Music is an element of culture that helps define who we are. We make music that means something to us, and we listen to music that we can connect to and enjoy, as a means of expression. Some people prefer simplistic acoustic music at times, some prefer head-banging metal at others. It reflects our moods, and sometimes changes them, making us feel more relaxed after listening to lullabies, and more energetic after hearing the bass drop in dubstep. That is the beauty of music, and why there are so many different genres of it to cater to a whole spectrum of emotions and scenes, which is why I can’t seem to understand how people can feel superior to others based off of their music tastes.

You may hear people toss around condescending phrases in reference to their preference, such as “this is real music” or “it’s not part of the mainstream, you’ve probably never heard of it”. Yes, whatever music you’re into is probably real music, great observation; and no, just about everyone has heard of The Black Keys and Radiohead and Modest Mouse and The Beatles—you’re not more important than those who haven’t. The same thing goes for people who love country, rap, classical, pop, electronic, and every other genre out there containing a set of music notes strung together.

I used to feel this hidden sense of superiority back in middle school when I discovered 90s alternative rock bands, listening to them on my iPod on the bus ride home as the radio blared the latest pop hits, and if I had to guess I’d say most of us have had those feelings at one point or another.

But here’s the reality—music is music. Perhaps you may believe that certain artists have more depth and meaning than others, and for that reason see yourself as having more depth than the people jamming out to everything other than what you like, as a reflection of that. But when it comes down to it, the sole purposes of music are to make us feel something and to let us release something, and as long as music persists, there will never be a genre that doesn’t carry out such purpose.