Your favorite genre is a personal thing. Everyone has their favorite, and it’s often love at first listen. But for every favorite, there is a least favorite. Even musicians have the sounds they can stand and those they cannot. The three music giants below all hate certain genres. Find out which corners of the music industry these three legends dislike.
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Jazz — Noel Gallagher
Jazz is certainly not for everyone. It’s a hard sell amongst many listeners without a trained ear. For most people, real jazz can be hard to understand, with its discordant melodies and improvisation. It’s the antithesis of pop music. One music great who is among jazz’s fiercest haters is Noel Gallagher.
“I’ve got a broad taste in music,” Gallagher once said. “I’m still struggling with jazz. I mean, what is it all about? Four guys on stage enjoying themselves more than anybody else in the audience, all playing the wrong notes at the same time. ‘But that’s jazz.’ Alright, is that what they’re calling it now? ‘Cuz it used to be called sh** when I was growing up.”
Rock ‘N’ Roll — Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan counts himself among the rock artists of the world. So, he clearly has a fondness for the genre. But there are aspects of rock that Dylan went on record as disliking. Namely, the showy, glitzy side of rock that developed decades after he took a liking to the genre.
During his Born-Again era, Dylan faced criticism from rock fans who said he wasn’t delivering the genre’s true spirit anymore. In response, Dylan gave a shady remark about the state of rock music, pointing a finger at Kiss.
“If you want rock ‘n’ roll, you can go see Kiss and rock ‘n’ roll all the way down to the pit,” he once said, very sarcastically.
Hip-Hop — Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons once spoke out against hip-hop and, as he saw it, its lack of melody and lyric. Kiss, though a harder rock band, had a keen focus on melody. Many of their biggest songs could be pop tunes if presented differently. Naturally, he took issue with rap not following suit. The Kiss member once said he looked forward to the day the genre no longer existed.
“I’m looking forward to the death of rap,” he once said. “I’m looking forward to music coming back to lyrics and melody, instead of just talking.”
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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