# The Great Divide: Classical or Non-Classical



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

You have been convicted of heinous musical crimes and the penalty is you must give up all of your music collection, either classical or non-classical. Additionally, you will be given an implant that prevents you from ever hearing the type of music you give up. So for the rest of your live you can listen to only classical (broadly interpreted, not just classical era), or non-classical (rock, pop, blues, jazz, hip-hop, etc.). What are you going to do?

Note you can only give up what you have, so if you only ever listen to classical, you lose big time as you will have to give it up and be without any music for ever. So if that is the case you may not want to participate in this poll (or pick the last option).


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Easy one - give up non-classical.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

* flips a coin *


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

I give up non-classical, including modern avant-garde stuff and its relatives, for life.


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## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist (Jan 13, 2019)

Although I probably listen to both about equally, classical music is infinitely more meaningful to me and so I'll choose to give up non-classical.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

I took a break from Classical last couple months actually. There is musical inspiration in other genres as well. I think I can still live with either one exclusively.


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## eljr (Aug 8, 2015)

This was fairly easy for me. 

I know non classical so well there is little to upturn comparatively. 

As I have only listen to classical as a primary genre for 6 years now, I have so much more to explore!


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I feel guilty for posting, but it would be classical music that I'd give up. I love folk songs and traditional dance tunes so much that I couldn't bear to lose them. Of course, I'd hope to bend the rules a bit - early music counts as 'classical' on this site, but many of the pieces were the folk songs and popular dance tunes of their day, and early music often featured in the folk festivals I attended in the 1970s.


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## Pyotr (Feb 26, 2013)

I'd have to bend the rules a little here too, sort of. I'd take classical if it included show tunes. if Opera is classical, then why not musicals? And I'm sure everyone would agree that the music of Alexander Borodin is classical, so if you do, then the musical Kismet must be classical, right? So if Kismet is classical then Gilbert & Sullivan, Rogers and Hammerstein, and Andrew Lloyd Weber must be classical, right? _(I'm sorry, is this a five minute argument, or the full half hour?)_


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

When I was in my mid-20s and my 30s, I gave up classical music completely, so I guess I could do it again. I'd just get caught up on my podcasts.


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## Haydn70 (Jan 8, 2017)

Not even close: addio, non-classical


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## Ariasexta (Jul 3, 2010)

Music is the chime of the celestial clock of destiny, it is continuous and can not be divided, I choose to divide the whole world and give up any one part of it.


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## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

Over the years I've enjoyed jazz music a lot. But if I had to choose, I would keep classical.


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## progmatist (Apr 3, 2021)

The better prog rock bands are inspired by classical. Give up the copy or the original? Though choice!


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

I'd give up non-classical. Quite an easy choice.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

It's an easy choice for me as well; I'd give up classical music. There is just too much non-classical music that I listen to that I'd not want to give up rather than the relatively smaller amount of classical music that I listen to. It probably breaks down to 30% classical and 70% non-classical, divided across a bunch of different genres. So as a single genre, classical music might have a plurality, but collectively, non-classical wins out.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I would consent to be publicly flogged on the buttocks with a violin bow by James Levine in exchange for keeping my entire collection to enjoy.


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