Top 10 Influential Albums from the Pre-Teens

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Inspired both by some of my friends on Facebook posting lists of their top ten influential albums from their teenage years, and by the Prog Affinity thread in this forum, I was inspired to think what my top ten influential albums were from my PRE-teenage years. The years when the greatest influences on me were what albums my parents listened to, what radio stations my parents listened to, and what albums my parents have me. The period of “prog affinity” if it existed at all (and it barely did for me). Thus, for me, before a top ten influential albums from the teenage years, there must be a top ten influential albums from the pre-teens, right?

1. Abba - Greatest Hits II

I figure I'll start with Abba - because A is the first letter of the alphabet, and because the album in question wasn't one I owned. Rather, Abba is representative of the music my mum and dad listened to, and therefore what I listened to before I was able to make my own musical choices.

As far as I can remember, although I'm sure they must have listened to more, I can think of only Abba, Neil Diamond, and Simon & Garfunkel, when it comes to what my mum and dad listened to, that was not classical music. All of these, I still enjoy the music of to some degree or another - although, apart from S&G, they've not found a place in my collection.

But, though I definitely prefer S&G, and own all their albums, I think Abba were probably the more influential. I can totally see why Steven Wilson said the pop vibe he was aiming for with his new album was that of Abba and ELO. They might be pop bands, but it's pop with an obvious progressive slant. I like to think that Abba's music opened my mind and my ears to much of the music I listen to and love today. Especially given the greatest hits compilation most played in the car was one that missed the earlier poppier music, for the more progressive later years.

2. The Wombles - Remember You're A Womble

Still before I made my own musical choices, one of several albums of music bought by my mum and dad for my younger brother and I to listen to. Running a fine line between tribute and pastiche, The Wombles were so much more than a novelty act, with instantly recognisable parodies of artists and genres. I still have the Wombles in my collection - no longer the cassette bought for me and my brother, but my own cds. Given there was a Wakeman pastiche, possibly the first prog I ever listened to?

3. Empire Strikes Back s/t

Similar to the Wombles, this was not an album I chose, rather than one chosen for me. The difference between this and the Wombles is that the latter was for me and my brother, while this was just for me. It was my first experience of purely instrumental music, and I'm sure it helped me appreciate music without lyrical content - which I've found almost ever since, to be a relatively rare thing. I think of all my friends growing up in New Zealand, from childhood to adulthood, there were only two who liked instrumental music - both musicians. 

4. Wham! - The Final

This is the first cassette ever bought for me that I actually asked for. A fairly momentous thing, at least so it felt to me at the time. It was mine, and I chose it. And I played it until it wore out. I still like Wham! and often think of buying this on cd, but there's so many albums I want to buy, that this always gets pushed to the back of the list. The likelihood is that I will never own it again, but it was definitely influential, as well as a favourite.

5. Duran Duran - One of the first three?

I couldn't say with any certainty what albums I had bought for me after Wham! but I know from that album, while I still received cassettes as Christmas and birthday presents, they were no longer a mystery. I might not know exactly what I was getting, but I knew it would be one of the many albums I'd expressed a desire for.

Duran Duran were a band I loved on the radio, and the songs which I knew came from three different albums, and eventually I had them all given to me. I'd like to think that, eg, so many of the synth-driven albums from recent years I enjoy as much as I do, I do thanks to DD. Yes, you could argue that many of the albums I didn't quite mention in that example are perhaps more reminiscent of Depeche Mode than DD - but would I have liked Depeche Mode as much as I do, if I didn't first love DD? And, again, like Abba, DD made Pop with a progressive slant.

6. David Bowie - Let's Dance

Over halfway through the ten albums, and I've still not reached the point where I'm buying any myself. But at this point, I am still only seven or eight. I'm not sure when you guys made your first purchases, but I was definitely not doing so at this age! I'm pretty sure this was the first Bowie album I owned (though it might have been Scary Monsters, as I know Ashes to Ashes was my absolute favourite Bowie song).

I don't think any one artist has had as much influence throughout my life, as Bowie. It wasn't until much later, that he and his music began to mean as much to me as they do now - but it all started here.

7. Queen - Greatest Hits

Strangely, while I know Wham! Was the first cassette I chose, if not bought myself; I'm not so certain when it comes to what I first bought myself. I'm almost positive it was Queen's Greatest Hits, and if it wasn't, it just goes to show how important I think this purchase was since it is the one I remember.

The weird thing is that it is not what I knew or was expecting. I knew the Queen played on the radio, which was the Queen of the '80s (The Works and A Kind of Magic). Greatest Hits bares almost no resemblance to this later work - and, no, I didn't even know Bohemian Rhapsody prior to purchase. But this was the first of several similar lucky mishaps. (I knew Avalon-era Roxy Music, but bought their debut. I knew '80s Genesis, but bought Foxtrot. Etc.)

Greatest Hits really led me down a rabbit hole, though. It took me totally away from the more commercial and mainstream pop I knew, and into weirder territories. I know the next Queen album I bought was Queen II - which was as weird in comparison with Greatest Hits, as GH was with the '80s radio Queen. Queen II remains my favourite Queen album.

8. Rush - Moving Pictures

I bought this without ever having heard a Rush song. In fact, in my entire time in New Zealand I never heard a single Rush song, apart from those I purchased. The only reason I knew of the band at all was because of bubble gum. There used to be a type of bubble gum which was a disc designed to look like a record (with grooves and hole, etc.) and which came in a replica album sleeve. Every one was different, and most were unfamiliar to me. When I happened to see Moving Pictures in a record store, and recognised it as the album from the bubble gum, I bought it on impulse.

If anything, it's possibly more influential for that impulse buy than for any other reason. Because that was pretty much the first time I ever bought something without knowing anything about it, based just on the cover. I've done so, ever since - though it was easier to do in those simpler times, when it was harder (or sometimes impossible) to sample music before you buy.

(In a similar situation to Queen, Rush also provided another rabbit hole. The next Rush I bought after MP was 2112 - which almost might have been a different band.)

9. Split Enz - Enz of an Era

I loved the Enz, or (again) what I knew of them from the radio. This compilation introduced me to some of their earlier material, and my next Enz purchase was Mental Notes - no tracks of which were on the compilation, which was why I chose it. You guessed it - rabbit hole, again! Split Enz's debut remains my favourite of theirs, and is one of the most overlooked and underrated prog albums.

10. U2 - The Unforgettable Fire

I bought this (my first U2) album, because I loved Pride. I expected Pride to be my favourite song on the album, but it ended up my least favourite. I still love this album. It's my favourite U2 album, and yes, I still like U2. 😜

Fire is a very Eno-esque album. He's produced many albums by many bands, but very rarely is his stamp so indelibly marked as it is here. I definitely feel like my appreciation for a lot of different sounds and styles (maybe even post rock) started out from my love for this album.

So there we go. Somewhat done on the fly, but I feel that's best as gut instinct and the first albums to come to mind, are probably more influential than if I were to sit down and think about this more.

Fee free to comment or ignore!

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