How did listening to music become a spectator sport?
11 Dec
These days we are becoming increasingly comfortable sharing information about ourselves online. It not unusual to read about somebodies life on their blog, see their photos on Flickr, see their videos on Youtube, keep updated on their day via Twitter and even see what they are wearing on Lookbook. Whilst some would consider putting all this information online oversharing for some people it just seems normal.
One thing which used to be a relatively private matter was listening to music. I understand that that sounds a little incorrect but bear with me. Going to gigs, sharing mixtapes etc are very social things but since the invention of the Walkman it has been possible to listen all by yourself without anyone even knowing what it is you are listening to. Once upon a time if you wanted to know what I was listening to when I was a teenager (back then it was probably something overwrought sung by someone with a strong sense of injustice) you would have to ask me. These days it is all on my Last FM page for all to see. Every track I listen to whilst at my computer is Scrobbled (automatically logged) so that everything I have listened to can been seen on my profile page.
Last FM published a list (which seems to have vanished) of the most ‘unscrobbled’ tracks. These where songs which people had turned off ‘scrobbling’ (perhaps my least favourite word) before playing. If I remember rightly Radiohead topped the list along with Avril Lavigne. Radiohead tend to dominate Last FM lists which probably says a lot about the type of people who use the service. Last FM also shows you your ‘neighbours’ who are people with similar musical taste. I like to think I can defeat this system by listening to Joanna Newsome followed by Napalm Death followed by Ricardo Villalobos but of course, this isn’t even original. The ‘best of 2008‘ was recently revealed by Last FM although ‘most played’ might have been a better title. Although it is interesting to see what has been popular it seems slightly old fashioned to pay attention to what is the most popular music. It is much more interesting to explore artists who polarise oppinion than those who have the most widespread appeal.
Ever since the invention of the teenager what music you liked has defined who you are. Mods, Punks, Ravers, Metal Heads and a inexhaustible range of other subcultures have sprung up for people to align themselves with. It decides what you wear, who you hang out with and where you socialise. People are always pointing out how those who belong to a subculture are not individuals as they often claim but in fact just wearing a bunch of signifiers which align them with a tribe (Exactitudes by Ari Verluis reinforces this idea). I think these days things are less predetermined. People are more open than ever to listening to something new and they have the means to find it.
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