Hate is a very strong word, and it’s not one I ever really use in context to music. Music is what I love, and to pick it apart and label anything with hatred is very difficult for me to do.

Of course, there’s music I don’t like and bands I don’t get. I’ve never understood the hype behind TV on the Radio when the songs are at best average, and Bob Dylan isn’t something I’d listen to voluntarily. At the same time however, I recognise the effect they’ve had on other things I love, and the regard other people hold them in.

Earlier in this series, I labelled Roll With It by Oasis as my least favourite song, and I stand by that because it’s dreadful. But this is a band that wrote Don’t Look Back In Anger, one of the greatest pop songs of the 90’s, and put a phenomenal track such as Acquiesce out as a B-side. It’s difficult to hate a band that’s produced moments of brilliance, just for their lowest ebb.

Similarly, other tracks people might call cheesy or naff often get a lot of love from me. If you’re on Spotify, check out my playlist of entirely unironic favourites – you’ll find tracks from 90’s pop midgets 911, Love In The First Degree by Bananarama, and any other number of long forgotten club bangers and pop tunes. This is just some of the music that I love, unreservedly, unconditionally.

Disdain can be funny, or cool, or hilarious – just read Charlie Brooker’s wonderfully acerbic columns for proof of that. It might not be cool not to hate anything, and one of my pet peeves is people that say “I like everything” when you ask them your music taste, meaning they don’t really like anything. That’s not the case for me, though. Keeping an open musical mind has allowed me to find some fantastic music I’d never have otherwise heard, and when music is as important to me as it is, that’s a pretty big deal. So I’m not going to post a song for this, and I’m pretty happy with that.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to listen to Toca’s Miracle. Again.