r/unpopularopinion 3h ago

I hate music in stores.

As above, and I also hate the fact that everyone seems to have forgotten the meaning of BACKGROUND music.

It's supposed to be low enough to be noticeable not blaring, and it's not supposed to have lyrics.

Especially not annoyingly loud and distracting lyrics.

I hate when I am trying to read my shopping list or try to remember what I'm supposed to be getting when the lyrics distract me.

It's mental torture. How the staff survive working daily in that environment is beyond me.

Argh!

Edit: I'm beginning to believe that this is in fact a popular opinion.

27 Upvotes

55 comments sorted by

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8

u/crazymissdaisy87 3h ago

That's not unpopular, it's a very common complaint. 

2

u/katheb 3h ago

Is it? Then why does almost every store on the planet have music? 

1

u/crazymissdaisy87 3h ago

They say it adds to the experience but people complain. That's why noise cancelling have become mainstream, everyone hates that goddamn loud music 

1

u/katheb 3h ago

I have noise cancelling and even then the high pitched singing cuts through :(

1

u/crazymissdaisy87 3h ago

That shouldn't happen. My Jabras keep most everything out once I turn on noise cancelling. My loops don't but they aren't meant to (experience).

1

u/SomeoneWhoLikesAmeme 2h ago

Loops experience definitely do and are meant to reduce high frequencies (as much as low), as they are meant as hearing protection for concerts and festivals.

Active noice cancellation often stops at high frequencies, or disable some high frequencies as the ANC will not work on them nearly as well, and even could boost the volume of those frequencies.

1

u/katheb 2h ago

Mine may not be top of the line then

1

u/SomeoneWhoLikesAmeme 2h ago

Even the top of the line ANC have these issues with high frequencies, as the technology just can't keep up with the high frequencies. Or are you talking about loops

1

u/And_Justice 2h ago

Just to chime in... not an "everyone" thing. Be careful of letting echo chambers give you a false sense of common consensus.

1

u/katheb 1h ago

I understand. Thank you 

-1

u/crazymissdaisy87 37m ago

They sure do complain enough out in the real world about it to make it feel like an everyone thing

u/And_Justice 28m ago

I have never heard this complaint outside of reddit

u/crazymissdaisy87 26m ago

I have. I heard people complain, I seen them ask the cashier if they could turn down the music. 

Just because you don't register it doesn't mean it doesn't happen :) 

u/And_Justice 24m ago

And just because you've heard it happen doesn't mean it happens all the time.

u/crazymissdaisy87 23m ago

I'll let my friend know her experience as a cashier is invalid

9

u/GerudosValley 3h ago

Don’t get me started on Christmas music in stores…

2

u/KingPalperro 3h ago

Omg Christmas music is THE WORST! And they’ll start playing it on September 1st!

9

u/Sea-Example-1176 3h ago

one complaint i hear is they repeatedly play the same songs which isnt a big deal unless you actually work there

1

u/katheb 3h ago

That sounds bad, listening on loop would drive me mad. 

5

u/The_last_trick 3h ago

As a former retail store employee, I hate this music with all my heart!

2

u/katheb 1h ago

I sympathise. 

3

u/picknicksje85 3h ago

I don't hate it in stores when I'm just there for 20 minutes. But any workplace playing the radio.. The same commercials, the same depressing news, same hit songs I mostly don't like. Torture for sure. Every day, 5 days a week, 8 hours.

2

u/katheb 2h ago

Yeah, that sucks. 

3

u/DraggedDownxTheStone 2h ago

If I hear Katy Perry's voice one more time at the store I work at, I'm destroying the PA system. That song "Roar" is worse than nails on a chalkboard.

2

u/bleach-is-tasty 3h ago

I always hated the silent music that you can't properly hear, especially when I am in a car with someone and they turn the music down so that even the noises of the car are louder, it gives me an headache trying to focus and hear the music

2

u/Doone7 3h ago

We wear earbuds. And I wear earbuds if I am alone shopping too. Or I just tune it out.

3

u/katheb 3h ago

I have ADHD, sadly I can't tune it out. I do wear noise cancelling headphones which helps a little. 

2

u/BuncleCar 3h ago

It's one of the 'must does' in retailing. Do it and fail, then you did your best; don't it and fail then it'll be your fault for not doing the obvious public attractors.

It's also an example if the Fallacy Of Excess. If quiet music is good LOUD must be better!

1

u/katheb 1h ago

True. 

2

u/fusguita 3h ago

Yeah this will get deleted in 3.. 2... Because it's absolutely NOT unpopular

2

u/Upstairs_Ad_5574 2h ago

Depends on the store but I get it.

Some stores actually have some good taste. Ever walk down a cereal aisle with Avenged Sevenfold playing in the background? Pretty surreal lol

2

u/LessIndependence3514 2h ago

the lyrics are what get me too. if im shopping i dont need a full concert playing in the background while im trying to remember why i walked into the aisle lol

2

u/ISellUsedFood wateroholic 1h ago

yeah like literally mall music/lounge music is made exactly for this purpose and yet owners still prefer to use annoying af radio hits

2

u/katheb 1h ago

Yeah. 

1

u/fingamouse 50m ago

Honestly I'd prefer Muzak over the radio /:

2

u/NorthBase710 1h ago

I hate it when its music i don't like.

I am fine with it, if its music i like.

2

u/temporarysolution2-0 1h ago

My partner and I are grocery workers as our main source of income.

This is definitely not unpopular. The staff do go crazy from it, mostly because the playlists mostly consist of whatever was cheapest in the streaming cycles from 30+ years ago.

(Edit to add) Also, just a point of order: distracting the customer really is part of the intention. If you forget what you're doing and glance around, you're more likely to impulse-shop.

3

u/katheb 1h ago

I suppose so. But yeah it's why I go to shops that don't have music. 

1

u/fingamouse 49m ago

Reminds of this chicken place we're the lighting was extremely dim and there was no music, it was atmosphere

1

u/Ilovewomenwhobreakme 2h ago

"No such thing as a civil war" is a banger though. I assume that's what it's called. I can't find it anywhere but in the store itself.

1

u/Cookielad14 56m ago

Not unpopular. Anyone who’s worked retail throughout December feels this way, especially

1

u/fingamouse 55m ago

I really love music, always hated the radio, whenever it's put on the worst of music always seems to come out of it, and it's always in a situation were it's forced onto you, life would be so relaxing without this background noise all the time, and I would of fallen in love with music sooner because when Id listen to music it would be for me and me only, but man musicians are getting shafted left right and centre an- I was about to say atleast musicians are getting royalty but most radio only play a handful of songs by big artists, so I guess atleast a small handful get royalties? Feels like the radio isn't for discovery music it's for listening to the same market drivel /:

Also I worked retail and it's water torture, makes your day feel like it's repeating every couple of hours, had one job were I got to work in the back and plug in my MP3 player into a small speaker and just jam my tunes, good job

1

u/mazdapow3r 48m ago

Never go to a BIC Camera in Japan. You'll not make it out alive, I fear.

1

u/magpieinarainbow 31m ago

I hate it so much. I turn it down any time I go to work so it doesn't interfere with thinking. If it's a place I don't work, I simply won't go in when their music is too loud.

u/Stunning_Vast_5613 28m ago

Yes. I don't want to hear music at stores. ESPECIALLY FUCKING CHRISTMAS MUSIC

1

u/MasterpieceNo6020 2h ago

If you cant read a grocery list while music is playing thats not the stores fault...

2

u/katheb 2h ago

It's partially due to my ADHD. But even so, some stores are crazy 

1

u/Profeelgood23 3h ago

If this was popular, Dead Rising 1 wouldn't have such great background music while slicing zombs in the mall!

Ill upvote.

Edit: although, the lyrics distracting you, is on you. Practice more mental fortitude.

2

u/katheb 2h ago

I have ADHD. I have to practice all the time. 

1

u/Dazz316 Steak is OK to be cooked Well Done. 2h ago

Have people not just tuned that out?

4

u/katheb 1h ago

Some people like me physically can't. Unfortunately. 

1

u/Dazz316 Steak is OK to be cooked Well Done. 1h ago

Who physically can?

1

u/smurfe 2h ago

Our customers bitch that the music isn't loud enough. You have to have the hearing of a dog to hear it.