Why do people sometimes choose classical and rock over jazz, or rock and jazz over classical, or rock over jazz and classical, but never classical or jazz over rock?

It seems that a lot of people don't like to listen to classical, because it bores the heck out of them. They would rather listen to something with a beat, like rock and roll or jazz, or some pop music instead. I ask people if they like classical or not, and most of them say that they do like classical music.

A lot of people say they like jazz. But if they really do, why is only 3% of jazz music sold out to the public? Once, I asked my friend if she likes jazz, ragtime, or classical better. She said, " I like ragtime and classical a lot better than jazz. " A couple of weeks later, she says "I want to improvise on the piano". I respond with "If you want to improvise on the piano, you might want to study jazz, especially old jazz." She responds with "I love old jazz!". A few weeks ago, my friend and I were playing old jazz together and there was somebody else playing classical music in the background. She said to us, "Shh........ Listen to that!". She was referring to the classical player and said she would rather listen to the classical playing than us. I don't understand why people say they like jazz, but they really don't.

People have always enjoyed rock and roll, and would rather listen to rock and roll than classical or jazz. Isn't that a shame? I don't mind if you like to listen to rock and roll once in a while, but all the time?

What does rock and roll have that classical music and jazz doesn't? Why does America appreciate rock and roll more than anything else?

I play jazz piano, and people often say that they don't like what I'm playing because it's not melodic enough. Then, when I play the boogie woogie on the piano, there's more appreciation for it. I complain to them that the boogie woogie is not melodic, but they actually like it more than the jazz stuff that I play.

What the is wrong with America?

Americans only KNOW what they like for the most part. If they hear Jazz like the big band swing jazz and never heard New Orleans jazz then they say they hate jazz... until they hear something like Big Joe Turner or Richard Elliot then they like jazz because they like THEIR jazz.
Rock and Roll basic root is somewhat jazz and many people grew up listening to rock and roll and so they like it because they know it and have sentimental memories while listening to it.

Most Americans like what they are use to and don't like going out of their way to expand what they know and like so they stay in the rut of what they are accustomed to.


I like so many styles of music I can't keep up with it all but I really don't care for classical type, punk, heavy metal, alternative or rap.
I love oldies, rock and roll, old R&B, christian rock, cajun, zydeco, reggae, New Orleans type jazz, blues, some country rock just to name my very favorites.