Why You Like The Music You Like, Why You Dislike The Music You Dont

[tjamest]

1 hour ago, slash's hat said:

I want a jukebox too, don't want to settle for one of those speaker ones. How did you get yours?

I think i bought it in 2001 or 2003 and in those days it was all down to Exchange and Mart, Local press classifieds or Free ads that was a weekly yellow newspaper.

I quickly realised that i couldn't afford one of the classic 50's ones, so concentrated on looking for a 70's one as they were the ones that i remember from my underage drinking days in the local pubs.

I found mine in free ads, but there are always a few nowadays on Ebay or Gumtree or there are several specialist dealers who will have refurbished ones.

I just googled my model number and this came up on you tube which shows what mine looks like although as i am at work the sound is on mute so i have no idea what record is being played.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBlpQf8hdyI

A word of warning they are pretty big (mine is 4 foot (120cm) wide) and very, very heavy

 

 

[hfuhruhurr]

Kicked off with Hendrix/Rory Gallagher/SAHB, moved on to Punk and 2-tone, plus The Jam and Beefheart. Springsteen + Devo - I think I liked having a go at the man. Sisters of Mercy. Then silence....

Now a total mix from Metallica to PJ Harvey through Johnny Cash with some Rammstein, but my all time favourite is PiL. I've always like a good beat, clean sound and lyrics that make me laugh. So why I like The National and Editors totally confuses me!

[The Clearest Blue]

I don't remember much music ever being played in my house growing up, the only time I remember music being played was Sunday evening when my parents were doing the washing up after Sunday dinner. If my mom was choosing it was either Abba, Meatloaf or Madonna, if it was my Dad it was The Eagles or Johnny Cash. I didn't start getting into music myself until secondary school and was introduced to bands by my friends. These were bands like Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, Academy Is etc, my first gig was Bowling for Soup and I remember loving Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake. It was an embarrassing period. After those few years my tastes were really just mainstream pop/rock and nothing adventurous, by this time it was the late 2000's and I went to V Festival for three summers.

When I got to uni I started watching several films a day, I starting looking into some of the bands/artists who featured on soundtracks of the movies I was enjoying. A big part was played by the movie Adventureland which introduced me to some wonderful artists. I then starting working my way through the back catalogues of David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed and some other big names. By the end of uni I was listening to and would have said my favourite bands were the Strokes, Pulp, Fleetwood Mac and The Verve. In 2014 (the year I graduated) I went to my first Glastonbury with a not very close friend (just the two of us) on a whim. It was only really after this that I started listening to 'current' music again and ever since then my music tastes have become broader and broader and the guy I went to my first Glastonbury with is one of my best friends. I'm now known my friends and family as the one who loves music more than anything else.

Edited November 22, 2018 by The Clearest Blue

[Amy Lawn]

My mum often tells me that right after I'd come out the womb she could hear the Inspector Morse theme tune on a TV in a nearby room. When the first thing I heard in this world was that fucking dope joint, it's no wonder I have such impeccable taste.

[Quark]

1 hour ago, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

My mum often tells me that right after I'd come out the womb she could hear the Inspector Morse theme tune on a TV in a nearby room. When the first thing I heard in this world was that fucking dope joint, it's no wonder I have such impeccable taste.

And don't forget the modesty...

[Amy Lawn]

16 minutes ago, Quark said:

And don't forget the modesty...

Modesty is for nuns yo

[RichardWaller]

Great thread idea. 

Think I'm fairly typical in some ways. Parents listened to stuff like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Simon And Garfunkel, Bob Marley, Bee Gees, Pretenders, Beatles, Buddy Holly.. Some stuff I like more than others..  I'm 35 now, so when I was 13, 14, 15 it was all about Manic Street Preachers, Pulp, Blur, The Verve... I liked Oasis at the time, but not that arsed now. You get more into someone like David Bowie and he's a right wormhole when you start to go through his influences and colaborators. They say about Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but I think Bowie's better, you can go from Ziggy Stardust to Darth Vader. Miss Piggy or the Elephant Man quickly enough. 

Anyway, so yeah, got more into Bowie, saw repeats of stuff like The Old Grey Whistletest along side current series of Jools and stuff like that. Started getting into older stuff that my parents weren't particularly into like Talking Heads, Captain Beefheart, Kate Bush, Love.. All the Lou Reed, Velvet Underground  and Iggy and the Stooges stuff through Bowie association. Get into punk, get into post-punk. Randomly picking up cds from Cash Converters cos they were dead cheap. 

The way I discover music has changed so much over the last 20 years and I really do miss it. It's all less physical now, although vinyl and even cassette aren't doing too shabbily considering. I just find it harder to discover, harder to find the time to discover cos we've got so much instant access now. Manic Street Preachers obsessive here, I remember picking up a live bootleg years ago before the Greatest Hits came out and that was the only way I had of listening to Motown Junk for a few years. Can just pop on YouTube or Spotify right now if I want, while me 12" single gathers dust... 

Going forward, I dunno.. I stick 6 Music on a fair bit but I don't really concentrate with it, a lot of stuff goes in one ear out the other, now and again I'll hear something that does make me think eh up at the time, but I'll either not catch the name or title, or summat else will come on that pushes it out of my head. Sometimes I kinda feel like I've reached my capacity, but I don't want to fall into the trap of acting like new stuff is crap and we had real music. I'd quite like to see more bands I've never heard of than that I have at Glastonbury next summer. Need a bit of a kick up the arse...

[Yokel Again]

4 hours ago, RichardWaller said:

but I don't want to fall into the trap of acting like new stuff is crap and we had real music

Isn't 'taste freeze' something that happens around 35? I'm past that and struggle with it, I don't want to sound like my Dad but surprise myself that often I do. With regards to new music, it's becoming apparent to me that the 'new music' I like normally sounds like my 'old music' anyway. It's rarely a new style/genre. But saying that, in the last few years I've become far more willing to listen to anything and less judgemental before I try it. I pity anyone who knew me as a student when I would judge them by their CD collection. 

Edited November 22, 2018 by Yokel Again
EDIT - that post sounds about as confused as I am on the subject.

[VCK]

My pre-teens/early teens fell during a period when rock music was HUGE. First nu metal and skate punk, and then later garage punk/Indie like The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, Kings of Leon, etc. Plus the likes of Foo Fighters, Muse and QOTSA were a constant presence.

Nirvana were my gateway band though. Around the time they released their best of they were on MTV2 and Kerrang! and they were the first band I really got into. Through them, I then discovered the Foos, and then bands from that era like Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots. Weirdly, I never really gave Pixies much of a try until my late teens (but it was worth it as I love their music.)

Then I started discovering British bands from that same era like the Manics (who are still my favourite band ever), and Blur. I bought  24 Hour Party People on DVD as I've always been a fan of Steve Coogan and at the time I "quite liked what I'd heard" by Joy Division and Happy Mondays. This film was pretty influential on my music taste, as it got me into both Joy Division and the Mondays, and that led me onto the true Manchester greats - The Smiths and The Stone Roses. Plus the mandatory Oasis phase that everyone goes through. Then I'd be discovering other British Indie/Rock greats such as Radiohead and Pulp and for a while a lot of my music taste was just 80s/90s stuff.

Late teens/early twenties, I went through a Punk and Hip Hop phase. Through The Libertines and the Manics I properly delved into The Clash, and then started listening to bands like The Jam, Black Flag, Minor Threat and Bad Religion. Hip Hop was something I'd always had a mild interest in, I quite liked Beastie Boys and Public Enemy, but I remember one morning I just randomly found myself listening to Fuck Tha Police by N.W.A. and that song just got me hooked on the genre. Nas, Wu Tang, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, all the N.W.A. offshoots and I properly looked into Public Enemy's stuff. All the classics.

These days, I just listen to whatever's good. Rock, Hip Hop, Pop, Dance, etc. I don't really binge albums by certain artists like I used to, but if there's just one song by an act I really like, I stick it on my iPod.  At the minute I'm really digging Mantra by BMTH, even though I've never been a fan but that song is really good.

[SteveTLizard]

On 11/21/2018 at 5:16 PM, Mardy said:

Thanks. I shall investigate this evening. Where's a good place to start?

This is why I'm on these forums every day, even though I don't have a ticket for 2019.  Top find, currently listening to both albums.

I don't suppose you saw John Grant up at the park Sunday 2011?  I went on my own as none of my group fancied it, what an amazing gig, could have been a build up of emotion from the previous 4 days but I was blubbing like a child. 

 

[Kizzie]

2 hours ago, SteveTLizard said:

This is why I'm on these forums every day, even though I don't have a ticket for 2019.  Top find, currently listening to both albums.

We went to see him (Marlon Williams) in a small venue in Bristol earlier this year, he was jaw droppingly good.  I'm looking at him now, I nicked the poster off the wall and framed it.

[Wooderson]

On 11/22/2018 at 9:45 AM, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

My mum often tells me that right after I'd come out the womb she could hear the Inspector Morse theme tune on a TV in a nearby room. When the first thing I heard in this world was that fucking dope joint, it's no wonder I have such impeccable taste.

Biggup John Thaw.

[Quark]

Just a point of order for me. Unless your musical history includes a phase of going to Skrewdriver* gigs, ain't no music to be ashamed of or embarrassed by. You likes what you likes.

*EDIT - other hateful musical shitbags are available.

Edited November 23, 2018 by Quark

[Mardy]

On 11/21/2018 at 8:20 PM, Kizzie said:

He's only done 2 albums, 'Marlon Williams' and 'Make Way for Love'.  I prefer the first one.

Hey, been a busy week, so not had chance to thank you. Yep, this is cracking stuff. Right up my street. Nice one. Thank you.

[Gnomicide]

I was thinking about this a few weeks ago when I spotted an old compilation album at a 2nd hand record shop. My memory of my parent's taste in music was that it was largely shite, lots of Country and Western, The Spinners, Nana Miscouri, in later years fucking ABBA, but there was always music on. My older sister had even worse taste which now seems to be dredged for the Legends slot. So how did I end up with such impeccable taste?

Well the penny dropped when I saw that compilation. It was largely shite but there was a 3 track run of Glitter, Slade and T-Rex that I played to death.

The 1st single I remember asking my mum to buy for me was Devil Gate Drive by Suzi Quatro, from there I moved onto Queen, then what little punk that appeared on TOTP and then, one Thursday night in 1981 Iron Maiden appeared and I transformed into a full blown metal / rock head which I remained solidly for the next 20 years. 

Other music worked gradually worked its way in, U2, Bruce, Neil Young, some goth, more punk, folk, even some country but always guitar based and I doubt that will ever change. I still whack on a Skid Row, Metallica or Mötley Crüe album but I'm just as likely to be found listening to Elbow, Frank Turner or Aretha Franklin.

[Mr.Tease]

On 11/21/2018 at 3:30 PM, Woffy said:

My parents were quite incredibly 'amusical' (?).

There was no music played in our house when I was a kid. Nothing at all. Not that I can remember. No idea why my mother was at a Showaddywaddy gig or why she took me. I'll ask her tonight. Although Shirley was a Cavern Club regular (at the fabled lunchtimes) as a 16 year old in the 60s.

I found music - weirdly? - by:

I was always a big reader as a kid.

Then I found a computer game magazine as a kid when we were at the airport on the way to a holiday in holiday in Spain and I loved reading the reviews. Like obsessively. Until my parents bollocked me for not enjoying being on the beach, etc.

I remember getting home and looking for other 'review based' magazines to read and picking up the NME. Then Melody Maker. Then perhaps Sounds.

I read the reviews in those magazines for quite a considerable amount of time until it even occurred to me to start buying the actual records (at Our Price)!!!

This was circa mid- to late-80s.

That's how I got into music.

Bit odd really.

 

Amusical parents have a lot to answer for- mine never listened to music in the house and only had 3 tapes in the car for most of my childhood- The Best of Kenny Rogers, The Best of Elkie Brooks and the Stevie Wonder single ‘I Just Called (to say I love you)’, the latter of which was made even worse by the fact my dad (for whom English was a second language) thought the lyrics were “I’m just cold to say I love you” and would sing along accordingly (he passionately maintained these were the lyrics for the following decade).

Needless to say I never got into music until I was 16 or 17.

By chance, was this computer magazine ‘Mean Machines’? They had the best reviews as the reviewer always had a cartoon of themselves as one of the game characters, which I thought was excellent at the time!

[Woffy]

1 hour ago, Mr.Tease said:

Amusical parents have a lot to answer for- mine never listened to music in the house and only had 3 tapes in the car for most of my childhood- The Best of Kenny Rogers, The Best of Elkie Brooks and the Stevie Wonder single ‘I Just Called (to say I love you)’, the latter of which was made even worse by the fact my dad (for whom English was a second language) thought the lyrics were “I’m just cold to say I love you” and would sing along accordingly (he passionately maintained these were the lyrics for the following decade).

Needless to say I never got into music until I was 16 or 17.

By chance, was this computer magazine ‘Mean Machines’? They had the best reviews as the reviewer always had a cartoon of themselves as one of the game characters, which I thought was excellent at the time!

Oh Christ, I have no idea what the computer mag was! It was brilliant though. Probably because it was so funny. 

I love your post though.

It reminded me my Dad did in fact used to listen to some music.

He had a Best Of Hollies cassette he played in the car. Track one was He Ain’t Heavy. The last tune was The Air That You Breathe, on side two.

He used to play track one (He Ain’t...), eject and flip the cassette over and listen to the last track (Air that you Breathe)...the timing was perfect...over and over! None of the others! 

[Gnomicide]

On 11/21/2018 at 3:30 PM, Woffy said:

There was no music played in our house when I was a kid.

People like this freak me out, I take an instant dislike to people if I go to their house and they haven't either got the telly on or are listening to music.

[guypjfreak]

If the music moves me that's it I'll listen to it and sometimes get very into it.. 

The first single I got was tommy gun lol

Unfortunately on the flip side of this If I don't like it I don't seem to understand how other people can like it.. 

About fifteen  years ago I went through my second big  breakdown and used to play music none stop whilst drinking and driving others I love mad.. 

Anyway the long shot of this one was that I broke all my music systems up... My brother and friends are all in the music world so I had an unlimited stock of amps speakers etc.... Anyway this could not go on and after having to seek help I now only have the computer and their speakers so it doesn't get loud enough to bring me to an edge that is always there.. 

I like most 80s and 90s but was heavily into the rave scene where we did quite a lot of illegal  party's in our area under the name of WDA.. 

My music tastes range so obviously there's Pearl jam but I love talk talk,JESUS and marychain, sisters of mercy.,joy division #new  order, smashing pumpkins, barclay james harvest, niel young, levellers, dreadzone , sparklehorse, modest mouse, and of late I'm liking band of horses, courtny Barnet, circuwaves,first aid kit,GVF and lots of other stuff.. But my first real love was Prince along with hawkwind and gong or anything Dave Allan did cos back then I was doing quite a bit of acid. 

I also love classical music. But Pearl Jam is my favourite the words and the music wrap me up when I need it like no other music does.. 

As of today I still have no music system set up and am still seeking help... 

[BlueDaze]

4 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

I was thinking about this a few weeks ago when I spotted an old compilation album at a 2nd hand record shop. My memory of my parent's taste in music was that it was largely shite, lots of Country and Western, The Spinners, Nana Miscouri, in later years fucking ABBA, but there was always music on. My older sister had even worse taste which now seems to be dredged for the Legends slot. So how did I end up with such impeccable taste?

Well the penny dropped when I saw that compilation. It was largely shite but there was a 3 track run of Glitter, Slade and T-Rex that I played to death.

The 1st single I remember asking my mum to buy for me was Devil Gate Drive by Suzi Quatro, from there I moved onto Queen, then what little punk that appeared on TOTP and then, one Thursday night in 1981 Iron Maiden appeared and I transformed into a full blown metal / rock head which I remained solidly for the next 20 years. 

Other music worked gradually worked its way in, U2, Bruce, Neil Young, some goth, more punk, folk, even some country but always guitar based and I doubt that will ever change. I still whack on a Skid Row, Metallica or Mötley Crüe album but I'm just as likely to be found listening to Elbow, Frank Turner or Aretha Franklin.

I love the reference to largely shite, Country and Western.... that you now listen to...!

My Mum played old school C&W (George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard*) that i am sure i will turn to at some point.... Fortunately my sister was constantly playing Motown so Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye were staples.. Ian Dury and the Blockheads were that band that hooked me into the power of live performance..

Then i wasted the best part of 25 years ignoring Glastonbury before finally seeing sense in 2007... I'll give most everything a go (i dont like shouty heavy rock and Jazz is just stupid) and look forward to the boy Stormzy hopefully nailing it next year..

*i just checked out Merle Haggard on youtube... he's good.

[Gnomicide]

7 minutes ago, BlueDaze said:

I love the reference to largely shite, Country and Western.... that you now listen to...!

My Mum played old school C&W (George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard*) that i am sure i will turn to at some point....

*i just checked out Merle Haggard on youtube... he's good.

I always say my first ever gig was Iron Maiden in 1981 because it's the first one I chose to go to but truth be told I'd been dragged to a Tammy Wynette show before that. I fell asleep.

But yeah, those you've mentioned, Vernon Oxford, Wayne, Willie, Red Sovine fer Christ's sake. Couldn't stand it, like a lot of genres though, I happily skirt round the edges now but can't go too deep. With country it's Wilco, Golden Smog, Gillian Welch... I don't like my country too country, if that makes any sense. Love a bit of Cash though.  

[crocodiles]

Like many on here particularly those a bit older loads of music came from hearing it growing up at home . Always had someone playing records .

Mum and dad gave me music like cash Glenn Campbell beach boys harry nillson carpenters abba. Older brother gave me 1st insight into the glories of bowie Roxy music kraftwerk led zepplin Lou reed Peter gabriel.  Older sister helped me hear a lot of Motown early 70s disco. 

I started with likes of glam rock bowie sweet roxy music and disco such as chic .moved onto kraftwerk omd human league early ultravox then bunnymen clash Aztec camera prefab sprout Kate Bush pistols siouxsie joy division new order etc.smiths (yes I love them ?) undertones 

As years went on picked up new bands and genres as all the above influences gave me a fairly eclectic mix.  

Don't get to hear as much new music as I'd like time nowadays .

Listen at moment to lot of the above plus plenty of bands like the national young fathers still a lot of David Byrne tame impala 

But no style I completely rule out or in if it makes u smile or cry dance or think if it speaks to you then go with it .

[RichardWaller]

On 11/22/2018 at 4:07 PM, Yokel Again said:

Isn't 'taste freeze' something that happens around 35? I'm past that and struggle with it, I don't want to sound like my Dad but surprise myself that often I do. With regards to new music, it's becoming apparent to me that the 'new music' I like normally sounds like my 'old music' anyway. It's rarely a new style/genre. But saying that, in the last few years I've become far more willing to listen to anything and less judgemental before I try it. I pity anyone who knew me as a student when I would judge them by their CD collection. 

I'm 35 now.. Not heard the term before, but convinced "taste freeze" is a thing. I'm an absolute sod for nostalgia, looking back is a lot easier and more tempting than looking forward, especially in the sort of climate we're in in this country at the moment.. I'd love to regain that feeling I had so often in my late teens and early 20s, the excitement of a new discovery.  I've not given up getting it back, hope to be surprised. My taste has changed a fair bit since then anyway, like you say more willing to give anything a go. The 19 year old me would've never admitted that Abba have got some bangers, didn't realise at the time that just cos summat's popular doesn't mean you're not allowed to like it.

[DJL]

Great thread.

Born in 1979 and given no musical education from my parents. First tape single was Five Star, first tape album Michael Jackson Bad. My elder sister got me in to Bon Jovi and I thoroughly rinsed a double sided tape of Slippery When Wet/ New Jersey.

Very vividly remember the Mercury Tribute concert on TV which I absolutely loved. First live gig Spin Doctors in Hammersmith. Got heavily into Pearl Jam, RATM and then Green Day Dookie in early secondary school. Formed a band to play GD, Bush, Therapy? and  Terrorvision covers aged sixteen.

Saw Radiohead supporting R.E.M. in 95 and they have been one of my favourites ever since. Became a cheesy DJ at Uni which opened my eyes up to just about everything. Obligatory Indie phase of The Strokes, KOL, Killers, Muse etc as I started going to festivals. Arcade Fire are probably the closest I have to a favourite band.

Got into Dance and Electronica around having seen the Chems at Glasto 2000 (+ twice since, hopefully 3 soon). After a trip to the Deep South got heavily into old Delta Blues with a bit of 50s and 60s Rock N Roll/ RNB. More recently have explored (mainly Northern) soul, Motown and rare disco. Bowie transcends everything. 

Music matters.

[DJL]

Spend a lot of time mining older stuff but love a lot of new music. I’m increasingly, via Spotify, becoming further detached from what is or isn’t popular. Until an act plays a festival I often have no idea who else likes them or not and it really doesn’t matter.

I guess the common themes are I generally like music to either be beautiful or upbeat, for lack of better phrases. I like a lot of four to the floor, pounding drums but generally less reggae, two-tone, ska, garage, drum ‘n’ bass styles (though I never wrote a genre off). I like a lot of pop but modern can’t stand a lot of modern RNB pop.