David Crosby was an artist with no shortage of opinions. He’s an artist famously known for rubbing people the wrong way, despite his legendary run as a folk icon. Though he wasn’t above calling out people by name, he once widened the scope of his insults to encompass an entire genre. Find out which genre Crosby once said had “no musical value,” below.
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The Genre David Crosby Thought Had No Merit
The classic rock crop didn’t readily accept punk rock. The sub-genre was an affront to most of the conventions established by earlier generations. Though he wasn’t alone in his opinion, Crosby once ruffled some feathers by discounting punk as a whole.
Crosby was once asked on X (formerly Twitter) about his opinion on the punk greats. He summed up his feelings quickly, saying, “Pretty much all dumb stuff. No musical value at all and mostly childish lyrics…crappy music.”
As per usual, Crosby didn’t offer too much explanation for his opinion. He was matter-of-fact about his dislike of punk, which was par for the course with Crosby.
David Crosby’s Favorite Genres
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Amongst his insults were a few compliments. He was just as adamant about his praises as he was about his condemnations.
When speaking about the genres he liked, Crosby listed jazz, singer-songwriter, and classical.
“My current music collection has probably more singer-songwriters than anything else,” Crosby once said. “But there’s a lot of jazz, a lot of folk music, and a lot of world music, and a lot of classical.”
Another facet of music he enjoyed was a song that focused heavily on a catchy melody. Another reason he disliked punk’s off-kilter methods.
“I’m picking things that are so well-known that it’s almost in bad taste to like them,” he added elsewhere. “‘Oh, that’s not hip.’ I love really melodic stuff, man.”
“I love harmony and counterpoint,” he continued. “I love musicality. I’m not in it for shock effect. I’ve always been very eclectic. I like a wide range of stuff. I like Ricky Skaggs and James Taylor and Peter Gabriel and Joni Mitchell.”
Punk isn’t for everyone. It’s a sub-genre that is just as easy to hate as it is for fans to love. Crosby’s music stood in stark contrast to punk, so it’s really no surprise his tastes differed.
(Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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