Music: Is it based on class?

Recently, i had the time to listen to someone talk about their passions in the class system in their sociology lessons. I've always been brought up talking about classes and the prejudices against some and the care given to others, but what does this have to do with music?

It has a lot to do with music

Music is important to the culture of our lives and therefore could be seen as an extreme fundamental backbone to society. It helps create social movements, such as "The Beatles" which took risks with their music and made an impact on their generation. The "Baby Boomers" of the 60s became more ambitious in their attitudes, breaking off from trends to create new societal groups. Their genre, rock and roll, changed society. From that point on, new music, new genres and new sounds were formed. To talk of the present, there is so much you can listen to. Sub-genres of rock, pop and rap. Clearly from the wide range of music, one person would listen to something that correlates with their identity.

The music we listen to his heavily dependent on who we are, where we come from and where we go. We live in a generation where we need to belong to a group. Whether you disagree or not, we need validation. We achieve that through what we wear, who we relate to, how we act towards others and what music we listen to. Personally myself, i listen to a lot of modern rock and lo-fi. I enjoy a meaning behind music as i crave a meaning behind everything. Both these sub-genres express meaning through passion and the choice of words and the sounds produced and in what order they come together. They fall into place to make the perfect sound for me. Does my class have anything to do with that? I think it does have a role. I don't believe i would appreciate the music of before my birth and have such a wide knowledge without adventuring into these new genre. During the time that i heard the passion of sociology from my friend, she told me when we were determining my class that "the middle class are more likely to discover and harvest on information of different cultures through such means as holidays and trips". I believe that has a lot to do with my choice in music, i try and discover more music to open my mind to what different people like.

Studies have proven that less-educated people are eight times more likely to dislike classical music than higher educated people. "But we are talking about class, not education" well my reader, education plays a lot with the class system. 48% of lower class members of society achieve only five or less GCSE qualifications. From this, we can infer that lower class members of society are less likely to enjoy music outside of their own tastes. So what are their tastes exactly? You'd be surprised

British Columbia University

A study out of Vancouver and Toronto, with 1,600 subjects, were asked whether they liked or did not like 21 different genres. Now personally, i am kind of shocked so take these results as evidence for both sides of the argument whether class decides taste of music. The working class are more likely to listen to: Rap and Heavy Rock whereas the middle/upper class are more likely to listen to: Pop and Rock. We can also say we've listen and enjoyed all four of those pieces of music. However, these studies has suggested that not only does your class state your music but age, gender, immigrant status and ethnicity. The one thing for definite however is the distinction between the extremes of both the working class and the upper class is that they will both dislike the others music such as the working class disliking classical and the upper class disliking rap most generally.

As i continue to write this, i think to myself: "Does this define my age group, the people i have a connection with?" There's a lot wrong with that study, its four years old, its done on adults and it's based in Canada. So, i asked my 400+ followers to answer the question i am trying to find the meaning behind, Is music taste based on class?

My own study on people's opinion is 31% agree and 69% disagree with Music taste being based on class. A majority of 17 people, now i am kinda disappointed that some people did not take part by i digress. From the 45 that did respond to the poll, seven of them agreed to argue their points. 3 out of the 7 agreed with the statement where as the other 4 disagree with some good points and i am going to address them, but lets go through the I's.

"You don't see someone who lives in a council house banging out Mozart do you?!"

From the study i mentioned before, it is correct that the working class are eight times more likely to hate classical music. Though if you argue with me that "council house living doesn't make you part of the working class" well unfortunately they do bracket up with the council house living, only earning £13,000 in household income and typically renting which makes up for the traditional working class. I believe this statement has some truth to it, at least it's idea. Though i support it's view partially, i think this statement could be focused on the underclass, the other and less known class underneath the working class. Another factoid from the passionate friend to credit.

"People will most always, whether consciously or unconsciously, conform to norms of peer groups"

This is a broad statement but very evident in society of today. You could say this about a lot of things people do. As i mentioned, the groups that we associate ourselves with do play a major role in who we are. Moving up and down the class system is difficult for those who associate themselves with the certain stereotypes of gangs as, perfectly said in the film "Three billboards on the outside of Ebbing, Missouri "You joined the gang. You're culpable." Focusing on to music however, it is very hard for someone who is in a tightly related group to expand on their music taste without either breaking off from them or listening to the music in secret. It could be seen as pathetic to hide your tastes but for someone who needs validation and understanding of their group,they must conform to their norms. Conform to their music. It's harsh but study your own group, if its a tight group then workout if you listen to the same music. I am thankful to be able to listen to what i like as i can relate my music with a lot of people, some or nobody without being criticized.

"I would say kind of stereotypically yes, at least when it comes to hood music"

In the case of NWA, the first and most controversial group of its genre, a lot of it's music was rap, hip-hop and "hood" related music. How so? The famous song "fuck the police" aimed to create social change but incidentally riots in L.A. Who started the riots? The listeners of the songs who were black, working class members who were both associated with the term "hood life" and not. The NWA and their music created a social change but in the most controversial way, through a riot. Many of the rioters identified through their music by their age, class, gender and ethnicity which were 18-25 year old, working class, men and women who were black. So i guess i support this statement far more as it has real life evidence behind it.

I was surprised that many needed to prove a point for "music taste not having anything to do with class". It's the less controversial route and the most popular picked option. However, evidence for the nays was far more anecdotal so it really didn't prove an argument.

Top Tip For Arguments: Never use personal events over genuine facts, you'll lose as it proves nothing to anyone but yourself!

"According to statistics, the majority of people who listen to rap music are working class and upper class"

As stated before, statistics from the British Columbia University in Canada, the working class are the majority in listening to rap music. Not saying that the middle class and upper class don't listen to rap at all. But based on your class (along with age, gender and ethnicity), you are less likely to listen to rap in general if you live outside of the working class. The upper class have been studied to be the least likely to listen to rap and i would explain myself but this next comment expresses it better than myself.

"Not based but influenced by because lower classes will like more rap and grime as they can relate with it which means that if your whole subculture is listening to something you'll like it too. Also music is an expression and so you could like something because it links you to other classes"

I really think that this sounds like a I than a Nay statement but they did vote against the statement but this really does express a good point to the conversation as a whole. Though music is an expression, people wouldn't listen to different types of music to relate within another class but to do with their experiences. What you experience in one class could and can be different to another. As classes are based on wealth, occupation and income etc. A family with little money would have far less cultural experiences than the upper class because they cannot spend money on these knowledgeable luxuries and need to conserve their savings for necessities. As i discovered before, middle class and upper class lives are enriched by cultural experiences which helps develop the attitude to expand your interests. Relating to music, as rap is economically targeted at the working class, its more understandable for them to listen to grounded music than genres born in other countries.

"Everyone likes songs like Mr Blue Sky and Bohemian Rhapsody, nothing to do with class"

Everyone likes Christmas songs and Mr Brightside, Everyone likes going on holiday too and these have absolutely got nothing to do with class system. That is correct. Mr Blue Sky but especially Bohemian Rhapsody defined a century of music. Queen created one of the best songs ever created due to its risk and combination of factors that should of confirmed it to fail. It was also a defining moment in social culture and made Queen one of the most recognizable bands in the world along with The Beatles. Bohemian Rhapsody became extremely trendy because of it's impact and so everyone has heard the song once. So what though? It's one song out of gazillion ever written. "Fuck the police" wasn't enjoyed by the people who lost their businesses and lively hoods to NWA audience. Not all music is made for everyone and classes will choose what they enjoy and what they hate due to their own experiences. Explain the experience behind Bohemian Rhapsody, what is Freddie Mercury singing about? What he sings about relates to nobody as it's all about the sounds and the mixes of genres, probably why i enjoy the song so much is because it's such a theatrical piece of music (and because i know the song off by heart, sober or drunk. Sign me up for karaoke).

I do believe that music tastes are based on class but is not the single element to defining your taste. I hope that the evidence i have presented widens your ideas on music as a whole and how much sociology you can pack into an element of life we all recognize, constructed sounds, aka, music.

If you have been able to read everything than i thank you for giving your time to listen to my opinion. Any constructive feedback would be helpful to me to create even better pieces of work such as this.

“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” ― Albert Einstein