Your favorite childhood bands/artists

[u2popmofo]

There are probably many of us who either presently love or hate the music they used to like. Everyone's tastes can change over time, and it's interesting to see how they do. I thought it would be interesting to see what everyone loved musically in their childhood. I also would like to hear what you think about those same artists now.


My childhood favorites:

The Beach Boys
The Monkees
Michael Jackson

What I think of them now:

I still actually like all three of them to an extent. I definitely would say that I have the most respect for the Beach Boys still. I fess up to proudly owning the Michael Jackson 'HIStory' album on CD, though I havent cared much for his recent music (or personal life). I suppose that I think the Monkees still have some fun and good old songs. I cant say that I really listen to any of them that much any more, though I really would like to get some Beach Boys albums/compilations on CD.

 

[Angela Harlem]

The first band I ever really fell in love with was Dire Straits. Not too embarrassing really. Still like them on occasion. My music was all about my parents record collection and the radio, so I listened to a lot of jazz and blues, Harry Belafonte (ok, now I am embarrassed), Musical Youth, John Farnham (shame, shame, shame) and then I discovered my own.
Mel & Kim
Michael Jackson
Kylie - The Locomotion was such a favourite
Madonna
Samantha Fox
Bananarama
The Bangles
......
I'll just end my list now...

If they had big hair, I liked them.

 

[DiGi]

My first musical memory is Michael Jackson - Thriller. I thought that album was so great when I was a youngster.

 

[~LadyLemon~]

A lot of what I listened to as a kid was influenced by my father. Here were some favorites:

*The Beatles
*Led Zeppelin
*The Who
*Pink Floyd
*Simon and Garfunkel
*GNR
*Madonna
*Michael Jackson

Opinions now...

The Beatles are still one of my all-time favorites. They pulled me out of some dark times, and I still love them as much today. I remember that my best friend and I would sit and listen to Yellow Submarine over and over again (we had the 45). Then we would listen to S & G's Bookends for hours as well. I still love them as well, and often listen to them when I'm a bit frazzled and just need to calm down.

When I was in 4th grade, I was student of the month for some reason or other. My photo and profile that I had to fill out about myself were posted in our main hallway. Under favorite band I had written Pink Floyd. Of course, none of my peers knew who they were and teased me for it. But then during middle school it became 'cool' to listen to Floyd. Whatever. I was born already knowing Dark Side of the Moon by heart and I still love it (and Wish You Were Here and The Wall etc.). I really don't listen to them too much anymore, but still, they were pretty fucking great.

Zep and the Who are still big favorites in my life..and I still play them quite often.

GNR were great, but I really don't listen to them much anymore outside of Appetite.

I still love Thriller, but after that, I don't pay much attention to MJ anymore.

When I was little, my friend Deanna and I totally wanted to be Madonna. She's still lots of fun to listen to, but her music would never end up on a 'desert island' list.

Hmm... I think that's it. Oh yeah...mofo mentioned the Monkees. I used to watch their show all the time...loved them. Actually rediscovered them in college (sad but true--has anyone seen Head?) and I have a double disc anothology of theirs. Fun stuff, but I rarely play it.

 

[Popmartijn]

I think one of the first records my parents bought for me were the Grease soundtrack and YMCA by The Village People. When I was 7 I got Michael Jackson's Thriller. A few years later also Wham's Make It Big! and Bad by MJ again. I also remember buying Whitney once (that is Whitney Houston if you did not guess it).

At the end of 1989 I got a CD player and then it changed rapidly. Through Phil Collins ( ) and Dire Straits ( ) I came to U2 and the rest is history of course.

Now, what do I think of it? Even though I don't have it on CD, the Grease soundtrack is a great record. YMCA is nice when hearing it in a disco or on a party, but I do not have to have that record. I have Michael Jackson's HIStory, which has one disc of his greatest hits including many tracks from Thriller and Bad. Up to HIStory he was quite good. Whitney & Wham? No, thanks.
No Jacket Required by Phil Collins is the worst CD I own, although his ...But Seriously is quite good. And I still listen to Dire Straits sometimes.

C ya!

Marty

 

[U2girl]

Helped by my older brother's stereo in his room -

Queen
Guns n roses

apart from that Beatles, Elvis, ABBA. (radio)

What I think now: I have a tape from Queen and Made in heaven, I don't listen to them as much as I used to even though next to Edge Brian May is probably my favorite guitar player and Freddie was a great singer.
In primary school I had a Guns n roses phase but I don't listen to them anymore.
I recently got back into the Beatles (bought some more of their albums), and I always enjoy to listen to their music. My all time no. 2 band, very close behind U2.
Elvis - I have the no. 1 CD and I still listen to it fairly regularly. Elvis is also one of my favorite singers.
ABBA - there was a time when I didn't listen to them at all, but I recently bought Gold and enjoy playing it occasionally.

 

[zoney!]

Barry Manilow


This should be a confession.

 

[arw]

The Beatles....still like them.

The Beach Boys....my dad was a huge fan and took us too see them live several times. It's just one of those things from my youth that always gives me happy memories when I hear a song but their music actually bugs the crap out of me now.

Prince....I begged my mom to take me to see him on the Purple Rain tour and she did. He was just in town a few weeks ago but I couldn't afford to go. I wouldn't say I'm a fan but I think seeing him live would have been entertaining. The only Prince album I've ever owned and probably will ever own is Purple Rain.

Michael Jackson.....Thriller kicked ass and I still love a lot of the songs off of that album. I haven't liked anything of his since and if I never heard him again I wouldn't care.

Motley Crue....my 5th grade best friend had an older brother who looked exactly like Vince Neil and sometimes thought he was Vince Neil He made us each copies of all his Motley Crue records. Like Michael Jackson....I still love a lot of those songs from their early albums but I could care less about them.

K I S S.....I saw "Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park" on TV when I was 4 years old and was in love with Gene Simmons. My parents tried to keep me away from them but by the time I hit teenage years I was completely obsessed. My walls were covered with their pictures and I had enough t shirts to last me for over 2 weeks (I just sold all of those on ebay last month by the way). I was probably a fan until I was about 24. Sometimes I see or hear them and I especially if it's stuff from the 70's. But mainly I can't stand the sight of them anymore.

The only thing I really watched as a kid was MTV so there's a lot of early to mid 80's music that I loved back then and I still love to this day. I don't think there's anything from then that I dislike now. If anything I like more of that stuff now than I did when it was new.

 

[BAW]

Keep in mind that I was a child of the 70's

Early 70's

Beatles
Rolling Stones
Jackson 5
The Osmonds

A few years later:

Frampton
Fleetwood Mac
John Denver and yes...Barry Manilow


I think because my parents were so into what I now know was great music, I rebelled by listening to crap along with the good stuff.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Ooh, good idea for a thread.

All the music I liked as a kid was stuff I heard on the radio, or bands my parents liked, or bands I remember seeing on MTV. According to my parents, when I was two, I really liked Loverboy. They're okay...not a huge fan of them or anything, but...*Shrugs*. Had a few not-so-bad songs.

Anywho, the 5 big bands that I remember liking a lot when I was little were:

-The Monkees (thanks to my mom, who's a big fan of them). I loved "Daydream Believer" in particular-I actually remember us calling our dad when he was at work one night (he worked at an oldies station at the time), and requesting that song. .

As for what I think of them now...still don't mind them all that much, they're okay. My mom and I get a kick out of the fact that U2 likes them, and anytime they're mentioned in some U2 thing I'm reading, I tell her about it .

-Bon Jovi. LOVED these guys when I was little-got all excited when I'd see the "Livin' On A Prayer" video on TV. And this guy at another station my dad worked at had gone to a Bon Jovi concert and gotten a picture taken with Jon Bon Jovi, and he gave it to my dad to bring it home for me. I still have it somewhere, actually.

What do I think of them now? Still don't mind them all that much, either. They have some good songs. My sister likes their music now-she credits me for getting her into them. It was really weird when I'd heard "It's My Life" when it first came out, because it brought back all those memories of my childhood. .

-Aerosmith. Whenever I'd be playing with my dollhouse, I'd always say that the dolls there were watching Aerosmith on their TV. . I still like this band. Not too fond of their most recent stuff they'd done (although the song "Just Push Play" wasn't bad), but the other music I've heard by them is good.

-Fine Young Cannibals. Got a tape of theirs for Christmas one year when I was little. I still like these guys, too.

-The Bangles. Loved "Walk Like An Egyptian", thought the video was funny. And I still like these guys as well.

People mention Michael Jackson and "Thriller"-haha, that video scared me so much when I was little. Now I think the video and song are pretty cool, but back then....

Angela

 

[fah]

My favourite bands/groups/artists:

Monkees
Partridge Family
Osmonds
Jackson 5
Simon and Garfunkel
Peter, Paul and Mary

In high school:

Queen
Fleetwood Mac
Elton John
Supertramp

 

[U2zoogirl]

i'm 21 so my favorites were

CYPRESS HILL (and i still love them )
guns n' roses
Aerosmith... with that video "crazy"
the Cure...
Metallica forever

 

[u2popmofo]

The only thing I really watched as a kid was MTV so there's a lot of early to mid 80's music that I loved back then and I still love to this day. I don't think there's anything from then that I dislike now. If anything I like more of that stuff now than I did when it was new.

I totally know what you mean!!! I always notice that there are a ton of bands/music I often cant get into when tney first hit the scene. After some of the hype goes away, I've found myself getting into lots of stuff I had previously shyed away from.


I've really liked reading everyones' childhood favorites so far. It seems that many of us had lots of the same favorites as children. It's fun to think back about all of that music sometimes, lots of memories are associated with it.

 

[Justified]

My first record I bought was Cyndi Lauper

I was in the Michael Jackson fan club.

Since I have an older brother and sister I was always listening to music that they were in to.

ELO
Hall and Oats
Boston
The Cure
Depeche Mode
Squeeze
The Police
Loverboy
Prince
The Cult
The Go-Go's
Wham
Bowie
Rolling Stones
Queen
Fleetwood Mac
Dire Straits
Billy Joel
Genesis
Phil Collins
Peter Gabrial
Run DMC
Beastie Boys
LL Cool J
Fine Young Cannibals *oh I loved them*
New Order
Expose
...

*and one of my favorite 80's tapes: THE MIAMI VICE SOUNDTRACK! OH YEAH!

 

[arw]

I totally know what you mean!!! I always notice that there are a ton of bands/music I often cant get into when tney first hit the scene. After some of the hype goes away, I've found myself getting into lots of stuff I had previously shyed away from.

Yeah me too. U2 is definitely the biggest one for me! I never in a million years thought I'd be a U2 fan and now I can't imagine not liking them.

 

[meegannie]

My first musical memory is Michael Jackson - Thriller. I thought that album was so great when I was a youngster.

This is screaming to be photoshopped using that picture you posted in IO a while back.

 

[meegannie]

Anyway, I wasn't really into music until I was 12 or 13. Then it was the Beatles, 60's protest music, and British Invasion stuff. The first modern band that I listened to (apart from They Might Be Giants who I liked because they were funny) was Toad the Wet Sprocket, but I only ever knew their Dulcinea album.

 

[Pinball Wizard]

Like meegannie I didn't get into music until later, but growing up the standards of play (on the turntable and ghetto blaster... remember when ghetto blasters were cool?) were a lot of motown classics, the beach boys, and 80s pop... like Michael Jackson. Basically I was introduced to music by long and frequent road trips, when my family exhausted "The Golden Oldies" compilations.

 

[OzAurora]

Cyndi Lauper was my hero as a young girl- for my eight birthday I got a pink portable boom box and a casette tape of 'Shes so unusual' (cyndi's first release). I didn't get into Madonna until True Blue. Some other vinyl that I remember buying when I was probably between 8-10;

The Bangles
Kylie Minogue
Fleetwood Mac- Tango in the night
The Dirty Dancing Soundtrack- OMG!!!!! I havn't thought about this in years!!!!
Madonna- true blue
John Farnham- whispering Jack; who didnt own a copy of this back in 86??
and I had a few compilation albums, that featured great songs like- The Final countdown, Respectable, Ship of fools, Nude School...

I also liked,
George Michael- remember Father Figure?
Martha Davies- Dont tell me the time
Berlin- Take my breath away
THe KLF
Guru Josh- remember Aussies, that song 1990s, time for the guru, or whatever it was called

and by way of my parents I liked,
Crowded House
The Beatles
Lou Reed
John Lennon

 

[Jack In The Box]

Queen, Led Zeppelin for my mom

Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Rolling Stones, etc. for my father

etc.

I still like all of them

 

[pepokiss]

around 5, 6, when I'm like in kinder and 1st grade

- Michael Jackson
- Madonna
- New Kids On the Block


I didn't get into music again until I was like 12, 13.. (around '97)

- Marilyn Manson (I still have the antichrist superstar CD)
- KISS (still fan, but not that much)
- Metallica (because of S&M)
- U2 (of course)

 

[cass]

childhood- The Monkees (serious crush on Davey), The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, The Jackson 5( I confess to having the hots for Michael way back then)
teenage years-
DAVID BOWIE
Queen
Pink Floyd
Jackson Browne...
numerous others,
I still like them all

 

[DiGi]

This is screaming to be photoshopped using that picture you posted in IO a while back.

wait till you see the picture I am going to post in the picture thread...

I can't believe I am going to admit to this but I talked my mom into making me a glitter glove when I was in 1st grade. I thought MJ was the man. dead serious. How embarrassing.

Time to elaborate on more music.

Radio - as a kid with no money I just listened to what was on the radio all the time. My channels of choice was WAVA 105 and Q107 in the DC area.
The Violent Femmes - A neighbor with an older brother gave me a tape a very long time ago. I was rather young.
Van Halen - I loved 5150 like no other
RUN DMC - Raisin Hell - I still have the tape.
Huey Lewis and the News - I thought they were awesome after back to the future came out.
The Beastie Boys
Bon Jovi
Guns and Roses
Metallica

My mom bought me The Joshua Tree for Xmas the year it came out. I still have the tape. It was my first introduction to U2. I did not really get into them till a bit later though.

I was really into stuff like Metallica / Guns and Roses in 6th and 7th and 8th grade. Although at the same time I also listened to stuff like BBD, Bobby Brown, Salt-N-Pepa, etc.
Ok thats all for now.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

In sixth, seventh grade, I was going through a country phase. I really remember liking Leann Rimes at one point. . Then I went through my whole teenybopper bit. Was a big BSB, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera person. .

Angela

 

[Bono's shades]

I wasn't really into music at all until I was about 11 or 12. It was the late '70s and as far as popular music goes I pretty much liked whatever was on the radio at the time - yes, this includes disco - as well as stuff my older brothers liked - The Beatles, Eric Clapton, The Eagles, Linda Rondstadt. I still like some of that stuff - well, not disco, but I would still raid my siblings' classic rock collections any day.

This reminds me - one of my big brothers stopped by today and he was looking through my vinyl stash. I think he was very proud and impressed that I bought my own copy of The White Album on vinyl.

 

[jkayet]

I can't believe I am going to admit to this but I talked my mom into making me a glitter glove when I was in 1st grade. I thought MJ was the man. dead serious. How embarrassing.

The amount of obnoxious '80's style paraphanalia I owned is likely equally embarassing...I had that debbie gibson perfume even...eek...

I also remember my first "real" tape being Michael Jackson's thriller. My best friend from childhood and I had a "radio station" based out of my front porch (with listeners being our parents and the neighborhood dogs) and thriller was played about once every half hour. Inbetween our singing & dancing, of course.
Later on, I really remember liking George Michael. I wanted the album "Faith" for christmas SO much one year, but since it had "I want your sex" on it, my parents got me Tiffany instead. I'm still bitter.
I also liked Janet Jackson, Madonna, Debbie Gibson, Cyndi Lauper, The Bangles...that Flashdance song...I went through a Beatles phase, which might redeem me a bit...

 

[Saracene]

I wasn't really much into music until I was 14 or so. That's when I discovered Queen, who were my first favourite band,

 

[indra]

I'm just including music that I chose to listen to, not what my older siblings liked. I'd be here all day if I did that.

My very first favorite record (yep, I'm old) was Tom Lehrer's That Was The Year That Was . It's a live recording of satirical current events songs (well, they were current in 1965, and sadly, in some cases, are still fairly current), and they were just great! Of course, much to my mom's chagrin, my favorite songs were "The Vatican Rag" about the "selling the product" (the Catholic church) after Vatican II, and "Smut" about, well, porn. I would dance around singing the songs at the top of my lungs (You have to remember I was maybe four.), but honestly who can resist lyrics such as "stories of torture, used by debauchers; Lurid, licentious, and vile; make me smile?" (from, obviously, "Smut"). I still love this album and just recently got it on cd.

The first album I ever bought myself was Elton John's Greatest Hits (the first one), and I drove my grandmother absolutely crazy playing that thing over and over (we were visiting her). I was totally into Elton John for a couple of years. And to be perfectly honest, his early work isn't bad, but I don't listen to it anymore.

Peter Frampton -- Frampton Comes Alive -- ooohh, yeah baby, had to have that one! He lives near here now (in a very wealthy part of Cincinnati, OH). I don't think I've listened to him in at least 15 years.

The Village People -- I must say I bought a few of their albums and enjoyed them for fun, but never really loved them. They were always fun, but were never "it" for me. Pretty much the same now. Their music is fun and makes me laugh, but I hardly ever listen to it.

Bruce Springsteen -- I was 11 when Born To Run came out. What a great album. Still love it, even though I rarely listen to it now.

Bob Marley -- I think I was 12 when Exodus came out and I loved that album. Again, I still love it (and most of Bob's stuff) but rarely listen to it now.

The Clash -- I was 15 when London Calling came out, and I still remember buying it (it had a parental advisory sticker on it!! Yay! That certainly sealed the deal for me!). I like that album still.

That's pretty much it for what I would consider childhood years. Of course I have the really embarrassing purchases, but those were usually one time things and didn't last much longer than a few weeks, so I won't count them as "young loves."

 

[Sweet Tart]

michael jackson
janet jackson
madonna

 

[babyman]

when i'm remembering my childhood immediately dire straits come into my mind! my brother used to listen to them everyday, (and still he does!) songs like tunnel of love, romeo and juliet, brothers in arms, walk of life, sultans of swing etc etc were just in my blood! and i still love them now, it's just music that can't disappear, never! dire straits are really everlasting! but also pink floyd, that was another of my brother's favorite bands....and, what comment shall i do over them, pink floyd, their history speaks alone!