When I was in the States, people listened to mostly pop, but some listen to rock, jazz, blues, RnB (I’d call that pop…), hip pop, and stuff like that. When I go to a store that plays music on its loudspeakers I can hear mostly pop, but othertimes I can also here some rock/blues/jazz/country as well. But here in Taiwan its different. Here it seems like if I can hear their mp3 walkmens, or go to places that plays music, its ALL mandarin pop! I mean it. People that listen to music on their cell phone’s loudspeaker (which sounds like s*** by the way) its nothing but mandarin pop coming out of the speakers. Theres no variety, no one’s listening to rock/blues/jazz/country. Well actually alot listens to hip pop as well, but its either that or mandarin pop. So the question is, do people here not like rock or something? Those mandarin pop gets really old because they sing pretty much about the same thing and sounds the same… and the female singers tries to sing like some 8 year old girl… but sometimes I do hear a bit of Avril Lavagne… too bad she doesnt seem to know how to solo on guitar though…
Two words:
Air Supply.
The Taiwanese don’t like music. They like songs.
But hey, it’s a lot more diverse now than 20 years ago. Back then literally all you would hear were ballads in the Japanese style of the time.
You’re not listening hard enough. There’s plenty of variety around. The mainstream, sure, it’s just as retarded as anywhere else. But there are plenty of people with diverse tastes, as evidenced by the relative success of people and acts like Wu Bai, Chang Chen Yueh, Six Plus, Stanley Huang, Monkey Insane, and others. If all your listening for is the stupid stuff, that’s all you’ll hear.
This is Taiwan. It’s not strange people would listen to Chinese music. 
In a few words: MOSTLY, with some “min yao” thrown in for measure.
Patty Smith wrote a song about being a particular “rock-n’roll ______ (something I prefer not to say)” and pretty much that’s how anything that isn’t soft, isn’t unoffensive, is creative, and rocks the boat is here.
Wu Bai is a fluke. He’s had to pen a few “gimme” token pop ballads to keep afloat, and man do they suck. Wu Bai stopped being interesting in 2002.
Juxtaposed to Cui Juan (China), Wu Bai has to go back to school.
Mainland China’s rock, punk, metal and folk scenes are where it’s at, man. For homespun music - this island ain’t nothin’ but a golf clothes wearing, lawyer-ball playing ghetto for local musicians who don’t get molded into one of those “ASOS” entertainment “family” cookie cutters.
Since the end of the eighties - Taiwan is where art goes to die, especially local, modern art; music or otherwise.
Not to fret! There’s also the Taiwanese-language ballads with the formulaic Japanese melodies that you hear in taxis!
Weird, I heard a lot of Chang Chen A-yue, Andy Leung, Bon Jovi, Shino and Eminem everywhere the first year I was here. I’m quite happy not hearing chthonic(Taiwanese death metal band) or any death metal everywhere I go. I own CDs by two of those artist in that first sentence. Also on the metal side of things I think Dream Theater have played in Taiwan a few times in the half decade I’ve been here.
Who’s Andy Leung?
I dunno, it may have been Andy Lau. Does he have a song with a Spanish or Portugese chorus?
I only own CDs by two of the artists I mentioned in that first sentence and they’re not the Western artists.
Just thought of a great word for bland Mandarin pop songs: Blandopop.
Japanese pop music is also very popular, as is hip-hop, house, and trance music among the youngsters.
I’ve always been a fan of classic American and British rock, but no one here (meaning the Taiwanese) seems to have any interest in that, so … :s
[quote=“LittleBuddhaTW”]Japanese pop music is also very popular, as is hip-hop, house, and trance music among the youngsters.
I’ve always been a fan of classic American and British rock, but no one here (meaning the Taiwanese) seems to have any interest in that, so … :s[/quote]
I asked some guy about rock and most seem to think that rock is too loud for them… but alot of them listens to hip pop/techno at really loud volume… go figure.
You just don’t seem to know the right people 
There are lots of people who do not listen to Chinese pop and ballads, but to “real” music…
I’m waiting for the Reggaeton to kick in here.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggaeton
Dale Don Dale!
I see a lot of variety in my younger students’ tastes.
I remember one high school girl who loved greenday and wore flannel coats and ripped jeans to every single class.
Another teenage boy worships 50 cent. He’s always fronting gang signs and trying to give me high five.
Today one of my college age students had the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme on her IPOD. She played it for us and then the class demanded that I sing the song for them.
And to my astonishment I remembered every line.
Sign of a wasted youth I guess.
Taiwanese death metal band Chthonic have a new album out. It’s one you can listen to on the headphones in most music stores. I had a quick listen a few days back and going by other death metal I’ve heard it is up to international standard.
I’m not really a death metal fan(I hate scooby doo/cookie monster vocals although Tom Waits is an exception to the rule) but I own an album by a death metal band band called Obituary which has really good playing on it.
I taught a junior highstudent who wore Sepultura and Linkin Park T-shirts to class. He was familar with the bands. 
Chthonic just had a new album out. It’s fricken amazing! They were just in US last month but now they are touring in UK. Interestingly in all the concerts I saw on youtube, almost everyone in the audience is a white person. Maybe Taiwanese in general are not into heavy metal I am guessing. Whenever Jay Chou has a concert in US, I saw huge mobs of Asian, especially teenage girls. Interestingly enough Chthonic has a good international following. Most of their lyrics is about Taiwan independence or Taiwanese hell stories.
[quote=“Toe Tag”]I’m waiting for the Reggaeton to kick in here.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggaeton
Dale Don Dale![/quote]
They’ve tried -unsuccessfully, thank God. But ocassionally I hear Gasolina on the radio. :loco:
What do you call Teresa Teng songs, and all that karaoke/lounge/variety show-type stuff? Does that count as Mandopop, or is there another word for it? (laoge = Mando-oldies?)