McNeely............My Frustrations with “Top 40”

At Carleton, whether I am talking to someone I recently met or am mingling at a party on the weekend, the topic of favorite music genres tends to come up in conversation. At first, when people asked me what my favorite genre was, I would reply with, “Oh, you know, a lot of things, but mostly I like indie, rock, pop, anything really.” To which people would ask, “Oh yeah? Like Top 40?” and I would respond, “Oh yeah absolutely,” only to receive an eye roll. More recently, however, I have begun to respond with, “Oh, you know, a lot of things. Indie, rock—oh, and I’m a sucker for Top 40,” to which most people would respond, “Oh yeah, me too! Like, it’s so bad, but it’s so fun!” After ruminating on my music interests, I’ve realized that this is frustrating. There is a negative connotation when someone declares that they’re a fan of Top 40 or even pop in general, which is, frankly, bullshit.

“I’ve noticed that there’s an association between pop-lovers and musically ignorant people”

I’ve noticed that there’s an association between pop-lovers and musically ignorant people. Essentially, Oh you like pop or Top 40? You must not have been exposed to the other types music out there. If you have done this consciously or subconsciously—which I admit, I have done in the past—stop. Music is one of the most subjective areas, and assuming intelligence based on musical preference is not healthy. Take me, for example. I consider myself pretty musically aware—I play the piano, I’m a member of the Knightingales, I grew up surrounded by music as my dad is a jazz arranger and composer—and I fucking love Top 40. I’m a huge fan of it, but I’m also a huge fan of alternative music, classical music, movie soundtracks, etc. Just because I tell you that I love Top 40 does not give you the right to assume I don’t have great taste in music. It’s also important to note that it’s called Top 40 for a reason: it’s popular. A lot of people like it. So why are people’s music taste considered bad if they like music a lot of other people like? One reason behind this may be that a lot of Top 40 music is pop (not just popular, the genre, pop). Pop has a reputation for being, well, not so great. And a lot of it isn’t great. But you can make that claim about any genre. There’s a lot of shitty rap, country, alternative, jazz, you name it. What I like about Top 40 is that is spreads over a couple genres: predominantly pop, but also rap, hip-hop, funk, country, singer-songwriter. And the stuff that makes it to the Top 40 is what a lot of listeners like to listen to. Don’t like Top 40? Cool. Don’t listen to it. But also don’t give me shit for listening to it. THE TAKEAWAY: Be confident in your musical interests. If you love something that might have a bad reputation, that’s ok. Enjoy it.