If you wish we’d shut up and play some Skynyrd, you’re not alone . . . 84% of Americans say listening to music is an important part of their day. A new poll asked a bunch of questions about how we listen, and what we think about OTHER people’s taste in music.  Here are a few quick stats: 1.   How often do you listen to music?  55% said an hour a day at least.  2% said never. 2.  How do you listen to it?  The most popular choices in 2026 are streaming and listening to the RADIO. There’s a steep drop-off after that with things like CDs and cassettes.  (73% stream . . . 48% listen to music on the radio on a regular basis . . . 24% download MP3s . . . 24% still use CDs . . . 11% listen to records . . . and 4% use cassettes.) 3.  What’s your favorite type of music?  Classic rock ranked first with 19% of the vote.  Then country, 11% . . . pop, 9% . . . hip-hop, 8% . . . metal, 7% . . . RB, 7% . . . and alternative, 6% of the vote. (They had to choose from 20 different types, so percentages are low:  Classical, 5% . . . Christian, 4% . . . jazz, 4% . . . gospel, blues, and folk, 3% each . . . and new-age ranked last.  That’s stuff like Yanni and Enya.)  4.  Which genre do you think best REPRESENTS America in 2026?  Country and hip-hop tied for first.  Then it’s pop, classic rock, and RB. 5.  The Grammys are February 1st:  Do you think they actually pinpoint the “best” music of the year?  Only 14% said yes.  51% said no, and 35% aren’t sure. 6.  A.I. music:  20% of us have listened to at least one A.I. song now, and . . . we’re not impressed so far. Only 3% think it’s better than what humans can crank out.  38% think it might get there in the next decade though. 7.  How often do you go out and see live music?  21% said at least once a month.  Another 23% said at least one concert per year. (YouGov) ...read more read less