What did you grow up listening to?

[corianderstem]

I'm going to take a stab and guess that not all of us here popped out of our mothers' wombs as rock and roll music connosieurs.

What did you grow up listening to?

My dad had one or two Johnny Cash records and a lot of other records I don't really remember him playing when I was growing up. But he did have a Peter, Paul and Mary double-live album that I absolutely adored. I can still sing all the songs from it.

My mom's favorite radio station was an AM oldies station, so I grew up hearing a lot of pop music from the 50s and 60s. I LOVED it. I used to sit in my room listening to syndicated radio shows like "Solid Gold Saturday Night" (or whatever it was called - it was all good-time oldies).

My dad had, at one time, been a DJ at a teeny radio station in Michigan, and he had a box of leftover 45s that I would pull out from time to time and listen to them. Lots of eclectic stuff like Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" and Riyuchi Sakamoto's "Sukiyaki" (I listened to that one over and over).

Once I started hearing some rock music, I wanted to hear more, so I would ask my mom if I could listen to the clock radio in her room, and tune it to WIFC, the local rock station. I only had a little portable AM radio, and my mom didn't want to listen to that station, so it was pretty much listening in my parents' room to their radio.

I loved my little AM radio. It was my aunt's, and had a very 70s design. I'd wake up really early on the weekends and sit and play with my Barbies in my room (I wasn't that into Saturday morning cartoons) while listening to AM soft rock of the early 80s. Lionel Richie's "You Are," Alan Parsons Project "Eye In the Sky."

Good times.

How about everyone else?

 

[No spoken words]

Nice thread, Cori!

My parents love Motown, so, that was on a lot in the house. I'm pleased about that...my appreciation for that music runs deep, and I never got tired of it....and it figures prominently in my Ipod. My Mom loves Elvis, so that too was heard often. Am not a huge fan, but, that's what was on.

I was born in 1970, so, got exposed to a lot of Disco, especially during my summers....some of it I listen to and cringe, but, if I hear "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire, I'm immediately in a better mood than I was right before I heard it.

Also, growing up in NYC, heard A LOT of Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen. Bruce I love, Joel I simply OD'd on.

Oh, and my folks loved Elton John, so, I heard a lot of his early stuff. I'll always love his music from early on in his career, his voice is amazing, at least it is to me.

By the time I turned 10, 11, a close friend had a brother who was listening to a lot of Zeppelin and the Who, but, was also listening to college radio....and it was he who got us listening to U2 early on....then REM, and from there, my own tastes ran towards what was then "alternative". Soon we were going down to Greenwich Village and stopping in all the amazing record stores they had down there, looking for rare imports, bootlegs, etc. This was obviously pre-internet, pre MP2, pre-CD even.

So, Motown and Elvis and Disco and the Boss and the Piano Man and the Rocket Man early on, then right into U2 and REM, and so on.

 

[corianderstem]

but, if I hear "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire, I'm immediately in a better mood than I was right before I heard it.

Man, if my childhood had included hearing that song on a regular basis, I would be a much happier woman today.



Every week when I got my allowance, I'd ride my bike down to Shopko and pick out a new 45 for my collection. I wish I still had all my records.

 

[No spoken words]

I was just talking about this with friends over the weekend. I'd love to have my old 45's, for nostalgia if nothing else. I remember having Pride as a 45, not sure why, since I had purchased UF on cassette...but, wow, my close friend and I wore that 45 out.

Maybe if you listen to September now, it'll make you happier? Man, I love that song. People bash the shit out of disco, but, there are some great songs in there, at least in my opinion, and that's towards the top of the list.

I have 3 versions of "Sukiyaki" on my Ipod.

 

[corianderstem]

I hated the boy-band cover of Sukiyaki that came out in the 80s or 90s. It's Riyuchi or nothing for me, baby!

Hearing September always makes me happy. When I saw "Babel," I got all excited at the remix of that song in the Japanese club scene. I went home and found it on iTunes immediately. Good stuff.

I'm a big fan of the disco. I think the first time I heard ABBA was at my cousins' house. The older cousin had Ballerina Barbie, and the 45 of "Dancing Queen," and we watched her make the Barbie dance to the song.

My two cousins introduced me to a lot of music I hadn't yet heard, since they were the Big City Cousins to my Hick Town Cousin. I first heard REM, Depeche Mode, The Cure, and (I believe) U2 on their visits.

 

[No spoken words]

I am a sucker for "How Deep is Your Love" by the Bee Gees. I'm likely revealing too much here. I had the same reaction during Babel, actually. That arc of the film was the only one I truly enjoyed, actually, but that's for another thread.

Ballerina Barbie. Nice. I wonder if she would have been attracted to any of my GI Joe dolls. Do you know Uberbeaver? He still plays with dolls. Again, for another thread.

Riyuchi's version is my favorite....I also have a short version by Utuda Hikaru. I don't have the boy band version, but the 3rd version I have is by a female act, forget the name.

 

[corianderstem]

How Deep Is Your Love is the reason I bought the Bee Gee's greatest hits recently!

My mom had an old Bee Gees tape, from their pre-disco days. The only song I remember from it was the ballad "Holiday," and the tape was from Japan or somewhere overseas, as it had both English and whatever language that was printed on the label. Her brother was stationed overseas for a while in the army, so maybe he had sent it to her.

 

[GibsonGirl]

I grew up listening to what my parents listened to. So it was predominantly Pink Floyd and Queen. I was probably rocking out to those two while I was still in the womb. My father has been a huge Pink Floyd fan since his teens, and the same goes for my mother regarding Queen. My father was into Queen as well and has all the albums on vinyl, but it was moreso the earlier stuff he was into. His love for early Queen has rubbed off on me, especially the album Queen II. My mother, on the other hand, loves latter-day Queen. She often vacuums the house to Made In Heaven and it irritates the almighty hell out of my father. They almost were able to see Queen live at Sun City, while they were still dating. They didn't go because they thought it was too expensive for them, and they're still kicking themselves to this day. They never realised Freddie would die a few years later...

But yeah, those were the two bands that were permanent fixtures in our house and I grew to love them as a result. I remember one long car trip back in South Africa where the ONLY cassette we had was The Final Cut by Pink Floyd. We listened to it on repeat the whole way. I must have known the lyrics to that album off by heart by the time I was nine. And I'll never forget the first CD player my father bought. He popped in The Final Cut, turned it up full blast, closed his eyes, and sat back into the chair. I sat there next to him and we both listened to it in silence. That's one of my favourite memories of my father while I was growing up. He let me watch The Wall with him on video as well, much to the horror of my mother. I never did quite understand the flower animation bit...until I got older.


To a lesser extent, I also grew up listening to bands like CCR, Supertramp, Dire Straits, ABBA, Don McLean and The Doors. Again, thanks to my parents. And since I was born in 1987, I also had a brief stint with the pop of the late 90s. Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Venga Boys, B*Witched, etc. Thankfully, that phase didn't last very long.

EDIT: Oh, and Chris de Burgh, thanks to my mother! But only his first two albums. She didn't like anything else he did after that, and I don't blame her.

 

[No spoken words]

We had the soundtrack to Saturday Night Live in the house. They played it a lot. "Disco Inferno" is probably my favorite track. Any song that starts with a cymbal crash has my interest (like the true beginning to "Last Exit" by Pearl Jam..but that's for another thread!)

At my old job, we used to crack up about the Bee Gee's song "Tragedy"....it just sounds so urgent, like the Bee Gees were living in bliss for ages then woke up and realized that the 70's were a nightmare in many respects, and they banged out "tragedy" right away. That song comes on and I pay attention, cos it seems like something important is going on.....

 

[corianderstem]

Venga Boys! "We like to party ... we like, we like to party!" They play that at baseball games now and again, if someone hits a home run, and I'll admit to clapping and dancing around to it.

Dang, you had hip parents, GG.

"Tragedy" always cracks me up because I have no idea what's going on in that song. It's just a lot of fast mumbling in that high falsetto, and then "TRAGEDY! a mumble mumble mumble mumble TRAGEDY!"

 

[No spoken words]

I grew up listening to what my parents listened to. So it was predominantly Pink Floyd and Queen. I was probably rocking out to those two while I was still in the womb. My father has been a huge Pink Floyd fan since his teens, and the same goes for my mother regarding Queen. My father was into Queen as well and has all the albums on vinyl, but it was moreso the earlier stuff he was into. His love for early Queen has rubbed off on me, especially the album Queen II. My mother, on the other hand, loves latter-day Queen. She often vacuums the house to Made In Heaven and it irritates the almighty hell out of my father. They almost were able to see Queen live at Sun City, while they were still dating. They didn't go because they thought it was too expensive for them, and they're still kicking themselves to this day. They never realised Freddie would die a few years later...

But yeah, those were the two bands that were permanent fixtures in our house and I grew to love them as a result. I remember one long car trip back in South Africa where the ONLY cassette we had was The Final Cut by Pink Floyd. We listened to it on repeat the whole way. I must have known the lyrics to that album off by heart by the time I was nine. And I'll never forget the first CD player my father bought. He popped in The Final Cut, turned it up full blast, closed his eyes, and sat back into the chair. I sat there next to him and we both listened to it in silence. That's one of my favourite memories of my father while I was growing up. He let me watch The Wall with him on video as well, much to the horror of my mother. I never did quite understand the flower animation bit...until I got older.


To a lesser extent, I also grew up listening to bands like CCR, Supertramp, Dire Straits, ABBA, Don McLean and The Doors. Again, thanks to my parents. And since I was born in 1987, I also had a brief stint with the pop of the late 90s. Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Venga Boys, B*Witched, etc. Thankfully, that phase didn't last very long.

I found Floyd, Queen, Dire Straits, Supertramp and The Doors mostly on my own. However, my folks did love CCR, left that out, amongst others, I'm sure.

Born in 87, wow.

I have a buddy that loved to make mixed CDs when we drove to Vegas...and, without fail, he'd include "I Want it That Way" by Backstreet. I hated it, but, deep down inside, I think I like that song a little. Maybe.

 

[No spoken words]

Venga Boys! "We like to party ... we like, we like to party!" They play that at baseball games now and again, if someone hits a home run, and I'll admit to clapping and dancing around to it.

Dang, you had hip parents, GG.

"Tragedy" always cracks me up because I have no idea what's going on in that song. It's just a lot of fast mumbling in that high falsetto, and then "TRAGEDY! a mumble mumble mumble mumble TRAGEDY!"

You don't know what's going on...but you damn sure know it's something urgent and important. Just listen to the beginning. Fucking "Tragedy", I'm cracking up right now thinking of it.

 

[corianderstem]

You should feel no shame in liking "I Want It That Way." It's a perfect little pop song with blissful little harmonies.

Feel no shame! Grrrrr! Stand up for pop perfection!

 

[No spoken words]

I need to be less sheepish about my guilty pleasures, perhaps. Hard to love the Replacements and admit that you like disco tunes, but, fuck it, that's life. Cori, you've inspired me!!!

 

[corianderstem]

Then my work here is done.

 

[martha]

My mom loved Ahmad Jamal and Ella Fitzgerald, and my dad loved the Temptations. That's what I mostly remember around the house. My teenaged neighbors dug Janis. I still remember being sad when she died.

 

[corianderstem]

I can honestly say I've never heard of Ahmad Jamal. Is he a jazz artist?

 

[BVS]

My father listened to olk school country; Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Perkins, George Jones, etc...

My mother listened to Elvis, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbinson, Neil Diamond...

and then I found a Hendrix and a Dylan record buried in her collection one day

 

[No spoken words]

People keep reminding me of what I left out.

My parents LOVE Neil Diamond. I could sing Cracklin Rosie before I could spell, I think.

 

[GibsonGirl]

Venga Boys! "We like to party ... we like, we like to party!" They play that at baseball games now and again, if someone hits a home run, and I'll admit to clapping and dancing around to it.

Dang, you had hip parents, GG.

"Tragedy" always cracks me up because I have no idea what's going on in that song. It's just a lot of fast mumbling in that high falsetto, and then "TRAGEDY! a mumble mumble mumble mumble TRAGEDY!"

I have a cute story regarding the Venga Boys - my sister was about six or seven when they were popular...I forget the name of the song now, but the lyrics went "WHOA! We're going to Ibiza!" My sister thought the lyrics were "WHOA! We're going to eat pizza!" and used to run about singing that all the time, especially when we had pizza for lunch.

Yeah, my parents were pretty hip. In my very early teens I didn't think so, but quickly saw the error of my ways.

HA, and I'm the same way with Tragedy! "TRAGEDY! dada da-da-da da dada da-da-da TRAGEDY!"

 

[corianderstem]

I think the closest thing my parents had to rock and roll was a Neil Diamon album ... it had "I Am, I Said" on it. I think my favorite album of my mom's was The Captain and Tenille ... the one with "Muskrat Love" on it.

Although a few years ago I asked my dad what he wanted for his birthday, and he knocked my socks off by requesting an Iron Butterfly CD that had the full-length version of "Inna-Gadda Da Vida" on it.

Honestly, I almost hung up, convinced I'd dialed the wrong number. But I bought it for him, but still cannot picture him sitting on the couch and blissfully listening to 20 minutes of drum solo.

 

[No spoken words]

I have a cute story regarding the Venga Boys - my sister was about six or seven when they were popular...I forget the name of the song now, but the lyrics went "WHOA! We're going to Ibiza!" My sister thought the lyrics were "WHOA! We're going to eat pizza!" and used to run about singing that all the time, especially when we had pizza for lunch.

Yeah, my parents were pretty hip. In my very early teens I didn't think so, but quickly saw the error of my ways.

HA, and I'm the same way with Tragedy! "TRAGEDY! dada da-da-da da dada da-da-da TRAGEDY!"

Come, on, I know more lyrics than that:

Tragedy...when you blah blah blah and you dadada...Tragedy, when the dah dah dah and then blah blah blah, it's hard to blah, you're going to dadada da-da-da-da-da.

 

[U2isthebest]

I was born in 88...so I started listening to music during the teen pop craze.

The Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, (althought "Stripped" and "Back To Basics" are both amazing albums) Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore, N*SYNC, Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, and *erm* Aaron Carter were just the bomb diggity for me.

Thanks for reminding me of the darkest times in my life.

 

[martha]

I can honestly say I've never heard of Ahmad Jamal. Is he a jazz artist?

Yeah. Piano.

 

[corianderstem]

@ U2isthebest

I was really surprised by how much I liked Christina Aguilera's "Stripped" CD. There's loads of good songs on there.

 

[GibsonGirl]

I found Floyd, Queen, Dire Straits, Supertramp and The Doors mostly on my own. However, my folks did love CCR, left that out, amongst others, I'm sure.

Born in 87, wow.

I have a buddy that loved to make mixed CDs when we drove to Vegas...and, without fail, he'd include "I Want it That Way" by Backstreet. I hated it, but, deep down inside, I think I like that song a little. Maybe.

I'm really grateful that my parents liked such great bands. It meant I could just steal their albums and not have to buy them myself. They never were all that into U2, however. I find that a bit odd. My mother had JT on vinyl and that's it. So I had to buy up U2's back catalogue from scratch...

I sometimes think I should have been born in the 60s. "New" music would have been more exciting for me, back then. I don't have much faith in the current state of music. I could probably count the number of current bands I truly love on two hands.

I Want It That Way. At school, we used to imitate all the moves from the video. I'd love to go back in time and throttle my teenybopper self.

 

[No spoken words]

I'm really grateful that my parents liked such great bands. It meant I could just steal their albums and not have to buy them myself. They never were all that into U2, however. I find that a bit odd. My mother had JT on vinyl and that's it. So I had to buy up U2's back catalogue from scratch...

I sometimes think I should have been born in the 60s. "New" music would have been more exciting for me, back then. I don't have much faith in the current state of music. I could probably count the number of current bands I truly love on two hands.

I Want It That Way. At school, we used to imitate all the moves from the video. I'd love to go back in time and throttle my teenybopper self.

I'm glad that my musical tastes developed in the 80's. Like any decade, there's a lot of crap there, but, my musical heroes came from that decade, and to have latched on to U2 and REM as they began their careers has been rewarding for me. So glad that I've been able to go back and discover amazing music from decades prior, though. And that's what's great about books or music....it's always waiting to be rediscovered. I think my parents tastes were ok...not adventurous, but, I greatly respect their love of Motown. I think it's great that you and your Dad have Floyd in common. My Dad and I have Cormac McCarthy and the NY Yankees.

 

[RavenBlue]

Both my mom and dad were into classic rock and the music of the times. My mom was a huge Bruce Springsteen and Rod Stewart fan, so there was lots of that.

My grandmother would often babysit us and she'd always play old country. When I think of music and life in the 80's I always think back to sitting on my grammies couch, drawing and listening to the record player while my grammie was in the rocking chair reading, or 'resting her eyes'.

 

[Cin]

Everyone else's parent must have been pretty cool. On long car trips we'd be subjected to Air Supply, the Drifters or some other snooze fest. If Dad was in a funny mood we'd have novelty songs. Aah the memories of Ernie- he drove the fastest milk cart in the west, Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport, Old Man Emu, the list just goes on and on. My parents even break out the old LPs for a singalong when my husband and brother -in-law come over. How my sister and I ever found husbands is beyond me.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Daddy Cool, Baby Animals, the Commitments soundtrack, Bowie, INXS... those are some of the earliest memories. In around 97-98 (I was born in '89), I didn't have much interest in music, but I did listen to what my older brother was into - many repeated listens of Pixies and Husker Du album tracks, as well as some more regrettable stuff like Oasis and to a lesser extent, Nirvana. That's sort of what established what I knew I'd like before I really became a music fan.

I never got into any teeny bopper phase. I hated it when it happened, because I loved seeing chart-topping dance songs in the charts during the mid 90s... and they sort of disappeared as boybands took over, or at least they became much less interesting and catchy.