Why You Should Be Nice About Other People’s Music Tastes (Even If You Don’t Like Them)

Music a universal language. You don’t need to know the alphabet or the syllables of words to allow it to flow through your body and soothe you, or excite you, or make you happy. So often, you’ll see people tell their most personal stories because of a song.

“This was the song that was playing in the bar we first met.”

“This was the last song my brother shared with me before he passed away.”

“This was the song that played at our wedding.”

“This was the song I couldn’t stop listening to after we broke up.”

This is why when people scoff at each other’s music tastes, I genuinely feel sad. Because the people who are scoffing aren’t just scoffing at someone’s music taste. Unknowingly, they are scoffing at their personality, at their experiences, at who they are.

So please remember when someone asks you to listen to a song, that song might mean the world to them. That they are trusting you with something so much more than just a song. Be kind, even if it isn’t your thing. Even if you don’t like it.

Because music is such a beautiful, powerful thing. When we are in terrible pain, it speaks to us the way no other human being can. When we are broken, it heals us. When we love someone, we put aside special songs that remind us of them. When we are happy, it fills us with even more joy, it makes us want to dance or sing with it.

Sharing music is like sharing a deep, intimate part of yourself with someone you feel like you can trust with it. Because everyone’s favourite song says so much about who they are. And sharing that song with you is like a sharing a piece of their vibrant, musical soul.