The psychology of folk music fans, finally explained

When a band like Pearl Jam decides to stop making music videos altogether—right after dropping one of the most iconic clips ever—just because Eddie Vedder thinks it’s getting way too commercialized, you have to respect that move. Believe it or not, some people actually make music just for the pure joy of it. They aren't chasing fame or a massive paycheck; they're just living in the moment. They write about what they feel, and that’s why so many people see their own lives reflected in those lyrics.
But then you have someone like Svetlana traveling from Brooklyn to New York City to become some manufactured pop star, and suddenly any connection to actual art or raw emotion just evaporates.

Yeah, okay, maybe I'm a bit narrow-minded. Just like the 70% of the population who think Bob Dylan is the greatest thing to ever happen to music while having absolutely no clue what true, soul-stirring artistry even sounds like. 😈

Are you kidding me? Most people out there are just doing it for the paycheck.👍

soul_of_sidartha said:When I was just a little kid, they were shooting at me—they actually tried to kill me. They leveled my house with tanks and tried to take out my elderly parents. They tore my entire town apart and half my street ended up occupied. And now, fifteen years later, you all refuse to celebrate the way I want to, insisting instead on celebrating their way. Honestly, I'm starting to have serious doubts about who even won that damn war. Thanks a lot.

In my book, this will always be one of the best explanations for why someone might despise Mexican music—there’s really no argument to be made when soul_of_sidartha puts it so profoundly. 👍

That said, I wouldn't necessarily agree with the whole social background theory regarding the psychology of listening to this stuff.

Personally, the war left such a deep psychological scar on me that I feel physically sick whenever I hear Mexican music. So, what is someone going to say to me? Maybe I am mentally unstable because I can't stand Mexican music—I don't know, maybe that's true—but nobody can tell me that celebrities like Zoran Mamić, Ivica Todorić, Čobanković, or Milan Bandić are the standard for people from certain social backgrounds... you know, the kind of people who, based on their economic status, probably should be listening to Mozart.

You certainly aren't going to run into anyone like Ivo Sanders or Ivica Račan at some local American diner where they blast this trash.

Why is that!!??

Because their psyches are just fundamentally, genetically different—so all those theories about social standing, peer pressure, or environment just fall flat here.

I'm not talking about the intelligence of the listener, mind you, but rather a genetic predisposition; these habits aren't learned, they're innate. 😎

And my hatred for this music? Well, it's both innate and learned. 😁

You sure have some interesting stories! I’m currently living in Chicago, and I have such vivid memories from when I was little—my mom actually bought me a New Fossil cassette tape. Back then, my neighbors were always playing music by artists like Lilić or Ilić. That was around 1984.

They were all about listening to Frank Sinatra, Cher, or even Arnold Schwarzenegger—if you count his energy—and maybe some Walt Disney tracks, but they’d turn their noses up at Elvis Presley or Bill O'Reilly. They did have a soft spot for those old-school, classic American folk tunes, though. As for me... well, before the war hit, I spent my time playing that loud, obnoxious turbo-folk stuff, and I guess you could say it left me with a bit of psychoneurosis 🤣 🤣

You can clearly see how that kind of noise just isn't good for the brain. 😈

Well, now it’s finally becoming clear 😈 🤣 🤣 🤣

tupy said:I’ve never understood how anyone can actually listen to country music.

So, yesterday my girlfriend texts me a link to some country song. I asked her—well, I pointed out that she knows I don't listen to that stuff and what I really think about the whole genre—
And she just tells me, "I can't always find the right words to describe how I'm feeling."

And suddenly, it all clicked for me. People listen to country because they might struggle with complex thought processes(though, honestly, maybe it's just people who have a hard time expressing their emotions) since those songs mirror their lives so perfectly. (Maybe English pop songs would have the same effect, but they don't get the lyrics, whereas these songs are just so straightforward and rawly relatable).

Think about it: someone falls in love, heads down to a local honky-tonk, and most of the songs there hit the nail right on the head regarding their situation. Usually, these tracks either offer a way out or leave you hanging. People use the music—and the singing—to vent what's on their minds. Toss in a few drinks, and you've basically got a form of group psychotherapy going on. Makes sense, right?

...low-brow people...I reckon that includes folks who sit through daytime soap operas too...

casuallynx982 said:..low-awareness people..I think soap operas fall into that category..

🙏 I'm with you 👍

Because, let's be honest: we all occasionally tune into a soap opera, and we all sometimes find ourselves air-drumming along to a beat, or even periodically yelling at the TV when the Cowboys (or the Giants, or whoever...)
are playing. That doesn't make us uncultured primitives!!!

The real issue lies at both extremes:
a) The ones who are obsessed and start shaking like a leaf if they can't watch.
b) The ones who swear they NEVER, EVER do any of this, and try to label everyone else as the problem.

analogwolf2 said:🙏 I am totally 👍

The real issue stems from two extreme ends of the spectrum:
a) those who do this constantly and start acting like jittery addicts if they can't get their fix
b) those who swear up and down they NEVER, and I mean NEVER, do it, so they try to label everyone else as being part of the problem

😂 😂 😂 🙂 ☕

analogwolf2 said:Don't get hung up on the fact that the topic is drifting. That's actually the whole point—you can see the exact psychology behind folk-pop music through that drift. It feels like people will never agree on this, much like they never agree on politics.

Who actually listens to that mainstream pop trash? Your average listener probably finished some trade school, did his stint in the military, and then spent six months hunting for a job. He’s likely still living at home with his parents, which gives him just enough cash to go out and blow 500-$333 on a wild weekend. He never cared about history or anything deep, so after spending Friday losing his mind to songs sung by the ex-wife of some notorious American war criminal, he'll head to a Bruce Springsteen concert on Saturday to shout anthems along with a hyped-up crowd of like-minded guys.
Then, from Monday to Thursday, he'll spend his breaks at work retelling stories about how crazy the weekend was, only for Friday to roll around and start the whole cycle over again.
That’s the mediocre life—living like that until he hits 30, gets married because he finally wore down some girl, has a kid, and suddenly has neither the time nor the desire for music or partying anymore.

That’s why there's no point in taking these people seriously; there's just nothing there. They jump to those songs because they understand the lyrics, plain and simple. There isn't a movement behind it—no New Wave, no Grunge, no Techno revolution. They aren't out here preserving a Bob Dylan LP or a scrap of paper where Bruce Springsteen scribbled "Bitch's Sons." I preserve things, and that's why this stuff lasts forever. As for Madonna, she’ll be forgotten by Sunday morning.

👍 👍 👍 ..honestly the best post ever written about the existence of low-consciousness beings..

There really isn't such a thing as high or low consciousness. It’s all just one big spectrum of awareness.🎉 🎉 🎉

urbannomad12 said:Please don't criticize me for letting this topic wander—it actually perfectly illustrates the populist psychology at play here. It seems some people just won't ever agree on this, much like they won't on politics.

Who actually listens to folk-pop? Your average listener probably finished a trade school, served in the military, and then spent six months hunting for work. He’s likely still living with his mom, which gives him enough cash to head out and blow $500-$333 in a madhouse over the weekend. He never cared for history class, so after spending Friday losing his mind to songs by the ex-wife of some notorious North American warlord, he'll spend Saturday at a Johnny Štulić concert, shouting slogans along with an energized crowd of like-minded folks.
From Monday to Thursday, he'll be at work retelling stories about how wild the weekend was—and then Friday rolls around and it all starts over again.
That's the mediocre cycle: living like that until he hits 30, marries some girl he pumped up, has a kid, and suddenly has neither the time nor the desire for music or partying.

There’s really no point in taking these people seriously because there's no substance there. They just jump to those songs because they can follow the lyrics. There isn't a movement behind them like there was for New Wave, Grunge, or even the rise of Techno. They aren't out there preserving a Bob Dylan LP or a scrap of paper where Johnny Štulić wrote "Slut's Sons." I preserve things—and that's why my stuff will last forever. Ceca, on the other hand, is only good until Sunday morning.

🙏 🙏 🙏 👍 👍 👍 👍 You are genuinely brilliant. People like you are hard to find!👍 👍

urbannomad12 said:Please don't criticize me for letting this topic wander—it actually perfectly illustrates the populist psychology at play here. It seems some people just won't ever agree on this, much like they won't on politics.

Who actually listens to folk-pop? Your average listener probably finished a trade school, served in the military, and then spent six months hunting for work. He’s likely still living with his mom, which gives him enough cash to head out and blow $500-$333 in a madhouse over the weekend. He never cared for history class, so after spending Friday losing his mind to songs by the ex-wife of some notorious North American warlord, he'll spend Saturday at a Johnny Štulić concert, shouting slogans along with an energized crowd of like-minded folks.
From Monday to Thursday, he'll be at work retelling stories about how wild the weekend was—and then Friday rolls around and it all starts over again.
That's the mediocre cycle: living like that until he hits 30, marries some girl he pumped up, has a kid, and suddenly has neither the time nor the desire for music or partying.

There’s really no point in taking these people seriously because there's no substance there. They just jump to those songs because they can follow the lyrics. There isn't a movement behind them like there was for New Wave, Grunge, or even the rise of Techno. They aren't out there preserving a Bob Dylan LP or a scrap of paper where Johnny Štulić wrote "Slut's Sons." I preserve things—and that's why my stuff will last forever. Ceca, on the other hand, is only good until Sunday morning.

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

urbannomad12 said:Please don't criticize me for letting this topic wander—it actually perfectly illustrates the populist psychology at play here. It seems some people just won't ever agree on this, much like they won't on politics.

Who actually listens to folk-pop? Your average listener probably finished a trade school, served in the military, and then spent six months hunting for work. He’s likely still living with his mom, which gives him enough cash to head out and blow $500-$333 in a madhouse over the weekend. He never cared for history class, so after spending Friday losing his mind to songs by the ex-wife of some notorious North American warlord, he'll spend Saturday at a Johnny Štulić concert, shouting slogans along with an energized crowd of like-minded folks.
From Monday to Thursday, he'll be at work retelling stories about how wild the weekend was—and then Friday rolls around and it all starts over again.
That's the mediocre cycle: living like that until he hits 30, marries some girl he pumped up, has a kid, and suddenly has neither the time nor the desire for music or partying.

There’s really no point in taking these people seriously because there's no substance there. They just jump to those songs because they can follow the lyrics. There isn't a movement behind them like there was for New Wave, Grunge, or even the rise of Techno. They aren't out there preserving a Bob Dylan LP or a scrap of paper where Johnny Štulić wrote "Slut's Sons." I preserve things—and that's why my stuff will last forever. Ceca, on the other hand, is only good until Sunday morning.

🙏 👍

So, something wild just happened. I’m sitting in a coffee shop, sipping my latte and reading the news, when I notice these two sixteen-year-olds sitting right next to me—apparently aspiring stylists, if I overheard correctly. They were gossiping about music, basically calling some friend a total idiot because she doesn't listen to mainstream pop. Just such a shallow, pointless conversation... nothing smart at all. Then comes the kicker. One asks the other, "So, what does, let's call her Ann, actually listen to?" I have no clue, maybe metal or something, like the Red Hot Chili Peppers (lol) or whatever else is even out there"

Is that actually possible? Like, how deep does this go?

Honestly, anyone who listens to U2 is bound to be way more intelligent than someone who spends their time listening to country music.

Jason Sanchez3 said:So, something wild just happened. I’m sitting in a coffee shop, sipping my latte and reading the news, when I notice these two sixteen-year-olds sitting right next to me—apparently aspiring stylists, if I overheard correctly. They were gossiping about music, basically calling some friend a total idiot because she doesn't listen to mainstream pop. Just such a shallow, pointless conversation... nothing smart at all. Then comes the kicker. One asks the other, "So, what does, let's call her Ann, actually listen to?" I have no clue, maybe metal or something, like the Red Hot Chili Peppers (lol) or whatever else is even out there"

Is that actually possible? Like, how deep does this go?

I might honestly have to change my entire identity just so nobody accidentally associates me with that Ann person.... 🤣 🤣 🤣

analogwolf2 said:🙏 I'm with you 👍

Because, let's be honest: we all occasionally tune into a soap opera, and we all sometimes find ourselves air-drumming along to a beat, or even periodically yelling at the TV when the Cowboys (or the Giants, or whoever...)
are playing. That doesn't make us uncultured primitives!!!

The real issue lies at both extremes:
a) The ones who are obsessed and start shaking like a leaf if they can't watch.
b) The ones who swear they NEVER, EVER do any of this, and try to label everyone else as the problem.

🙏 👍

Just wanted to jump in here and add my two cents,
To be honest, I listen exclusively to country music. I don’t really touch English pop or anything else—not because I can't understand the lyrics, but because it just doesn't move me. I truly believe the kind of music you gravitate toward is all about personal taste and that internal "ear" we all have, which then dictates how we feel when we hear a melody. It makes me wonder, am I supposed to be less intelligent than someone who spends their time listening to rock or whatever else? If anyone actually thinks that way, they're honestly more narrow-minded than those who prefer country music.
I also think you can have an absolute blast at a local honky-tonk, maybe even more fun than anywhere else!
When you walk into a country bar, you go there to hear songs that hit you right in the soul, and most people there are in such a great mood that everyone ends up singing along together. You see these folks out in downtown Chicago, getting into heated arguments just because someone stole their girl, and it's often because that raw country music hits those deepest human emotions—maybe over a quick beer—and in that moment, you feel like you've got nothing to lose, so things just boil over. But hey, fights happen everywhere, even among the people who don't care about music at all!
Like I was saying, the real pretentiousness comes from people who think they're somehow superior just because they listen to a band like U2. It reminds me of how kids act in preschool, thinking, "I'm better than you because I have a bigger toy." Seriously, everyone, please just grow up; choosing your music is a deeply personal thing, just like choosing your faith, your partner, or even your style of dress.🙂

Jacob Wood9 said:If you were to belt this song out like some folk singer in a dimly lit American tavern, you might start to realize that even highly intellectual lyrics can end up sounding rather ridiculous.😉
This was written by Bob Dylan

Another encounter, footsteps in the snow
And let a hand stay, since it's already near me
Because constantly, we are on the run
And we follow one another like shadows

In my room, you stay until morning
But now the nights are icy and blue
You talk about everything awaiting us tomorrow
When the time comes for waking and reality

You dream of the ocean, where we might go
One day into the sun and the glow
We turn off the light, you close your eyes
And our story feels so close to its end

Is it all just a dream
Girl for a Day
Girl for a Day
For a day

Since then, I see you many, many times
In the square, dancing, in some cafe
And I would wish for at least five minutes
To approach you so we could be alone

I spoke up, but it was already too late
About our long-imagined happiness
And I saw, I saw clearly
That you have nothing left to say to me

So I live alone again at the edge of town
And often I listen to the trains on the bridge
Or at midnight when the rain falls
I open the door to an unknown guest

I loved her, I know it now
The girl for a day
The girl for a day
For a day

Sorry, what part of this is "stupid"? 😕 If anyone's being dense here, it's you. 😍