This week I face my toughest challenge yet… I have to admit I have terrible taste in music. But that’s okay, at least nobody is asking me to try to save the world. This is a fun question and one I’d like to know about my readers so please answer the question in the comments below and remember, I’d love to answer a question from you so fill in the survey below or DM on twitter.
Do you have a favourite musical genre/musical artist, or are you simply open to listening to whatever catches your attention/puts you in a good mood?
Alexie the Great
This has probably become apparent to anyone who has read my top 5 opening or ending lists, but I have really bad taste in music. Actually, that’s not entirely true. What I do know is that if you go through the music on my phone you’ll start wondering just how such a collection ever got thrown together and to be honest there’s no real logic at work here.
I grew up with parents that listened to a lot of 60’s and 70’s music. Bubble-gum pop music was a special feature and I can sing all the lyrics to some truly pointless songs. Combine that background with an intense study of classical pieces and jazz music through many, many, many hours of music lessons growing up, plus a love of movie and game soundtracks, and you have the makings of a truly insane collation of songs.
One thing I do know is that I’m more inclined to listened to music I’ve heard while watching something, so TV, movie, or anime soundtrack, because when something is audio only I can’t take it in. I really struggle to listen to audio without a visual element. Forget mixing up lyrics or mishearing them, half the time I couldn’t tell you what language a song is in unless I already know the lyrics.
Which meant as a teenager movie soundtracks dominated my CD collection. One thing I’ve noticed though, is movie soundtracks provide a fairly wide range of music genres so there’s no particular style of music that really stands out to me.
Naturally I now have quite a few anime soundtracks in my playlists, but I also have a whole bunch of music from bands I hadn’t heard of until I watched an AMV or some video on YouTube that used the music and credited the song. I’ve hunted down more than a handful of albums based on a song I’ve wanted to find and then that in turn as exposed me to yet more songs by that artist or band.
So I guess I’m open to whatever happens to catch my attention at the time for whatever reason. Honestly though, about the only time I listen to sustained music for hours is on the car trip from where I live to a city and then it is more about whatever I can sing along to that will keep me awake and focused on the road. David Bowie works a treat for that I might point out. Though Bowling for Soup certainly keep things bouncing and Marianas Trench is always good for the drive.
But, right along side those I’ll have the 1990’s Sailor Moon theme song, Spice Girls, and some Savage Garden.
Yeah, my taste in music kind of sucks but it works for me. I’d love to know what music works for you?
As always, if you want to ask me a question please DM me on Twitter or complete the survey below.
Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James
My roomy loves old school music so I’ve been getting used to listening some of it, at least in English. My favourite genre are classic Indian songs from as early as the 20s and 30s and up to the 70s, which many, many Desi (Indians) my age don’t typically do. But I love it. I also don’t think your music taste sucks. It’s just uniquely you, which is cool.
60’s and 70’s was the best period for music so no need to apologise for liking the classics! 😉 🙂
So my parents kept insisting as well.
Which is why you should always listen to your parents! 😉
Basically anything I’ve heard enough to recognise or want to explore goes into the music list, although if my Spotify (where I frequent the most for music) is anything to go by, EDM or other electronic music is the genre I listen to the most. I associate certain songs with periods in my life, so essentially listening to a song will transport me back to that period in spirit.
Made this playlist of anime/Japanese music for Jon Spencer Reviews a bit back, so I’ll share it here in case anyone else is interested:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4FqqDLgOucneJenFNCTmKG?si=B0RZ7fghQzmMbgZeoe4E7A
Thanks for sharing.
“What I do know is that if you go through the music on my phone you’ll start wondering just how such a collection ever got thrown together and to be honest there’s no real logic at work here.”
Do you think logic plays a role in the music we like? I suppose it might, but I kinda hope not, because my tastes seem thematically similar to yours!
I used to collect lots of soundtracks — like Alien, Star Wars, Capricorn One (and now I collect them from Guilty Crown, Caligula, Asterisk War, and Re:CREATORS). If I leave my iTunes on shuffle, I’ll hear something by Ramstein, then Abby, then Rush or Nightwish, followed by the Hamilton Soundtrack or Pitbull and Christina Aguilera.
My wife often gives me the strangest looks… Especially when a song by the Carpenters is followed by something from Therion…
Then I forgot to mention that I find your taste less illogical and more open minded!
Sheesh. Leave it to me to leave out the main point…
The end result is still much the same – No one ever asks me to put a play list on.
Wow. That brings back a lot of memories from high school for me!
I get where you’re coming from!
Just Yoko Kanno for me. 😄
Yoko Kanno is an absolute genius!
Anyone who enjoys Marianas Trench has great taste in music. Says me. Which isn’t saying much to be honest. But, to me at least, they’re catchy and wonderful. Kind of curious about your favorite from them. Care to share or no?
My favourite from Marianas Trench is B Team because I watched a really great AMV that used it and that’s what introduced me to Marianas Trench. However, from that I found their Ever After album and pretty much like everything on it. I plan on looking to see what else they’ve got because it is rare for me to enjoy an entire album by any one band.
I listen to whatever sounds catchy, be it anime music, k-pop, the american classics, anything. Just as long as it’s catchy.
Catchy is good. I remember as a kid I used to sing along to advertising jingles.