Does Gender(and sexual pref.) Really Affect Music You Listen To?

[shiroun]

This, as far as I know, has not been opened up yet. Does Gender truly affect what type of music you listen to... to a certain extent.

For example: Britney Spears (Jamie Lyn Spears (Her Sister, is pregnant)) is sort of a girly music type, perfect example is her song Toxic. I had to sing a remix of it with a bunch of my friends in camp for some stupid event, and it is rather girly.

Another Example (per real life): I went to a sort of chinese auction/secret santa thing, the gifts were wrapped, you picked one from a pile, that sorta thing, people can take it, hold it, whatever, 3 steals and it stays where it is. Yeah, Whatever.

At any rate, on my final shot, I took a pinkly wrapped gift with a clear (tinted pink) bowtie around it. Turned out to be a Hannah Montana CD. I'm male. I enjoyed some of the songs, most of my friends say Hannah Montana is girl music.

Spoiler: suprise!

Most of them never even listened to Hannah Montana

What do you guys, or should i say people, think?

Post like this:
Gender: Male
Preference: Independant (some rock, pop, Hannah Montana(lol), Rap)
Opinion:
Why:

 

[Venetia]

Well I've never listened to/enjoyed pop music aside from whatever the 60's and 70's belted out.

Beatles > N Sync (or whoever's popular nowadays, I don't know)

I don't think gender affects musical affiliation as much as age does. I've always listened to rock (metal and otherwise), and a greater portion of what I enjoy were made in the 60's/70's. I was born in the early 80's, though--so I'm kinda against my own rule.

But mostly what I see is that people celebrate and listen to the songs they grew to love as teens-young adults. My parents were teens/YA in the late 60's/early 70's, so that's mostly what they played. I was a product of the 90's, so most of my peers at the time listen only to that kind of music.

I suppose an argument can be made for the idea that pop music is feminine while rock is masculine. Hm.

 

[English Ninja]

Gender: Female. Middle teens.

Preference: Ah, let's see...I frequent the realms of both Coldplay and Alexisonfire. I gravitate back and forth between more mellower stuff -- i.e. Pink Floyd -- and tougher stuff, i.e. Silverchair. I'd say that my top bands are Rush, Supertramp, Floyd, Alexisonfire and Coldplay. There are many other bands that can rank on my list just because they've made certain songs that I happen to like. Examples of this are Living Colour, Mobile, and so on. However, many of the 'classic' rock bands -- think Zeppelin and the Beatles -- I just can't like.

Opinion: The major factor that I listen for in music is complexity. I've grown up listening to prog rock like Rush, which sports insane arrangements and the best drummer alive, so I've ended up listening for the level of music in songs. (The only reason I listen to Alexisonfire, which is a rather screamy band, is because their music is exemplary in a realm of otherwise dull, plodding tunes that grace the local radio stations.)

Many people listen to things because their friends do, and because it's cool at the time. I've gotten my share of odd looks for my musical tastes, and those losers can pretty much bite me. Genres like rap are trash in my eyes, really, because from what I've heard, it's all pretty much the same song over and over again.

As for that Hannah Montana bit that Shiroun brought up: I've never heard a single piece of her music, but I can pretty much guarantee that I would loathe her. I have extreme issues with prettied-up little girls who appeal to the "tween" generation. Her music could be some solid stuff, granted, but just the subject matter that I anticipate from her and the sort of audience she's playing to really pushes me back.

Why: Many of my musical tastes come directly from my dad. He and I both like approximately the same stuff. Whenever he hears something on the radio that he likes, he recommends it to me (and, often, vice versa), and more often than not, both of us like the song.

I never got into the Spice Girls or any other such gimmicks as a kid.

So, basically, to actually answer the thread's question...in some cases, gender is a very important factor when determining what kind of music a person likes; in other situations, like mine, it doesn't mean a thing.

 

[Ellie]

My sister likes Dragonforce, the guys at my school went to see Girls Aloud in concert, etc. Go figure.

I am male, 17 years old, and I listen to rock, metal, punk, ska, and the sort of 70-80's rock stuff like Led Zepellin, Pink Floyd, Thin Zizzy, etc. Like the people above, I inherit my taste in music from my parents. My dad being a seventies rocker, and my mom used to hang around with hells' angels.

I would say though that in children there is to some extent a gender role as far as music is concerned. Bands like Aqua ("I'm a barbie girl" and so on) being aimed more at girls, and bands such as... hmm, can't really think of any bands boys would listen to as kids.

 

[Arcanum]

Opinion: The major factor that I listen for in music is complexity. I've grown up listening to prog rock like Rush, which sports insane arrangements and the best drummer alive, so I've ended up listening for the level of music in songs. (The only reason I listen to Alexisonfire, which is a rather screamy band, is because their music is exemplary in a realm of otherwise dull, plodding tunes that grace the local radio stations.)

You just became my favorite new member. Though imo Neal Peart = 2nd best drummer ever. Gavin Harrison takes the cake for the best.

Anyway, I guess gender can affect musical taste, but I think it's more to do with multiple factors such as upbringing, cultural context, what your mother listened to while you were in the womb (this actually has been studied), and stuff like that. I got a book called "This is your Brain on Music" for chistmas, and it talks a bunch about why people like the music they do, and it talks a lot about that.

 

[Faggotry]

Gender: Male
Preference: Alternative, Indie Rock, Progressive Rock, Symphonic Metal, Heavy Metal, Punk Rock, Hardcore.
Opinion:I don't think Genre makes a difference.
Why: I'm male, and I listen to many different types of music e.g Nightwish, Pink Floyd, Alexisonfire, Opeth, AFI, Muse and Marilyn manson.
Yet, a close female friend of mine, has almost exactly the same music taste as me.
I mean I know a girl who's favourite band is Marilyn Manson, of course gender doesnt affect what you listen too.
But [I'm not being racist and if you think it is, you should do some research on what racism is.] It seem's that race effects what you listen to more then gender.
In a small poll i conducted around my school.
8/10 of the Black people i asked favourite genre of music was Rap and RnB.
4/10 of Asians preffered asian music
and 7/10 Caucasian's listened to Punk and Rock
and 4/5 Finnish [I only have 5 at my school] Like Heavy metal.
I think that what music you prefer comes down to what you hear at a young age and whats the most meaningful too you.

 

[Ninjitsu]

Gender: Male

Preference:
Breaking Benjamin, Evanescence, Fall Out Boy, Incubus, Linkin Park, Muse, Three Days Grace, Sum41, SR71, Yellowcard.
Lots of other stuff too, but that's all i can remember off the top of my head, keeping it alphabetical. Make your own opinion.

Opinion: Idk. Let the next poster do that.

Why: I don't know. I listen to a lot of the mainstream stuff. Music, for me, is just what I do while working out or playing sports. It's not really a "pastime."

 

[jbart321]

Gender has nothing to do with how good the music is or what I listen to.  I actually prefer to listen to a female voice for certain types of music. 

 

[sixtyandaquarter]

I'm always told I'm too feminine to be a guy, and too manly to be a girl.  My female verse is strongly female, it's not like a hint or touch.  Likewise my manisity is the polar, equally as strong wrenching in the other direction.
So maybe I'm just different, when I say I like music and there isn't a genre I don't, won't, or can't listen to and enjoy.  Sure.  I like the heavier and swifter types of metal than most anything - except for 90's club dance when I get the itch to dance.  See?  Manly metal that'll put hair on your chest and a beard on your face and a bruise on your fists, and dance ... from the 90's . . . you can't get more Rupal than that!

 

[MED]

's not your gender so much as your upbringing and personality, methinks~

Girls and guys tend to have certain kinds of personalities, remember. That's probably why certain music genres are attributed to girls particularly and so on--

Personally, I didn't grow to like either of my parents music tastes particularly; I like fast-paced dance-like music, pop, some techno and hip-hop-- and if not that, then OPERA! Opera rocks....  : D

 

[Justice]

Manly metal that'll put hair on your chest and a beard on your face and a bruise on your fists

And yet often it's played by long-haired men in tight clothes, which would appear to flout the stocky build, crew cut, "I don't play music, I'm a man - I put up shelves!" masculine stereotype. It's odd that the male stereotypical music could be that and yet the creators of said music are a world away from it.

How can music be a man's thing or a girl's thing, specifically? Sure, there are some bands marketed at a certain demographic, like McFly for pre-pubescent females, or Milburn for sixteen year old 'lads', but it doesn't really have much of an effect on those that don't pay attention to what is marketed at them and find music for themselves. People that honestly believe music taste should be gender-assigned are usually pretty fickle, I've found.

 

[Brosek]

I love britney.. gender and sexual pref never made me want to say.. man I am not listening to her because she's a flat out gay person.

 

[JD_Slasha]

Very good question at hand. I think to an extent, there might be a slight inclination for certain types of music from a gender perspective, but I think a lot of these inclinations comes solely what we are bombarded with as being "acceptable" from the media. In my personal experience, I tend to enjoy love songs and R&B songs written buy males; not because I'm homosexual mind you, but because I can relate to what a guy sings about for a girl, rather than the content a girl would sing about. For example, both Neyo's "Because of you" and Mariah Carey's "Until Forever" are really good songs in my opinion. You'd find, however, that I'd more frequently listen to Neyo's song because I can relate to him as a fellow male singing about a female (or atleast that's what I percieve he's singing about)

I agree heavily with Ven's comments; I think that regardless of your generation, I think people tend to glorify the music they were exposed to as teenagers and young adults. My mother listened to Bread back in her day, and still listens to them today. I listened to OutKast as a teenager, and still do to this day. I wouldn't be surprised to see twenty years from now parents blasting My Chemical Romance or something because it was what they were exposed to.

 

[AskaRay]

Gender: Female, 17.
Preference:
Anything that's not 2000's+ rap/hip-hop/RnB (it used to be good.... sort of...) or country.
More specific, Power/symphonic/epic/fantasy metal. (any metal not super deathy metal, really.) Video Game music. Punk music. JPop, JRock, JMetal you get it, and the band AFI. (yes, they're a separate section...) Techno/dance/house/trance/electronica/variants of it.
Opinion: Well, most girls I (me, myself) know don't really like metal. And when I say "know" I'm talking about the majority of my country-hick laden high school. I can't really stand "girly" music, but it really just depends on the song. The radio is stupid and usually overplays good songs, turning them into bad songs.
Why: It really just depends on the person. Like, someone like me who listens to music almost religiously will have different tastes then people who just turn on the radio every once in a while. So. Yeah, I don't think gender has anything to do with what you listen to.
By the way, I'm black and I HATE rap and hip hop. ^.^ Can't stand that shit.

The best music/internet radio site ever, in my opinion is Pandora. None of that "I'm going to turn on the radio to a rock station, oh look it's playing a slow song but I need some HEAVY-FUCKING-METAL right now." crap. Whee~

 

[PeteD2S]

Gender: Male
Preference: Metal, but I do like musics from other genres just as much, as long as they are good.
Why: It's me. I like whatever it's good. I don't like any genres, I like the music. I listen to almost everything.

And about the gender affecting the taste, I think that's fake. It's all about where/how we grow up. I have grown up listening to random songs so I like almost every kind of music.

 

[Cruelty]

im a guy.

i like lots of pop music, like britney spears and justin timberlake. but i also enjoy progressive death metal, black metal, trance, psytrance, house, hardcore/dance, eurodance, ANY kind of hip-hop (underground, commercial, oldschool.. i dont care. its all good), punk, ska, hardcore punk, psychobilly, horror punk.. among whatever i think sounds cool. im not gonna sit and type a huge list of shit, you get the idea. i genuinely like everything except country. i just cant get into that shit. my friend likes it, couldn't get me to like it. my aunt used to play it all the time, it's so damn boring. the same goes for generic radio rock (three days grace, nickleback, breaking benjamin, etc), i really can't listen to that stuff without getting bored.

the people you hang with determine what you listen to more than your gender. you're probably not listening to justin timberlake if you hang with a bunch of mallgoths, because you dont want them to think less of you. same if you hang with metal heads, you wont be listening to project pat. if your friends are girly girl cheerleaders, you're not listening to necrophagist, cause they'd think youre weird and alienate you. etc, etc, etc. we all wanna fit in, amirite?


btw, i can't stand when people claim to 'hate all rap', because i fucking guarantee you that WHOEVER you are i can send you some hiphop you'd really like.

 

[Kraft]

For some reason I think that males enjoy Metal Music (or hard rock, or death Metal, whatever is really fast and hard) more than females.

I am sure that there are a lot of girls out there who enjoy metal music, (veintia ^_^) but... well, I dont know... I just assosiate metal with males and stuff like High School Musical (AHHH!!! burn my ears! NOOOO!!!!!!!!)

I am sure I am wrong, but I would like to know how many people out there actally like those kinds of music.

Also, I am sure that personal taste has a lot to do with it...  I mean, everyone is different... (Beatles = Die//// Dragonforce = AWESOME!)
So what do others think?

 

[AskaRay]

Hmm. I think it's like Cruelty said when he mentioned that your buddies determine your tastes more than your gender.

Like, all my friends like metal; I like metal and I'm a girl. (In fact, DragonForce = yummies)
And my sister, well, her friends all listen to Panic! at the Disco and Pink and etc. so that's what she likes.
We still live together but we can't listen to each other's music.

 

[adelicatedoll]

First off, I'm a female. :P I listen to just about everything. Right now I'm listening to Switchfoot. But I like anything. If you looked on my computer, you'd see Michelle Branch then not far behind... Otep. :D I'm into everything.

I don't think gender necessarily affects what we listen to. I think it's more so the crowd we are in. I grew up in a family who listened to country music, so that's what I used to listen to. As I got older though my music tastes changed. I was introduced to more through friends and access to the internet, etc. My boyfriend listens to the heavier stuff; metal, heavy rock stuff, and after listening to it, I think I've just acquired an ear for it. I don't know.

 

[charnak]

well i think culture probbably has more influence on taste in music then gender, when i started listening to music i started with the clasics that all teenage guys listen to, Metalica Zeplin Ozzy Pantera ect. but then as i went on and devled deeper i started to prefer more of a punk alt Rock  style but either way it tended to be verry dark and angry but i think my tastes have matured as have my attitude over the past 2 or three years as now i listen to pretty much primarily Nightwish (the original stuff with Tarja not annette) Within temptation and Evanescence. i still enjoy Breaking benjamin and Dragon force. but as i said i think culture has alot to do with it.

I am Irish I like Irish and celtic music in fact at least 1/6th of the songs on my mp3 players are from that genra, i think thats why i like they gothic/symphonic metal so much Nightwish and within temptation have that tradgic epic sound. So i think your herritage and what your brought up listening to have alot to do with your tastes,

i dont think gender has so much to with it cuz what i listen seems to be more feminine, not because they are female vocalists but because they are tradgic as opposed to hostile and much slower, Sterotypes on what people of your age/gender/ethnicity/creed prolly have the most to do with it though when you start you listen to what you think your suposed to listen to.