Yet, truly, it is hard not to recognize songs by The Beatles, The Doors, Queen and the Rolling Stones being played. Oh, there are even Paul Anka tunes, hip hop beat, rap and R&B. Most of them are remixed of course.

To be fair, there is also a representation of classical music, even the opera. Still, when you hear a jazzy beat of ‘I Did It My Way’ or an R&B rendition of ‘All You Need Is Love,’ whatever the feeling that the music evokes also sets the tone on the catwalk.

In retail stores, there is what consumers call ‘shopping music.’ Usually upbeat, the psychological effect is that shoppers are happy to be in the store buying. There is also ‘elevator music’ mixed to soothe, probably to make people in the elevator who are scared of heights or has claustrophobia feel safe.

So, what does the background music on the catwalk do? One obvious reason is music signals the start of the catwalk preview. It acts as a cue to the guests; there is a beginning, middle and ending even a climax. Music also heralds the start of a different ‘section’ of the collection, i.e., sportswear, daywear, eveningwear.

Music is as much a part of the collection as the stage set and the runway. Without music, a catwalk preview is just a series of girls walking wearing nice clothes. Case in point, sometimes there had been ‘accidents’ wherein the sound system failed during a runway show. There is a collective ‘Oohhh’ that is heard from the audience when that happens.

And, even if the models continue to walk (they are professionals after all and the show must go on), it is not the same. Until the music is restored, the audience feels uneasy because it is not complete.

So, why do show producers choose rock & roll most of the time as the background music? Maybe its because its music that the audience can relate to in general. Classical music and opera are beautiful in their own right, but the percentage of people who listen to them are less than those who listen to rock & roll.

Perhaps, it is just a coincidence. With a wide of musical selection available, the soundman just happened to know rock & roll better than ay other type of music.

I believe that the most logical explanation is most of us grew up with rock & roll. After all, it has been around for 50 years. That makes everyone that is part of the show - from the designer to the models, to the producers and the guests, to have listened to rock & roll at one point in time in their lives.