What makes a person like a certain music genre?

[TheWelshposter]

Was wondering this this morning as I was listening to a song that gives me goosebumps and realised that 90% of the songs I love are rock (in all its types.. grunge, metal, indie, dance rock). I do like some pop and dance tunes, but mainly rock.

Other people can't stand rock and get the same feeling from R&B or Trance.

What makes a person go towards a certain music type do you think? Is it what you listened to in your teens?

I remember reading something a while back (annoyingly can't remember where) that your music taste tends to be fixed by specific periods in your life linked to puberty/ development. Probably why I can't get out of the early 70s.

For most people it probably is the music you've grown up with, especially in your teens when it means something.

Yes, I agree, I believe my love of the 80s is strongly linked to that being my teenage era. My new-found reminiscence of 90s music (some of which I didn’t like at the time) I think is linked to my college days.

I think the music we grew up with and that our parents listened to can have an influence on the kids but not always. My kids grew up listening to rock music and now one of my daughters loves this genre also. The other, however, is into dance and jungle.

I grew up listening to all sorts of different music because my parents taste in music was so different but they also loved all sorts. For example my Mum loved Queen and The Rolling Stones and my dad loved Gerry and the Pacemakers and all that old 'dreamboats and petticoats' type music. So while that is not my genre, I like certain songs from back then because they remind me of my Dad.

My DH is into house music which I just find hideous and repetitive but he doesn't get my love for all things rock. However we both LOVE 80's music and a bit of Chaka Khan!

So I guess I don't really know why we are personally drawn to one type of music over another. Why do some people love Horror films and other's hate them?