How many listens does it take to fall in love with a piece? The truth is, it varies. You might need lonely one listen to understand, love, and sing along with the latest top-40 pop song, while understanding the Shostakovich string quartets might take dozens of listens or more for you to understand the structures he has created.
Ideally, we should have a mix of pieces we love. Love the songs that you get right away, certainly, but also put in the time to love the thornier things. The things that take more time.
Of course, society seems to actively discourage this sort of deep dive into challenging art; all the more reason to be intentional about listening. When someone loves a piece enough to recommend it, but on first listen you think, “not for me,” give it the time. Consider whether it’s a piece that takes ten listens.
Of course, it still might not be for you. Or you might have discovered your new favorite piece – one that would have passed you by on first listen.