Do you listen to "new" music?

[SwimOdin]

I saw a study recently that said most people stall or overall stop listening to new music when they turn 33.  Anecdotally this is exactly true for me.  Vance Joy is the newest band that I know music from.

I know FOMO gets less and less as you age, which is probably the best part of aging.  However, are any of you exceptions to the rule?  I mean, most if not all of us are over 30...

[The_annoying_one]

I still listen to new music from bands I’ve been a fan of for a while, but I know that’s probably not what you’re talking about.

The majority of “new” stuff I discover these days, though, is music that’s been out a little while, but somehow flew under my radar at the time.

[Doom Metal Alchemist]

Sometimes.

[discolé monade]

yes. i am pretty hip fly* for white guy. 

 

*this bothered me for most of the day. the ear worm was stuck, and the typo, fonted. 

Edited yesterday at 07:18 PM by discolé monade

[André Toulon]

Ok. There's this pop station that im sure just plays whatever mainstream vomit is popular at the time, and i tend to let it play from time to time.  New rap and R&B are just ass. 

[nameraka]

Yes. I'm easily bored. 

[UwPp]

I've been listening to some "new music". But I agree, most new r&b and rap can just go in the garbage. 

[Insipid]

Oh, this hit hard, as I am 33. I have been familiar with about 80 percent of top 40 songs since 1998 . . . I wanted to keep this trend going until I was 40, but Alex Warren's Ordinary is so bland, and Taylor Swift's Opalite is so annoying.

Meh, I guess we'll see.

[SwimOdin]

5 hours ago, Insipid said:

Oh, this hit hard, as I am 33. I have been familiar with about 80 percent of top 40 songs since 1998 . . . I wanted to keep this trend going until I was 40, but Alex Warren's Ordinary is so bland, and Taylor Swift's Opalite is so annoying.

Meh, I guess we'll see.

I wish you good fortune.  Time is undefeated.

[1pooh4u]

That sounds about right idr the last new music I listened to 

[Mix]

Do you mean new as in just created or new to me?

I come across some newly made stuff I like from time to time, but most of what I listen to is old shit I discovered late.

[SwimOdin]

What I think the study means is that you aren't actively seeking out new music once you turn 33, and maybe you just stop caring if you're not in the zeitgeist.

[rpgamer]

I recall seeing this claim many years ago, and holy shit it could not be more wrong about me. I scroll through youtube recommendations pretty frequently for anything that catches my eye, with pretty good odds of not being disappointed. Hell, I've even started listening to Pandora radio again (thanks, internet, for teaching me how to block ads for free) just to inject even more variety.

I'll plug my weird thread for things I enjoy but might not necessarily seek out or listen to often.

Been kinda thinking about making a musical world tour thread as well, to collect all the various international tunes that get my attention..

In terms of how often I actually add things to my personal library.. that shit can get kinda expensive, but I do splurge once a year or two on buying CDs from artists I've been digging lately. Yes, I still even buy CDs... even if all I really do is rip them to put on my iPod.. yes I even still have an iPod.

In general, with all my music on shuffle, I tend not to even listen to the same song twice a month (or longer). Sometimes new stuff sticks with me and I'll seek it out a little more often. Pandora is kinda bad for this, what with leaning heavily on picking out more popular tracks, forcing me to skip or reject songs just to get to something different.

Pandora's also kinda a little not great for someone like me, missing a lot of the smaller names I'd like to add, or international fare that it's unaware of.. but I suppose I can only expect so much from it..

[katt_goddess]

DethKlok has a new album.  That counts!

I get introduced to newer stuff from watching AMVs. I think that helps keep things interesting in my ancient brain.

[[classic swim]]

Nope!

[-Ninja_Jesus-]

I always look for new music, but it only makes it to my music library if it really captures me. 100 gecs, Dorian Electra, underscores, pretty much Hyperpop as a genre has given me good vibes for new music. Bands like MooseCreek Park, JER, The Best of the Worst and Sleep Token are amazing.

[-Ninja_Jesus-]

2 hours ago, rpgamer said:

I recall seeing this claim many years ago, and holy shit it could not be more wrong about me. I scroll through youtube recommendations pretty frequently for anything that catches my eye, with pretty good odds of not being disappointed. Hell, I've even started listening to Pandora radio again (thanks, internet, for teaching me how to block ads for free) just to inject even more variety.

I'll plug my weird thread for things I enjoy but might not necessarily seek out or listen to often.

Been kinda thinking about making a musical world tour thread as well, to collect all the various international tunes that get my attention..

In terms of how often I actually add things to my personal library.. that shit can get kinda expensive, but I do splurge once a year or two on buying CDs from artists I've been digging lately. Yes, I still even buy CDs... even if all I really do is rip them to put on my iPod.. yes I even still have an iPod.

In general, with all my music on shuffle, I tend not to even listen to the same song twice a month (or longer). Sometimes new stuff sticks with me and I'll seek it out a little more often. Pandora is kinda bad for this, what with leaning heavily on picking out more popular tracks, forcing me to skip or reject songs just to get to something different.

Pandora's also kinda a little not great for someone like me, missing a lot of the smaller names I'd like to add, or international fare that it's unaware of.. but I suppose I can only expect so much from it..

There was a time that I'd recommend Tiktok for new music recommendations but now...

[-Ninja_Jesus-]

1 hour ago, katt_goddess said:

DethKlok has a new album.  That counts!

I get introduced to newer stuff from watching AMVs. I think that helps keep things interesting in my ancient brain.

I feel like you've been calling yourself old since you were young haha. AMVs are great to find music.

[crackymckrackin]

23 hours ago, SwimOdin said:

I saw a study recently that said most people stall or overall stop listening to new music when they turn 33.  Anecdotally this is exactly true for me.  Vance Joy is the newest band that I know music from.

I know FOMO gets less and less as you age, which is probably the best part of aging.  However, are any of you exceptions to the rule?  I mean, most if not all of us are over 30...

I only listen to Jan Egeland on repeat.

[SwimOdin]

Just now, crackymckrackin said:

I only listen to Jan Egeland on repeat.

I literally chuckled at that.  The grandson loves What Does the Fox Say, and I often think of you and Stonehenge when I hear that song.

[crackymckrackin]

1 minute ago, SwimOdin said:

I literally chuckled at that.  The grandson loves What Does the Fox Say, and I often think of you and Stonehenge when I hear that song.

Great minds. I think the last time I sent a text to sticks I sent him that video. That and the Christmas song I heard in Home Depot. "I got your Christmas right here".

[lupin_bebop]

No. I have to listen to it to find out what’s popular. It’s more for business purposes as a DJ than it is personal. 

[-Ninja_Jesus-]

17 minutes ago, lupin_bebop said:

No. I have to listen to it to find out what’s popular. It’s more for business purposes as a DJ than it is personal. 

Trendchaser.

[molarbear]

On 2/28/2026 at 8:13 PM, SwimOdin said:

I saw a study recently that said most people stall or overall stop listening to new music when they turn 33.  Anecdotally this is exactly true for me.  Vance Joy is the newest band that I know music from.

I know FOMO gets less and less as you age, which is probably the best part of aging.  However, are any of you exceptions to the rule?  I mean, most if not all of us are over 30...

According to spotify, my musical age is 23. 

I do like new music! I've always been a huge fan of all kinds of music, though. I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing new types of music. Do I enjoy them all? Absolutely not. 

[rpgamer]

40 minutes ago, molarbear said:

According to spotify, my musical age is 23. 

I do like new music! I've always been a huge fan of all kinds of music, though. I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing new types of music. Do I enjoy them all? Absolutely not. 

Funny enough, as I continue to listen to new things, I've found an awful lot of exceptions to the idea of "genres I'd never enjoy."

Country music? Hard pass, had enough of that growing up.

Leatherface singing country music? Y'know, that's just dumb enough to work.

[Top Gun]

I don't think I've ever listened to "new music" even when I was young, but then again I don't listen to much music on its own at all. If I'm in the car and not listening to sports talk I'll put on one of the local rock stations, and a good chunk of that is 50 years old, so about as far away as you can get. 

[ghostrek]

yes  i do but it depend on artist 

[-Ninja_Jesus-]

15 minutes ago, ghostrek said:

yes  i do but it depend on artist 

What kind of music do you listen to? I'm always looking for new music.

[Mix]

20 hours ago, SwimOdin said:

What I think the study means is that you aren't actively seeking out new music once you turn 33, and maybe you just stop caring if you're not in the zeitgeist.

I think things are too fractured right now for there to be a central zeitgeist. (I hope i'm using that word correctly)

I mean this in every respect, but especially entertainment.

There are artists selling out arenas that are completely unknown outside of their fan base.

 

[scoobdog]

On 2/28/2026 at 6:13 PM, SwimOdin said:

I saw a study recently that said most people stall or overall stop listening to new music when they turn 33.  Anecdotally this is exactly true for me.  Vance Joy is the newest band that I know music from.

I know FOMO gets less and less as you age, which is probably the best part of aging.  However, are any of you exceptions to the rule?  I mean, most if not all of us are over 30...

I've always wondered about this.  I didn't start listening to my newest favorite band until about five years ago, so I haven't stalled in any way.   Yet, I generally can't talk to most people my age about pop music because their peak  is from the '90s.

I think there's a stylistic component at play.  For most X'ers, their formative years coincided with hair metal, new wave / post punk, and at the latter end of the scale, grunge.  Millenials tend to start at post grunge and ska  moving into indie rock, nu-metal and electropop.  None of this include hip hop, which is a medium with its own distinct genres of its own that not only span decades but also genders.  The point here is that each successive generation has a distinct musical genre with its adherents develop important identity markers around.  That might no apply to people who are fans of electronica and its various subgenres.  With a few exceptions like Daft Punk, the vast majority of ultra famous modern electronic DJs are either known for their collaborations with pop royalty (David Guetta, the Chainsmokers, Marshmallow, Martin Garrix) or are superstars within the fandom (Armin Van Buren, Above and Beyond, Deadmau5 and Kaskade).  In almost all cases, they've all maintained popularity for decades.

This is by no means scientific, just an observation:  the idea that we might "stall" in our listening choices may have something to do with the kinds of music we listen to and, to an extent elements within the music itself.  We've always known that afficiandos of more classical art forms will appreciate music and art from any time period bases solely on the style of that art form.  A fan of Aida is just as likely to appreciate a recent staging of Aknhaten at the LA Music Center, for instance. But, to take that further, a relatively throw away pop tune like "Levitating" leans heavily on electric beats and auto-tuning - musical instruments that have existed in electronica forever and in popular music from the days of nu-wave.  Another great example is how modern bands like my favorite, Cannons, incoporate the same laid back, reverb or ragae that bands like 311 coopted in the '90s.  This isn't to suggest that any of these songs are transgenerational in the way that classics form the Beatles, Stones, Bob Marley, Beach Boys, Aretha Franklin or the Isley Brothers would be.  They just happen to include some of the same hooks in them that mades songs from previous eras appealing as well.

Mind you, all of this is coming from an artists perspective.  I care about the nuts and bolts of art, even in mediums that I'm not proficient at like music composition.