I was hoping someone would be able to provide another example of the genre. I'm very pleased.

I find it annoying when people tell me ''I listen to everything'' as if they don't have a preference, and then they barely know anything about music I like at all. I mean, I want to listen to as many genres I like as possible, but I've spent so much time listening to Punk, Rock and Metal and I've barely scratched the surface for all three, except for Punk.
I mean, sure, if you look at different bands in my library, it's varied, but atm 90% of the bands fall under some form of rock.

I hate how ambiguous it is, what that tells me what someone gives me that answer is that they're looking to come off like they're educated about everything, and don't want to seem like they possibly might be ignorant about a genre. It's not really a good icebreaker either, so it really gets on my nerves when I try and pry a bit to get a favorite genre, or what they're listening to currently and I get something like "I don't know". I'm guilty of not being able to answer what I'm into in a broad sense, and I try not to come off as pretentious when music comes up in conversation either. I try stating what I'm into at the moment and that it's a current phase, but I listen to so much more than that. I do have preferences, but they change all the time.

I talk about music a lot, different genres, sounds, but the moment I'm given a broad answer or question about it I get confused or scared. GIVE ME SOMETHING TO WORK WITH GOD DAMNIT!

These days when queried on music preference, I say powerviolence and black metal in a very serious tone.

Exactly, it's so annoying, it stops the whole conversation.
I get it, music taste is hard to tell in just one sentence when there's probably a lot of different things you've listened to and that it changes, but don't dodge every single question, at least tell me something.

In my experience, the people who say that are the type who are just starting to explore music, and are branching out enough to feel superior to other people, while still being too ignorant of just how much music is out there to know just how narrow their taste really is. Either that or they're just mediocre music fans in general with an inferiority complex.

I wonder if saying "I listen to lots of things" or "i like Yellow Swans and Immolation" is more of a conversation killer. It has nothing to do with feeling above anyone else, it's just a safe way to cover more bases without being immediately pigeon-holed. Should I be listing off every genre I like listening to?

There's a difference between saying "I like lots of things", and "I like everything." One is vague, the other is pretentious.

meh. if someone says either I just take them as the same. I wouldnt assume someone is trying to impress me with their "vast music knowledge" by speaking so vaguely.