If your favorite music was as popular and mainstream as the highest grossing per play artists today, would they still be your favorite?

 

This question is bizarre. In a way you're lowkey asking "If your favourite artists could actually make a comfortable living and find widespread success doing their art, would that make you like them less?"

Personally speaking, as someone who in addition to my production/mixing day job, also releases stuff as an artist, if you're in the 'no' camp of your own question, and claimed to be a 'fan' of mine, I'd quite frankly wanna tell you to go fk yourself, since you're essentially saying "I like your music, but I like the fact that things are tough for you even more".

You're also kinda assuming that everyone likes non-mainstream stuff. Lots of the stuff I really like, while maybe not strictly "top 10" isn't exactly underground. I both listen to and work with a lot of pop artists. My top-listened-to genre on spotify last year was hyperpop.

If other peoples' opinion of music you like, changes your opinion of it, I'd suggest taking a bit of a look at yourself and trying to figure out why that is.

 

Last edited: Aug 30, 2022

Huehuehue

Good luck making this into mainstream

 

If my favourite music was in the top 10, then the world would be a better place, of course!

 

No, if my favorite music were mainstream then by definition it would suck and if I liked it I'd be a jerk.

 

world would be a better place

 

yeah, drum n bass/dubstep never were mainstream

 

my point is over saturation of one thing could change the very thing you like. Possibly . Hence the poll.

Being eclectic and having "your" thing is something people like. There is a tribalism to things and being "anti" mainstream( can for some, does for others ) create a tighter community in less popular genre/domains/ communities.

A lot of audiophiles roam these forums , one of the reasons I enjoy reading and contributing. Most of the music is talked about is non " mainstream". So this is a thought experiment, if you can place your self in a reality where the thing you love is now played everywhere all the time, and if that might change .

If I find something I LOVE I tend to be sparing with the repeat button, because you can kill that novelty which sometimes is what contributes to someones "favorite" thing.

This question could be bizarre to some, silly for others, or thought provoking for someone else. Anonymous polling is extremely powerful!

The intent behind the poll is idiosyncratic and not synonymous to what anyone is projecting their intent is !

 

Last edited: Aug 31, 2022

wait wait wait wait- am I understanding it correctly that Pink Venom isn't everyones favorite song here? I JUST got back from getting it tattooed on my face, and it's like it's not even cool to some of you.

 

You state quite a lot of opinions as facts in the above post. That whole “strengthens communities” etc but in particular. If that’s your vibe, great. But it might surprise you to learn that not everyone feels that way. I literally couldn’t give a shit what people think of my musical tastes.

That’s not to say I don’t enjoy chatting about music with other folks, but their tastes don’t actually influence my opinion about them, or instill some kinda weird primal tribalism lol.

People like what they like, and whether or not someone likes the same kinda music as me is so far down my list of priorities as to be essentially irrelevant. And this is coming from someone who has worked full time in the music industry for almost the last 20 years.

Granted, when I was an angsty, disaffected teen, “finding my people” or whatever you call it was a bit more important, but I pretty quickly gained the confidence to actually just be myself, and didn’t need everyone around me to like the same stuff, dress the same way, repeat the same opinions, etc. Funnily enough, life got wayyyy more interesting pretty quickly after that haha!


How much a song gets played wherever has zero impact whatsoever on how much I do or don’t personally enjoy it.

If it connects, it connects.

I personally don’t need to approach this as a “thought experiment” - plenty of the music I like is played everywhere. A lot.

I’ve also worked on records that I’ve heard hundreds of times, both while working on it, and after release, on the radio/tv, in commercials, on nights out, whatever, and my opinion of those songs doesn’t change - if I loved them in the first place, then I continue to do so, while also feeling really happy for the artist that the record’s doing well for them.

Also, if you find yourself going off something to the point of being careful how much you play it? Then you prob don’t actually like the song that much, you just like new shit.
It’s the novelty that’s attractive to you (or the “underground credentials” or whatever bs) not the song.

Again, if you find your opinion about a piece of music that you like (or claim to like) changes depending on how many other people like it also, then you might wanna take a look at yourself.


The poll results so far would seem to pretty definitively disprove your hypothesis.

Most people I know (myself included) have a term for people who suddenly “stop liking” something because it’s now popular: hipster tw*t.
(Personally I apply the same term to anyone who self-identifies as an “audiophile” too lol).

 

Last edited: Aug 31, 2022

It seems like you have established your own successes or what you do multiple times, this isn't a personal attack lol. This poll cant hurt you I promise. I also clarified top ten. I also replied neutrally to guide you less in a toxic way to a more constructive way. Anyways I appreciate the data and your contribution!

 

There was no hypothesis. Again, my intent is different. I simply asked a question, pretty vaguely and wanted to see where the psyche is.

 

Never though it was chief. It’s called explaining one’s pov.


Anyways, there’s a vague whiff of trollery about your replies, so have fun with that. Laters!

 

You attacked the question that was vague , and implemented your own narrative which was angled more aggressively, then called me a hipster tw*t after I replied in detail to clarify for you more of my intent because I genuinely thought you were confused...

 

Always good to remember on this forum (and something I'm personally guilty of doing more than once) that as genuinely fantastic as this forum is, it strips people making music of one the tools they rely on the most, their ears.

it's easy to misinterpret someone's tone over text is all I'm saying. and that when it's something as both passionate AND crazy detailed like music, plus different languages and all... actually this forum is even more impressive now that I think about it.

anyway, the music I like is the best and everyone sucks at knowing what they like. get on my level y'all. :D

 

my fav music is mainstream so...

 

I kinda understand where the OP is coming from. In college, during my punk/new wave days, all the stuff we punkers listened to weren't mainstream and we liked that it belonged to us, so to speak. When R.E.M., Depeche Mode, Billy Idol, Sparks, The Clash, etc became popular, we moved on.

 

Turnstile are one of my favorite bands and less than a year ago hardly anybody had heard of them, but now they are one of the biggest bands in the world and they keep on winning new fans with every live concert. Nobody on here likes them though, as they are too niche, and I was surprised when they took off so rapidly

 

Last edited: Aug 31, 2022

Some of my favorite music are from old records Ive found from genres I didn't know existed ( or a blend/interpretation of a genre which sounds totally different then what ive heard before) . I find a lot of joy with finding and procuring songs that took work to find, hidden gems .Especially from different countries. If it became pop, in todays music space, it would feelmilked dry w everyone emulating and taking the charm out of it.

Im talking top 10 globally, in every ad , circulated through immense distribution . Im not talking mainstream in a way of niche genres that are hugely successful. Im not being a "hipster" I just think music commercially ( top 10) can drown you of that feeling of novelty. The feeling of being able to listen to something you like that algorithmically contrasts from what we are constantly bombarded with is nice. If your favorite food was fed to you everyday im not sure if it would be your favorite. I think thats why people love different culture. Its something different then what we are constantly are reinforced is reality.

If everything was globalized, culture wouldn't exist.

In todays day and age , top 10 could mean very little monetarily if you choose to make content that deviates from it . There is many niches and mediums to make great profit. This is good.

Our tastes are only through the lense of contrast.

The question posed encapsulates the genre not just a specific artist. This isn't saying make your favorite band mainstream, but the "genre" they inhabit.....And whatever artist is chosen to showman the music, whether that be of your preference or out of your control.

 

Last edited: Aug 31, 2022