Does intelligence play any part in musical taste?

Question

I enjoy many types of music from glenn miller to led zeppelin, frank sinatra to robbie williams, from louis armstrong to ........ but I am puzzled why classical, jazz and folk music is portrayed through the intellectual channels of the media and sounds like rap, gangsta etc is associated with people of lower intelligence

Answer 1

People who are more intelligent are able to cope with more complex music, just as they will read more complex books and cope with newspapers with a higher reading age.

This might not explain musical taste, but "difficult" music will not be accessible to people of low intelligence, while brighter people are likely to want more of a musical challenge than Radio 1 - just as they want a greater reading challenge than "The Sun"

Answer 2

People who play jazz, go to see jazz are usually better off. Kids who learn to play the violin don't really grow up in a run down estate or the ghetto lol. Rap music came from poor places, they rap about the hard life they have, they can relate to it more. I like nearly every type of music though. I love Etta James and Smokey Robbinson, then I love The Fratellis and The Manic street Preachers. I don't think it has anything to do with intelligence. Alot of rappers have to have intelligence to be fast on their feet and create lyrics.

Answer 3

No, have you ever met any Oasis fans? Heheheh! But seriously, the reason that certain types of music are portrayed as somehow more "intellectual" is because they are appeal to a smaller amount of the public, and are seen as being specialist genres. Pop is seen as being lowest common denominator music, since it appeals to a broader spectrum of the record buying public. But intelligence plays no part, unless you are a chin-stroking poser who only listens to music that has been deemed "cool"! Music should speak to you, and excite your senses! You dont have to have a high IQ to appreciate classical, opera, or jazz, you just have to have more of open, adventurous mind.

Answer 4

Well, as far as Gangsta rap goes -- you've got to be pretty low in the old chromosomes to think that there's anything intellectual about shooting people -- especially as most of these artists are earning more money than we could ever dream of.

Answer 5

I know I think that is unfair...intelligence plays no part whatsoever in musical taste...musical taste is just opinion it has absolutely nothing to do with how smart you are...see I'm pretty smart but I love gangsta music cuz I"m a "G" lol jp...but it doesn't play any part...

Answer 6

No, it hasn't. on each occasion my dad were given stoned, although, he would play those 2 songs over and throughout back: The Rolling Stones - Moonlight Mile Tom Petty - you do not understand the way it Feels He performed others for sure, yet those are both I save in options maximum.

Answer 7

I'm not sure if your music taste affects your intelligence, but you're more likely to succeed academically if you play an instrument. I play three (soon to be four), so I'm set.

Answer 8

im one brainy mofo [as im sure you can tell through by my skilled use of the english language] and i listen to heavy metal, punk, blues, grunge etc. i dont think listening to any type of music relates to how high your i.q is as its just a matter of taste. people do think classical music is more elite but to me its just a horrid wailing noise, like pop music but in italian.

Answer 9

That is just another stereo-type that is going on. I listen to different genres of music also. I don't find myself any smarter or dumber than someone who listens to only one thing.

Answer 10

Well, as far as TASTES, go I don't know.

But we must surely agree that Bach was approximately four billion times smarter than 50 cent.