We Gotcher Mass Appeal Right Here...

The suddenly ubiquitous Alex Ross calls our attention to a surprising new poll of the political leanings and entertainment preferences of American adults showing that 62% like and listen to classical music. In fact, classical edged out rock as the most popular genre! Interestingly, fans of classical music seem to cross all political boundaries, which fans of many other genres do not.

I won't pretend to know what this means, or even whether the study is broad enough to be considered a reliable gauge of American musical taste. Ross points out, quite correctly, that telling a pollster that you like a genre is quite different from actually going out and buying a concert ticket or downloading the latest eighth blackbird album. Still, a study like this does serve as one more nail in the coffin of the increasingly laughable idea that classical music is a dying art.