I think it’s not as common as it used to be. Now there are endless forms of distractions through small screens, and I think most use music as background entertainment while doing something else.
I can listen to music while doing other things, but I prefer to actually listen while not distracted so I can fully take in the phonics and arrangements. Otherwise it’s merely hearing and not listening. I find that this distinction is more common with musically inclined people.

I love doing that from time to time. It’s not something I’ll do daily, but probably once or twice in a week, especially if I’ve found a new song or artist that I really like.

I “metaltate” several times a week. Dark room, closed eyes, focus on breathing, and headphones with black metal.

One of my earliest memories of listening to music was in exactly this style.

Our family inherited a mobile trailer that was parked in our front yard for a while. I was a young kid and would use the trailer as “my house”.

I distinctly remember plopping down a boombox on the “kitchen table”, which was just a fold out table with a chair on either side.

I popped in Dr. Dre’s Da Chronic into the cassette deck of the boombox and hit play. Listening to the whole album while sitting on the chair.

Fun times. Stop worrying about how other people consume entertainment and just do what feels good to you.

I can’t. Music just doesn’t interact with enough senses to be a standalone activity for me.

My brother though, could spend the whole day doing nothing but listening to music.

I can’t, because of adhd. If I want to listen to a whole album I put it on headphones and go for a walk.

I think everyone should try to only listen, at least sometimes. We’ve been trained to need input constantly and we’re not built for it. People can’t just watch TV any more either, need more screens!

Very rarely do I just listen to music, typically only when I’m driving.

The Offspring recommended this method for listening to Smash

Ah, it’s time to relax You know what that means A glass of wine, your favorite easy chair And of course, this compact disc Playing on your home stereo So, go on, and indulge yourself That’s right, kick off your shoes Put your feet up Lean back and just enjoy the melodies After all, music soothes even the savage beast

All the time. Its wonderful.

I do, since I have a dedicated listening setup, always have, even in small apartments.

Sometimes I read while listening. Usually I’m more engaged in the music.

Having an engaging stereo setup definitely helps. Am i sitting doing nothing listening on crappy airpods? Definitely not.

Also people saying its werid must be zoomers or alphas. This is literally how we have enjoyed music for the past century. Do they know what a typewriter is? Or even a desktop computer nowadays I suppose. Man.

Sometimes but never in headphones. In the living room right in the stereo spot on the couch. Mostly I listen and do, but sometimes just listen.

I do it sometimes, but mainly for music I really enjoy or have a keen interest in. Technically I also did it for a music competition a few months ago but that probably doesn’t count…

There is research on this btw! I had to dig a bit, but this is a 2011 research article (might be paywalled, I can try & help if anyone is really interested in) on why people (psych undergrads, but still) listen to music. They identified 6 mostly independent factors, one of which (“personal identity”) may be more linked to ppl listening just for enjoyment; one of their experiments showed that 75.66% of participants listen to music as “background noise”. So music as primary activity is probably relatively uncommon (but not non-existent). Funnily enough I rarely use music as background distraction these days

Have to do something else. I mostly listen to new albums when doing cardio at the gym, or when playing multiplayer vidya.

I wouldn’t say weird. You can enjoy your music however you want.

Personally i wouldn’t be able to do it, having ADHD and sitting still doesn’t really go together.