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Let me just go on record as being a lover of certain types of pop music, including the Rolling Stones... especially early ("Aftermath" album). Is Blues Pop? Love Blues (Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin' Hopkins, Blind Willie Johnson, John Hammond Jr., etc etc etc). This music does not seem to adversely affect my classical listening.
There does happen to be one kind of music I do detest... Merengue as played today in the Dominican Republic. Same 2 chords hammered away ad naus. I think of it as music for drunk people (no, this is not a general comment on the wonderful Dominican people!). As a frequent visitor to the DR, the loud, inescapable Merengue has ruined many a fine beach day. So I can relate to your feelings... that is, I know what it is to viscerally "hate" a certain type of music. Yes, it is tempting to allow this negativity to lead to a judgement upon those who love Merengue... I guess they are just in touch with their primitive selves... much like lovers of certain repetitive ethnic rhythm music. But I'll take African drumming over Merengue any day!
There are many classical musicians who unapologetically love certain varieties of pop (I don't think anyone loves ALL pop, just as no one loves all classical. I can live without Padre Antonio Soler, and Bruckner, to name a couple.)
I hear genius in my preferred Pop and Blues artists to the same degree I do in classical artists. Not because of structure or any other technical aspect. Simply because their work provides a totally absorbing musical experience.
There seem to be a lot of arguments relating to "taste" here, and it just cannot be quantified. It is expected that young people would discuss this, as their taste is still being formed, and new discoveries can elicit passionate bias, positive and negative, along with the urge to convince others. But with experience, we learn that we cannot deny the subjectivity of Art.
One might simply declare, "I hate Pop music!" and leave it at that. I mention "the same 2 chords" in relation to Merengue. But it is conceivable that there may be another type of music that utilises "the same 2 chords" in a manner I would find utterly enchanting. I just happen to... well... hate Merengue with a purple passion! But you are permitted to love it... I wish I did!
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