Pop Radio

I know that Top 40 radio appeals to the lowest common denominator, but I am struggling to feel bad about fitting into that category. I usually consider myself someone with good musical taste, meaning that I generally like artists who are deigned fairly high quality, like Ben Harper. Wishing to maintain my front of sophistication, I start out with the greatest musical integrity, and turn up my nose at the merely competent guitar playing and wailing vocals that assail my ears when I tune into the pop station. I declare loudly, "This song is utterly distasteful! Disgusting!" Except in a way that makes me sound not so much like a Victorian asshat. But eventually, usually after the third time I listen, I am willing to admit to myself, if to no one else, that I like the song. The stages go like this:
1. Blech! Egads!
2. Don't like it, it's not as catchy as it seems.
3. Okay, it's a little catchy, but it's poor musical stylings exemplify how pop music is single-handedly destroying all that was good about American music.
4. It's alright to sing along with it in the car, you'll never see any of those people again.
5. Why the hell are the music snobs so angry? This song is effing amazing!

I have come to grips with the fact that pop music has its uses. I was under the mistaken impression that what you listen to defines you as a person. Admittedly, I judge people a little bit by what they listen to, but I am coming to grips with people having substance, despite their music not having any. I have to take Top 40 music for what it is, which is ear candy. It isn't meant to have substance, and hasn't for decades, for the most part. Excuse me, but the 70s song "Afternoon Delight"? Not exactly a musical escapade to inspire soul searching. You can listen to both Bob Dylan and Wham! There's nothing wrong with occasionally indulging in music so artificially processed and sweet it makes the teeth rot out of your head. Everything in moderation. If you listen to too much pop, you end up like me in middle school, indiscriminately squealing out "Tearin' Up My Heart, " followed by "Spice Up Your Life," and dancing around my bedroom. If you take it to the other extreme, you end up like indie rockers, who by default hate everything; and who wants to live like that?

So, even more than you should avoid overdosing on one genre, diversify! Don't be afraid to like something someone tells you you shouldn't. And it's okay to hate something your friend (like me) who proports to have high quality taste tells you is the next musical coming. The hater probably rags on you and then goes home to clandestinely listen to her old Chumbawumba album (I know you men bought it, too, so don't even deny it). Not all of us have to be high art and love opera all the time. We can like Click Five on the weekends.

High Fidelity fashion,
Top Five Songs It's Okay to Like:
1. Sugar, We're Going Down - Fall Out Boy (we're all a little emo...it's alright)
2. Don't Stop Believing - Journey (turn it up and SING)
3. Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani (it's really the opposite of good, but I flip out and dance, anyway)
4. Mm Mm Bop - Hanson (old skool awesome)
5. Jump Around - House of Pain (I've got more rhymes than the Bible's got psalms!)