# Is Celtic music really widely hated? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616 "2013-02-07T19:03:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/1 "2013-02-07T19:03:30Z")
In the (something) is the Kenny G of (something) [thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15970495) there were some digs at Celtic folk music. I’m just wondering - is Celtic music generally unpopular? (I’m not whining. I’m just wondering.) (For the record, I do like much Celtic music.) ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/2 "2013-02-07T19:14:53Z")
" I do like much Celtic music." There you go. Unless you think you’re a special exception. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/3 "2013-02-07T19:15:48Z")
I think there are always people who like to gripe about any type of easy listening music, and Enya is as big a target as anyone. Personally, I’m not a big Enya fan but I love the Clancy Brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/4 "2013-02-07T19:16:03Z")
Folk music in general tends to get a lot of disdain, especially when the lowest common denominator parts become more widely heard. “Riverdance” did Celtic music no favors, but a few musicians made some bucks off it, so good for them. I’ve loved Celtic music for decades. Like everything else 90% ranges from meh to crap, but the other 10% is wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/5 "2013-02-07T19:21:44Z")
Like most other musical “fads,” Celtic got massively over-done. So much so that Sturgeon’s Law became the default most people thought of when they thought of Celtic. Which is a pity, because there is some great music being made by “Celtic” artists. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/6 "2013-02-07T19:22:23Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I think there are always people who like to gripe about any type of easy listening music, and Enya is as big a target as anyone. > > Personally, I’m not a big Enya fan but I love the Clancy Brothers. Oh, I wasn’t aware Enya was lumped in with Celtic music. I thought she was New Age. When I heard about Celtic music, I was thinking of folk music. Intriguing. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/7 "2013-02-07T19:24:21Z")
I never heard of any criticism of Celtic anything until Michael Flatley. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/8 "2013-02-07T19:26:19Z")
I love Celtic music and would love to go to the Fall Colours festival in Cape Breton… ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/9 "2013-02-07T19:28:17Z")
There’s the “Celtic” that’s misty New-Ageish folderol. Then there are the Chieftains & the Dubliners. And the Pogues… ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/10 "2013-02-07T19:30:04Z")
I like House of Pain. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/11 "2013-02-07T19:31:34Z")
There’s also those awful Celtic Fire people they keep showing on PBS. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/12 "2013-02-07T19:36:35Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > (For the record, I do like much Celtic music.) I think that what I meant by this is that I like much Celtic folk music. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/13 "2013-02-07T19:38:47Z")
Celtic Music? You mean there’s something other than “The Irish Washer Woman?” ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/14 "2013-02-07T20:12:35Z")
It’s funny - Public Radio has a great Celtic music show, “The Thistle and Shamrock” but Public Television has pretty much shit over the genre with their Celtic woman fundraising specials. Riverdance didn’t help either - some good music, mostly generic Celtic Muzak. (Dancers were talented, but it’s so damn repetitive. boring) Celtic music has influenced American roots music among other things. The music group the Chieftains has acknowledged the far-flung intertwined influences on their cds. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/15 "2013-02-07T21:15:10Z")
Just listen to [Caledonia](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP8A9rtg0iI) by Dougie Maclean. If you don’t think it’s great, I don’t want to know you. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/16 "2013-02-07T21:17:07Z")
Hi, Annie-Xmas. I love Dougie Maclean’s music! ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/17 "2013-02-07T21:28:52Z")
I think this is one of those “what do you mean by \_\_\_\_\_” questions. For a lot of people, smooth jazz IS jazz, and ergo widely hated; you wouldn’t say the same about John Coltrane and Duke Ellington. I wouldn’t think groups like Gaelic Storm or The Chieftains would go down as “widely hated” in many circles, but for many, lighter-weight fare IS Celtic music, and that’s gonna draw some scowls. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/18 "2013-02-07T21:53:56Z")
I LOVE Celtic music, don’t know the ‘good’ kind from the ‘awful’ kind, but so? My elderly mother has a lifelong dislike of the Irish stemming from high school decades ago and she certainly hates Celtic music. She said, “I don’t know why it’s in all the movies like its something special! Why is it in that Titanic movie?” I said, “what did you expect to hear? Polka music? Accordians? A Tarantella?” ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/19 "2013-02-07T22:28:38Z")
“Celtic music” is a pretty broad category. There’s Celtic rock, like, say, Black 47 or Rogue’s March or (arguably) Great Big Sea, from Newfoundland. There’s traditional Celtic music, as performed by Altan (my favorite) or perhaps the Chieftans. There’s great stuff to sing along with in a pub, like the Clancy Brothers, or the Irish Rovers and the like. And then there’s Celtic Woman, and Enya, and stuff like that. Which I don’t like. Therefore it is crap.😉 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/20 "2013-02-07T23:06:57Z")
Who doesn’t have Dropkick Murphy and The Pogues on their Saint Patrick’s Day iPod playlist they listen to once a year? Of course Enya is an easy target. She is pretty much the definition of whispy new-agey vocals used to associate a movie scene or commercial with rolling green hills and glens or just anything vaguely Celtic looking. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616.md?page=2)