# What ever happened to elevator music in the supermarket?



## vavaving (Apr 20, 2009)

Not that I ever liked it, but I kind of miss those jazzy instrumentals--now that hardcore love ballads are ruining my shopping experience! Do people really buy more stuff while lyrics like "How am I supposed to live without you" are screeching into their psyche?

What, was there a meeting about this? _Let's see, the subliminal messages didn't work, so let's blatantly tell everyone to fall in love with whatever they are looking at..._

I mean, WTF?


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I really hate being bombarded by all those 80's AOR ballads and the volume is too high. I love loud music, but not when I'm trying to focus. I guess they want to discourage people from trying to listen to their iPods while shopping. 

Yeah, I miss the lame elevator Muzak.


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## JoeGreen (Nov 17, 2008)

I must know what supermarkets you shop at that have elevators.


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## vavaving (Apr 20, 2009)

Bargain basement. Yeah, I resorted to replacing all lyrics with the word "banana" in my mind. Now I just laugh at how emotional everyone gets about bananas... and don't buy any.


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## Bgroovy2 (Mar 27, 2009)

Hey, elevator music rocks, really, I love it. Wish they would start playing it again!


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## JoeGreen (Nov 17, 2008)

I wanna know is there a difference between Bossa Nova and Muzak? or is Bossa Nova, Muzak ?


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

I really don't pay much attention to what's being blasted through the speakers when I'm trying to shop, BUT there is one time of the year I do notice and it's called the Holiday Season, which is one of the most ridiculous times of the year to be in a store.

Thank goodness for Internet shopping! Not only do you get killer deals that you will never get in a retail store, but you don't have to put up with crap from people and everything else that follows people's stupidity.


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## bdelykleon (May 21, 2009)

JoeGreen said:


> I wanna know is there a difference between Bossa Nova and Muzak? or is Bossa Nova, Muzak ?


Bossa Nova is a more jazzy samba. Muzak is a derogatory term meaning bad music like Ray Connif, some just like bossa nova to make crappy arrangements, but there are Bossa Nova songs of valour like this.


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## didan (Jul 6, 2009)

vavaving said:


> Not that I ever liked it, but I kind of miss those jazzy instrumentals--now that hardcore love ballads are ruining my shopping experience! Do people really buy more stuff while lyrics like "How am I supposed to live without you" are screeching into their psyche?
> 
> What, was there a meeting about this? _Let's see, the subliminal messages didn't work, so let's blatantly tell everyone to fall in love with whatever they are looking at..._
> 
> I mean, WTF?


I agree! Some of the music makes me want to leave the store.

I do a lot of international cooking. Shopping in an Indian store is more fun than Kroger. The soundtrack is much nicer. Same for other Asian food markets


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

Hopefully Muzak died a quick death. I HATED that garbage as it was played at my store for 4 years before I could convince the management to let me hook up a radio and play local stations instead.

Yuk is all I can say.

Jim


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## Conservationist (Apr 5, 2007)

vavaving said:


> Not that I ever liked it, but I kind of miss those jazzy instrumentals--now that hardcore love ballads are ruining my shopping experience!


I think they stopped playing for muzak, but try an experiment: visit the store at different times. Many stores change the music; for example, the one here plays "lite jazz" on weekend evenings.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Conservationist said:


> I think they stopped playing for muzak, but try an experiment: visit the store at different times. Many stores change the music; for example, the one here plays "lite jazz" on weekend evenings.


"Light jazz" or as I like to call it "Top 40 Minus The Vocals." That "music" is far from real jazz and the musicians who play this garbage think they're playing something of substance.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I can't recall any music in large supermarkets here in Sydney except for Christmas time, when they play that kind of music. I think it sounds really cheesy & artificial, but I guess some people like it for the 'atmosphere' it creates, just like the decorations & Christmas trees. I'm pretty indifferent. Once a guy on a bus asked me what I thought about the lack of Christmas decorations in the city at that time of year. I said I didn't care. These kind of things don't make a difference to my life at all. But I suppose things are more commercial in the USA (more music, decorations, etc)...

There's also a small local supermarket 5 minutes from where I live & they play the classical radio station, but not very loudly. It's quite pleasant, actually, & when I hear something interesting or familiar I rush home to listen to it on the radio...


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## Conservationist (Apr 5, 2007)

Mirror Image said:


> "Light jazz" or as I like to call it "Top 40 Minus The Vocals."


I agree, all pop music is the same. Whether it's Deerhoof, Madonna, light jazz or Pantera.


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## Atelier (Jul 17, 2009)

You know, that's a really good question, because I had just noticed recently that around where I am, you never hear music in stores at all anymore.


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