Tom Percival, a deputy TV editor and self-described hip entertainment reporter, has made a startling confession: he hates music and never listens to it. In a candid article for his publication, Percival admitted that he cannot reliably name any artists or songs beyond tunes his fiancé plays and half-remembered hits from his youth, such as 'Swing, Swing' by The All-American Rejects.
Childhood trauma and Nickelback
Percival traces his aversion to music back to a childhood incident involving the band Nickelback. After expressing admiration for a song from the Spider-Man movie, which he later learned was by Nickelback, a friend reacted as if Percival had threatened to 'break into your house while you and your family sleep and lick your spoons.' This mortifying experience left him wary of discussing music taste.
He noted that similar reactions occurred whenever he mentioned liking certain artists or songs, leading him to avoid music conversations entirely from high school through university. 'I have bad taste in music,' Percival wrote, 'and therefore, as an insecure youth, I avoided talking about it whenever I could.'
No musical hinterland
This avoidance left Percival without what he calls a 'musical hinterland'—shared connections or emotions associated with music. He does not seek out music, never attends gigs, and finds concerts unappealing. 'My feet hurt, I got annoyed at the price of a drink (£9 for a beer is bad even by West London standards), and it was too loud,' he said of his concert experiences.
Percival has tried to engage with music, downloading Spotify and listening to Doechii on a colleague's recommendation, but found it 'not quite my tempo.' He prefers podcasts, films, or painting Warhammer miniatures over listening to music. 'Why would I listen to a forty-year-old croon about some lost love when I could hear a fifty-year-old explain why you shouldn't get involved in a land war in Russia?' he asked.
Identity and odd looks
Percival also admitted that his lack of musical interest has become part of his identity. 'I enjoy the odd looks people give me when I say I don't have a favourite artist or song,' he wrote. 'I get a buzz when I say 'I'm Tom, and I don't like music.''
Despite his aversion, Percival clarified that he is not a 'lyrical luddite.' He knows who Taylor Swift is and that she sings 'Opalite' (likely a reference to 'Cruel Summer' or another hit), enjoys songs from Hamilton, and likes dancing at weddings. 'There is music in my soul,' he said, 'but the thing I'm told is unusual is that I don't seek music out.'
Colleagues baffled
Percival's confession has baffled colleagues and friends, who cannot understand his choice to live without music. 'Unsurprisingly, then, I can't reliably name any artists or songs beyond the tunes my fiancé plays in our flat and half-remembered bops from my youth,' he wrote. He noted that people get 'judgey' about music in a way they don't about other art forms, comparing it to telling someone their favourite colour is wrong.
The article, published on June 24, 2026, has sparked discussion about musical taste and identity. Percival concluded by embracing his uniqueness: 'I like not knowing about music. It's formed part of my identity.'
