Published on 12, July, 2020
Is it an autistic thing to have a hugely varied taste in music, or do our tastes just diversify more as we get older? My own taste in music is very varied from heavy metal through 80's and 90's music to Trance music. For me it's not so much about the genre of the music but whether or not I like a particular song or the music to that song. Personally I like quite upbeat songs as opposed to the slower tracks, regardless of what type of music it is. What is other people's experience? What do you listen to? Do you tend to only listen to one category of music or do you prefer variety?
I shall listen to some of the types of music that you mention, to see what it is like. It seems like you’re the same as me in that it is more about the music than the lyrics per se.
If I need to divert my mind then I get in my car and go for a drive with the music turned up high. I tend to listen to the same songs on the same CD for a few weeks at a time so choosing what to play isn’t usually an issue for me as I just play the same songs that I usually listen to on whatever CD is already in the car CD player. Do you have any ‘go to’ songs that you could automatically play when you need distracting?
I usually listen to music on CD in my car or music on YouTube in my house so I don’t often have to put up with a song that I don’t like. Except if my husband is playing music at home but if it’s getting on my nerves then I just switch my hearing aids off, problem solved! :-)
I think it does have something to do with the amount of bass in the music, with kids anyway. My youngest loves my trance masters CD but she also loves my Metallica CDs just as much. I’m sure it’s because of the vestibular stimulation that she gets from the bass. She’ll be wanting me to play a track on repeat too long after even I’ve had enough of hearing it repeatedly, in that sitting.
That’s ok. How far along in the assessment process are you? Yeah I’m the same my favourite part of a song is the best and speed of a song. I mean it does help if the lyrics are decent too but ultimately for me, I wouldn’t bother to listen to a slow song with good lyrics whereas I probably would listen to a song with good upbeat music but not the greatest lyrics. The music comes first for me. If I’m at home and a decent song comes on then I’ll get up and start dancing (badly) to it, I just can’t help myself.
Ever since my early teens (I'm 43 now) I've listened to electronic music almost exclusively. I started with Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, etc. I moved through the early techno days and acid house, and still listen to some techno now - more the hypnotic, minimal styles though. I got big into ambient music in my early twenties and now listen to that, dark ambient, drone music.
I don't do pop/rock with a very few exceptions. I probably have about 5-10 albums of music that features singing. In context, I have around 1200 albums of electronic/ambient music. So I'm very set in my ways with regards to what I listen to. I have dabbled in other electronic genres - psy trance, dub techno, synth wave, etc.
Which doesn't help me in connecting with people. I really don't like singing - partly owing to hearing issues, but I can't understand almost all of what people sing. If I listen to a song like that, I absolutely MUST have the lyrics to follow along. Even when I do like a song, it's more to do with the music and melody in the background than the talent of the singer themselves.
I'm very unconventional in my musical interests, I've only ever found two other people who like what I listen to - and one of them is my father... :/
My partner gets stuck in the stage of what to play, he sits there knowing he wants to listen to something but never knows what
I certainly experience that - where I struggle though is with that initial motivation to put the track on. If I'm anxious or depressed or ruminating, I sometimes find it hard to let go of that state and do anything to get me out of it.
It's not a big deal nowadays (thankfully) but I still get stuck. And when I do put the music on, I very quickly think "Why didn't I do this ages ago?"
Firstly I have to say I am not diagnosed with an ASD I am still in the middle of being assessed. But the thing I like most about a song is the beat and speed of a song. Plenty of times I'm sat at home or in the car and when I hear a song my hands or feet can take over and follow the beat I love following along to that.
What is your favourite part of a song may I ask?
It's interesting how music can have such a huge impact on one's state of mind!
I certainly do, and as others have said there are ones that put you in that state for no apparent reason!
I'm definitely with you on that! I was lucky I suppose my mum has varied taste so does dad so never grew up with just one style. My eldest when he was a baby used to fall asleep to pearl Jam and my youngest goes nuts when you play netsky - everyday my lot seem to love bass of all kinds
I do know what you mean about having certain tracks that are good for diversion. I have certain tracks that can divert my train of thought if I'm overthinking or getting very aggravated. I wonder if anyone else has good diversional songs that they listen to to get their mind out of a certain state?
Yes! I can't stand depressing music! I definitely prefer upbeat music. Thank you for the link, I'll take a look. It's definitely about how a song sounds to you rather than what other people think that you 'should' listen too!
Thank you for the recommendation. I will definitely have a listen to Kavinsky. Why do we have such diverse tastes in music I wonder. What is it about a song that you like?
Very broad taste and more, music 'saves' me sometimes...
I recently had the house to myself and pumped "Lean on" by Major Lazer through all the downstairs speakers - it felt like my chest & skull were being filled with helium, like (without wishing to be crude) a full-body orgasm...
If I feel shutdown/meltdown symptoms I have 'go to' tracks that I can use to 'dissolve myself'... if I can't get out for a run e.g.
Shape of You - Ed Sheeran (Major Lazer remix featuring Nyla & Kranium)
Feel it Still - Portugal the Man
Back in Black - AC/DC
Ante Up - M.O.P
There are also tracks I need to avoid unless I want to have a certain feeling - the following reduce me to tears every time and I have to make sure they don't pop up accidentally in a playlist:
Tea & Toast - Lucy Spraggan (just thinking about it I can feel my throat tightening & eyes prickling)
99 Red Balloons - Nena
Scar - Missy Higgins
The Tourist - Lucy Spraggan
These are 'known' culprits, but I can get caught out by other tracks (and even sometimes just a news story or something)
When I listen to music I hear the beats, bass and rhythm more than actual lyrics. Majority of the time I need my wife to explain what the song is about. I used to make my own music using software on my PC years ago then copy it onto CD and listen to my own. It never had lyrics just electro music.
Yep, absolutely. For me it's about the sound, not so much the lyrics or culture or artist's story & background.
When I was at school everyone else seemed to love The Smiths but I found them depressing. Likewise my parent's peer group idolised Elvis and Johnny Cash & I got really quite angry about it inside - "Can't you see how depressing and dated this is? He's not a god!".
Many more thoughts in my reply to this thread......
https://community.autism.org.uk/f/adults-on-the-autistic-spectrum/15303/autism-and-music/108510#108510
So nowadays I listen mainly to Carly Rae Jepsen (on what Spotify calls "Heavy Rotation") and upbeat chart music from 2015 onwards.
I also don't care about what gender is "supposed" to listen to what - if it sounds good & makes me happier, that's enough for me.
How strange I too absolutely love listening to AC/DC and in my car I have Gatecrasher Classics (trance). If you love different types of music have a listen to Kavinsky he has an album and I love the track Nightcall.
Thank you