This reminds me of something I heard on the radio yesterday: "This American Life" on NPR, told the story of a two guys who had done some extensive market research to find out what people liked and didn't like in music. They ran a survey and then compiled a list. People liked guitars, drums, and synthesizers (the same instruments most pop musicians use); they disliked bagpipes, banjos, accordions (the same instruments folkies like to joke about). They liked low-pitched voices (both men's and women's voices) and disliked high-pitched voices, especially children's voices. They liked solo singers and duets and disliked choirs. They liked moderately paced music and disliked music that was very slow or very fast. As topics, they liked love songs and disliked religious themes or "holiday songs." They disliked rap and opera. (Obviously, some people do like rap and opera, but they are a minority, and the researchers were looking for the broadest possible consensus.)

Then they produced two recordings, one having all the "positive" characteristics and one having all the "negative."

The "good" one was boring, but the "bad" one was HILARIOUS. It reminded me of the stuff Peter Schickele composes as P. D. Q. Bach.

Imagine a children's choir, accompanied by bagpipes, singing, very fast, "Labor Day! Labor Day!..."

You can listen to This American Life here. The episode is called "Numbers" and the segment is "Act Two. Paint by Numbers."

The creators' web site is here. Unfortunately, it doesn't contain any sound samples. I guess you'll have to listen to the program.