# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/21 "2013-02-07T23:11:06Z")
‘Celtic’ is quite a range of music, Here is Capercaillie [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-K0tQRYv8tw/hqdefault.jpg "Capercaillie - Waiting For The Wheel To Turn --- music video clip") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K0tQRYv8tw) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeDYe52XHWo) Mary Black [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LQWqlbaI6bc/hqdefault.jpg "Mary Black - Who Knows Where The Time Goes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQWqlbaI6bc) Eleanor Mcevoy & Mary Black [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tjQP9931NhU/hqdefault.jpg "Eleanor McEvoy - only a woman's heart") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjQP9931NhU) Saw Doctors [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8xw8B_EhFN8/hqdefault.jpg "The Saw Doctors - Clare Island") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xw8B_EhFN8) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/n-2N9qIvgus/hqdefault.jpg "Saw Doctors - Will It Ever Stop Raining") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-2N9qIvgus) Christy Moore [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5wnEVoyukU4/hqdefault.jpg "Christy Moore - Ride On") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wnEVoyukU4) Hothouse Flowers [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/h3oWuIEAGaQ/hqdefault.jpg "Hothouse Flowers The Older We Get") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3oWuIEAGaQ) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xiaS4PEC4MM/hqdefault.jpg "Hothouse Flowers Don't Go") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiaS4PEC4MM) You could argue it covers a spectrum from pure acoustic folk to folk rock, and there are plenty of others who have borrowed the sound The Christians [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UfcDJNElrl4/hqdefault.jpg "The Christians 'Words'") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfcDJNElrl4) Mike Oldfield [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoqQAc2pDQc) I’m not so keen on Enya I guess what I am asking is, what do you mean by ‘Celtic’ There are only 2 types of music - either you know the answer to this or you don’t ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/22 "2013-02-07T23:22:13Z")
people who aren’t peppy hate it. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/23 "2013-02-07T23:23:24Z")
I enjoy Celtic Woman. Its on regular rotation on my player. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/24 "2013-02-07T23:38:31Z")
True Celtic music isn’t hated. 🙂 (Couldn’t help it). ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/25 "2013-02-08T00:52:43Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > 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. I had never heard of Dougie Maclean before I saw him perform at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2007. It was a highlight of the weekend. At one point, he told a story about the [Lewis Chessmen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_chessmen). They were discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis, off the coast of Scotland. Maclean explained that he was fascinated with the ancient chess pieces and ended up ordering a set of replicas. When they arrived he opened the box and lined them up on his kitchen table. As he gazed at them he thought they looked like they were marching somewhere. He was inspired to write a song, “Marching Mystery” which he was going to perform for us. “And so,” he said, “to add some atmosphere\* I brought some of them with me from Scotland.” He then placed a few of the pieces at the front of the stage and played [Marching Mystery](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTn4GOTl7tA). As I said, it was a highlight of the festival. \*Add some atmosphere? !? As if that story you just told wasn’t enough? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/26 "2013-02-08T01:51:55Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > There are only 2 types of music - either you know the answer to this or you don’t Country _and_ Western? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/27 "2013-02-08T02:50:35Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > 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. _shrug_ I prefer [the original.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqXURH1UX2g)😉 Enough with the Irish and Scottish music! Where are the Welsh, the Cornish, and the Bretons? ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/28 "2013-02-08T06:07:09Z")
Some Celtic music is definitely considered cool. You could successfully name drop Dropkick Murphys or Flogging Molly among any appropriately hip and pretentious crowd of musically serious people. According to Wikipedia those bands belong to a genre known as “Diaspora Celtic Punk.” Dropkick Murphys are fun. I’m a pretty big fan of Flogging Molly. A sampling: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/89NjEeHku8o/maxresdefault.jpg "Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89NjEeHku8o) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/mTN3ODSCEuo/hqdefault.jpg "Flogging Molly Tobacco Island") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTN3ODSCEuo) ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/29 "2013-02-08T06:09:39Z")
I listen to it very rarely but its better than most other genres. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/30 "2013-02-08T06:18:13Z")
[What’s not to like?](http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/digital-shorts/video/irish-songs/1345321/) ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/31 "2013-02-08T06:59:14Z")
I like Enya and Black 47 has a sort of charm–but those are not what I assume people mean. Enya is new age, Black 47 is…alternative? “Celtic” is a silly term, like calling rock’n’roll “Black.” Would you call U2’s music “Celtic,” even at their folkiest? I don’t really like glurgy overproduced string-based folk-rooted…stuff the way other people _really, really like_ glurgy overproduced string-based folk-rooted stuff. I don’t know what it is, but if someone says they really like Celtic music, I assume we are not going to agree. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/32 "2013-02-08T07:05:24Z")
No, I do know what it is. It’s this business of selling a “Celtic” cultural identity beyond the muzak itself, an identity I consciously reject. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/33 "2013-02-08T07:31:28Z")
I prefer Celtic music without lyrics. Usually the lyrical kind go a bit too far into hippy dippy for my tastes. Give me a jig on a fiddle any time\*. \*Oo-er, sounds a bit rude ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/34 "2013-02-08T07:33:07Z")
Is Shaun Davey’s _the Parting Glass_ considered Celtic? Cause that is a darn good song. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/35 "2013-02-08T07:34:45Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > 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. Very true, I have a serious dislike to the xylophone soft jazz that was so common in travelogues in the late 60s/early 70s, and heartily dislike Enya’s soft wafty unsupported attempt at singing. I do like Thelonius Monk, and am currently listening to a compilation disc with the Chieftains, some planxtys by a friend and some bagpipe music. [actually I like most music that many people dislike, like bagpipe music and [noh](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh) [plays](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q1MPwD7zCI). ] ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/36 "2013-02-08T07:56:03Z")
Here are Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas playing [Grand Etang / Hull’s Reel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08zd3hI87bc), The Battlefield Band performing [The Yew Tree](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uri_RpWzq8), The Chieftains playing [Carolan’s Concerto](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhHv6sEZO_Y), and Jean Redpath singing [Hishie Ba](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAluR24Bl90). So yes, I like Celtic music. To me it’s sad that people think it’s limited to the dumbed-down crap they play during pledge drives on PBS. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/37 "2013-02-08T17:21:33Z")
Quite a while back I dated a woman who was into things Celtic. We did some fun things but kept ending up in bars and pubs and dances with what I guess would be the folkier end of Celtic music. It sent her into raptures, but like a lot of musical forms (dixieland being another) about ten minutes of it serves me a long, long time. I’ve heard most of the performers mentioned in this thread and can’t think of one that’s outside that “a little is good” feeling. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/38 "2013-02-08T18:25:29Z")
Enya was more Celtic when she was with her family group, Clannad. They sang a lot of songs in Irish. When she went out on her own she became more New Age. But I like Enya for what it is and I like most Celtic music. But I also like bagpipes so, take it as you will. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/39 "2013-02-08T18:45:22Z")
Berlin had a surprising number of Irish bars back in the day - I guess the Irish like to drink? In any case, I rarely went to any of them - despite them being quite nicely designed and fairly popular - as I couldn’t stand the endless “diddley diddley dee” Irish folk music that was played, non-stop, in every one of those bars - with the maudlin “Oh Danny Boy” thrown in every once in awhile to cause the drunks to weep openly. This kind of Irish folk music is OK, in really small doses - but not if you sit in an Irish bar for longer than 15 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616/40 "2013-02-08T19:11:26Z")
Since this is morphing into “Celtic Music I Like”, here’s Anne Briggs: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/h6x2S8comEU/hqdefault.jpg "Anne Briggs - Young Tambling") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6x2S8comEU) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-celtic-music-really-widely-hated/649616.md?page=3)