Why I PERSONALLY love it that RATM are Xmas number 1

So before I explained what I believe to be the more objective reasons as to why I think it is a good thing that RATM are Xmas #1.

Now however a more personal touch.

Reason 1) Boredom

I live in the real world.

It is a lovely place but dear god other peoples taste sucks.

Now I haven't listened to the radio since Mark Radcliffe did the morning show on BBCR1 and I don't even get TV reception let alone watch it except for DVD's.  I do however exist.  What this existence means is that I am bombarded with pop music from every angle and despite not really having much to do with popular culture I can not get away from it.  It is the soundtrack to the films, the incidental music in sport, the tune blaring out of the car at the lights, the song in the pub.  It is everywhere.

And I am bored of it.

But I get over it and get on with my life.

But I do enjoy every now and then forcing other people to listen to something I like.  This is why I own a stupidly loud stereo and upon occasion, when I can't take the sound track to wicked or something having a donk placed on or near it anymore my neighbors receive both barrels from the more aggressive end of my taste in music Currently Dying Breed by Five Finger death punch.  It doesn't change their taste in music or stop them being annoying as hell in the long run but what it does do is remind them I am here.

To me this happened on a national scale over the weekend.  Nothing has changed, nothing will change but we've just reminded people that we are still here and when we can be bothered (nothing says alternative community quite like apathy folks) we are still a viable commercial market and yesterday and for the rest of this week all those people who usually, albeit inadvertently perhaps, force their woeful music on me, have to listen to something I like instead.

We all know that Pop is worth more money than Rock on a day to day basis, hell that's why I got paid more money Roadie'ng for five, Steps and the Brits than I ever got paid working for Slipknot, Disturbed or leftfield but we are still here and we still have cash to spend on music we like to.  But very briefly it wasn't

Prediction:
Pops songs however will have a more rocky "edge" to them this summer just like they did when Limp Biscuit and Korn were big.

Reason 2) Inspiration

I can think of two moments in my life when suddenly things just made sense. Like proper epiphanies.

a) Alien - Whereas I had seen slightly grissly and "nasty" films before this point (usually round a mates house whilst their parents were out, I will always love robocop for this exact reason).  Alien was the first time I was proper scared out of my gourd watching a film and in love with it at the same time.  Just amasing.  From there I most certainly developed my love of horror films.

(Simply red - shit)

b) Smells like teen spirit - Nirvana.  I was, of all things, on a PGL holiday in france, being taught french (in a desperate attempt by my parents I suspect to boost my still to this day woeful language skills before my 13+ exams) and at the end of the week was the worst disco thing I have ever been to in my life.  But in amongst the simply red and ub40 right at the end was smells like teen spirit.  And it properly blew my mind and was the start of a life long love affair with alternative music.





Maybe just maybe, someone heard something they've never heard before last night and it changed their life.  I like to think so.

Prediction:
Someone's life was enriched and forever changed for the better as they heard something that spoke to them for the first time.

So yes I know it doesn't matter and that "kicked puppy" Joe will be #1 next week, but personally I love the fact that RATM were Xmas #1 just like I loved it when Lordi won Eurovision, or when Iron Maiden had the Xmas #1 in 1990.

When Alternative becomes Pop, I smile.  But don't worry normal service will be resumed shortly and you can have you're saccharine induced music back in the charts and we'll all climb back under our rocks.

Ho ho ho merry Xmas.


On a vaguely related note I am a mature(ish) student studying Music theatre and Entertainment Management and last year my class went to a metal club as part of research for one of their projects.  They spent the whole night cowering in the corner as perfectly normal people went about having fun to music they like.  One of my class even confided in me that at one point they genuinely feared for their safety.  It is so far my favourite memory of last year and hilarious.