As a group of friends determines who should play music for the car ride, the conversation shifts to who has the best music taste. While they try to answer this difficult question, some music tastes are discredited because the songs or artists they listen to aren’t as popular.

The problem with this is that music is subjective to the listener, so it is impossible to say that someone has a bad music taste because it is one’s personal point of view. While one person may believe that EDM is unlistenable, or rock is too loud, there is a good chance that they just insulted someone else’s music taste. As long as they enjoy listening to their music, then that is all that matters. There are many different personal tastes in music, so it is inconceivable to say that one is less valid than others just because it is less mainstream.

A person’s music taste often depends on their culture or background, and therefore, different genres of music can influence people in unique ways. While smooth jazz might seem outdated to one person, it can be another person’s favorite genre. The beauty of music is in the diverse impact that it has on each individual. While one song might not impact one person, it doesn’t mean that someone who it impacts is wrong for enjoying it, or that your opinion is the only right one.

As long as one enjoys their music, and is open to exploring different genres, then they have a good music taste, since it is all very individual. Saying there is such a thing as bad music taste forces people to listen to mainstream music that they may not enjoy, and therefore, it is better to respect each individual’s taste. So next time before insulting someone’s music taste, remember that it is all subjective, and that everyone’s opinions are equally valuable.