Messages in Music, Do they Influence your Listening Experience?

[coldkillaaaaaaaa]

Do certain artists that aggressively push their beliefs such as racism, Christianity, satanism, etc. within their music have any influence on your personal preference of them?

As I've listened to more extreme forms of metal that originate from Norway, Finland, and Germany among other places; I've found that these movements incorporate a lot of the radical ideas adopted from Nazi ideology in their general message. Take heed, that I am not insinuating metal as the only genre that does this, every genre has a particular artist that will declare controversial messages. Well I don't agree with these beliefs, I still find myself listening to their music and it doesn't alter my feelings toward their music in the slightest. To me, music is simply used as a mode of entertainment, and nothing else. I'm not going to look to these artists as moral guidance or let any of their messages dictate how I live my life, because to me it's just entertainment.

That's just my opinion, how do you guys feel about this, and does it affect your listening experience?

Edited August 28, 2014 by coldkillaaaaaaaa

[damon8r351]

I deleted all The Who's music I owned after I learned Pete Townshend was placed on the sex offenders list for using a credit card to access a kiddie porn website. Sorry, I'm not supporting pedophiles.

[xZoneHunter]

I don't really care what the songs i like are about. I'm not really the person either to go look up the meaning or lyrics of a song. 

Edited August 28, 2014 by xZoneHunter

[DEMON]

No.  It doesn't matter to me what a song is about so long as it's a good song.  I probably do stay away from Christianity music but it doesn't mean some of the other music I listen to doesn't have that theme in it somewhere, but it's not outright worship/praise songs and they're very loosely based on it.  I'm the kind of person who listens to Mindless Self Indulgence when I'm in that kind of mood.. which are a band that maybe make the most offensive kind of songs out there.

[Mog]

I don't really care because i'm not that into music (i prefer game soundtracks), if i like a song i'll look for it and will know what the singer is saying, if it's something bad then i'll know it but that doesn't mean i'll start hating the rhythm/music.

 

I try not to hold grudges against singers because of their actions or what they said in some past song, i'm here to listen and enjoy the music, not judge the singer as a person and tell everyone that what they're saying is bad for society.

[-Dark Mark-]

Same with Black Metal and Hardcore, pretty damn sure that I have listened to many bands who probably do hold some extreme views and probably wouldn't even like me or my kind. But I don't give a shit, and still listen to the song if I like it. They should respect that as well, lol.

But like damon said, if I know a person's music that I like is a pedophile then I probably wouldn't be comfortable. Yeah, I listen to bands who have had murderers and all, but I have a special hate for pedophiles.

[TheDevilSurvivor]

A "message" in a song doesn't really affect much if the song is good. If it speaks too much of something I dislike though, I'll probably stop listening to it.

 

Songs that are just empty lyrics though do make me want to vomit (Most artists since 2007).