Windows Media Player, or whoever supplies the autofill info for when you rip a CD, seems to have come up with some new ways to slice-and-dice music genres and some pretty idiosyncratic choices.

Up until now, I have usually left the information as suggested, but, if I do change it, I usually only use “Rock”, “Pop” or “Alternative”. This probably tells you more about my lack of concern for the too-exact categorisation of ripped CDs than the scope of what I choose to call my musical taste…. but not much more.

However, the other day I was offered “Singer/Songwriter” (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’s Shaved Fish); “Contemporary Pop” (Richard Hawley’s Coles Corner); “Classic Rock” (This Mortal Coil’s It’ll End In Tears) and … best and most weirdly of all … “Retrospective Pop” for discs 1 and 2 of The Rolling Stones’ Singles – The London Years and “Indie/Alternative” for disc 3.

I called the whole lot of them “Rock” and had done with it, but am still wondering quite what “Retrospective Pop” actually is: something you didn’t think was “pop” at the time, but now you come to look back at it…? Any better ideas?