#65

while i’d agree with the above in other instances, i don’t think there’s anything particularly wrong with a bit of justified eye-rolling at an embarrassingly shit poll result list. if anything i’d argue that stepping in with “why are you complaining? it’s just their opinion!” is much closer to the annoying activity you describe above.

#66

To an extent, yes, it is definitely more about the way people are reacting: like for example the fact that NME writes about this list and not others - they wouldn’t write about Metal Hammer’s best British songs, I reckon. (And part of that is that young-middle aged white guys and their interests tend to get over-valued, as I suggested before).

But I also think the people creating this list, and voting for it, would be more likely to see it as objective - like these actually are the best songs (whereas I think most people here would be able to distinguish between ‘my favourite songs’ and ‘the best songs’, and see how they might not overlap, realising that we might have idiosyncratic favourites, or that we’re ignorant of certain genres so wouldn’t know the best songs from those genres).

#67

Not all white men… :smiley:

1 Like
#68
2 Likes
#69

Double J was my station of choice, failing that would go for the 4ZZZ roulette and hope it wasn’t just one of the presenters that loved the sound of their own voice

1 Like
#70

If it’s for men aged 25-44, that must be why I don’t give a proverbial about them. I escaped that bracket last year. Otherwise I would obviously have been properly “OIOIIIIIIII! LADSLADSLADS” about this amazing list. :slight_smile:

1 Like
#71

Well, I think that’s a little bit patronising and self-congratulatory. But I do agree that that list is, for the most part, rubbish.

#72

I wouldn’t put a stereophonics song in the top million.

#73

But the title is literally just “Best of British”, which is quite a different claim to “our favourite”. Yes you can say that’s semantics but guess what, how people word and phrase things matters.

Any list that presents itself as the ‘best’ (which automatically has connotations of objectivity) tracks that have emerged from rainy fascist island and doesn’t contain a substantial amount of tracks by women and people of colour is, in my opinion, the work of contemptible arsewipes

And, frankly, even if it was listed as just “our favourite,” you’d still have to be a proper bellend to only like music made by men.

3 Likes
The friday feeling thread :roller_coaster:
#74

Why would you have to be a proper bellend to only like music made by men?

Music is completely subjective, surely? For example, I don’t particularly like Grime - it’s just not my cup of tea, so I’m therefore statistically less likely to listen to music made by people of colour. It doesn’t make me racist.

Obviously if people are actively denying themselves the opportunity to hear music based on the skin colour or gender of its creator, then fair do’s, that’s not on. But some people just really love a bit of meat-and-potatoes lad rock. It’s their thing, and nobody should be admonished for the music they enjoy listening to.

#75

what?

#77
#78

I don’t even know where to start with this.

2 Likes
#79

Boring troll is boring.

3 Likes
#80

Sorry if you find this boring, roastthemonaspit - I’m not sure I’m getting my point across particularly well.

Perhaps an inconvenient truth for Drowned in Sound is that, for all this grandstanding about Radio X’s “Best of British” list being too male/too white/whatever, things really aren’t much different over on these boards.

Let’s take a look at the bands currently being discussed, for example:

The Thermals (1 female member)
Eels (Male)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Male)
Fugazi (Male)
One Direction (Male)
Guided By Voices (Male)
Suuns (Male)
Burna Boy (Male)
The Dears (1 female member)
Arctic Monkeys (Male)
Ought (Male)
Everything Everything (Male)
Sparklehorse (Male)
Daphne & Celeste Max Tundra (Female, male member)
No Age (Male)
My Vitriol (Male, 1 previous female member)
The Strokes (Male)
Kasey Musgraves (Female)
Oneohtrix Point Never (Male)
Christian Fitness (Male)
Equiknoxx (Male)
Hookworms (Male)
Kayo Dot (Male)
Mark E Smith (Male)
Grouper (Female)

Out of 25 acts, there’s what, three female ones, and one of them is Daphne & Celeste. Looks very pale and male, doesn’t it?

#81

I don’t mean that at all. I just mean that in its roots, it is very much music of black origin.

A similar argument made against the Radio X list could be made against this list, but it would be quite rightly dismissed as being ridiculous: http://www.capitalxtra.com/playlists/best-2017/british-grime-hip-hop-music/

#82

If you’re statistically less likely to listen to music made by people of colour then I imagine life is pretty pale yeah.

#83

I just don’t see why race should be an issue when it comes to music you enjoy listening to. If you’re going to dismiss music based on the race of the person who made it, that’s really not on - but what you like and what you don’t isn’t an issue of race or gender. It’s an issue of personal taste.

#85

I find the idea that white males aged 25-44 only want to listen to music made by other white males aged 25-44 profoundly depressing. Surely giving you access to things created by people that are not exactly the same as you is one of the great things about music (and books, films, art in general)?

1 Like
#86

So you tell me, why would not liking grime make you statistically less likely to listen to music made by people of colour?