Do you have eclectic taste in music?

[Buffoon1980]

I have found in my discussions with various music fans that a lot of people who consider their tastes to be eclectic and wide-ranging are actually rather limited in what they listen to. What they tend to mean is that they like heavy metal and death metal, or trance and melodic techno. Now, there's no way of saying this without sounding pretentious, but I think I'm different. Sure, there are genres I favour and musical elements I prefer, but I really do appreciate a wide spectrum of sounds.

For instance, I'm currently becoming a huge fan of Shostakovich (Russian composer), having heard his piano sonatas a while back, then his piano concertos, and now I'm working on his symphonies (No. 7 is great). Indeed there is a lot of classical music I love: Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, and others.

At the other end of the spectrum I absolutely love British Big Beat, especially The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers and FatBoy Slim. There's also a whole heap of more modern electronica that I love (Underworld is my favourite band ever), and yes, I can even appreciate dubstep.

My daily MP3 playlist includes Marilyn Manson (industrial rock), Two Steps From Hell (modern orchestral 'film trailer' music with touches of electronica), Nujabes (Japanese hip-hop), David Bowie (glam rock), Glenn Miller (30's big band), Deep Forest (folk/world music), Modest Mouse (indie rock I guess), Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy music), Ronald Jenkees (YouTube indie electronica artist) and a whole heap of others.

So, anyway, am I deluded in thinking that my musical tastes are truly eclectic? How about yours? Am I a pretentious hipster douche for patronising the tastes of others?

 

[WouldYouKindly]

I have bizarrely varied tastes in music.

Punk, usually mixed with something else, be it reggae, ska, metal, or even hip hop. Metal, particularly power metal. Folk of the Irish and American varieties. Underground hip hop. I'd say country but it's pretty much just Johnny Cash.

That's what I like. I can appreciate a lot of things, classic rock, some electronica, big band to an extent, Jazz, blues, even if I don't listen to them on a regular basis.

 

[shrekfan246]

I like to think so. A bit of it was out of necessity though, since hardly anyone likes the genres I prefer the most (metalcore/post-hardcore).

Spoiler: Some music!

Spoiler: Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata

Spoiler: Marty O'Donnell - Heavy Price Paid

Spoiler: Helios - The Red Truth

Ambient instrumental music

Spoiler: Belle Histoire - Keep Your Heart

Indie rock

Spoiler: Dan Dankmeyer - Hologram

Instrumental death metal

Spoiler: Fair to Midland - Tall Tales Taste Like Sour Grapes

Progressive rock

Spoiler: Foxy Shazam - Unstoppable

Glam rock

Spoiler: Hollywood Undead - Lion

Rap-rock

Spoiler: Les Miserables - Do You Hear The People Sing?

Spoiler: Between the Buried and Me - Viridian + White Walls

Chaotic progressive metal

Spoiler: Blink-182 - Asthenia

Alternative pop-punk/rock

Spoiler: Underoath - Sunburnt

Metalcore

Spoiler: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Furisodeshon

J-pop

And that's just scratching the surface.

 

[Chromatic Aberration]

Well okay I'll bite....

New on Chromatics Playlist....

Spoiler: FarCry: Blood Dragon Theme (80s Goodness!)

Spoiler: Fast Eddie - Jazzswell (Mr. Bungle-esque madness)

Spoiler: Shining - Fisheye (Loud Industrial-Electronic-Jazz-Metal)

Spoiler: Gangpol & Mit - Overture (Electronic/8bit insanity)

Spoiler: Fall Of Efrafa - For El Ahraihrah To Cry (Post Metal/Punk based on Watership Down)

Spoiler: The Dreadnoughts - Sleep Is For The Weak (Folk-Punk reminiscent of the Dropkick Murphys)

Spoiler: Seiken Densetsu - 20th Anniversary Medley (Orchestral game music)

Spoiler: Krokodil - Watchin' Chain (Swiss Prog-rock from 69)

So I'd say that's a yes for eclectic taste.

 

[Elfgore]

Metal is without a doubt my favorite genre, but I will also listen to rock, punk, alternative, classical, and even a teensy bit of rap. My playlist that I listen to when I go to sleep includes artists/songs such as: Alesana, The Beatles, 30 seconds to Mars, The Kinks, some rap, Cradle of Filth, some anime theme songs, and many others. The only two genres I ignore, including subgenres, are dubstep/techno and country. Plus even if they are dubstep or country, I will always listen to a artist before I say they suck.

 

[Hieronymusgoa]

Maybe. To name some genres which will lead to an endless fight over the right description of some of them...

"Dark" stuff: Skinny Puppy, Covenant, Die Form, Dead can Dance, Sonar, Current 93...
Metal: Dimmu Borgir, Moonspell, Cradle of Filth, Sonata Arctica...(yes, only the "mainstream" stuff)
Classic: Luly, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, basically everything baroque and some more...(no Italian opera, please)
Rap/HipHop: Missy, Nicky M, Run DMC, Beasti Boys...
"Nu" Metal and the likes: Marilyn Manson, NIN, System of a Down, Rammstein....(but you can drive me crazy with most other stuff regarding that genre)
Witch House: Purity Ring, Austra, Exu Rei, Trust, Salem...
Pop stuff: Britney, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Madonna...if it's got a beat, basically, it's fine with me.
Weird....stuff: CocoRosie, Beirut...

I don't know...For me it's easier to say which will most likely get me annoyed fast and that is Dancehall and Reggae where I can't get the hang of, it's nothing personal, just my taste.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I'm not really sure- compared to a lot of people I know I probably do, but compared to a lot of Escapists I doubt it (down to my overwhelming preference towards heavy music). A lot more people around here listen to orchestral music, which generally I couldn't give a flying fuck about, but people seem to wave it around to say 'Look! Look how cultured I am you dirty philistines!'

Broadly I'd divide it like this because I'm too lazy to go into every subgenre and it's boring enough as it is:

Spoiler: A boring list

Mainstream/trad metal- Iron Maiden, Machine Head, Lamb of God, Pantera, Anthrax etc. Basically the big names in metal. I can't stand power, black or folk metal though.

Metalcore- Parkway Drive, Killswitch Engage, Every Time I Die, 36 Crazyfists etc. I'm quite picky with metalcore, a lot of it is just bollocks.

Weird ass metal- Dillinger Escape Plan, Rolo Tomassi, Mastodon, Deftones, Protest The Hero, He Is Legend, iwrestledabearonce etc. Not really one genre, but generally stuff that, to be terribly pretentious, pushes the boundaries of metal. Avant garde/prog/psychedelic/mathcore stuff I guess, although prog I find terribly dull usually.

Punk- Black Flag, Off!, Trash Talk, The Bronx, The Germs, Minor Threat, Social Distortion, Bad Religion etc.

Acoustic stuff- Newton Faulkner, Bon Iver, Jack Johnson, Toh Kay type stuff.

Ska- Streetlight Manifesto, Reel Big Fish, The Specials, Madness- Used to listen to a lot of 3rd Wave stuff, realised most of it sounds the same though.

Electronic/ravey type things- The Prodigy, Ratatat, NIN, Daft Punk, Moby, some local trance/psytrance people. Again, not a genre, just a bunch of stuff that goes together in my head.

Blues- Leadbelly, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, as well as all the British stuff like Fleetwood Mac and Cream.

A variety of alternative rock stuff (which I generally refer to as 'hipster bullshit') like Sonic Youth, The Pixies and early Foo Fighters stuff.

Stoner rock/metal- Kyuss, Baroness, Mastodon, Fu Manchu, Black Moth, The Sword, Down, Kylesa etc.

About 90% of my music taste can be summed up by saying 'I like rock of some sort or another'.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

I'd like to say so, yes. Granted most of the stuff I listen to would fall under Rock or Metal but I think there's still a great deal of variety to be had in those genres alone. Anyway, I guess I'll list off some genre's and provide three examples therein of something I like and you can judge for yourself whether or not it matches up to your definition of eclectic. :3

Jazz: Charles Mingus, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz7_toQc4lE] Alice Coltrane, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLd0GWYdeO0] Jaga Jazzist [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzfyyyKcghc]
Soul: Al Green, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnRV4D40CCI] The Isley Brothers, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh6lGI1bOkw] The Chi-Lites [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koiSiWLq3ds]
Folk: Nick Drake, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omsp3Xg77RQ] John Martyn, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Jvp3QBwgY] Empyrium [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTIAqsinp-A]
Indie: Neutral Milk Hotel, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfOF89uMdag] Sonic Youth, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvDuATZCY8I] Faunts [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-uJoPmOWAY]
Ambient: Aphex Twin, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0q1gCsZykg] Swans, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFFEgAsb9_0] Sunn O))) [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1HEiQJEmBg]
Alternative: The Smashing Pumpkins, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kukO9PT83IQ] Motorpsycho, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PbJ9FkFepI] Beck [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa3rBVb3v4g]
Gothic Rock/Metal: The Cure, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZoYzne9Tpg] Type O Negative, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haQFP_WikhQ] Anathema [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ojrMszA8A]
Electronic: Ulver, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEhBztupdaA] Unkle, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAcU5AHS1E8] Daft Punk [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOngRDVtEQI]
Psychedelic: Earthless, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmyqAv96OE8] Tame Impala, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ7hdF7Xyns] Oranssi Pazuzu [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSu7Oqhi-6g]
Hard Rock: Thin Lizzy, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyW5g9DtuU0] The Who, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDbAtWpoA6k] Led Zepppelin [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP9xMobANJM]
Industrial: Nine Inch Nails, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGwqJZWow3A] Shining, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7THWbL2A60] Killing Joke [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kaz9z_8Lwt8]
Prog Rock: Comus, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJp0rr54OU0] Camel, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhWDbdS-vjg] Anglagard [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5WlxC0orhk]
Prog Metal: maudlin of the Well, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgPD_t-Ue8o] Ne Obliviscaris, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMorAdnCixg] Sigh [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_J8oardVFY]
Thrash Metal: Sepultura, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wL8GjSeo3M] Blind Illusion, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg384EC6Q4g] Vektor [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tAbcWrrIQU]
Death Metal: At the Gates, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWY0wJOCaxg] The Chasm, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsPsRQU1iSA] Death [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFyZvw84T3g]
Black Metal: Burzum, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wry9G6rcdQw] Emperor, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFcOSPEI0Bg] Panopticon [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvlT-nc_9A4]
Doom Metal: Black Sabbath, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6VdTVsLiRQ] Electric Wizard, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO7VP34n2Ps] Celtic Frost [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW6RXTjm4iA]

 

[Sofus]

A few years ago I actually realised that I only enjoy songs which tell a story. Yeah I can enjoy a music track in a game or a movie, but that is only because the music doesn't take the spotlight.

Whenever I sit down and just listen to music, then it's to let my thoughts run wild, and songs that don't have a story to tell usually prevents my thought from becoming a great big mess, and instead I get trapped in the here and now.

For examples, if a song repeats the same word too often, then I start thinking about why that word is being used and what could have replaced it.

 

[Juan Regular]

I listen to pretty much everything as long as it's honest music, played with actual instruments. It all depends on what mood I´m in.

 

[Ishal]

I'd like to say so, yes. Granted most of the stuff I listen to would fall under Rock or Metal but I think there's still a great deal of variety to be had in those genres alone. Anyway, I guess I'll list off some genre's and provide three examples therein of something I like and you can judge for yourself whether or not it matches up to your definition of eclectic. :3

Jazz: Charles Mingus, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz7_toQc4lE] Alice Coltrane, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLd0GWYdeO0] Jaga Jazzist [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzfyyyKcghc]
Soul: Al Green, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnRV4D40CCI] The Isley Brothers, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh6lGI1bOkw] The Chi-Lites [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koiSiWLq3ds]
Folk: Nick Drake, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omsp3Xg77RQ] John Martyn, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Jvp3QBwgY] Empyrium [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTIAqsinp-A]
Indie: Neutral Milk Hotel, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfOF89uMdag] Sonic Youth, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvDuATZCY8I] Faunts [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-uJoPmOWAY]
Ambient: Aphex Twin, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0q1gCsZykg] Swans, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFFEgAsb9_0] Sunn O))) [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1HEiQJEmBg]
Alternative: The Smashing Pumpkins, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kukO9PT83IQ] Motorpsycho, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PbJ9FkFepI] Beck [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa3rBVb3v4g]
Gothic Rock/Metal: The Cure, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZoYzne9Tpg] Type O Negative, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haQFP_WikhQ] Anathema [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ojrMszA8A]
Electronic: Ulver, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEhBztupdaA] Unkle, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAcU5AHS1E8] Daft Punk [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOngRDVtEQI]
Psychedelic: Earthless, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmyqAv96OE8] Tame Impala, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ7hdF7Xyns] Oranssi Pazuzu [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSu7Oqhi-6g]
Hard Rock: Thin Lizzy, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyW5g9DtuU0] The Who, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDbAtWpoA6k] Led Zepppelin [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP9xMobANJM]
Industrial: Nine Inch Nails, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGwqJZWow3A] Shining, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7THWbL2A60] Killing Joke [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kaz9z_8Lwt8]
Prog Rock: Comus, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJp0rr54OU0] Camel, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhWDbdS-vjg] Anglagard [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5WlxC0orhk]
Prog Metal: maudlin of the Well, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgPD_t-Ue8o] Ne Obliviscaris, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMorAdnCixg] Sigh [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_J8oardVFY]
Thrash Metal: Sepultura, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wL8GjSeo3M] Blind Illusion, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg384EC6Q4g] Vektor [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tAbcWrrIQU]
Death Metal: At the Gates, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWY0wJOCaxg] The Chasm, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsPsRQU1iSA] Death [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFyZvw84T3g]
Black Metal: Burzum, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wry9G6rcdQw] Emperor, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFcOSPEI0Bg] Panopticon [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvlT-nc_9A4]
Doom Metal: Black Sabbath, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6VdTVsLiRQ] Electric Wizard, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO7VP34n2Ps] Celtic Frost [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW6RXTjm4iA]

Quite the list you have there.

I listen to about 80% of that, so I guess I'll just say this.

I do listen to odd stuff myself though...

Anathema
Okera
NEST
Agalloch
Arsis
Nile

and various songs from the show MLP. I'd say thats eclectic

 

[Tanakh]

am I deluded in thinking that my musical tastes are truly eclectic? How about yours? Am I a pretentious hipster douche for patronising the tastes of others?

I would go with:

- I think so. Know everything but 1 artist from your post, and I consider myself way too limited to be eclectic. Also almost all you mention is situated or takes it's roots on the mainstream occidental music.

- Guess have bit wider tastes, but i am also probably a bit older which means more time to listen to useless stuff.

- Well, most people don't know up from down in music. Still you do sound a bit over-pretentious, IMO you are barely scratching the musical wealth you can tap into, maybe in 30 more years of trying to hear more sounds you can be patronising.

 

[NoeL]

I wouldn't say I'm eclectic, since my taste is music is pretty narrow (mostly symphonic metal, but I also like electropop), and it's only unusual because I live in Australia. If I lived in Europe I would have people turning their noses up at me for being too mainstream.

 

[SirPlindington]

Not so much "eclectic" as "tasteless," to be totally honest. I have barely ever heard any music I didn't greatly enjoy, and I swear to the big homey G that that's not an exaggeration. Certain songs I like more than others, but not in specific genres or even specific bands (Most of the time anyway, there are bands that I will cite as being my favorite). I don't care what it is, I like it. Boards of Canada holds a special place in my heart, though. I have so much love for everything they do. If love was measured in beats of the heart, they could use my love for them to solve the energy crisis. That doesn't make sense, but shut your face,

 

[-Dragmire-]

My taste in music is a little varied, my favorite is classical orchestra(fav is Bach Piano Concerto No 1 in D minor BWV 1052 Mvt 1) but I also enjoy some kinds techno(not familiar enough to know style names though) and whatever style of music Yuki Kaijura does. Rock and metal I've moved away from in recent years but the mood hits me from time to time to play them. I also listen to game soundtracks but their styles usually fall in the categories of some of the above like Zelda, Bastion, No time to explain, Super Hexagon etc..

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Absolutely. I'll listen to anything from The Clash to a corny, empowering JRPG OST.
Well, generally I'll listen to anything empowering.
Unless it's from Akira Yamaoka.
Then it's just depressing.
But yes, eclectic much.

 

[piinyouri]

Not really.
I mean I have little spats of things outside my usual dwelling realm, but mostly I'm a metal fan and I'm okay with that.

 

[ffs-dontcare]

What I love listening to depends greatly on each individual song. I don't really like to pin what I enjoy to genres (or even bands) but my music consists mostly of the following:

- Trance (on the more immersive end of the scale).
- Metal all over the place (Deathstars, Mechina, Dead By April, The Unguided, Killswitch Engage, Behemoth, Empyrean, etc).
- Other stuff along the lines of Psyborg Corp, Psyclon Nine, X-in June, Commissioner, Dune, etc.
- Immersive music from some games like Unreal, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Black Mesa, and from some films like Inception.
- Two Steps From Hell, Celldweller, that sort of thing. Again, immersion.
- Humourous songs such as Guess Who's Naked, as well as stuff from the guys at Turquoise Jeep. Also, 100 Ways To Love A Cat, which goes on for 35 minutes. Yes, really.
- Horribad songs like exactly what you'd get from Patrice Wilson (the guy responsible for Friday and It's Thanksgiving).
- Miscellaneous stuff that gets my attention such as Chris Dane Owens, and a particular Russian pop duo.

Basically, my thing is that I like to go for walks that are upwards of thirty minutes, and listen to music that I can immerse myself in during said walks. For me it's an incredibly nice form of escapism.

 

[Master_of_Oldskool]

I'm mostly into metal and punk, but unlike most fans I'll listen to absolutely any subgenre. Ska, hardcore, pop-punk, power metal, trad metal, straight-up grindcore-noise-shock-rock with every lyric being either unintelligible or "****," it's all good. I also love nerdcore rap and classic country, along the lines of Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, as well as classic rock of all kinds. There are certain indie groups I don't mind (Mainly Wheatus, Franz Ferdinand, and Biting Elbows), and I dabble a bit in blues and jazz. Really the only genre I can't abide by is modern pop, and that's less for the general sound and more the sheer inanity of the lyrics.

Oh, and I like Voltaire, which requires an eclectic taste in and of itself, because seriously, dude never sticks to a genre. Goth-caberet-country-showtunes-Gaelic ballads-thatonetimeherapped-lullabies-okayseriouslywhatevenisthisheavenlynoisecalled FTW.