Students have eclectic tastes in music

Gillian Moore
Staff Writer

“I’m more a ‘Billie Jean’ type of guy, you know what I mean?” senior Ashton Turn said about his favorite music. “The genres I like to listen to are hip hop and a little bit of pop, like Michael Jackson.” 

While you have your headphones plugged in, have you ever wondered what the person next to you is listening to?  We sent out a poll and asked a few students to determine exactly that. 

Over 25% of the roughly 180 respondents listen to Rap or Hip Hop music, 15.4% listen to Country music, 8.6% listen to Indie/Folk music, and another 8% chunk of students listen to Punk/Alternative music.  The remaining 40.6% of respondents preferred either a mix of the options, one that was not listed, or a variety of genres ranging from K-pop to Banda.  

Oftentimes, the music people listen to depends on what they’re doing, or how they’re feeling. “Typically on the car ride to school I try to get music that uplifts my spirits, like Billie Jean, and upbeat music,” Turin said. Likewise, after school, you will find Turin keeps the energy up. “I like late night car rides where you’re just busting out the moves in the car with the slow music and just bopping your head.” Turin also included that he enjoys some Taylor Swift on those late night drives.

The majority of respondents use Spotify, 52.7% to be exact, Apple Music came in as the second most popular music streaming app with 21%.  The remaining percentage included a mix of students who listened to music through YouTube, Pandora, Amazon music, Musi, or a combination of a few.  There were a few people who download their music or used CD’s, rather than streaming it.

Along with a solid portion of students, senior Jack Logan likes to listen to punk music.  “I like alternative rock and Machine Gun Kelly,” Logan stated.  “I listen to music that reflects my mood typically.  So in the morning it’s pretty chill because I don’t have a lot of energy in the mornings,” he said.

Now for what song students hope come on when they shuffle their favorite playlist, it ranged from “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot to “Gospel Song” by Rhett Walker.  There was an interesting mix of Taylor Swift fans, popular hits today, or oldies like “Tik Tok” by Kesha.  Another song that came up often was Adele’s new song, “Easy on Me.” She also has a new album coming out on Nov. 19.

Another solid music option is just what’s currently streaming through the radio or what has recently been released.  “I listen to modern pop,” senior Elias Martinez said.  “If there’s a song I like, I’ll normally put it in my own playlist and it’s usually just a bunch of stuff that you’ll hear on the radio,” Martinez said. “Music makes me feel relaxed, mainly, and it helps me think straight.”

Music can be comforting, uplifting, and motivating, as well as entertaining.  Students like a variety of genres and listen to music for a variety of reasons.