--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's always surprised me that mainstream…" description: "\"It's always surprised me that mainstream America had the good taste to like R.E.M. It doesn't have the digestible quality the general public tends to l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/christopher-bollen-9436_america_it-s-always-surprised-me-that-mainstream_597827.jpg" --- # It's always surprised me that mainstream America had the… ![“It's always surprised me that mainstream America had the good taste to like R.E.M. It doesn't have the digestible quality the general public tends to look for in its favorite musicians.” quote by Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/christopher-bollen-9436_america_it-s-always-surprised-me-that-mainstream_597827.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/christopher-bollen-9436_america_it-s-always-surprised-me-that-mainstream_597827.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/christopher-bollen-9436_america_it-s-always-surprised-me-that-mainstream_597827.jpg) > “It's always surprised me that mainstream America had the good taste to like R.E.M. It doesn't have the digestible quality the general public tends to look for in its favorite musicians.” [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mainstream tastes favor easy listening; complex art like R.E.M. challenges that. **In simple terms:** Complex art is less mainstream. Key Takeaway Embrace niche audiences. Themes culture taste complexity Mood contemplative critical Type analysis commentary When to use this quote - radio playlists - concerts - music festivals - media coverage Key Concepts music criticism popular vs. niche Questions to Reflect On - Why do audiences prefer simplicity? - Can complexity be made accessible? A Different Perspective Niche appeal may limit commercial success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [General public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-public/) [Good taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-taste/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Mainstream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainstream/) [Mainstream America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainstream-america-349842/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Public Tends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-tends-4879792/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Surprised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised/) [Surprised Mainstream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised-mainstream-4879791/) [Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste/) ## Related quotes > [President Obama and Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi represent what mainstream America is rejecting about Washington, D.C. 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