Imagine this: you’re at one of your favorite places to mingle, and you spot the most perfect human specimen you’ve ever seen. You make a little eye contact, and the beautiful stranger approaches you. You begin to chat, and you hit it off immediately. This person is funny, charming and intelligent. But then the conversation turns to favorite music. You rattle off a few artists, hoping to impress them with what you feel is your impeccable taste in music. Then the stranger utters the unthinkable. “I really love Nickelback.” What do you do? Do you make up an excuse about why you have to leave so suddenly? Or do you continue talking, hoping they will somehow redeem themselves? For me, the correct decision would be to run far, far away. If you truly believe Nickelback is a great band and it makes quality music, then there are probably fundamental differences between you and me that will no doubt result in a horrible affair. But exactly how important is similar musical taste in a relationship? Can a girl who loves Britney Spears and a guy who loves Bright Eyes ever get along? If the guy is constantly railing on how Spears is a no-talent hack and proclaiming the superiority of his musical taste then no, the relationship is not going to work out. The girl will be annoyed with the constant attacks on her music, and the guy will be frustrated with the unwillingness of the girl to give up the music she’s been listening to and adopt his musical taste. But if the couple is willing to recognize that their tastes in music are completely different and make it a point to respect those differences, then the relationship might have a chance. I like to think I have pretty good taste in music. But I’m not willing to shun the music from my middle school days just because I’ve moved on to a different, more grown-up sound. If you check my iPod, you’ll see Hanson, *NSYNC and the Spice Girls hiding among artists such as Cat Power, Radiohead and Wilco. These “guilty pleasure” bands are not listened to as often, but they bring back good memories, and I like to give them a listen every once in a while. I once dated a guy who listened to much of the same music as I, but he laughed at my collection of boy bands and wasn’t particularly fond of listening to them while we were together. He had a certain fondness of Eminem, who made me uncomfortable in a way that I can’t really explain. He agreed not to listen to Slim Shady while I was around. Because we respected each other’s differences, our clashing tastes never caused much of a problem. I eventually started to like Eminem, and he once admitted that he liked “My Love” by Justin Timberlake. So if you think your relationship is doomed because your music tastes are polar opposites, don’t break up just yet. If you’re a hardcore death metal fan, and the guy you’re interested in likes Alan Jackson, be understanding. You might find out that “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow” is one of your favorite songs, and he might have a soft spot for Slayer. The relationship will never work if you’re constantly putting down your significant other’s taste in music, so be respectful and recognize that he or she probably hates your music too. I’ve learned an open mind is the best thing to have when confronting this kind of situation. But I’ll still never date anyone who listens to Nickelback.
—-Contact Sarah Aycock at [email protected]