All About Britney Spears

What does the Arab world think about Western pop music?

Although many people in the Arab world, which includes the Middle East, tend to be anti-Western when it comes to American foreign policy and other related factors, I'm wondering how Arabs feel/think about one of the biggest things in entertainment- popular music. The big topic I'm talking here is how do Muslims feel about Western pop music, including American Top 40 hits. Here are the questions that I'm going to give you: What does the Arab world think about Western pop music? Do they play American hit songs on Arab radio stations? Do they air American/European music videos on Arab TV networks?

Public Comments

1. well I am american not a mooselem and our bubble gum cheez whiz . hot dog productions like b spears and j timberland are nothing more than soft core porn in other words it makes me want to barf... and disgraces the good name of music
2. One of my best friends is from the Middle East, and she knew just as much about Western music and television as I did. We met in college but it was like we grew up together because we grew up watching and listening to the same things. We still have differences of course, but we have SO many similarities. It was kind of amazing.
3. Depends - the Arab world, as you put it, is vast with significant variation in its views. Some embrace much of Western pop culture, some consider it blasphemous and a corrupting influence. Individuals may, and do, secretly emulate Western culture when away from the prying eyes of Taliban-like fanatics. You cannot judge by Arabs in the US, since obviously if they hated us that much they'd only be here to strap on bombs and would likely pretend to fit in.
4. Don't know, don't care. .
5. I am Arab however never lived in the middle east but know much about it as i have visited it numerous times and have many cousins there. In terms of what do they think of western music i would put to rest beliefs that western music is looked down upon and appears on many television and radio networks and is listened to by many. Yes they do play hit songs particularly songs by shakira, celine dion and mm and Usher. In the middle east if you notice nearly every house has a satellite in which they receive nearly more than 100 or so english and arabic channels such as bbc, showtime, movie 1, the comedy channel video hits etc which is commonly watched. The middle east you see and hear on television is not the same in real life in that they are well developed and share similar lives to those in the west particularly countries like lebanon and the gulf states as well as egypt.
6. In deed, Western Pop music has influenced Arabic music. I'm kind of musician and knows that well. All genres of music are great. I guess Arabs like that kind of pop music. But when it comes to top 40 hits in America, things get quite different, most of Arabs don't like that kind of music videos and the kind of language which is used in those song. But they're popular in the Arab World and played on some Arab TV channels.