I love music. Listening to it – getting lost in its mood, its way of telling us things about ourselves, its ability to take us to a different place – is one of the very greatest pleasures in my life. And while my preference is very much ‘popular’ over classical music, I appreciate that both can have those impacts on a listener. Music is one of the most truly remarkable things humanity has created and its ability to move us is one of the best things about being alive.
What music I listen to depends on mood. My tastes are pretty eclectic and I’ve listed them in other blogs. I’m often intrigued by what inspired a song or piece of music, what’s the story behind it – or what story is the song telling me? Other times its just the rhythm and the beat and the sentiment: does it make you feel like partying, does it make you cathartically sad, does it make you think or even change your perspective? All of these things have happened to me, happen to me, while listening to music.
If I am home alone, home in company, travelling, doing housework, napping – music is almost always my preferred accompaniment. I dont’ switch on the TV unless there is something specific I want to watch. I don’t mind going to the cinema, but I am not sure I’d hugely miss it. Theatre is an occasional treat and better than the movies. Books are an absolute must, even on a par with music, but way more demanding of time in a busy life. Listening to music is the most simple pleasure: it can be on in the background, even if in my case it will almost always force its way into my thoughts and conversation. The streaming era is an absolute boon: I can now listen to pretty much any music I want to at any time, I can discover new and old music whenever I want, I can (and endlessly do) compile playists by theme, artist, mood or genre. Spotify is like a close friend.
I only listen to the radio occasionally now, but when I do I also prefer music to talk radio. I’ve had my periods of waking up to the Today programme, which still largely sets the news agenda in the UK. I have spent time listening to Radio 4, Five Live, even Talksport – and unlike podcasts, they do at least feel more designed to dip in and out of . But (by definition) there’s no music and I soon start to miss that. Of course, the old beauty of music radio – a song you love or had forgotten coming on unexpectedly – is not quite what it was in the era of streaming and curated playlists, but it still has its pleasures. And I’m still more likely to stick the radio on than a podcast.
I spoke to a woman on a train a few weeks ago who referenced a podcast, then cringed and said :”I’m such a middle class cliche!”. She had a point: the middle classes talk about podcasts now they way they used to talk about books or tv shows. One in five of usin the UK now regularly listen to podcasts – and sometimes it seems that everyone in the public eye (or wanting to be) has one.
People often ask me why I don’t listen to more podcasts. I have often wondered myself, because there are some brilliant ones out there. I do listen to some. Top Flight Time Machine, The Anfield Wrap, The Rest Is Politics – an eclectic mix in itself. But I don’t seek out podcasts or find those covering my areas of interest – politics, news, football, even music – essential listening. I find ‘investigation’ podcasts dull – I’d rather read it in a book, thanks – and I find my mind wandering during most podcasts. When listening to music, this is not a problem, it may even enhance the experience. But with podcasts, you might miss a key bit and have to go back (easier when reading a book) or you might just lose concentration on what’s being said. Or I might, anyway.
But the big reason why I don’t listen to many podcasts is the opportunity cost. If I’m listening to a pod, I’m not listening to music – and I’d take one of my Spotify playlists over The News Agents any day. It makes me wonder if people who listen to lots of podcasts just don’t share my adoration of music. I’m not saying they don’t like music – most people do, to some degree – I’m just wondering if it matters to them the way it does to me. There’s so much music to listen to, so many worlds to get lost in – but I am maybe beginning to realise that not everyone consumes music in the obsessive, all-encompassing way I do. People may like and appreciate music, but having it on most of the time and being somewhat lost in it a fair amount of that – isn’t for them.
So the podcast boom is all good and there are lots of things to enjoy in life that aren’t music. I even enjoy some of them myself. It’s also possible to love music and love podcasts. But if you love music the way I love music , finding the time and will to listen to podcasts regularly is honestly a struggle. Maybe I just love music too much to two-time it with people talking.
Rory writes 