn’t like country but now I do?

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bluetriumphantcloud t1_itnki69 wrote

Keep working on it lol

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SlurpMyDaycare OP t1_itolyh2 wrote

I mean I’ve opened up to listening to a lot more music than I used to, one of my favorite artist it took me a while to get into but eventually it grew on me and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever really listened to prior.

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DevinBelow t1_itn30b2 wrote

Taste is completely subjective. Your taste is only really "good" or "bad" compared to what your taste could be, not compared to anyone elses.

I do think it's possible for people's taste to come from a place of ignorace (ie. not having a great amount of knowledge about, or appreciation of, music), and I do think that leads to one being more close-minded about music, which leads to only liking certain styles or genres or specific music artists. I think, for my money, I don't really trust musical opinions that come from a place of ignorace. So if you're like "Oh, I like music, just not country, or hip hop, or jazz, or industrial"...or whatever genres you just write off because you've never actually developed an appreciation for it, I'm going to think your taste in music is tainted by those prejudices, and have less respect for your opinions as a whole.

It doesn't mean your opinions or tastes are wrong or "bad", it's just they are less refined I guess. I think it is possible to have a more or less refined palate when it comes to music, just like anything else.

It's like, I'm not a wine conniseur, but if I were one, I would like to have a well rounded palate that can appreciate and understand the various types of wine from all over the world. That's kind of how I feel about music and that is the type of musical palate I try to maintain.

I don't mean for this to sound condescending. Everyone has their thing that they are really into and know a LOT about, and I just think for some people that thing is music, and for some people it's not. It's my only thing like that. I could speak for hours on just discussing the difference in the Stones from '68 - '72 or the production in early '90s through mid '90s hip hop...or I feel like I could write a masters thesis on what changed between Radiohead's The Bends and OK Computer (I prefer the Bends btw).

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Paragon8384 t1_itn5x0f wrote

No, there is no such thing. People like different music for different reasons. It suits their tastes and makes them happy.

However, when people say *insert famous pop artist name here* is the greatest or most creative without taking into account musical ingenuity & innovation, in-depth lyricism & themes, and instrumental talent, that pisses me off. Saying a 3 min. rehashed pop song is more amazing or creative than, say, a 20-minute prog rock/metal epic is asinine.

When it comes to music, there really is no "greatest", just who's the most successful. But again, all music tastes are different. Be glad you have music you enjoy in your life.

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SlurpMyDaycare OP t1_itn8l71 wrote

Some people swear by that Juice Wrld is the greatest artist and is a legend. I don’t think he hit that status. Sure, I think he’s got some good ass songs and I get the message of most of his songs and it sucks cause it seems like he had other intentions with his music but people saw him and thought wow that’s cool I’m gonna pop some pills so I can be like him, though the dude was struggling hard with addiction and preaching it through his music but then again there were many artists doing the same thing around this time, he is one of the more talented ones out of them but I don’t feel like he changed the game. I would agree Queens could be in the Legend class because they made a really big impact, I don’t personally like their music but I understand why others do and that their style and experimentation had completely changed the game. There are some artists that had clearly impacted the world in a big way and it seems that term kinda gets thrown around too much without clear reasonings.

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Paragon8384 t1_itnagyl wrote

Yep. My favorite band is Haken (pronounced "Hay-ken"), a prog metal band from England. I'd say they're a lot more creative than nearly all highly successful bands/artists, but I'd never label them as the "greatest". You can only equate greatness with how successful you are, and in the world of popular music, success usually doesn't equal unparalleled creativity.

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Loud_Stay_4380 t1_itn95u9 wrote

I think there kinda of is. It depends how you look at music, if you look at it as an art form that should be heavily analysed and look at for its artistic merits then if you think someone like lil baby is better than kendrick Lamar then you probably have bad taste. However if you just want something to dance to in the club then lil baby is probably the better artist.

So to some it up, depending on the context i think you can have “bad music taste” but even then its still very subjective.

In the end though music is meant to entertain and make you feel good so whatever music does that for you is the music you should listen to. If anyone actually cares, ie more than just a friend teasing you, then thats really there problem.

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Kvothetheraven603 t1_itqaex5 wrote

Completely subjective. Taste is always subjective.

Talent, on the other hand, is more objective, though can still have some subjective opinion in it.

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Cominginbladey t1_itn2wxx wrote

I think there are subjective and objective elements.

Kinda like food. People can say, hey I like the taste of McDonald's hamburgers, and you can't argue with that. But then you compare that to a home-grilled burger with nice fresh toppings, and I think most people would say that is objectively better than a McDonald's burger with one pickle and a squirt of mustard that's been sitting under a heat lamp for eight hours.

So people can like, say, "Baby Shark" as a fun catchy tune. But I can point to objective facts about melody, tone, complexity, thematics, etc. that makes a Mozart concerto better than Baby Shark.

So "what people like" is totally subjective. But "what is good and what is not good" is more objective.

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PricelessLogs t1_itnxsys wrote

Like whatever you like. Anyone can. But don't think that liking something means that it's good. If you say "I like Cardi B" then I literally can't tell you that you're wrong. But if you say "Cardi B is good" then thats an objective claim that anyone is entitled to challenge. Likewise if your argument is "it's good because I like it" then you're the worst possible kind of elitist. I for one have things that I like but I don't think they're good, and things that I dislike that I think are good. As long as you don't confuse the two, you're valid

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SlurpMyDaycare OP t1_itomoqr wrote

I’ve heard the argument for Playboi carti being a good artist is because he doesn’t try and it’s good because it’s effortless and that makes it intriguing and well his beats yeah some are okay but does his style of not really trying and having effortless lyrics to good beats really make him talented, I just don’t understand it. Same with Travis Scott which I actually like quite a bit of his shit but I don’t think it’s really that great I guess to me just more fun to listen to.

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PricelessLogs t1_itoqipo wrote

I have no idea what the fuck kind of nonsensical basis for quality is 'not trying' like that's dumb as hell

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