Nothing like a good long list of statistics about music habits, eh? Coolfer loves it. In "The OMM Poll" The Guardian details its study done by ICM that sought to find out what Britain is listening to. It interviewed a random sample of 1,083 adults over the age of 16. The British Phonographic Institute already claims that the British are, per capita, the most avid music consumers in the world. ICM found out more, particularly how much habits change over age groups and compared the differences between the sexes. So is the RIAA going to commission a study for the U.S. or do we have to sponge off of the Brits' research?

The Overall: "While music holds a defining role in the lives of a majority of Britons aged 16-24 (52 per cent), the significance of music recedes rapidly as we enter our late twenties."

Age Differences: "Twenty-six per cent of those aged 16-24 like hip hop/rap the most while 22% prefer dance. However, the passing of time seems to erode the appeal of both these genres." Eight percent of Britons say the MP3 is the format of choice -- but that number rises to 22% for the 16-24 year old consumer.

His and Hers: "Men are more likely to amass huge, unwieldy collections and dream up elaborate cataloguing systems but they are not significantly more likely to describe themselves as passionate about music." "While women are just as likely as men to be passionate about music, men are more likely to amass large collections."

New Pastime: "Did you know that one in four Britons has attended a karaoke night within the last two years?"

Time: The average listener spends 11.5 per week listening to music. (Editor: Amazingly low. Knowing that, how many really need an iPod with over 5 GB storage?)

Live Music: 28% see live music 2-3 times a year, 17% see live music once every 2-3 months and 17% do once a month. A whopping 23% see live music less than once a year. "However, the ascendancy of gigs could soon be challenged by the growing popularity of karaoke nights."

Size of Music Collection: Average = 247 albums (all formats). 76% of all albums are of the CD format. 78% say the CD is their favorite format.

Thriller: Almost one in three Britons owns Michael Jackson's Thriller. His "popularity cuts across age and gender boundaries and transcends any sense of musical elitism or snobbery."

So to sum it up, men worry about the CD collections, interest in dance music fades with age and being younger means you're more likely to prefer MP3s over CDs. Trend of the future: Karaoke. Let's see if Clear Channel starts buying up karaoke bars in a self-defense mechanism.