You likey or no likey?

I am indifferent to be honest. Some of it is genuinely crap, but some of it is actually good. I just get annoyed when I hear the same song over and over on every radio station or TV channel.

I do listen to non "mainstream" music though. uvu Honestly I don't think it matters on the popularity of a band for their music to be good? Haha idk.

Yeah, I don't really care how popular the bands I listen to are, and so listen to some very well-known artists, but also to bands none of my friends have ever heard of. All I care about is whether the music is good.

However, when I was younger, I went through this period where I absolutely rejected all popular music, believing that if everyone listens to something, it must me crap. I still tend to not be familiar with most well-known music, but I don't typically hate it from the get-go. I agree that there is a bunch of horrible mainstream music, however, nowadays during socials and parties I just tend to ignore it, unless it has lyrics that I find offensive (BLURRED LINES), and then I just walk out until the song is finished.

In my opinion, music is a unique creature.

When you think about books or video games, movies or television, all these mediums are meant to be enjoyed on the more intellectual side, to varying degrees. Even when dealing with mindless entertainment, you can usually pinpoint what it is you like about it.

Music is far more emotional. It's much more visceral. Some may be able to, but for myself, if asked, I don't think I could tell you why I like the music that I do. Music speaks to the soul, you know what I mean. -- Now lyrics do play more to the thinking side. You might decide not to like a song based on its message. But in terms of sounds and melody, I don't think i've ever sat down and analyzed a piece of music. It's just something you feel.

Throwing around the term 'mainstream' in a negative way, just seems highly pretentious. Now I don't doubt that some music is produced to be simple and disposable and make a quick buck. Just as some is produced to be profound and meaningful and multi-layered. ... The point is, whether the former or latter, whether considered mainstream or indie... if the music speaks to you, you shouldn't be made to feel bad for liking it.

Most people who assert that they only listen to indie or lesser know music, do so, I believe, for a perverse sense of self-satisfaction. It's basically saying, I like something you don't and in a way that makes me better than you.

That's nonsense.

I agree with Aganab - I listen to music because I like it, not because it's "mainstream", "underground", or whatever else.

A lot of the stuff I like is seriously mainstream. You know, Beyonce, Macklemore, Foster the People, acts everyone knows. I also like a lot of bands that get their fair share of radio time but who don't have as much name recognition: Stone Temple Pilots, Ellie Goulding, Josh Kelley, etc. Then I like quite a few bands who are relatively successful in a small way, but who no one ever knows at all: Murder By Death, Old Crow Medicine Show,. Past that, there are little, small-time bands who have <500 facebook likes who I am into in a big way (RIP South Jordan ). Basically, I don't care? The popularity of something really has no influence over whether I'll like something or not. I like the full spectrum. I think the majority of things I like fall in those first two categories; stuff that's been commercially successful. But that's just because the more popular something is, the more likely I am to be exposed to it. It's not easy to just stumble across tiny little garage bands that have amazing talent.

I listen to a great variety of genres of music and if I like it I'll enjoy it again. I don't care how what other people think of my taste in music.

To me 'mainstream' is just a term used to describe well-known music artists, it is not a genre and often well-known/famous music artists create music that is liked by lots because it is good...

I would agree, a lot of the music that is publicized in pop culture is kinda stupid, but then again there are some genuinely good songs like you said. Popularity of a band doesn't really matter to me unless I really like the band and I want them to get publicized. From that they could tour and possibly end up in my little corner of the world!