Too much music?

I used to blow all my available money on CDs I always said I could find worse things to spend it on.  However I dont buy CDs all that much anymore because my priorities have shifted. The last CD I personally purchased was David Bowie's Blackstar 2 days before he died. I've been gifted a few CDs since, and I did get the latest Metric Album for Christmas, but in the last few years I can count  on one hand how many new CDs ive acquired. Id rather use any available money to do stuff with my family or even save it for a vacation. but to answer the first post I believe it was an addiction, I was a self proclaimed "Music-Junkie" afterall.   Now not so much I still have my CD Library really havent had it 100% unpacked since I lived in TN Hoping this spring to be able to get it all set up


Now a days I listen mostly to Audiobooks

Driven, what part of Canada are you from? I'm from the east coast.

Having too much music is subjective. I have around 330 CDs and 20 vinyl which is nothing compared to some members collections. I can go for days without listening to my collection but as we all know music is all around us - on facebook, on the radio, etc.

I may go for several days without listening to music, but I tend to subscribe to music related topics on facebook, youtube channels, forum discussions like this one, etc. A lot of my internet searches are geared towards music along with other topics like Bible Prophecy and Christian Apologetics like Sky Watch TV, Frank Turek and Ravi Zacharias. I guess what I'm saying is I love listening to music that is well put together that is uplifting and brilliant minds who defend the faith.

Another thing is the Bible was written in the Middle East and Europe and in ancient cultures music was all around like it is today. The Bible discusses music. Good music is meant to be uplifting and celebrating and at the same time educational. Also, I think it is dangerous for a pastor to recommend to a someone to stop listening to music and spend more time with God when listing to music - you are spending time with God if the focus of the words is on Him. A Pastor recommended that to me one time.

I think whether "music addiction" is a problem, revolves around consequences. If someone buys 1000 albums a year and don't run into problems with family, money, legal, job, etc. then.... their music habit is a non issue. If someone buys 5 albums a year, but it means skipping a shopping trip for the household that week, or other problems, then that's an issue.

I recently encountered some Christians online that have "swore off" all music. They've found it to cause problems (same ones I already mentioned, plus emotional impact) so... bye bye tunes.

Myself, I've encountered a different problem with music. I'm so particular with what I like, there is very little published music that I anticipate and look forward to. I would say its less than 1 to 2 "albums" a year because it is very rare for me to like all the songs on an album.

Soldier777 wrote:Driven, what part of Canada are you from? I'm from the east coast.

I bounce back and forth between Eastern Ontario and Southern Québec these days.

ThomasEversole wrote:I think whether "music addiction" is a problem, revolves around consequences.  If someone buys 1000 albums a year and don't run into problems with family, money, legal, job, etc. then....  their music habit is a non issue.  If someone buys 5 albums a year, but it means skipping a shopping trip for the household that week, or other problems, then that's an issue.

I recently encountered some Christians online that have "swore off" all music.  They've found it to cause problems (same ones I already mentioned, plus emotional impact) so...  bye bye tunes.

Hey Thomas!  Welcome back!

This is it exactly.  

"Addiction" or "idolatry" are things only the person or maybe their close family/friends can know.  Each of us has a different financial and moral limit on what constitutes "too much" music or ANY hobby.

ThomasEversole wrote:I think whether "music addiction" is a problem, revolves around consequences.  If someone buys 1000 albums a year and don't run into problems with family, money, legal, job, etc. then....  their music habit is a non issue.  If someone buys 5 albums a year, but it means skipping a shopping trip for the household that week, or other problems, then that's an issue.

That's true, my friend.

ThomasEversole wrote:I think whether "music addiction" is a problem, revolves around consequences.  If someone buys 1000 albums a year and don't run into problems with family, money, legal, job, etc. then....  their music habit is a non issue.  If someone buys 5 albums a year, but it means skipping a shopping trip for the household that week, or other problems, then that's an issue.

I recently encountered some Christians online that have "swore off" all music.  They've found it to cause problems (same ones I already mentioned, plus emotional impact) so...  bye bye tunes.

Myself, I've encountered a different problem with music.  I'm so particular with what I like, there is very little published music that I anticipate and look forward to.  I would say its less than 1 to 2 "albums" a year because it is very rare for me to like all the songs on an album.

I would only add to the addiction comment as I agree with what you said.  If the music is causing you to step away from the Lord, then that would also be a problem.  I have started listening to a lot of secular stuff again that I had sworn off many years ago.  I balance that by playing a lot of Christ-centered music (we can't say Christian rock or Christian metal anymore, LOL) to just make sure I am keeping my heart and mind focused on Jesus, too.

I also agree that swearing off ALL music is quite extreme.  If it caused problems, then perhaps they should deal with those one at a time.  I bet some of those same problems will be there in other ways because they did like modern medicine and just treated one of the symptoms rather than seek a true cure.

I buy a few more albums a year than you do.  However, it is getting harder and harder for me to find quality Christian music (ok, I said it so all of you who think that it isn't a proper label for music with Christian lyrics can flog me later) in a style that I love.  I am glad to find what I find.  I am buying more classic or classic sounding albums than I am the more modern stuff like Thousand Foot Krutch or Skillet as they are all sounding the same to me now.

Great answers, fellas. But one might ask what's the line between collecting and having an addiction?  I think Thomas answered to this pretty well above.  I have over 700 CD's, and maybe 70 LP's and casettes both, and I'm always looking for new music. 

Like Thomas said, I would call it an addiction if it affects to my everyday life, like financial side of things. I don't need to have my favorite bands new album the day it is released if I don't have money for that. I can wait and maybe try to save some money. I can be patient.

not very many CDs come out now that I would want to buy

Markus1987 wrote:But one might ask what's the line between collecting and having an addiction?

I would say defining an addiction revolves around these two questions.
- is it causing consequences?
- is it still a thing even though there are consequences?

If someone bought 20 albums in a month, ran into problems, but stopped because of said problems. That doesn't sound like addiction to me.
If someone bought 20 albums in a month, ran into problems, but they keep buying albums and running into more problems.... that's looking like addiction to me.

I'd say the same is applicable regarding to listening to music.
If someone listens to non-Christian music, started seeing an attitude change within themselves, but stopped because of said problems. That doesn't sound like addiction to me - even if they decide to return to it much later. There's apparent "self control".

If someone listens to non-Christian music, started seeing an attitude change, but they keep listening, and the attitude change grows.... That sounds to me like addiction has started digging its hooks in.

Just my opinion. I'd like to think I have a decent understanding of addiction - since I reached a pretty low bottom myself at one time.
Only by the grace of God that I'm 2 days away from having 12 years since my last drink of alcohol.
: D

Yes it is an addiction, I clearly am an addict. During my whole life I have had collecting addictions. From when I was young to now. During Christian times and well, not so Christian times. Comics, Star Wars cards, sports cards, Playboy back issues, Monster magazines, Godzilla collectibles, VHS tapes, cassettes, celebrity autographs, sports autographs, celebrity cheesecake 8x10 photos, albums, CDs, DVDs, BluRays, digital albums, digital movies...I've been an addict at one time or another with all of it.

As for current..it is movies and music.

No matter how long I live, I will never have the time to listen to every cd I have, or watch every movie I own.

I was going through my collection the other day, and saw how many cds I had that I never listened to yet, yet I upgraded to the "remaster" cd. Same with movies...a lot of movies where I have never watched the DVD, yet I upgraded to the blu ray.

I also noticed some dvds of TV series that I bought, no lie, over a decade ago yet have STILL never watched.

YET...I keep buying more. 

It truly is a waste of money....but like I said, it is an addiction

I do miss the time when my collection was small, and I could take the time to soak in every song on an album, and I knew the liner notes and lyrics by heart.

I stopped my addiction to CD's by limiting it to one CD rack (450) plus a draw.  If I want any more CD's than that then I have to get rid of some to get the new ones in.  It's hard, but it works for me.

One litmus test of addiction and idolatry is: can I stop?  I just had my annual test of that with a family vacation.  I spend a week away from my music collection and didn't miss it.  Yes, I'm always buying music, but I honestly feel like if God called me to spend my money elsewhere I could.  Right now it's safely in the realm of collection and hobby, not addiction and idolatry.

Yes I have had to stop as well. Looking to sell and move houses and can ill afford to waste money on music at the moment.

Sign me up for this Internet Confessional.  I think it's the wiring of my brain and its propensity for material fulfillment. 

James 5 thread:. "Confess your faults to one another and be healed."

eatbugs wrote:One litmus test of addiction and idolatry is: can I stop?  I just had my annual test of that with a family vacation.  I spend a week away from my music collection and didn't miss it.  Yes, I'm always buying music, but I honestly feel like if God called me to spend my money elsewhere I could.  Right now it's safely in the realm of collection and hobby, not addiction and idolatry.

I ALWAYS have my music collection with me.  I rip my CDs to MP3 and load them on my FiiO player.  I have most of my collection with me every moment of the day.

My Pixel 3a bumps the jams, yo! 

alldatndensum wrote:

eatbugs wrote:One litmus test of addiction and idolatry is: can I stop?  I just had my annual test of that with a family vacation.  I spend a week away from my music collection and didn't miss it.  Yes, I'm always buying music, but I honestly feel like if God called me to spend my money elsewhere I could.  Right now it's safely in the realm of collection and hobby, not addiction and idolatry.

I ALWAYS have my music collection with me.  I rip my CDs to MP3 and load them on my FiiO player.  I have most of my collection with me every moment of the day.

Mine's on my phone, so technically I do to.  That's not usually how I listen though.  If anything, that only strengthens the evidence that it's collection/hobby: I DID have access to it and ignored it for 5 days.