Muzak

[satech]

Playing "forgotten" songs is exactly the wrong thing for stores to be doing.  (And I'm sure major mass retail stores will turn off their music because one shopper happens to somehow find Van Halen playing in the background to be a problem.  )

It depends.  A lot of psychological research goes into Muzak's playlists, and part of that is not getting the listener too distracted by the music.  In fact, that was a large part of why they held onto instrumental-only music for so long, and still offer it on several of their channels.  Vocals were thought to be too distracting; they didn't want workers or customers to stop what they're doing to sing along to their favorite song.  The same reasoning goes into avoiding the hugely well known hit songs, and focusing more on the obscure stuff, which sets a general "mood" without being too obtrusive.

[ddsparxx]

If the customers of the store where in control of the music and got their way it would be Classic Soul, R & B, or dirty south rap in my Kroger store.

Sorry about being harsh, but if it's dirty south rap or any rap, I'd shop elsewhere.

[gr8oldies]

Oh, there's a guy in your office who says he won't leave til you change the music.

[Michael]

oh I agree ddsparxx but so far that hasn't happened anywhere here.

[vchimpanzee]

Playing "forgotten" songs is exactly the wrong thing for stores to be doing.  (And I'm sure major mass retail stores will turn off their music because one shopper happens to somehow find Van Halen playing in the background to be a problem.  )

The one store darn well better. Did I mention the uncooperative manager was gone in no time?

Furthermore, when I complained to Muzak about the music in my store getting too loud, the guy suggested I tell them to tuen it of. So far it hasn't come to that because it's not too loud in terms of volume. Just material. And it's still not as bad as the radio stations.

[gr8oldies]

vchimp you sound like a real fun guy. Do you go to a party and demand they put on Mantovani? Walk into bars and demand the band stop playing? Call the police when there's an outdoor concert and you don't like the music?

[Michael]

I heard I'll Wait by Van Halen in Walgreens yesterday.

[ddsparxx]

I don't think Muzak plays any Mantovani or any other instrumental easy listening in stores anymore. I haven't heard such music in stores or malls in many years. I guess Muzak thinks such listeners are too old??

[vchimpanzee]

vchimp you sound like a real fun guy. Do you go to a party and demand they put on Mantovani? Walk into bars and demand the band stop playing? Call the police when there's an outdoor concert and you don't like the music?

I don't go to parties or bars and yes, I do call the cops about loud music. I did this when there was some community event and I informed the people there was to be no more of that. I don't care if it was officially sanctioned. I want QUIET!

You people don't get it. While I don't have a job, these people who yell about soft music in the workplace don't seem to get the point that some of us would not be able to get the job done with noise and distractions. Likewise in a store I need to concentrate on looking through my coupons, looking at sale prices, looking to make sure I don't get a diet drink or fat-free snacks by mistake, making sure I get the specific item the coupon is for, making sure I don't pick up something totally wrong for what I need it for even though it looks like what I intended to get. In a store if I'm buying a shirt or pants I have to make sure of the right size. Is it too much to ask that I have QUIET so I can concentrate??? Background music can make the environment more pleasant, but this hasn't been the case since the days when it was soft instrumental music way in the background. One exception is my local Sears, which switches from big band to dance music to AC to smooth jazz to alternative in the course of just a few minutes. If you can get in and get out quickly while they're doing what you like, that's great.

I got lucky yesterday. The music, if you can call it that, in the mall where Sears and Penney's is located, is usually hot AC. Don't ask me why, but they had Brian Setzer's "Jump Jive and Wail". And Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" was on when I first walked in.

I do like my Converse shoes. I've put up with a lot of noise in the stores where those are sold. But I do like all the different colors.


 

[vchimpanzee]

I don't think Muzak plays any Mantovani or any other instrumental easy listening in stores anymore. I haven't heard such music in stores or malls in many years. I guess Muzak thinks such listeners are too old??

A newspaper article about Muzak made such a claim. I called the paper to say they were wrong. There is a shopping center where I live that has their "Environmental" format playing outside the stores. Mostly smooth jazz, and I don't mean the garbage on the radio that people call smooth jazz. And some of this stuff sounds pretty hip. Sometimes I go there and walk for exercise just to enjoy the music. Mostly I like to walk in neighborhoods with trees and just the birds for music.

And Muzak has another instrumental format they don't tell you about. Mantovani is part of that one.