At a recent gig in one of the Beijing punk venues, a head-banging fan gave a thumbs-up sign to the two white faces in the crowd and roared: 'I love Western rock 'n' roll, especially the Carpenters.'
Western popular music has had a limited impact on the mainland, largely because few bands have played there and access was minimal until fairly recently. The Carpenters are one of the few acts to have made a lasting impression. From the deserts of Xinjiang to the beaches of Hainan, it seems impossible to avoid their saccharine-sweet sound - a musical version of water torture. The Carpenters and a few other acts that got permission to play here - among them Elton John, Wham!, Jean-Michel Jarre and Kenny G - represented the sum of the Western musical canon for many Chinese.
More than a dozen university students polled recently had never heard of Elvis or the Beatles. Most had heard of Michael Jackson, but knew him more for his offstage antics. And U2 was a famous brand of clothing. Bob Dylan? Who is he?
But the times they are a-changing. Major bands are now looking to add China to their tour dates. British rockers Suede played Beijing last month in what some local music writers dubbed the city's 'first real rock concert'. As fans danced, several held their mobile phones high so friends who could not afford tickets could listen to history being made.
Trip-hop act Morcheeba were next, even venturing as far as Chongqing to peddle their sultry sound. Local interest was increased by the fact that the band's name sounds like 'massage with male genitalia' in Chinese, and 14,000 youngsters flocked to the venue. When the band's lead singer, Skye, asked the crowd how many had their latest album, practically the entire audience put their hands up and cheered. Skye marvelled at the country's efficient distribution system, particularly in view of the fact their record company has not yet released the album on the mainland.
Mick Jagger and his ageing friends kick off their mainland tour on April Fool's Day.