I think the Barenaked Ladies get too much shit, and I certainly don't see where their music was "predigested."

I kind of misread some of this post somehow, so I apologize—both my comments (about the Queen dealie and about seeking new music) didn't really make sense with respect to what you actually wrote.

Music is more important to me than literally anything else in the world save for one person I've known.

Trivia is something very few people know, some obscure "factoid" that would win one points in trivia contests. This was a song with extensive pop culture presentation, that was well-known to mainstream citizens.

And I'm countering the counter by saying that a healthy chunk of the people I grew up with were exposed to a wide variety of music as little kids.

I said the phrase irritates me, not the topic.

Who's to say that popular music knowledge is of any less consequence than political or historical knowledge?

Again, knowing the names of a hugely successful group isn't really "trivia." The human brain, after hearing something dozens of times, retains it.

That's a really odd and random way to approach music.

Again, though, aren't there things you just know, that you osmote, without having to be pointedly interested?

Then why do I know so many?

That's not really illuminative at all. You were suggesting you knew this bit of ephemeral trivia by having the name and artist of a song that was a huge international hit in your back pocket, and I'm countering that you're factually wrong. Gazillions of people know the name of that song and who performed it. Ergo, not…

I dunno. I didn't have to "seek out" hits from when I was 4. I just, you know, heard them as I grew up and knew them and when they were released. I really don't know how much more complexity I can lend the topic, or how much I can deconstruct it. I just..knew.

I will submit, without being arrogant, that I have an encyclopedic knowledge of music. But I swear to you that I have known DOZENS of people my age who have somewhat similar knowledge, and not all of them were "music freaks."

I graduated in '90. I knew that song in the early 80s.

My sisters were born in '80 and '82 and were acutely aware of that song. The older of the two and I saw The Breeders open for Nirvana in '93 and again at Lollapalooza in '94. My ex, who was also born in '80, also knew it well.

How old are you? Lateralus had way less impact than their previous albums had.

That song was used in commercials in the 90s.

I could see this girl not knowing it too; what I couldn't see was the reasoning (e.g. that it had come out four years AFTER she was born).

"fawns"