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May 31, 2009 3:19 PM   Subscribe

Why is the music in bars so loud?

I'm not talking about bars with live music - I get that. But when the music is not the sole reason for the bar, why crank it up so high that you have to yell at your friends? I looked around me the other night in a crowded bar, and there were dozens of people engaged in lively conversation, so I'm guessing it doesn't bother everyone. On the other hand, I've heard plenty of people say, "Let's find a quiet bar where we can talk," and I've never heard anyone say, "Let's go someplace where the music is so loud that we have to yell over it." Is it really a draw for some people?

I'm 40, but I don't remember enjoying these places when I was younger, either.
posted by Evangeline to Society & Culture (36 answers total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
A few reasons: Too draw people into the bar, to allow people to hear the songs they like over the conversations, to prevent conversation (the main reason I ask to have the music turned up!), to create an atmosphere that's exciting. I like the music fairly loud - not ear-piercing, but loud enough so that I can here it over the ambient bar noise. I'm 43 and have always liked it loud.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 3:25 PM on May 31, 2009


Some reasons that I can think of:

1) Acoustics in bars suck, so with the combination of people talking and the music, all you have is a cacophony.

2) It creates "buzz" with which to draw in other people

I suppose it also depends where the bar is. If it's a sports bar of course it's going to be lod. Bar in a high end hotel? Probably much quieter.

Bars cater to the demographic they want to have. If they want sports fans and frat brats, they will play loud rock. If they want to cater to high end people or international travelers they may opt for a different, more subdued tone.
posted by dfriedman at 3:28 PM on May 31, 2009


Why do people turn the volume of music up in any situation? It creates an atmosphere and heightens emotion. People in bars with loud music playing don't want to talk, they want to drink, have fun, party and then maybe head on to a club. Loud music enhances and facilitates positive emotions associated with having a good time. That in turn attracts people the bar and probably encourages people to buy more alcohol.
posted by fire&wings at 3:31 PM on May 31, 2009


Response by poster: So you go to bars with friends to drink and hear music, but don't care so much about conversation? Interesting. When I go hang out with my friends it's because I want to talk to them. When I want to listen to music I put on my iPod or turn on the stereo at home. Of course, as I said, a live music venue would be an exception.

It's funny that you think of the conversation as "ambient noise" and I feel the exact same way about the music!
posted by Evangeline at 3:32 PM on May 31, 2009 [2 favorites]


This question has been asked before.
posted by halogen at 3:37 PM on May 31, 2009


Previously.
posted by salvia at 3:37 PM on May 31, 2009


The harder it is to talk the more your mouth is available to drink your drink or eat your food.
posted by Good Brain at 3:37 PM on May 31, 2009


Sorry, I meant to link to this question, specifically about the psychology of extremely luod music in bars.
posted by halogen at 3:39 PM on May 31, 2009


Response by poster: I'm not talking about frat bars. I expect that. They seem to like yelling. I went to a high-end bar last night in a residential area and it was LOUD.

People in bars with loud music playing don't want to talk, they want to drink, have fun, party and then maybe head on to a club.

I guess the conversation is the fun part to me. If I want to go dancing, I'll go to a loud club, knowing in advance what I'm getting into. Those aren't the kind of places I'm talking about.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to sit in complete silence. I just have found very few places that create a happy medium.
posted by Evangeline at 3:39 PM on May 31, 2009


I think it's connected to the trend of hiring a DJ. It's especially bad in most gay bars -- constantly blaring dance music, even if everyone's just socializing. They're trying to "get the party going", which means dancing, I suppose. The DJ sees it as a personal challenge to get people to notice the music and dance, because his or her ability to do this is an indicator of dj-ing ability and pedigree. The crowd sees it as a personal challenge to hang out and talk over the music; maybe eventually like five people will start dancing. DJ's tend to get pretty irritated when they're asked to turn the music down, because they see it as an obstacle that interferes with their ability to "get the party going". They are essentially trying to MAKE you dance by making it impossible to do anything else.
posted by hermitosis at 3:40 PM on May 31, 2009 [3 favorites]


It also creates a degree of privacy and intimacy in a crowded space. You must be reasonably close to someone to have a conversation even when speaking loudly, and you can't easily overhear adjacent conversations.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 3:44 PM on May 31, 2009


I've read that studies show that people drink more when the music is louder.
posted by sevenyearlurk at 3:45 PM on May 31, 2009 [1 favorite]


People in bars with loud music playing don't want to talk

I don't think you mean this literally, do you? Pretty much every time I go into a bar, MOST of the people are talking. They're talking loudly over the music, but they're talking. In fact, there's a din of talk and music, having an arms race for which can be louder.

I'm pretty baffled by the reasons for loud music, too. It doesn't surprise me at all if it's a frat-ish bar (e.g. very young, drunk crowd), but almost EVERY bar I go into (at night) in NYC has loud music playing -- except hotel bars.

A couple of nights ago, I went to an upscale bar. There was no live band. People weren't particularly drunk. It was mostly late-20s, early-30s couples with their friends (e.g. not a flirty singles bar), acting the same way as they would act at a restaurant (most people were eating as well as drinking) -- eating, drinking, and engaging in lively conversation. The one difference was that everyone was shouting over the music. That's typical of what I see.

My theory, pulled out of my ass, is that it's mostly inertia. For whatever reason, bars have traditionally played loud music. Whoever is in control of the music on a particular night is probably not the owner of the bar. He's just some employee who is doing what he thinks is his job -- playing music loud. He thinks it's his job because he has accepted the tradition. And since no one complains (because most people expect the music to be loud, whether they like it or not), he has no reason to buck the tradition.

I've met a few people who like the loud music, so of course it's not in their interest to complain. I'm met MANY people who hate it, but most people don't like to make waves, especially in the face of a well-established tradition, so they don't ask for the music to be turned down. My guess is that the majority of people don't care that much one way or another. Maybe it irritates them a little, maybe it doesn't, but they think of it as a force of nature -- as just the way things are. So they don't say anything, either. And the trend continues.
posted by grumblebee at 3:46 PM on May 31, 2009


The DJ sees it as a personal challenge to get people to notice the music and dance

Almost NO bars I go to have DJs or dance floors. No one ever dances, and it would be weird if they did (too crowded). Still, the music blasts.
posted by grumblebee at 3:48 PM on May 31, 2009


Speaking only for the bar where I work, the employees crank up the music when they/we like the song or are tired and need energy.
posted by salvia at 4:00 PM on May 31, 2009 [1 favorite]


I think it is too loud also. I hear you, pardon the pun. When I used to go to bars as a teenager, yes many years ago, they used to play music for sets ( just a DJ) and then there'd be some quieter time when the music was at a much lower volume. It was much easier to hear your friends and just socialize. Then the music would start up again and everyone would just sit back, drink, listen to it and not talk so too much while it was. But I agree with you 100 %. I find even in other places ( coffee houses, some restaurants, etc. ) that the music is playing louder nowadays. Maybe its because peoples hearing is being affected because of all the headphones being used in todays society also. It wouldn't surprise me. One other thought. The loud music brings in people from outside the bar.....sometimes!
posted by Taurid at 4:12 PM on May 31, 2009


I've read that studies show that people drink more when the music is louder.

I've also heard this. Here's an article that cites some statistics.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 4:28 PM on May 31, 2009 [2 favorites]


You can't easily overhear adjacent conversations.

That is actually a very good reason. Loud music covers up your conversation but it also covers up the sins of others. Especially for the bartenders. Think of how many annoying people you run into in normal life, complaining about the hardships of their life, and then imagine standing 3 feet away on your night out.
posted by smackfu at 4:29 PM on May 31, 2009


I suspect that the real answer here is that studies prove that loud music correlates with a measurable increase in drinking, so of course if you own a bar you turn up the volume. That said, one nice thing about semi-loud music is that because it forces you to lean in close to talk with your friends/date/whomever, so you get a sense of intimacy.

Honestly, I like the noise, within limits. There is a point at which the music is simply too loud to have any conversation at all, and that's awful. But sort of loud music, when the music is good and is just loud enough to force you to lean your heads close together to talk, is really nice. It's like you have this little bubble of privacy and intimacy, totally surrounded and permeated by the music. Too quiet, and you have to listen to the boor at the next table telling his buddies about the waitress's ass or his new car.
posted by Forktine at 4:29 PM on May 31, 2009 [2 favorites]


I've also heard somewhere that because the musics so loud people have to stand closer, so they can fit more people in the bar.
posted by kjs4 at 4:32 PM on May 31, 2009


What's odd is that this trend has now spread to sit-down restaurants in my upscale, family-oriented neighborhood. I'm talking about "nice" joints with a clientele that consists of mostly professionals. Many times I've walked into local places with my husband and walked back out as soon as I open the door and hear the music blaring. Who needs to hear blasting, thumping techno drowning out their conversation as they drop a hundred bucks on a fancy date-nite dinner & drinks with their SO? Apparently somebody does, because it's becoming more and more common. I understand why it's popular in bars, but I don't get the need for it in sit-down restaurants with a clientele in their 30s and 40s. Maybe it keeps people from lingering at the table?
posted by ROTFL at 4:46 PM on May 31, 2009


It fills the social void that often plagues places where interaciton is predicated on drinking, thus filling the coffers of the bar owner.
posted by stratastar at 5:11 PM on May 31, 2009


I noticed recently in such a bar that I actually got hoarse from shouting over the loud music, and I suspect that factor adds to the extra drinks consumed under these circumstances.
posted by zadcat at 5:13 PM on May 31, 2009


My experience is that the bartenders at the bar probably like loud music. At least that was the reason I played it loud.
posted by josher71 at 5:42 PM on May 31, 2009


This is why I drink in all-night diners. Loud bars suck. Also, marshmallow earplugs, cut in half, are the perfect thing to dull the roar a bit but still let you hear your friends, plus the smaller size is more visually discreet.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 6:06 PM on May 31, 2009


Lately I just figure that the loud music is designed to discourage 40 year-olds like myself and the OP from going out to bars. They want to create a young upbeat atmosphere to make sure you know that it's not an old-man bar. In any case, it works and keeps me out of bars.
posted by octothorpe at 7:04 PM on May 31, 2009 [1 favorite]


This is a pet peeve of mine. I understand super-loud music at places where there’s dancing, or where listening to music is the main point. But I’m always a little annoyed by places where the music is so loud you can’t talk, even though the only activity available is hanging around and talking.

Anecdotally, I can definitely vouch for the out-of-control-DJ theory proposed by hermitosis. The place next door to me (I’m on Queen West in Toronto) is one of those places with no dance floor that has DJs in most nights. We had a lot of trouble w. the noise from the place, and I saw the managers really struggle to get the DJ’s to keep the music down, and not have any success for a long time. (They finally put in a limiter, and noise meter, and put a policy of firing DJs who trip the noise meter). Like Hermitosis says – in many cases at a place like that, the DJ has different interest than everyone else in the bar- she/he often isn't a regular employee of the bar, and isn’t there to talk, and sees the evening (even if no one else does) as being primarily about the music. Thing is, in many places, it ends up being the DJ who actually controls the volume, so the music ends up being louder than anyone else would want it. That’s part of the story, for sure, at least in some places.

I also suspect there are *some* people who like places like these. If you want to see-and-be-seen, and aren’t much of a talker, or of a dancer, bars like this are a good choice. My own really anecdotal impression is that people in bars with super-loud music tend to be more fashionably/expensively dressed, more coiffed, wear more makeup, than people in bars where you can hear yourself talk. Do others find this? (And my less-charitable impression is that dressed-up, coiffed, made-up people who are also on coke *really* like these bars....)

And yeah, +1 everyone who says it sells drinks.
posted by ManInSuit at 7:27 PM on May 31, 2009


I don't want to delve in the old threads, which might mention this, but I spent a few years in The Business and there was one clear reason for cranking the music: people drink more. THe place sells more beer (or whatever). When there's no talking because all talking has to be yelling, what people do is stand or sit around and attempt to talk. This means talking right into a person's ear, or shouting to a small group around a table. Because communicating is a one-way effort, the listeners automatically sip their drinks...faster than they would if they were conversing normally. It's something you can do with your mouth when you're not talking.

Like salty snacks set out on the bar, it's for a purely economic reason.
posted by Miko at 8:32 PM on May 31, 2009


I was thinking the same thing the other night, after waking up with a sore throat after bellowing to my friends over the music. Maybe the bartenders don't have a clue how loud the music actually is out in the rest of the bar. I'm still looking for a sit-down bar that either doesn't play music or keeps it very unobtrusive. I'm not that old, surely?

In England, there's a pub chain called Wetherspoons that makes a point of not having jukeboxes or other music in its venues. I try to meet people in one of those pubs whenever possible, when I'm visiting. Maybe some enterprising Americans or Canadians should start something similar! It's not just for older grouches ...
posted by vickyverky at 10:18 PM on May 31, 2009


By playing loud music you will drive away all those curmudgeony older customers (like me) who would otherwise be taking up valuable space while drinking less than younger people.

Bear in mind also that people vary wildly in terms of both their desire to hold conversations and their ability to pick out what others are saying in a noisy environment. The bar manager in charge of the volume control will almost certainly be somebody who is great at understanding what people are saying above the noise.
posted by rongorongo at 2:18 AM on June 1, 2009


I don't know, but I'm young and I groan internally when my friends want to go hang out at such an establishment or realize it upon arriving. My voice is deep and doesn't travel far.

Do bars like MacLaren's in How I Met Your Mother exist? I mean, it looks like they're able to hold completely normal conversations over a few beers with a classic jukebox off to the side. I'd totally hang out at a place like that.

strangely discovered this awesome link.
posted by liquoredonlife at 6:29 PM on June 1, 2009


This question is basically like "X sucks, amirite? Why do they do that?" The thread is filled with ungenerous assumptions and annoyed speculation about bar owners (wanting to drive away people like the poster, wanting to fill their coffers) and lots of non-answers.

Then, we've got four examples of people actually turning up the music. Three of those examples occurred when the people with access to the volume liked the music and wanted it to be louder. There are probably some corporate sports bars that have the volume control pre-programmed based on psychological studies or the profit motive, but to assume this explains all bars' activities is just not accurate.

Where I work, the music is loud before the store opens. If the bar staff has the volume low and a good song comes on, the kitchen staff will ask us to turn it up. The music gets louder when it's already busy enough that the per-table tips might be starting to go down due to our inability to get to everyone's request quickly enough, not during slow times when we'd rather be refilling drinks more frequently. People crank up their iPod when they go running and turn up their car stereos while driving fast on the highway for energy and entertainment. Likewise, when the staff can't do anything but work as fast as possible and listen to the music, the music gets louder.
posted by salvia at 9:32 AM on June 2, 2009


The thread is filled with ungenerous assumptions and annoyed speculation about bar owners (wanting to drive away people like the poster, wanting to fill their coffers) and lots of non-answers.

I'm not speculating; I spent a total of twelve years in the business. I'm giving the reasons at the places I worked that went in for loud music.
posted by Miko at 9:46 AM on June 2, 2009


Yours was one of the four, and I've probably missed one or two others that are based on actual knowledge about bar owners' motivations. But I am curious -- you guys actually looked at sales and made the decision to keep the music at 12 decibels or whatever? Or the bar staff looked at tips? Was there a discussion?
posted by salvia at 10:24 AM on June 2, 2009


This occurred in two of the four places I worked: one an Irish pub with pub grub and a big drinking crowd and sometimes live music, but more often over the system; the other, a nice, upscale dining place that developed a bar crowd during the 8-11:00 hours.

In the pub, the bartenders controlled the volume and were the de facto managers as well. They adjusted the music according to what they considered appropriate for the night - on weeknights, at a level that accommodated the smaller group of people conversing at or near the main bar. It would have been ridiculous to blast the music for so few people, and that crowd was more likely to stay longer if they could converse, which was what they came to do. But on the weekends, they cranked it, because the people arrived in different groupings with different expectations. Party yime. The parties that arrived were larger, the room filled up and stayed filled, and the bartenders used the music intentionally to encourage people to drink more, faster - they couldn't talk as easily, the place felt amped up, they drank more. These bartenders also openly pushed us (the waitstaff) to circulate constantly, grab up empties, keep the orders flowing, sell sell sell. We served fast and didn't let anybody get dry. The sole objective was to keep drinks moving on Friday and Saturday nights and holiday weekends, and the loud music was one of the tools deployed in service of that goal.

In the other place, the owner actually placed a couple pieces of masking tape on the volume dial of the stereo, for daytime and evening. We were not supposed to change the settings because he felt they were optimum. He was very clear that the evening music was to encourage people staying and drinking, and that there was a right level for that.

I'm not aware of any scientific research on the topic, and we never tested it. The business is mysterious enough without intentionally fucking with the tip potential on a given night. but it does strike me as the kind of thing Cornell studies. It is probably a complex phenomenon - people may not drink more just because the music is loud, but loud music means loud talking, difficulty talking and listening, more quiet time for each individual when you have a drink in your hand and might as well do something with your mouth, more hubbub in the atmosphere, and probably a greater sense of things being 'happening' which translates to more festivity, more excess, and ultimately more sales.
posted by Miko at 10:52 AM on June 2, 2009


Response by poster: This question is basically like "X sucks, amirite? Why do they do that?"

That was certainly not my intention. Anecdoctal evidence and theories from the posters who have actually worked in bars (and others who just enjoy loud music) was what I was looking for and what I got. I don't like it any more than I did before, but I think I understand it better.
posted by Evangeline at 12:44 PM on June 2, 2009


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