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By CURTIS ROSS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 22, 2008

Here's an oxymoron for you: guilty pleasure.

Or it should be.

Really, now. Assuming your choice of pleasure isn't actually covered by criminal statutes, why feel guilty about it? Especially when it comes to music.

Think about what that term describes when it comes to food. It's usually something in the junk food category - corn chips or cupcakes or something - basically something that tastes good but that's not good for you.

It's kind of like that when people describe their musical guilty pleasures. "I know it's not good for me," they almost but don't quite say, "but I still love whatever band, song or genre I think I'm not supposed to."

Music is supposed to taste good. Always.

Who's deciding what you're supposed to like? Critics? Not me. I don't want that responsibility.

Besides, doesn't the idea of music being good for you sound a bit, well, unappetizing?

You can listen to Wilco or Lil Mama or Aaron Copland and it's not going to affect your waistline one little bit.

Granted, some music gives your brain a little more to chew on, and a lot of that doesn't turn up in the Top 40. I'm all for people exploring new styles of music, checking out stuff that piques their curiosity or just looks plain weird. The Internet makes that easier than ever, although any good record store can help you there as well.

But, hey, if you don't like it you don't like it - and there's no reason to feel guilty about it.

Besides, today's guilty pleasure is tomorrow's hipster obsession.

What self-respecting rock 'n' roller would have admitted liking the Carpenters in the '70s or '80s (except maybe as a guilty pleasure)? By the '90s, rock snob favorites such as Sonic Youth and American Music Club were remaking Carpenters hits.

Got a musical love that your friends scoff at? Just wait. One day you'll be vindicated.

Air Supply's day will come.

It's just a Beck cover away.

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