After talking with a friend and a Fernsehturm commenter this week about how we have changed our tastes in music over the years, I thought it would be a good topic for a blog post.
Famous musicians are always asked in interviews about the first album they owned was who were their musical influences. I’m no musician but I would consider music my main hobby since I was kid through listening, reading or talking about it.
Many times I’ve thought about how I got to the place I am now with musical tastes. I started listening, REALLY listening, to music starting with what my parents had on in the car or the stereo at home. I didn’t have a choice in the matter so I can’t help but have those experiences as square one in my musical tastes.
After writing down some of those memories, I’m not as embarrassed as I thought I might be in some of those musical steps.
Additionally, after taking some time to list the bands and albums in the order by which I was exposed to them or chose them (see below), the progression seems to make sense. At least to me. There is a nearly constant stream of rock or rock-influenced music over the years.
I still actually have a lot of the early parental music in my collection if not only for the sake of nostalgia but some of it is still damn good.
Without further ado, in rough chronological order!
My parents’ music (1970s into early 1980s)
Seals and Croft
The Eagles – “Best of My Love” has got to be the first song I remember that reminds me of a specific place and time, Bloomington, MN in the summer of 1975)
Waylon Jennings
Willie Nelson
Simon and Garfunkel
Neil Diamond
Beatles
Chicago
My older sister’s music (early to mid 80s)
Several K-Tel records (“SuperSonic, “Powerplay” and “Rainbow”)
Prince (who in the Twin Cities didn’t have “Purple Rain”? The guitar solo from “Let’s Go Crazy” was something I just liked to listen to over and over. My musical tastes would return to that kind of stuff over and over through the years)
A-ha
Duran Duran
Limited Warranty (Twin Cities 30 and 40-somethings know this band)
Tears for Fears
U2, “Under A Blood Red Sky”
Hall and Oates (“Rock and Soul, Part 1”)
My music (mid to late 80s)
Michael Jackson (required listening when it came out and “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” still hold up really well)
Styx (“Kilroy Was Here”, my first album)
Rush (“Tom Sawyer” was the theme song of my favorite professional wrestler at the time. At the time I had heard them but not give them much consideration. This led me to buy “Exit…Stage Left” and buy a used “Grace Under Pressure” from a junior high friend, and, the rest is history)
Boston
Journey
Dokken
Van Halen
Ratt
Def Leppard
Europe
Bon Jovi
Cinderella
Whitesnake
Tesla
Joe Satriani
Pink Floyd
Metallica
Living Colour
Midnight Oil
The Smithereens
Early to mid 90s (College years)
The Police
The Steve Miller Band
R.E.M.
The Cult
U2
Pearl Jam
Eagles
Foreigner
INXS
Eric Clapton (Solo)
Black Crowes
John Mellencamp
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Smashing Pumpkins
Mid-late 90s
Led Zeppelin
Foo Fighters
Weezer
Nirvana
Bruce Cockburn
At this point I gave up on radio stations and have yet to find many new bands or sounds that I can rally around.
What is your musical timeline? Have you looped back to the old stuff? Have you never looked back at those early influences? Please share!
3 responses so far ↓
Jim Flecht // April 27, 2009 at 12:59 pm |
My time line starts with my brothers music from Columbia Music club. Then moves into my own tastes starting with Aerosmith. As the years go by the the tie that binds my music is voices and strings. I’m a sucker for an emotional soulful voice, and the resonance of strings.
1. Light Rock “74-79″: Foreigner, 38 special, Supertramp, Styx, etc…
2. Heavier rock “78-82″: Aerosmith, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, black Sabbath Etc…
3. What we used to call College radio/ the first synth sounds “82-87″”: U2, The Police, the Fixx, Howard Jones,
4. The evolution of a more complex synth/ sound “86-92″: the Smiths, the Cure, R.E.M. World Party,
5. A roomate in the Coast Guard turned me onto country, ‘92-96″Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Etc…
6. Being stationed outside of Chicago, hitting the blues clubs and the extensive blues collection at the library. “94-97″ Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Lee Hooker, Junior Wells, Etc…
7. Instrumental Jazz and that led to vocal Jazz. Jazz beget Arias, Opera, and classical. “88-97″
8. Moving to Seattle started my swing dance years. “97-2002″
9. On a trip to Vancouver i bought my first chill out/remix cd, that led me to world music. “01-09″ : dZihan & Kamien, Thievery Corporation, etc…
10. Almost forgot Grunge, “94-99″ the usual.
Currently I listen to 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9. Most of the earlier music is on tape and not so easily accessible. Still listen to the end, the mountain, jack, and Kexp.
C-Flo // April 29, 2009 at 9:21 am |
My time line starts with my parents’ music (1978) & moves into my own tastes (1984).
The evolution and circular interests start there.
Years noted indicate what I was listening to during that time, not necessarily the year(s) the music was published.
1978 – 1984
1. Soul/R & B: Otis Redding, Booker T. & the MG’s, James Brown, Sam & Dave, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Eddie Floyd…
2. Country & Western: Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells, Waylon Jennings…
3. Oldie Goldies: Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Elvis, *The Beatles
1984 – 1987 (Junior High)
4. Rock: Van Halen, KISS, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, ZZ Top, Ratt
5. Pop: Men at Work, Michael Jackson, Peter Gabriel, Duran Duran, Gap Band, Prince
6. Rap/Hip-Hop: Run DMC, Beastie Boys…
1987-1991 (High School)
7. Rock/Metal/Punk: Van Halen, Zep, G N’ R, Living Colour, The Ramones, Faith No More, Skid Row, Bon Jovi, U2
8. Rap/Hip-Hop: Public Enemy, N.W.A., Too Short…
9. Bluesy Rock: Robert Johnson, Buddy Guy, SRV, Muddy Waters, The Doors
1991-1994
10. Grunge: Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Screaming Trees, Gruntruck, Pearl Jam…
11. Alternative: Smashing Pumpkins, The Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr., Rage Against the Machine, RHCP, Toad the Wet Sprocket…
12. Rock/Metal: Van Halen, Hendrix, Danzig, Pantera, Zep…
13. Pop: Counting Crows, Blues Traveler, 10,000 Maniacs, R.E.M…
14. Country: Dwight Yoakam, Clint Black, Hank Williams, Alan Jackson…
15. Bluesy Rock – contd: Robert Johnson, Buddy Guy, SRV, Muddy Waters, The Doors…
1995-2008
Mostly the same + Better than Ezra, Jeff Buckley, Van Morrison & Aimee Mann…
Present, including percentage listened to:
Big Band/Classical [5%]
Mostly Instrumental Rock & Metal [70%]:
(Pelican, Mogwai, Grails, Gojira, Kyuss, Testament, Exodus…)
Rap/Hip-Hop [5%]:
(2Pac, Biggie, Method Man, UGK…)
Classic Rock/Metal [10%]:
(Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Van Halen, Dokken, Ratt…)
Soul/R & B [5%]:
(STAX, Motown…)
Grunge [5%]:
_____________
Noticeably absent:
Bob Dylan (Great songwriter – influential beyond belief – Can’t listen to him…)
I find most of my current interests from Pandora.
Scribbler // May 2, 2009 at 8:48 pm |
I hear you lil’ bro. My earliest music influences rolled off of Mom and Dad’s reel-to-reel deck. I remember it had a million knobs and a couple of meters with needles that bounced with output/input. Also had a huge box of an amp with a volume knob that you didn’t dare take higher than a two. Otherwise the windows would rattle.
Here are a few more for your childhood list:
- 5th Dimension
- John Denver
- HELP Beatles album
- Cat Stevens (Peace Train)
- Jesus Christ/Superstar soundtrack
- Thunderball and Goldfinger soundtracks
- Kenny Rogers
- Gordon Lightfoot
- Deodato (remember running around the pool table to this)
The first album I ever owned was Captain & Tenille. I then “graduated” to Barry Manilow. (I still can sing all the lyrics to Copacabana on demand.)
I think it was those K-Tel records that bumped me out of smarm, but I do remember seeing the videos for “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics and “Rio” by Duran Duran. I dove right into imported 80s pop. Prince being the exception.
My biggest passion wasn’t necessarily broadening my own musical horizons as much as disparaging my brothers. I used to sing (very loudly) the wrong lyrics to Tom Saywer to get under his skin. He loved that.
With time comes sense, and ironically, I love Rush now. Mostly because it makes me think of my brother, but also because I finally realize just what the fuss was about. Still don’t get Dokken, dude.
Today, I still depend on others to infuse my music collection. I appreciate acoustic more and more. I always love the strong harmony and guitar. I did rediscover Kate Bush the other day thanks to the hubby. I’m lazy and so lucky to be surrounded by others who have the passion. I am definitely the passive benefactor.
“Tom, Tom, Sawee, tom… mean, mean pride… high on you… dude.”