My mother played piano in dance band in the thirties and forties. So I grew up listening to the Big Bands. I like Bunny Berigan, Russ Morgan, The Boswell Sisters, Bix Beiderbecke, and Benny Goodman. Oh, and I like Leon Redbone.

Classic Rock, way back when Rock N' Roll, Disco, Cajun, soundtracks by Ennio Morricone, sometimes me dino get in moods for other diverse stuff like Enya, Swan Lake--even The Hall Of The Mountain King. Just decided me dino in the mood for that last 'un right now!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLp_H...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpdHM...

Classic rock, especially Led Zeppelin and Rush. Also some classical.

Hates: Rap, unless it's by Weird Al.

I like Gilbert & Sullivan as my favorite type of music; also other operas, for instance especially by
Verdi; also Irish jigs and other drinking songs (the lively ones; I don't care for long drawn-out drinking songs, just lively ones); patriotic tunes (for instance, "Battle Hymn of the Republic", and, religious or not, it's rousing and beautiful), but my favorite song of all is "La Marseillaise".

I prefer the simplicity of Ambient Space Music.
Some would say that this is not really music since, quite often, the pieces seem to lack a melody.
For me, the sound is very relaxing and can be enjoyed while working, planning, designing, relaxing.
Here is the online station that I go to -- just Space Music -- no advertising or interruptions:
https://ambientsleepingpill.com/

I like much classical music, particularly Haydn's Symphony 94 and Mozart's K 522.

If I'm feeling in need of something uplifting, I'll turn to performances by this fellow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc2h8...

A friend of mine has called ragtime "America's classical music. Same friend also confesses to liking the sound of the bagpipes. He does not know how to play the pipes, though, and being a gentleman, has never seen a need to learn.

I listen to (in Order)
1. Western Ballads
2. Hawaiian Music by "Israel Kamakawiwo'oli
3. Country & Western
I can't even tell you who the popular artists are now.
Age: 71

I have the Google Mini which I set up every AM to play Smooth Jazz (my wife likes it) as background music. As for myself, I'll play Japanese Anime theme music, but I also like Sturgill Simpson, Joe Bonamassa, Yes, Jeff Beck-Beck's Bolero, some older pieces of pop music Apache & Ghost Riders in the Sky.

My favorite music is Italian opera and that is what I listen to most of the time. My favorite singers are:
soprano: Maria Calls
mezzo: Fedora Barbieri
tenor Giuseppe di Stefano
baritone: Tito Gobbi
basso: Boris Christoff
conductor: Tullio Serafin
My favorite opera composers, in order of preference are: Verdi, Donizetti, Bellini, Puccini etc.
I also like Frank Sinatra (Siriusly Sinatra).
Other music I like very much is by Chopin, Paganini and Offenbach.
Musicians I like the most are: Rubinstein on piano, Jasha Heifetz on violin, Louis Armstrong on horn, Arty Shaw on clarinet and Ella Fitzgerald's voice.

As you can tell, I think that human voice is by far the best and sophisticated musical instrument. All other instruments are poor imitations.

Dear qhrjk, this is probably much more than you asked. I always prefer the whole picture over a glimpse.

Best wishes!
Maritimus

My dad was in a big band, so I grew up loving Glenn Miller, Fitzgerald, Sinatra. In the 50s it was Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson into the Jackie Gleason Orches. and Bobby Hacke and his horn.Loved the Beatles, Johnny Rivers Gary Puckett in the 60s. 70s got into country, loved George Strait, Montgomery Gentry, Trace Adkins. Also, pop Rupert Holmes ("Escape") Got into Bon Jovi via our daughter. Huey Lewis' "He Don't Know" as fantastic sound.Hate rap and Hip Hop. Always like Al Hirt, Errrante and Teicher, and instrurmenttals.To this day, I like to create mixed CDs or playlists combing the right song from each genre, and it can flow great. Take "Looking for Lve" Johnny Lee next to as Huey Lewis, next to a big band ("Harlem Nocturne"), hrhow in Dino, Rod Stewart ("Infatuation" , it really can work, and leaves you really happy, as they or not exclusive, but all part of what makes you tick.

When I work out...Revolution Saints, or Jeff Scott Soto. Otherwise, all kinds of stuff. I love music. Played guitar since I was 12. Played in a rock band until my kid got sick. My prize guitar still hangs in my home office...13 years later. I like good country (as opposed to that sappy stuff), jazz, Amy Weinstein (incredible talent), bluegrass! I listen to something very strange too...KLF Chill Out, when I'm working.

If it is true that Ayn Rand's favorite composer and piece of music is Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2 then we have something in common! This has been my favorite since I first heard it, I find it stirring and inspiring that someone could create such great work.

It usually depends on what I'm doing at the time. For everyday activities like working in the yard or garage or cruising down the road I lean heavily towards classic rock or pop like the Stones, ZZ Top, AC/DC, Boston, Blondie, Cars, CCR, and many others. To break things up a bit I'll even throw on a CD of bagpipe music or Big Bands of the '30s and '40s. Then there's the '50s and early '60s stuff like Chuck Berry and Roy Orbison. I have a small collection of Civil War era tunes played by various artists where "2nd South Carolina String Band" is one of my favorites.

If I want to read a book or write code or just plain relax and wind down I'll put on classical masters like Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner and others. When I want something soft and pleasant usually late at night when I've totally had it with TV, but not ready to sleep I'll put on something like Enya or just hop through my digital library looking for similar pieces.

I have about 400 albums in my library of which only half are entered into my iTunes library. I rotate about 25 or so to my iPhone at any given time.

Hard to believe, but I have a working wind up Victrola made in 1917 on which I play 78rpm records from that era to the '30s once in a while. The sound is awesome, scratches and all! My collection of those is very small, but I love them.

I listen to pretty much anything but rap/hip hop. My favorites lately have been sea chanties and Piano Guys. I also like classic rock -- Bob Seger is a favorite, and older country. Think George Strait and Alan Jackson. Oh, and there is also Beethoven.

I listen to about all the music listed above, save C&W
I have to add my favorite band and album.
RUSH 2112
Lyrics written by Neil Pert the drummer.
The band dedicated 2112 to The Fountain head.

60's and 70's Rock & Roll (no Beatles...please)
Can't stand most CW, but Kenny Rogers isn't bad
The Eagles are NOT Country, in my mind
Contemporary Jazz
40's Big Band
Some Classical
There are a number of other genres I haven't even mentioned
Did I mention that I can't stand most CW?
P.S. Most of the stuff coming out, today, is NOT music...Lady Gag'ya and others don't even write their own material.

My musical tastes are varied like most you. Classic Rock, oldies, Country, Classical. I have been listening to a lot of 80's and 90's lately as I spent a considerable amount of time overseas long before internet, iTunes and such were around. I did lots of cassettes and CD's back then, even mini-discs and vinyl which is coming back in a big way. However, being overseas (Europe and Middle East) made it so my music choices were limited at that time. Currently though, Country is on my list as a lot of songs hit certain memories that were a big part of my life back when.

Good question, and a welcome break from politics. (Let's not make music preference a political issue!) My father was a classical pianist, so I grew up listening to classics. Liszt is my favorite. Also Chopin and Rachmaninoff. My father knew Rachmaninoff personally while he (my father) was a Russian prisoner in WWI and thanks to his piano skills was let out to give concerts. (That's how he was able to escape and make his way back to Hungary across Siberia.)

Other music I like: Patric Hale (Caranza)…Tim Minchin...Rafael Mendez, trumpet virtuoso...John Williams... Sergei Novikov, pianist/composer... Al Stewart, Edith Piaf, Enya, Yanni, Sozra, Tom Lehrer, Willie Bobo, Persian, especially Googoosh. Instrumentals mostly. I skipped the entire rock, hop, pop, bop, heavy metal era. I do like Big Band dance music, jazz, Jimmy Buffett, Latin American (I taught ballroom dancing for 30 years), and more recently the magnificent compositions of Jean-Michel Jarre. Other dramatic pieces like In the Hall of the Mountain King, Bolero, Caravan, Toreador song from Carmen, are very energizing.

A very recent addition to love is the theme music from Anthem. And a top favorite newest discovery are the 13 tracks from Rotem Hecht's compositions as the original sound track for the video game "Soviet Republic"--don't let the title turn you off. Rotem, originally from Israel, is a genius up there with anyone you can name, from any era. His music is on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh9Kj.... He also composes theme music for commercials. Wish I could afford him for my little enterprise.

I'm a hard-core punk rocker, but I also love other genres.

My uncle is a retired professional opera singer, so I grew up around classical. I love Beethoven and Bach.
My mother had the entire Oldies But Goodies compilation, so I love 1950s rock.
I have a passion for old movies, so I love the music of the 1930s and 1940s.

But punk is my life. Has been since I was 10.
Ramones, baby!

I'm still spinning my albums from the 1970s, classic rock played through my vintage gear and Altec Model 19 speakers. Some say I am stuck in a groove but that is the music I grew up on and still love.

Richard Halley is the composer who represents the talent in music that the others do in their respective fields in AS.

His concertos and Opera are shunned until after 19 years in oblivion when suddenly he becomes a sensation, by which time he is completely disillusioned.

Dagny listens to his 4th Concerto in her penthouse when coming home from Taggart HQs. Then she is searching for his 5th, which we don't find out about until the Gulch scene.

According to opinions the closest composition would probably be Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No.2, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini"::

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWKSx...

I am a real fan of Mississippi Blues - RL Burnside at al. These guys were the genesis of rock and roll. I grew up with Bob Dylan so I am partial to music with a message.

My favorite music genre is humor: Weird Al Yankovic, Bob Rivers, Jonathan Coulton, Cledus T. Judd, etc. My Pandora feed also some country, some light classical (Leroy Anderson's "Bugler's Holiday" is perhaps my all-time favorite piece of music), and some of the softer stuff from the 60's and 70's.

Gilbert& Sullivan!!!

Many will enjoy this cover by Joe Bonnamaso and Beth Hart.
https://youtu.be/UEHwO_UEp7A