The Things We Do For Love: Stories of Current/Ex's Questionable Taste In Music

X is awesome. Maybe it's you who has terrible taste in music.

Spoiler

Just kidding.

 

I feel sorry for some of these current/former significant others. There's a vast difference between having a large record collection and having good taste (or self awareness).

 

My late (first) wife was almost non-musical, barring the odd dalliance with Meatloaf and Bon Jovi, which meant I could play anything at all loudly in the house without her objecting. She was brilliant. The only exception was certain tunes by the good 'ol Incredible String Band, which even she couldn't tolerate for long.

The downside of that was that she didn't like gigs really. I only ever got to take her to one, but what a night it was - Neil Young with Poncho & The MG's at Brixton Academy, May 21st 2002. If you're just going to do one gig in your life make sure it's a good-un. Seventeen minutes of 'Down By The River' .

My recently acquired new Mrs. is a drummer and grew up in a musical and dramatic background. She, again, lets me play anything at all without flinching - although, again, she almost baulks at the good ol' ISB. Come to think of it, they both heavily disliked the same song:



It must be me with the questionable taste

 

Okay - that was 35 years ago and just how he dressed for a year or 2.

I got the impression you thought Bruce picked one outfit in 1973 and never changed...

 

Dated a girl for a long time who had a very eclectic taste in music--she liked Nine Inch Nails, Bowie and even turned me on to a lot of instrumental ambient electronic--really interesting Warp Records groups like Plaid and Global Goon. But she also had a big interest in the lousy pop music of the time: Britney, Paris Hilton's terrible record and the Pussycat Dolls--over time it became clear that these were the acts that she seemed to like most.

Luckily she was open to stuff that I made her endure like Van Der Graff Generator,

 

My wife won't quit playing her Godspeed You Black Emperor, Residents or John Cage discs....all I want is to play my New Kids and Justin Bieber cds...some day...

 

I could come up with a dozen images, in all of which Bruce Springsteen is dressed like a high school thug.

 

First wife put Sheena Easton's "Morning Train" on every morning when she put her makeup on for work. It got to me.

 

Live and let live is what I say.

The problem comes when one or the other party is actively disrespectful about the other's music taste.

 

If my wife were posting here, she'd be saying that I was the one with questionable taste in music.

Can't necessarily disagree with that. One person's garbage is another one's treasure.

 

First of all, it was love at first sight when my wife was transferred from another record store and walked into the store where I worked. On the day we met, I remember a new copy of Rolling Stone hit the stands with the Jim Morrison cover that said something like - He's Hot, He's Sexy, He's Dead; (June of '81) I put up a Brothers Johnson window display for Winners.
As we worked together, I was impressed that even though she was a few years older than me and most of the 'older' people we worked with were big fans of Top 40 dreck and hated punk and new wave, she was a big fan of a lot of the new bands. And when she said "I saw Patti Smith at the Agora when Horses came out," BOOM! that sealed the deal. This
woman was for me!!!!
For the most part, we listen to much of the same music. She could do without some of the more extreme music that I occasionally listen to, but I can listen to that stuff when she's not home.

:--)

 

I'm incredibly lucky that my wife's 'worst' taste in music includes Broadway show tunes and the local Soft Rock radio station. What bothers me more is that in the house she listens to the majority of her music via the speaker on her phone. I'm no audiophile, but come on, at least use the portable Bluetooth speaker we have.

 

My partners taste in music is truly appalling, it's the least appealing thing about her and it's something we've discussed on several occasions. I on the other hand have nothing but good taste obvs...

 

My ex was either in to metal or acoustic versions of everything. I’m not hugely in to metal, but I did end up going to a Black Stone Cherry gig... I’ll pass.

I met my wife on the Weezer Cruise in 2014. If you’re both obsessed about something that much, you’re safe.

 

It would all depend on what year from the 70s Casey was spinning for you…

 

Good thing for your bank account at the time (and maybe your car, too)!

 

I have been married almost 35 years. My wife likes music, but is the type that will like a song but usually does not know who actually sang it. Even with band’s I know she likes, like the Eagles, she will not get to any deep cuts. Only the hits. Blah.

On the bright side, she will occasionally go to a concert with me to see an artist I know she would not like. She slept through The Who playing Quadrophenia in its entirety, waking only to catch some of the hits at the end. She sat through Brian Wilson, while not understanding why anyone would be interested in hearing him sing. She attended a John Fogerty show after telling me she hated a CCR song I played her (“Up Around the Bend”!)

 

I'm fortunate that my wife has no interest in music. She lets my daughter pick the radio station when she drives, which is current pop. I don't like it, but I can say that I've heard it and can give an educated opinion.

 

...David Hasslehoff...
(she was German, so I mentioned the war a lot..,)

 

My ex's main problem is that she would play the **** out of whatever she liked. I still can't listen to Whitney's first two albums and i like them.
The woman I've been with since have run the gamut between Classic Country, R&B, Alternative and Classic Rock.
My current gal listens to whatever I want when I'm with her but SHe listens to Top 40 and Pop country otherwise.

 

I agree.

Apart from Blur Parklife and Captain Sensible Happy Talk.

And Roland f-cking Rat. And Supergrass It’s Alright.

Er...

 

Fair enough. I've always thought Springsteen's dress is like what a small-town factory worker would change into when heading out after work to play pool and listen to country music at the local saloon. And his drinking buddies are guys he's known since grade school.

 

Geddit. I have been there, too, I must admit. I do aspire to not being negative about other people´s musical taste. And just for the record, I like all the songs you mentioned! Apart from Roland Rat - I am not familiar with his oeuvre. (I could check - I do know the ballpark in which he resides, but I somehow feel it´s not my thing.)

 

Even 70s Springsteen?

 

Funny timing. Just this morning I made the decision to trade in a surprisingly large collection of Billy Idol records to a local record shop rather than keep them in my collection. They were one of the few things my ex left behind, and I can't see me ever bothering to play them.

I probably bought half of them for her when we were together anyway. Once I bought her a high quality CD bootleg of a live show of his from '83, and I thought she'd really find that cool. She wasn't impressed though and didn't bother to listen to it. It was then that I found out that as much as Billy Idol was her "favorite", she mostly just liked looking at him.