[anterak13]

You do not have to listen to what's on the radio or in the mass media. Plenty of other music exists. It is just a matter of accepting being spoon-fed with soup or going on a hunt for the thrill of discovering a unknwon trio from wherever in the world that has made some truly innovative or different music. It is just a matter of consumer choice, just with like everything else (food, drinks, books, movies, etc.)

[Broken_Hippo]

Oh, I beg to differ. I don't have to listen to the crap at home, in the car, or in my headphones. But I'm assaulted by it during a few commercials, in autoplay videos, in movies, in bars. Luckily it isn't the fashion to play music in stores here like it was in the states: There, I got assaulted by it at work. For hours and hours. It was quite a blessing working nights and being able to turn off the freaking music.

But for the most part, you are correct. And all folks have to do is have a couple of listens to different sorts of music to get over the hump. After that, it becomes much easier to enjoy. I still listen to some mainstream or quasi-mainstream stuff at times.

Sidenote of interest: There was a small movement of surrealist rap.

[tunap]

Great place to start and it doesn't require a subscription:

https://archive.org/

[rzzzt]

The netlabels section [1] has plenty of random and interesting songs to listen to.

[1] https://archive.org/details/netlabels

[Broken_Hippo]

And for a slightly more modern twist, folks are taking the stuff from that, mixing it, and making new music from it. My spouse is one of those people.

[ieatkittens]

Absolutely. I mostly live in a wonderful bubble, devoid of heys, whoops, and the sound of drowning rappers.

But, being as common as it is, I cannot completely escape it.

:(