Relationship Material? 3 Green Flags Hidden in Someone’s Music Taste

A person’s music taste can reveal a lot about them. But first, a disclaimer: like zodiac signs, it’s a little bit bonkers to make judgments of someone based on music taste alone. And one person’s red flag is another person’s perfect match, and so on and so forth. This list won’t be green flags for everybody, and that’s okay. Also, maybe don’t rule out a potential love match based on music taste. But hey, what do I know? I still listen to Fall Out Boy.

A Diversified Genre Portfolio

This green flag could go two ways; it really depends on what you’re looking for. One, interest in a diverse range of genres shows curiosity and motivation to discover new music. Two, that could mean they only scratch the surface of all these genres, hitting popular artists but not going any deeper. With too many interests, a person risks not having time or motivation to explore beyond the mainstream (more on that later).

So, a diverse collection of genres is a green flag, depending on how much you care about someone’s underground music knowledge. But to go even further, how diverse is their list of favorite artists? If you’re into guys, maybe find out how many female artists he listens to. Just as a fun little litmus test for his emotional intelligence (you’ll recall our disclaimer at the beginning).

If a green flag for you is deep knowledge of only a handful of genres, that’s cool too. You might find yourself dating a DJ, but maybe you’re also a DJ; I don’t know your life like that. Perhaps the two of you lock eyes over the turntables, or whatever DJs use now, and become the most popular duo at Valentine’s Day warehouse raves. Stranger things have happened.

Beyond the Mainstream

Listen, this one is important. People will call you a snob, but you don’t want to date them anyway. The right people will understand. And to be honest, most of the time “snob” is just “good taste” twisted into an insult by those who consider Taylor Swift a literary songwriting genius. I know, Swifties are low-hanging fruit, but my point remains.

An appreciation for underground artists is definitely a musical green flag. This person will always know about the latest band putting out cool stuff, and will probably have playlists dedicated to underrated gems. And you know they’ll always be putting you on to the most innovative artists right now.

Being deeply interested in a local scene is a green flag as well. In the U.S., there are so many emerging and existing hardcore scenes in cities you wouldn’t expect. And according to locals, there are up-and-coming techno and club scenes in Phoenix, Denver, and Portland. Plus, getting involved in your local underground scene is a great way to meet new people. Win-win in my book.

Chumbawamba Deep Cuts

Does your crush know any Chumbawamba besides “Tubthumping”? This is maybe the most important green flag you can look for. Knowledge of and appreciation for Chumbawamba deep cuts means this person knows what’s up. Asking about Chumbawamba can serve as a foot in the door to asking about Crass, Dead Kennedys, Dog Faced Hermans, The Ex, Spitboy, and Youth in Asia, among others.

Chumbawamba was, is, and always will be an anarcho-punk band. They’ve been reduced to a one-hit wonder since the 1997 single “Tubthumping”, which is often reduced to its nonsensical lyrics. But in 1986, Chumba burst onto the U.K. punk scene with a debut album that still hits like a sledgehammer to the solar plexus. Despite several stylistic departures over 14 studio albums, their anarchist spirit was never broken.

Here are three Intro to Chumbawamba tracks for free: specifically, this live version of “The Day the Nazi Died” from 2000, “Give the Anarchist a Cigarette” from the 1994 album Anarchy, and the wrecking ball of them all, “How to Get Your Band on Television” from their 1986 debut Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records.

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