How have your tastes in music changed?

great.. thanks Olav.. 



I'm blaming you if this sight gives me nightmares tonight

The first "popular" music I ever listened to was the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. I still remember how excited I was when I first listened to the Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together". I didn't understand English back then, I liked it because it was so cheerful. Today, I find that song boring. But I still love Jumpin' Jack Flash, As Tears Go By and Ruby Tuesday. I also was fascinated by We Love You (mellotron!) and the psychedelic Their Satanic Majesties Request which was my first CD. My father listened mainly to classical music so I got to know that as well. Later, Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Bruckner, Wagner and Puccini became some of my favourites.

When I was about 13, a friend introduced me to the 70s Genesis albums which is my favourite music until today. From the 90s music I think Radiohead is my biggest impression. I also like the Stone Temple Pilots, The Cardigans and Stereolab (I remember taping "Sick and Tired" and "Super-Electric" from the radio and being totally in love with the songs). I got also interested in punk music (though I never liked the Sex Pistols). I didn't know anything about the ridiculous punk-prog hostility back then. I still like some bands like NOFX, Satanic Surfers and similar stuff.

When I visited Ireland, I became very interested in Irish traditional music. Back then the Dubliners were my favourite band, now it is Planxty. I think the difference between these groups shows how my taste has changed from catchy melodies to complexity (though I still like the Dubliners). Also, Altan and the Chieftains belong to my favourites.

Also, I got into metal, the more melodic styles at first, for example Blind Guardian. Later I also listened to thrash and black metal, like Slayer, early Metallica, Immortal and Emperor. During about the same time I also started listening to other prog, like ELP, Yes and King Crimson. Oh yes, and Novalis.

From 2009 I really got into prog and it was rather a coincidence, because somebody started a prog discussion in a discussion forum and it all sounded so interesting. Until then, for me prog consisted mainly of the four bands Genesis, ELP, Yes and KC. Then came Gentle Giant, VdGG, Banco, ...

I think my taste, as I said before, has changed from "catchyness" to complexity. Though I still appreciate good songwriting.


Edited by Skalla-Grim - July 12 2015 at 13:03

I started out in my childhood with various 1970s top 40 hits, then in my teens in the late 70s early 80s was exclusively heavy metal/hard rock. Then at the age of 22 in 1985 started my love of Classical music (Bruckner has been and is my favorite composer) and love of prog (Triumvirat becoming and remaining my favorite band of any sort). Since 1985, my classical music tastes have evolved into an appreciation of Historical recordings (those made before 1960) and my love of prog has expanded into fusion, Heavy Prog, RPI, Electronic, as well as Symphonic Prog. In the 2000s, I developed an important focus on all recordings made by prog musician Helmut Koellen.

Better claim the Fifth on this one...

micky wrote: hisss.....retro prog   oh and don't start me about Neal Morse How the hell did that make it into the 2nd round

And who knows how far he'd come AFTER round 2
But I must say, I'd prefer classic neo (as if!... classic neo!) above Neal Morse.

micky wrote: well.. other than the Neo selections.  And that wasn't the fault of Tom and our Neo friends here.. just the best of what it has to offer was.. umm... unsatisfactory and too LONG I tell ya.. bring back the 40 minute album..

The RIO in you kicks out the neo. It can't be helped, I'm afraid.
There was some excellent neo in the polls: The Wake, The Sentinel, Fact And Fiction.
Okay, I might as well stop. I hear your contempt from this side of the Atlantic. Transatlantic, so to say   

Oh, BTW, I think 40 minutes is in most cases an excellent length for an album.

Edited by Moogtron III - July 12 2015 at 10:11

Age 8-10: The Beatles, Rolling Stones discovered
Age 10-12: Kiss, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden favorite bands
Age 12-15: Mostly heavy metal, thrash metal, some extreme metal. Started listening to some prog - Marillion, Rush, Hawkwind
Age 15-20: Mainly alternating between prog and metal, some dream pop bands discovered, electronic stuff like Karftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Gandalf. Discovered Gary Numan
Age 20-35: Alternating a bit back and forth between the above. Tomita added to the discoveries. Rediscovered The Beatles. Added industrial metal to stuff I like, and grunge.
Age 35-  : Taste in music is ever widening and encompassing. A greater tendency to like a lot of music, but the ones I truly attach to on a deeper level aren't all that many. Some jazz and classical added to my listening pool, and have started appreciating the subtle elegance of AOR to a greater degree. Generally more and more intrigued by the use of subtle nuances, no matter what the music is all about. I've come across country music that isn't loathsome and that can be listened to without firing up my vomiting reflex.

well.. other than the Neo selections.  And that wasn't the fault of Tom and our Neo friends here.. just the best of what it has to offer was.. umm... unsatisfactory and too LONG

I tell ya.. bring back the 40 minute album..

I grew up around jazz, but the first music I connected to was mainstream rock/pop punk. It did its purpose. Then I got into Hendrix, Zeppelin, Queen, etc. for a while. Also got into hair and speed metal for a short period. Then got into Yes, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Battles. From there it just expanded to punk, classical, jazz, metal, what have you.

My tastes were in the more "classic rock" genre of the 60's, 70's, 80's (and now 90's), etc. Ever since the start of the decade I've been pulled into more of the prog rock genre thx in no small part to Rock Band and Guitar Hero; Yes pretty much helped me open the gate to the world of prog. I still have this "classic rock" etch, but it wasn't as big as it was several years ago.