Music, Age and Personal Preferences - Music

Mr. Shankly

Gender: Male
Age: 51
Location: Auburn, Washington

OK. So as many of you know, the issue of perceived "bias" toward older or alternatively, newer music has come up a couple of times in the year against year tournament. It's possible that this issue was a contributing factor to the brief hiatus in mid-late September (I think).

Here's what I would like to know:

1. Do you think as I do that there is a generation gap in terms of musical taste and preferences between the older and younger members on BEA?

-(If you say yes, please answer the next three questions and explain)
-(If you say no, please explain why)

2. If there is a generation gap, which age group is more open-minded and exploratory about the music that came before and after their prime music listening and development years (if there is such a thing)? Why?

3. If there is a gap, what factors and influences cause this?

4. How much does personal experience affect musical taste? If there is a generational divide, is personal experience indelibly linked to musical preference and the true cause of the generation gap?

Here are my recent thoughts on the subject so far on the subject (I'll just quote for the sake of time):

Quote:

Thinking about it though, there are a few differences between our generations when it comes to music. 1.: (and probably most obvious): With technology being what it is now, and most Gen Y'ers being really savvy users of technology because they grew up using it, you have unlimited music to explore and distribute. The methods of finding music, acquiring it, and sharing it are almost limitless now. Yes, I realize I can do this too, but this brings me to the next one. 2: The younger generation probably has more time to explore music, and is at a place where they are constantly exploring. That doesn't mean older listeners are closed-minded. It means they don't have the time and desire to seek out new music as much. 3. I also think there comes a time when one gets a bit jaded as a music listener and listens to something new, and thinks, "That's OK, but I've heard it before."... The opposite where one hears something so weird or artistically ambitious, depending on viewpoint, can also lead one to dismiss the music as not one's "cup of tea." (See #2 for explanation). 4. Finally, I think your generation is a bit more comfortable with music that was recorded by and sounds like computers than mine. In fact, most of the music Gen Y has grown up listening to was recorded digitally and was made for the digital age... My generation was the last one that listened to artists who recorded originally on analog equipment... There is a difference.

I realize that 2nd to last sentence probably isn't fair or accurate now. Embarassed

Anyways, I'd really like to know what people think about this subject because I do think it's a factor in the tournament. Discuss.

Last edited by Mr. Shankly on 10/24/2012 03:20; edited 1 time in total

purple

In short, I enjoy recent music more often because music tropes are recycled and recycled, but modern music tends to condense tropes from multiple "classic" influences and does it with better production. That said, there are some irreproducible emotional qualities recorded on albums from the '60s and '70s, so those are the "go to" albums. I guess I like the music from modern music more, but it's the lyrics that make or break an album, so it almost depends on who's a better songwriter, which doesn't depend on time.

At the same time, it also helps that an album is released in your 20s, because that's when you and your friends tend to keep track of recent music, and sharing music always makes the experience more enjoyable (unless it's Bohemian Rhapsody). I can tell you that the music released in my college years will always be more important to me than any other music, because of the experiences attached to that music (hence, why '10 is losing like a motherfucker even though I think it's perfect).

As a reference, I started out listening to the whole RS500 before BEA, Pitchfork, Scaruffi, or whatever... I think it really is attached to release date and personal preference, whether that be a great college experience attached to the music, or a preference for redheads attached to music.

I'll write a more coherent response when sober...

RFNAPLES
Level 8

Gender: Male
Age: 75
Location: Durham, NC, USA

• Lost Generation (Generation of 1914) born 1883 through 1900.
• Greatest Generation (G.I. Generation) born 1901 through 1924.
• Silent Generation born 1925 through 1945.
• Baby Boom Generation born 1946 through 1964.
• Generation X (13th Generation) born 1965 through 1981.
• Generation Y (Generation Next, Net Generation) born from 1982 through 2000.
• Generation Z (Generation I, Internet Generation, Pluralist Generation, Generation AO, Generation Text) born 2001 through present.

1. Generally there are differences in musical tastes and preferences but I wouldn’t label it a gap.
2. Generally people perceive their generation as being most open-minded.
3. Factors and influences that cause these differences include personal, historical and cultural differences.
4. Personal experiences tend to affect musical taste. Often one prefers music they are familiar with or associate with certain points in their life e.g. puberty, high school, sex, college, job, marriage, home, children, divorce, retirement, location, etc.
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purple

RFNAPLES wrote:

1. Generally there are differences in musical tastes and preferences but I wouldn’t label it a gap.
2. Generally people perceive their generation as being most open-minded.
3. Factors and influences that cause these differences include personal, historical and cultural differences.
4. Personal experiences tend to affect musical taste. Often one prefers music they are familiar with or associate with certain points in their life e.g. puberty, high school, sex, college, job, marriage, home, children, divorce, retirement, location, etc.

And I thought robots could never answer a question well... shame on me

Polythene Pam

As soon as I saw the title I knew who the author was Laughing

I will probably answer later.

Saoirse

purple wrote:

I think it really is attached to release date and personal preference, whether that be a great college experience attached to the music, or a preference for redheads attached to music.

I'll write a more coherent response when sober...

5 ***** POST

And yes, many are going to think the music they grew up with is superior, mainly because they have a personal, lived-in connection with that music that they don't have with music that was before their time. Naturally that attachment might lead to a bit of a bias towards music that comes out later in their life, as there often is a resistance to evolve your views about changing music that's not exactly like the albums/works that you treasured in your youth. But that's not the case with everybody, as I love the music of the late 90s/early-to-mid 2000s I grew up with, just as much as I love the punk/post-punk era of the late 70s-through-the-80s as well as much of the best albums I hear now... I think it all depends on taste as much as nostalgia and for certain people one of those can be more vital than the other... but I think there isn't really a bad era for music, there are always musicians with great ideas who are going to be putting out works in any era, just as there will be plenty of terrible music that will make millions (well, the end part may not be as true now). You always got to be vigilant and find the hidden pearls that are present in ANY era.

Norman Bates

Gender: Male
Age: 51
Location: Paris, France

Mr. Shankly wrote:

1. Do you think as I do that there is a generation gap in terms of musical taste and preferences between the older and younger members on BEA?

-(If you say yes, please answer the next three questions and explain)
-(If you say no, please explain why)

2. If there is a generation gap, which age group is more open-minded and exploratory about the music that came before and after their prime music listening and development years (if there is such a thing)? Why?

3. If there is a gap, what factors and influences cause this?

4. How much does personal experience affect musical taste? If there is a generational divide, is personal experience indelibly linked to musical preference and the true cause of the generation gap?

I can only speak for myself. It must be noted that I was born in 1972. I am 40. I'm younger than Naples, but older than most frequent BEA forum users. So much for context.

1. "Gap" may be strong, but I feel younger music lovers are generally more enthusiastic about new music than I am. When I listen to new music, I tend to hear the resemblances with what I already know more than them, and they tend to think that it's new more than I do. I think this is because : they weren't old enough to listen to the music I think is referred to when it was released (e.g. I feel this with 90s indie rock (Yuck), original twee/shoegaze (Pains of Being Pure At Heart etc.), and these new bands are this generation's chance to live these days again. I tend to prefer, for instance, The Field Mice to The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. Also, these new bands are easier to listen to today, with infinite access to music, than the originals were when I was twenty (it wasn't easy to find Field Mice albums for instance, and you tended to cherish the day you found the record).

2. I think the youth of today is more open-minded than we were, and we were more open-minded than our elders, etc. Because 1) it just is easier to be open-minded today when you can listen to everything ; 2) the more we go along, the more compulsory it is to open your mind to different genres if you want to actually uinderstand the music you listen to ; today's music is such a mix of absolutely everything that's been done before that if you want to do more than just 'listen' (which is fine by me, but you can be more interested) and try and find where this music comes from, what are the mixed influences in this, etc. you'll have to have an open mind for all sorts of different music genres. Also, music forums didn't exist. I can't imagine what sort of music freak I'd be today had sites like BEA existed when I was 17. Music forums do help expand your music tastes.

3. Social and personal elements which can explain the differences in music appreciation are too numlerous to be listed and are beyond the scope of what I can apprehend I think.

4. I think personal experience is indelibly linked to musical preference. I don't think it's responsible for a generation 'gap'. I think it's responsible for all our different tastes, and it's wonderful.

HigherThanTheSun

Gender: Male
Age: 33
Location: UK

I think it's inevitable that people have a greater attachment to music from certain periods of their life than perhaps the music deserves. But music is all about emotions, it's about how the music makes you feel, it's not a science.

For example, there's a few albums in my chart that I associate with certain points in my life and mean a lot to me, for nostalgic reasons as much as music quality (although I do think they are pretty fucking good aswell).

That said, one of the albums I'm talking about is Nevermind, that was the soundtrack to my life for about two years aged 14ish, and that was released when I was 3. The Smiths' self titled means a lot to me and was an important part of my life from a couple of years back but was released in 1984.

I think music released at certain points of our life can have a greater impact on us, but discovering an album that you didn't know before can have almost the same effect.

I don't think there is a generational divide here at all. I think the majority of people on this site are under 25 and yet the accusation is of a bias towards older years which doesn't add up at all.
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Guest

I don't think that one generation in particular is more exploratory than another - it's all down to the individual. I am constantly listening to music from all eras in an effort to hear as much as possible. I want to gain a deeper knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of music and it doesn't matter to me what era it is from. I think you'll find most people on this site feel similarly (to an extent). It really does depend entirely on the person, not the generation. I don't feel I am any more inclined to like a record I've never heard released in 2010 compared to one released in, say, 1965. For me, it's how the music feels (as hippie as that may sound), and if it feels great then it really doesn't matter when it was made. Having said that, my chart would show that I am more inclined to like music from 1990 onwards, as albums within that timeframe make up 61% of the chart - although admittedly my chart does need a severe makeover as the top 50 is the same as when I first put it together over two years ago, and it's not really indicative of my tastes now. Anyway, there is no easy answer to any of the questions you posed. People will see an "age bias" if they want to see one.

gussteivi

So, I'm 23 and did not grow up listening to (almost) any rock music, therefore I would claim that my musical tastes are completely unbiased.

...

That's of course not true, I've been influenced by many sources, most notably BEA (which means I've been influenced indirectly by RS500 and P4k and maybe even Scaruffi Anxious

) and Georgiy Starosti, who is the only music reviewer I've come across who seems to be looking for the same things in music as me (his ratings are often dead wrong, though). Anyway, the latter definetily gives me a bias towards the "oldies".

Regarding age bias on BEA, I'd say the music discussed in the forums is by a big margin dominated by the more recent years, except for the "big names" of the past: Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and some more.

However, taking BEA on the whole, including the many members who may not partake in many discussions, but do vote in polls and such I think it sort of evens out. I have however noticed a slight trend that people feel it's not cool to vote for the most "obvious" choice in the tournament, I think you all know by now which word I use to describe that phenomenon.

I read somewhere that it's scientifically proven that you're more open-minded towards new music when you're younger (I think it was Cracked, so it must be true).

I think todays technology and availability etc has given birth to a new kind of music fan, one that wants to listen to everything so he can claim that he "knows" music (I definetily belong in that category to some extent). But I think there's something being lost with that approach. As Mr Shankly said in another thread:

Quote:

It's almost overwhelming the amount one can acquire and listen to, and it can be really hard to devote the "right" amount or degree of attention to a piece of music nowadays. I hate to sound like a Grandpa Shankly, but in the old days, there weren't as many distractions, and basically there was only one way to get music, to go to the store and buy it. Since this required more of an investment in both time and money, I think people would necessarily take the time to listen to and absorb albums.

Anyway, one thing that surprises me is that many members here spend a lot of time listening to every single album released this year, but have not taken the time to also explore what's beyond what's on RS500 from the 60's. Because with the internet it's actually not that hard, there are heaps of psychedelic music blogs who have gathered a substantial amount of albums that would otherwise be impossible to encounter (one of many benefits with modern technology in regards to discovering music). So my point is, since so many of you enjoy derivative stuff like Panda Bear, why not listen to the bands that ripped off The Beach Boys 45 years ago aswell?
This also leads to the older teams in the BYT to be "classic" and "boring", because if the repective captains would include non-classic albums chances are nobody has heard them, which usually means death in these tournaments.