When I talk to people about music, and I mean most people, not the extreme ends of the “Listen only to what’s cool” to “musical scientist” spectrum, I often find people who express an interest in an odd style of music. These people will often express being a fan of band X or singer Y, but upon further questioning, will show a superficial knowledge of the musician. I’m not saying that this is a capital crime, or even wrong, but someone who claims to be a Foo Fighters fan and only knows “Rope” or “The Pretender” really can’t be called a fan.

      A prime example are people who call themselves fans of my former obsession, classic rock. Upon meeting a professed fan, I would instantly rejoice. “Ah Yes!” I would think, “This person will know Van Halen or Boston just as well as I do! Frabjous Day!” only to be disappointed to find out that this person professed fanship of the “have to” bands, a.k.a bands that every self-respecting meatcake must have on his Ipod. Basically one of these “fans” will profess an appreciation for Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, or Van Halen. Upon further questioning, such a fan of say, Led Zeppelin will instantly cite “Stairway to Heaven” as his favorite song, and will look at you as if you have three heads if you mention “Black Dog.”

Essentially, I find it amusing when people proclaim themselves a fan of Bob Marley because of his activism and marijuana use, and then listen to “I Shot the Sheriff” to cover that up. Equally, if not more humorous, are 7-year old kids who run out of the theater, tellin’ it on the mountain that they’re huge Journey fans because the producer put “Don’t Stop Believing” in the big “Believe in yourself” scene.