[Music] Gamers and taste of music

[Chasavaqe]

I don’t know if you noticed this as well (maybe I’m just senile). Gamers seem to widely like 2 types of music:

Hard Rock/Metal/Heavy Metal/Screamo (you know… guitar/bass/drums/harsh vocals/extensive use of guitar solos, etc.)
AND/OR
Techno/House/Dubstep/Club/Electronic

Yet many gamers (once again, not all) have a sheer disdain of pop music.

I’m really curious about the first set of genres (metal/heavy metal) because this type of music really isn’t all that wildly popular in the US (and hasn’t really been since the 80s)… Pop, the music gamers tend to hate, however, is.

What is the reason behind this?
I’m not trying to bash you guys or this music at all… I know music is subjective, so while I don’t really care for that genre, I know that it doesn’t mean that it’s bad. Your musical opinion is just as valid as mine, which is just as valid as the guy you sit next to on the subway.

If you want examples of what I’m talking about, look at the previous bands selected to play at Blizzcon. Look at the songs selected for the “rate my song” topics on MMO-Champion. Watch any random WoW PvP video. You’ll find an overwhelmingly high presence of these 2 types of music.
So why is this? What makes gamers so drawn to these 2 types of music and so repelled by pop? I'm genuinely curious.

(Please no "because X music sucks"... music is subjective. Just because you don't like it doesn't make it suck)

[Deleted]

Two Steps From Hell is all i need

[NuLogic]

Actually rock is the most popular genre in the U.S.

[Chasavaqe]

Two Steps From Hell is all i need

My favorite group I listen to Skyworld like every day walking to and from class

Actually rock is the most popular genre in the U.S.

Source please?
Billboard, the site that keeps track of what is popular, seems to differ.
Also, I was referring to hard rock... not rock in general... Sorry for the confusion XD

[Deleted]

Actually rock is the most popular genre in the U.S.

Not Pop? I thought by definition pop is the most popular, i may be wrong...

Thing is the older you get the more music you get into, and the less you like what is 'popular'. I can't stand 95% of music that is in the charts, but i listen to anything from 50s right up until the present day. Classical, blues, jazz, rock, electronic, metal, grunge, punk are all good. Genres don't really adequately describe an individuals musical tastes because not everybody likes the same thing. In fact there are plenty of classical, blues, jazz, rock, electronic, etc... artists that i don't like and wouldn't listen to either.

TLDR; You like what you like, genres don't really come into it.

[stuartj1992]

Well, I mainly listen to rock - but in this case, old style rock. We're talking, 60's-70's rock like Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac etc along with other bands from other eras such as Roxy Music, David Bowie, Talking Heads etc.

I'm a gamer, and yet I listen to genres clearly outside of this. I will gladly listen to Neil Young (which, admittedly, is debatably rock in some circles), Bob Dylan, Billy Joel and so on, as well as classical music. I think trying to classify gamers as listening to pure 'this genre or that' is stupid - gamers like anyone else will listen to whatever the hell they want to listen to.

[Clockwork Pinkie]

The bpm and drums of trance and rock gets them pumped, which is usually what most of the videos of gamres are about, someone getting headshots, 20 replays to the wub wub or the sound of the drum. I'm glad that trance is getting up there, but then again, it's always been up there. Vanilla through Wrath had the best boss kill music ever imo.

This is more of what I like to hear, a song that takes you on a journey itself even if there was a video with it or not, not really with the whole loud wub a dub dub that people are calling electronic now. :/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFa3MJCKhgU

[Chasavaqe]

I think trying to classify gamers as listening to pure 'this genre or that' is stupid - gamers like anyone else will listen to whatever the hell they want to listen to.

I realize this. I was just curious as to why metal/heavy metal is really popular among many gamers, but not so much by others. I personally am a gamer and don't like either of the styles I listed, which means I'm well aware of the fact that some gamers do not follow this. That's all... No need to get attacky.

[NuLogic]

I believe it means all type of rock. Hip hop and pop are just more prevalent to us.
http://76.74.24.142/CA052A55-9910-2D...663DCFFFF3.pdf

[Deleted]

Depending on what I am playing. When playing LoL, HoN, Dota2 or WoW PVP I listen to Rock. PVE it is mostly Techno and Trance.

When I am just chilling, farming or doing dailies I listen to Swedish Hip Hop or Pop (Taylor Swift ftw!)

[eschatological]

I listen to folk music. Ani DiFranco is my favorite musician. I listen to her when I raid, which is asinine on paper but works for me. She keeps me calm.

Oddly enough, I listen to hip hop or classic rock (60s, 70s) outside of WoW. That's some disparate musical taste.

I was into metal in the 90s. And then Goth. I was a teenager. And then when Marilyn Manson said rock is deader than dead....I realized it was pretty true. I still listen to that music on occasion, but I need to be in the mood for it.

[Deleted]

Nope, Electronic, Indie and Hip-Hop here, I'm special!
But I don't know if I can be called a big of a gamer.

[Deleted]

Metal and fantasy games fit together because of their aesthetics, and both genres you mentioned fit gaming because they are energetic.

I think the disdain for pop music has nothing to do with being gamers or not, most metal people tend to dislike pop music. Sometimes for stupid reasons sometimes for good reasons.

I would not call myself a metalhead despite listening to lots of metal, as I would like to distance myself from the metal subculture, and also most metal genres I am really into are fringe territory for metal (metalcore, djent, post-metal) and also I listen to tons of non-metal stuff (various forms of electronica, abstract hip-hop, post-hardcore, post-rock, shoegaze, alternative rock etc.) but to give insight into why I hate pop music, well...

I am looking for several qualities in my music. These are 1) emotions 2) technicality 3) atmosphere and 4) sincerity. The 4) is the least negotiable from these. For example the reason I am not so keen on many "true" metal is because they tend to lack 1) but have the other three. But there are occasionally some stuff where the technicality and the atmosphere make up for the lack of 1). But these all have 4).

In my experience, actual mainstream pop music (so I am not including relatively independent singer-songwriters who make poppy stuff) lacks all 4 of these.

Lacks 1) because it lacks 4), lacks 2) because their target audience would not be able to understand or enjoy technical music, and it lacks 3) because atmosphere is a relatively abstract thing that the lowest common denominator-type audience could not stomach either, and lacks 4) because the music is being made with the sole purpose of selling the highest amount possible instead of being an artistic expression of self. And that inevitably means the quality will suffer immensely.

And as such I get zero enjoyment out of pop music. It does not interest me. It does not raise emotions in me. When I pay attention to the music I get bored and annoyed because it is so "empty" and uninteresting. It does not create cool atmospheres that suck me in.

But that is me.

[Deleted]

This is the kind of music i listen to whilst gaming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG2UMO6rZd4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRrss4kBi2M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHhsMCFxgvM

[Deleted]

I don’t know if you noticed this as well (maybe I’m just senile). Gamers seem to widely like 2 types of music:

Hard Rock/Metal/Heavy Metal/Screamo (you know… guitar/bass/drums/harsh vocals/extensive use of guitar solos, etc.)
AND/OR
Techno/House/Dubstep/Club/Electronic

Yet many gamers (once again, not all) have a sheer disdain of pop music.

I’m really curious about the first set of genres (metal/heavy metal) because this type of music really isn’t all that wildly popular in the US (and hasn’t really been since the 80s)… Pop, the music gamers tend to hate, however, is.

What is the reason behind this?
I’m not trying to bash you guys or this music at all… I know music is subjective, so while I don’t really care for that genre, I know that it doesn’t mean that it’s bad. Your musical opinion is just as valid as mine, which is just as valid as the guy you sit next to on the subway.

If you want examples of what I’m talking about, look at the previous bands selected to play at Blizzcon. Look at the songs selected for the “rate my song” topics on MMO-Champion. Watch any random WoW PvP video. You’ll find an overwhelmingly high presence of these 2 types of music.
So why is this? What makes gamers so drawn to these 2 types of music and so repelled by pop? I'm genuinely curious.

(Please no "because X music sucks"... music is subjective. Just because you don't like it doesn't make it suck)

A lot of people do. You keep forgetting the majority of people who are huge fans of pop are teenagers. I've yet to meet an adult who is a true "fan" of any pop singer. I'm not saying pop music is bad, but it's very repititive and I noticed most grow out of it.

I think you really need to go around asking random people what music they like, you'd be surprised. Gotta love shitty stereotyping :P

My guess to why it is used in tac/kill videos is because of the beats. It's has a somewhat pumped/adrenaline effect.

[Faesroll]

Generally don't listening to music during games, but if I do it's mostly Rock.

[sandini]

mostly rock for me, but also pop ballads and a little country and folk

my most favourite band is and will allways be The Cranberries

[Deleted]

I realize this. I was just curious as to why metal/heavy metal is really popular among many gamers, but not so much by others. I personally am a gamer and don't like either of the styles I listed, which means I'm well aware of the fact that some gamers do not follow this. That's all... No need to get attacky.

Metal attracts a lot of nerds, just like video games. They really go hand in hand a lot. Metal music complements the aesthetics of many games.

[inboundpaper]

I've been into punk longer than video games, so hating pop just kinda comes with it.

[Vestig3]

When i started playing online games and mostly wow Trance was very popular everyone was using it for their boss video's.