I mean, you've just MET a new person.

Not just partners - work collegues, neighbours, anyone. I usually give it about two days.

How do you react if you don't like what they're into? I've learnt to be tactful. Unless it's Bon Jovi.

And dontcha just hate it when you get the reply "oh, whatever's on the radio/I like anything" etc.
[Edited 8/2/07 9:26am]

yeah.....i'm dating someone right now who likes the latest top 40 songs

it is tough

but then again music is art and i'm not into other types of art like painting or knitting sweaters

LittleSmedley said:

Yeah, it's better to have bad taste than no taste at all.

You know, to each his or her own. I've got a variety of songs and genres I like and I meet few people with whom I don't at least have SOMETHING in common, when it comes to music.

I find that music is a universal ice-breaker. You might find you agree, or disagree, or somewhere in between. But it can be a conversation starter because music is so often tied to one's life experiences. So I ask often ask new people/acquaintances about music.

But since I don't listen to the radio that much I'd have a hard time carrying on a convo with a radio-only listener.
[Edited 8/2/07 11:31am]

When Im working w/kids(teenagers) I always ask them what kind of music they listen to. As is the case w/ most of us here, my taste is really varied, so Im Im usually familiar(even if its surface) with whatever genre or band they mention. I've actually been hipped to a couple of groups too. Like namepeace said, it really is a universal ice-breaker.

In a social setting I play 3 Questions, which are:

1. Whats the last CD you bought?

2. Whats the last book you read?

3. Whats the last movie you saw?

One of those questions usually will start a conversation bout something and then it goes from there and flow into other conversations.

If these 3 fail then I ask bout what they think of Bush. If they reply wrong I just get up and walk away.

I don't ask anymore

The same day.

theodore said:

Agreed. Whenever I do, it's almost always artists/ bands I hate, like Bon Jovi, Coldplay, general modern chart stuff and the generic reply of 'oh, '80s stuff, mostly', a reply so vague and dim that often tempts me to nearly ask, 'So you like early Japanese death metal then? Or perhaps you prefer the early ouvre of Garth Brooks?'

We need some real music education like never before.

Miles said:

I'm totally feeling U

Only that when I ask people here I know the answer, they listen 2 reggaeton or the chart bullshit like U said.

I do but usually the reply is like Rihanna,Timberlake and other silly artists (4 me)

Right away. I have to be able to know if this is a person I can have a reasonable convo about tunes and bands with and bond over dislike of crap music with or whether I should steer away from music as a topic. There's no common ground between me and a person who thinks Timberlake is a genius. Doesn't mean I won't hang with them, I just won't be asking for their critique on classic albums is all.

meow85 said:

same here

Besides, music is a big part of my life and I've found you can learn alot about a person just by what he or she listens to.

So yeah, its like one of the first things I ask when making conversation.

meow85 said:

Good post. I'm always hesistant to share my musical tastes with folks(kind of like politics & religion). Not many brothas & sistas are into the sh!t I jam to. They hear songs like 'Angry Chair', 'Black Hole Sun', 'In Bloom', 'We Die Young' & 'Black', and the reaction is, WTF? I love electric guitar as much as I love the funk - so shoot me.

uPtoWnNY said:

Can you imagine how bloody dull we'd all be if all we listened to was the music directed at our demographic?

Pffft. Right away. It's not like I'm interesting enough a person to come up with any other topics for discussion.

LittleSmedley said:

Yes! That really bugs me! Have an opinion, people!

Moonbeam said:

Yes I hate it when people say that, they don't really like everything

Its like the 3rd or 6th ? i ask them when I meet someone new.

That's the type of thing that would have been important to me at 15 to 20 years old. One of the first things I would like to know about a person was their musical tastes and I was bias to those who were into R&B and Dance as oppose rock. Now I have friends of all ages whose musical taste range from JT to Mozart. I know a 40 yr old surgeon whose heavily into 50 Cent,Snoop and other such artists. The fact of the matter you can never predict anyone's musical taste regardless their intellect, class or race.