Hey all...
I was reminiscing with a friend of mine tonight about the music we listened to when we were little. For the most part, I grew up fairly conservative, so my musical knowledge didn't really come to bloom until mid-high school. My dad had been really big into the Beatles, so I was pretty familiar with their music. My brother had the soundtrack to "Top Gun" and "Rocky" on record that I can remember listening to quite a bit. But that was it... not much of an introduction to music.
When I was a younging (we're talking, like 8 or so) I remember my friends being really into George Michael. Why, I'm not entirely sure. But "Faith" was huge on the radio. At least I never feel into the New Kids On the Block Trap (but I did however, like Hanson... and still listen to some of their music!) I also remember my best friend across the street owning the album "Check Your Head" by Beastie Boys. "Pass the Mic" was the first Beastie Boys song I ever heard. I also remember being a big fan of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Hahaha... I knew all the words to "Nightmare On My Street"... I still know most of them.
As I grew older, I of course listened to a lot of Christian music. Lots of Michael W. Smith, Whiteheart, PFR, DC Talk, David Meece, with a little Petra thrown in there every now and then. When I was introduced again to secular music (basically, my parents began to let me listen to the radio more) I was introduced to top 40 music, and for a while, that was all I knew. I can remember loving the songs "Rain" by Madonna, "Will You Be There" by Michael Jackson, "Where You Get Love" by Matthew Sweet, and "Baby I Love Your Way" by Big Mountain (and lots of other stuff off the Reality Bites soundtrack). Makes me laugh to think about how much I loved these songs.
*Really Sad Tid-bit of Info: The first two CDs I ever bought were "Smells Like Nirvana" by Weird Al, and the the Joey Lawrence Album (you know, Joey from Blossom - WHOA!) How sad is that?
Eighth grade, I was pretty much all about Counting Crows. That craze stuck with me a LONG time. I'm still a fan.
When I was a freshman in high school was when my music taste began to shift into the alternative scene. Grunge was pretty big at the time, and moving into full fledged, early nineties alternative. I became a huge fan of bands like Weezer, Bush, Smashing Pumpkins (my friend with whom I was reminiscing was pretty quick to hop on the Pumpkins wagon - he had their CD as a fourth grader), Cranberries (I don't know, were they really alternative?), Gin Blossoms, Radiohead, Nirvana, various songs by Flaming Lips, and Buffalo Tom (thanks to My-So-Called-Life)... There were of course other bands that were NOT a part of the alternative scene that I go into such as Toad the Wet Sprocket (who I fell in love with), Dogs Eye View, and STILL listening to Michael Jackson on occasion.
During my sophomore year, U2 made its way into my music collection. As a kid, my brother used to listen to them all the time. Simply due to the fact that he was my brother and liked them, meant I therefore had to hate them. Unfortunately, I missed out on a lot of years I COULD have been listening to U2. But I finally got around to it. Other bands that joined my music collection were Third Eye Blind (a huge favorite amongst my high school friends), Collective Soul, Creed (come on, you know you liked their first album!), Guster, and Duncan Sheik.
It wasn't until maybe 3 years ago that I really started to get into music. I started searching bands I didn't know, trying to find music I found on my own. I feel as though I have come to know a LOT more about music, but have a long way to go. But as I look back to the days of Petra and Whiteheart, and look at what I'm listening to now, it's so cool to see the transformation of musical taste.
If you've stuck with my story of music transformation this long, rock on. It was a long one.
How about you? Anybody got any weird musical transformation stories?
4 comments:
I was a country girl until contemporary Christian picked up in the late 90's, early 2000's, so I'm not as well-versed as you in musical pop culture ... but you mentioned My So-Called Life and I'd forgotten about that show! I loved it, even though it lasted for like a season. I wonder if they'll ever play it again in reruns or put it on DVD?
yup... they play it on the Disney Channel super late at night (weird Channel to play it on, huh?) and they do indeed have it on DVD. I just remember loving The Frozen Embryos and their cover of the Ramones "I Wanna Be Sedated" and Jordan Catalano singing "I Call Her Red"
siggghhhh..... ohhhh man i miss the grunge rock era. it was the absolute best. it was like people were actually real about their music. i dunno. and my so called life and jordan catalano. good times. that was the end of middle school and the beginning of high school. a huge discovery age of music. i loved rock at that time and then i moved to pop with the nsync era. and as i got to college it became literally everything. when i was younger i hate dave matthews band and now i love them so! i have been through so many likes and dislikes, but now i try to see the beauty in all music, because i am obsessed. anyhoo, nice blog and thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Nothing wrong with buying Weird Al, the man is a lyrical genius.
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