musical tastes

Americans' preferences for music are surveyed by the NEA in the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts. Here are the 1997 results (sample size: 4452 people, all over the age of 18, in households that had a telephone).

In order, including percentage of respondents who "like" the music, followed by the percentage of all respondents who said it was their favorite:

1. Mood or easy listening 67%, 5.9%
2. Country-Western 65%, 20.7%
3. Blues or R&B 63%, 4.8%
4. Rock 60%, 18.2%
5. Hymns or Gospel 58%, 13.8%
6. Jazz 48%, 4.9%
7. Classical or Chamber Music 47.5%, 6.7%
8. Big Band 45%, 2.8%
9. Operettas or Show Tunes 44%, 1.8%
10. Bluegrass 42%, 0.7%
11. Soul 40%, 1.4%
12. Contemporary Folk 38%, 1.1%
13. Reggae 32%, 0.8%
14. Parade or Marching Band 32%, 0.2%
15. New Age 31%, 1.5%
16. Ethnic/national tradition 31%, 0.8%
17. Latin, Spanish, or salsa 29%, 3.9%
18. Choral or Glee Club 26%, 0.1%
19. Barbershop 22%, 0.1%
20. Opera 19%, 0.6%
21. Rap 17%, 1.9%