<p>While shopping at our nearby chain grocery store, I heard in succession on the overhead music system songs by Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead.</p>
<p>All I could think of was shopping in a similar store while in college 40 years ago, when no store would have ever played anything by those two artists.</p>
<p>Jimi and Jerry probably can’t believe it either. From the counter-culture to the grocery store…</p>
<p>I’ve noticed that the music in my Safeway changes from time to time. It must be manager’s choice. One week big band. The next week, top 40. Then rock. </p>
<p>I don’t usually notice music. But when I heard “Highway to Hell” come over the speakers one day, I couldn’t help it.</p>
<p>When I was a kid the music in the grocery store was instrumental versions of songs like “I could have danced all night.” Now sometimes the first time I hear a contemporary song is in the aisles of the grocery store. That’s why I got Soundhound on my phone, so I can find out who is playing.</p>
<p>My favorite is being in an all night grocery store - maybe 3AM - with no one there as we hunted for munchies as a muzak version of Play That Funky Music, White Boy ran overhead. </p>
<p>I miss elevator music. It was so awful it was good.</p>
<p>My gym plays elevator music in the locker room and it’s typically innocuous and unmemorable, except once it was ‘Love Shack’.</p>
<p>It was a shock for me to step into an elevator and hear the instrumental version of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”. That’s when I knew I was getting older.</p>
<p>I haven’t done any research, but there has to be a method to the grocery stores playing certain music at different times of the day. I know shop in mid morning, they play lots of 80’s music. When a Journey song plays, I find myself in a trance 
and probably subconsciously scooping up cans and boxes of food I don’t need.</p>
<p>Many of the supermarkets seem to use some sort of an XM type music system…</p>
<p>I have heard 60’s, 70’s and 80’s on separate/different occasions…</p>
<p>My local grocery store plays anything from classic rock, to prog, to bayou blues to motown.
Its pretty fun as they mostly have good taste.
Our local mini mart is known for playing the owners extensive blues collection. It’s really amazing but its too bad they don’t have room for a couple tables so you could sit & enjoy it.</p>
<p>I dont really hear Musak anymore although businesses will have Windham Hill type instrumentals when it is more appropriate than Alice Cooper.</p>
<p>Music can reinforce a stores message, like an import store might play WOMAD compilations, but music can also be very distracting. Some shops that cater to younger people than I, play their music so loud it is uncomfortable and I leave without buying anything.</p>
<p>REI plays music too & I have shopped longer than I planned to listen to the rest of the song.( Sally Jewell is a big Pearl Jam fan )
The coffee shop across the street from the REI flagship plays whole albums which I approve of.
The other day they played [Wishbone</a> Ash - Live Dates](<a href=“CD Universe - Your Online Music and Movie Store”>Wishbone Ash - Live Dates CD Album Remastered) ):)</p>