No. It all comes down to culture, background and exposure to different genres. For example, if you live in some ghetto slum in the East side of L.A., you're likely to hear nothing but rap and hip-hop, and most of the people you know will only listen to that type of music. What's more, most of the record stores near you will be rather limited to those genres as well (their way of appealing to a target audience). If you have a decent education mixed with an alternative lifestyle, however, not to mention an open connection to the internet, you'd likely have a greater exposure to different genres. What's more, if you regularly use a program like LimeWire, you'd have the oppurtunity to 'perfect' your musical tastes into something specific that elevates your taste above that of the average person.

I'm inclined to suggest that it's not only culture and peer pressure, but there is a certain amount of psychology. Firstly culture wouldn't explain why MODs and Rockers existed at the same time, or Punks and New Romantics, or a whole range of styles that co-existed. People make a choice, from the available ranges of music, as to what suits their psyche. My brother was definitely a heavy-metal/hard-rock type guy, while I have always preferred the likes of Mike Oldfield and Blackmore's Night (not something ANY of my friends can understand). So, while I don't think there is a quantifiable scientific explanation, I do think that a person's psychology will lead them to a style of music, although this will probably be tempered by the prevelant musical tastes of the time.

I imagine it has a lot to do with upbringing. My parents like rock, so I like rock and all it's sub-genres. Of course some kids will rebel. So it has to do with your relationship with your parents. I'm sure there's literally thousands of variables for this and almost anything psychological.

I don't have any scientific evidence to support this, but I feel that there is a physiological reason why certain people prefer certain music styles. When my wife was pregnant with our son, like many newbie parents-to-be, we purchased a special "belly speaker" for a CD player to play classical music for the fetus. Yes...we played music to a fetus! Everything I read on the subject suggested that classical music helped stimulate the growth of certain neural pathways in the brains of developing fetuses and very young children. According to the literature, these same neural pathways were ones used later in life for math skills and creativity. Now...I don't know for sure if this is actually true, but an entire industry has grown up around this theory. From the outset, we noticed that their were certain types of music that the developing fetus, and later on my son after birth, showed a preference for. Classical music, in particular, Bach, Mozart & Vivaldi always seemed to have a soothing effect. Rock music always got him jumping...even at 5 or 6 months. When he was old enough to start picking music on his own, he migrated towards those that we "instilled" in him. There are still certain types of music that he really dislikes...to the point of putting his hands over his ears to shut it out if he hears it. I like to think that we have fully prepared him (and my daughter) by presenting them (imprinting their neural pathways!) with great music from an early age. I feel pretty confident, that I won't ever have the heartbreak of my kids becoming country line-dancing junkies :-)