Because hearing it doesn't make it relevant. Appreciating it does. And there's no evidence that classical music is less appreciated than any other genre.

I disagree. Hearing it does make it relevant to the point that even if the listener doesn't consume that genre of music they still hear it on a pretty regular basis regardless of where they are.

That makes the music relevant.

We're disagreeing on a word: relevant. By your definition, you are correct.

To answer the OP question, I guess I don't know the answer. Obviously less people today are naturally exposed to classical music than they are to other genres. But most people who have responded to this thread enjoy classical music. I think it is alive and well. That's all I've got.

Do you think I don't enjoy classical music because I was arguing against its relevance?

We are posters at a music forum of course we appreciate music much more than the average listener.

Not at all. I think you mentioned that you do like Classical music earlier. And the fact that you did is one reason that I feel it is relevant even among people who are not elderly. I'm not just ranting about my own opinion of the stuff.

I actually came across an interesting article that shows it's not only elderly people that love classical music but to go the extra mile and call it relevant amongst people under 45 on a larger nationwide scale is misleading I feel. Especially compared to other contemporary genres.

I would say you are referring more to what is 'Popular' not what is 'relevant'

I measure the relevance of Classical music by the impact it has had in our culture and on music itself not how popular it currently is..

everybody has heard Classical music at one point and even if they don't like it they are aware it exists

Even if its not the most popular genre it is still drawing ppl in,
it is still influencing musicians to play it,
it still has a place in this crazy bieber one direction times we are living in lol

I don't know what more to say besides... I agree that it's not super popular among people in the US under 45 (although most of the people I know like it at least a little). But I do think enough people of all ages like it enough to call it relevant. I'd love to prove my point but I've really got no more talking points on the matter :wave:

I think people underestimate how much classical music they've been exposed to in their lives. You hear it in movies, on TV, in ads, in cartoons, at weddings, in churches, at Christmas time, etc., etc. There are so many classical songs you recognize when you hear them, even if you don't know them by name.

This is similar to saying that you feel that Latin is still relevant today because of the impact that it has had on the English language itself and not the fact that it's a dead language that isn't used in it's own form.