Super Market Music

[theElizabethanCaller]

A couple months ago I heard the muzak company was going under due to excessive use of ipods.  That's cool, whatever.  I don't care much for muzak; however, there seems to be a greater insinuation here. 

Have you noticed lately how incredible the music at the supermarket is?  I can't walk into a Pathmark without hearing the Kinks or Buddy Holly these days.  I wonder what it means when we're taking classic, good music like this and using it as the backdrop for our humdrum shopping experiences?  Furthermore, what does it mean that the radio (where those good songs used to be) is playing something more like muzak!? 

[samir]

My local seems to always be rockin' Caught by the River by Doves. No complaints from me.

[break]

A.C. Newman's cover of "Take on Me" has slipped into the rotation at my local Shoprite. 

[Chris L]

I seem to have similarly good luck with supermarket music.  I usually hear good-to-respectable oldies and very little cheesiness.  

Incidentally, I envision Mike's Acme playing "Help Me Make It Through the Night" on an endless loop.  

[theElizabethanCaller]

I knew I wasn't the only one.  The days of Steve Winwood receiving royalty checks are numbered!

[Wes]

Either Acme or Superfresh should take on Starbucks and start up its own music label. Songs can debut over the sound system in their supermarkets. They'd probably have to hire someone to do some research into which aisle or section would be the best place to stock the CDs  - you can't stick them in dairy, and you don't want to put them in a loser spot like the paper products/sponges aisle - but I'm also thinking that those electronic, self-checkout aisles could be set-up to allow for mp3 downloads. It just makes sense, based on my extremely limited knowledge of electronic things work.

Speaking of food chain stores and record labels, today is the 45th birthday of Wawa. The entire city has been shut down in honor of the occasion.

[Chris L]

I think Acme should stock the cds right next to their explosives and jet-powered products.  I think a band like the Plasmatics would do especially well with that set-up. 

[erika]

Everywhere I shop in Baltimore plays funk music or disco. It's pretty sweet. (to me, anyway)

[TheBrettster]

My local QuickChek is always playing stuff like LCD Soundsystem, David Bowie, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Replacements. And I don't think the kid with the chin goatee and gold chain ringing me up is responsible.

[nec13]

You guys are lucky. The supermarket that I go to plays stuff like Steve Winwood and America. Although, neither is that bad.

[buffcoat]

I first heard "Shannon" and "Wildfire" at the supermarket I used to work at.  Good times.

[AllisonLeGnome]

"Stop & Shop music" is a very defined thing in my mind. Though it's not like that's a common phrase to hear others using, occasionally I'll use it in a conversation and anyone else from the Northeast instantly knows what I'm talking about. Terrible cheesy radio pop type of stuff.

[Keith Whitener]

The shoprite I go to plays Radiohead, Spoon, and Hall and Oates. No complaints here! (I complain a lot when they play Six Pence None the  Richer and Jewel).

[JonFromMaplewood]

I'm with RegulatorGuy. Most of the stuff they play at my A&P is mediocre pop (Big Time, How Will I Know, etc.).

But one time, out of nowhere, they played San Tropez by Pink Floyd. Odd.  Kind of a "deep cut" for A&P.

[Bryan]

You guys are lucky. I usually get CanCon-heavy jock rock at my A&P (which probably suits most of their customers just fine.)