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Brycon, you're right but I disagree. I shouldn't speak for others, but the reason I enjoy certain music isn't because it's canonical, it's because it does something special for me. I always liked music, but the first time I heard a significant classical work (Dvorak's New World) it was something new I didn't even realize was possible until then.

I rarely get as deep an automatic involvement with other kinds of music - occasionally something else grabs me, but it isn't as likely as listening to "the canon".

And that may be designed into other kinds of music. My brother is a "Dead Head", who used to go far out of his way to attend Grateful Dead performances. One time he played one of his treasured tapes for me, and I was listening attentively. My brother looked at me and said, "Phil, you're not going to get it by listening." He was right.

Further, to really enjoy great classical music requires attentive listening from me, because the smallest detail might change everything. Having said that, I don't always do it: I listen while driving, writing software, exercising, or playing solitaire. I enjoy the music anyway, but to get the really good experiences from great music I have to follow the details moment by moment, and experience it on several levels. It isn't being prudish, I just have to do that to get what I want.

So, to some extent the "canon" is the canon because it delivers something the other stuff doesn't. Or, the other stuff does other things.