Why do we like the music that we do? Why do I like one style and dislike another, while you may feel the exact opposite?

I listen to a lot of different genres. Some more than others. And I think most people fit into this category.

It’s the “some more than others” part that intrigues me.

Country, for example. I can’t stand country. Except for the country that I like — the occasional song that is catchy enough or is tied to some nostalgia from my childhood. And then, there’s the music that isn’t country but has a folky vibe that makes some people think it’s country.

On the other hand, I love metal. Often, it’s the kind of metal that most people who don’t like metal just hear as screaming and noise. I also dislike a lot of metal, the kind that I think only sounds like screaming and noise. Others love that stuff.

The same can be said for nearly all of the music I listen to, from hip hop and electronic, to experimental and jazz.

Huge swaths of the population are appalled by some of the music I enjoy; while an equal number likely love my choices far more than I do.

Clearly, there’s more to it than just the waves of sound striking our eardrums.

Is the reason we like or dislike the music we do based more on the experiences associated with it? Or is it something deeper?

I have no answer to give.

And the more I think about it, the more questions arise.

I will return to this another time.