Do your musical tastes change - or just expand?

[DodgyGeezer]

apparently there was an article that said that the music you like as a 14-year-old boy will always stay with you. Your tastes may expand, but you will always love that first taste. I have to say that, on the face of it, I can't disagree with that statement - any on here who agree or disagree?

[TT1138]

I think it’s probably more nuanced than that.

I love revisiting music I used to really enjoy in my teens and twenties. Some of it I still really like, and some of it I honestly find unlistenable.

[the-norseman]

I still listen to a lot of the bands I listened to when I was 12-17, but yeh my music taste has expanded.

[jesusbuiltmycar]

Oh dear … most of the music my 14 year old son listens to is by bands I was into when I was at uni (grunge, alternative rock) …

He has even introduced me to a number of bands from back in the day that I hadn’t discovered!

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

DodgyGeezer said:

apparently there was an article that said that the music you like as a 14-year-old boy will always stay with you. Your tastes may expand, but you will always love that first taste. I have to say that, on the face of it, I can't disagree with that statement - any on here who agree or disagree?

I think it always stays with you. Not, necessarily because of the music itself, but because of what it reminds you of.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

When Bowie released Life On Mars? in 1973, I was 10. It became my favourite song. It's still my favourite song. But then again, my best friend back then is still my best friend. Maybe I'm just not open to change

In the late 70s, I was into Bowie, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and punk/new wave. I reckon that accounts for 95% of everything I listen to now, and I'm 61.

[jonsp]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

DodgyGeezer said:

apparently there was an article that said that the music you like as a 14-year-old boy will always stay with you. Your tastes may expand, but you will always love that first taste. I have to say that, on the face of it, I can't disagree with that statement - any on here who agree or disagree?

I think it always stays with you. Not, necessarily because of the music itself, but because of what it reminds you of.

Exactly. My spotify has the songs I listened to as a teen because of the memories they bring back. First job was in a burger bar early 80s while I was in 6th form. Spending all my wages getting pissed on Saturday night, dancing like an idiot, getting off with not very desirable girls and no financial responsibilities. Happy days. Blue Monday was and still is one of my favourite songs.

Spent a time living in Texas which got me in to country. Some people in Texas are set in their ways musically but most are open minded enough to like both kinds of music - country and western.

So some expansion of taste but the 80s songs are still there front and centre.

[Lotobear]

A bit like your first shag, the music of your formative years stays with you.

[droopsnoot]

My tastes have expanded, I'm listening to older stuff as well as newer stuff, and have re-discovered stuff that I've previously liked and then gone off. I'm miles away from being up to date with modern music, I like to think that if I lived somewhere with a music venue that was easy to get to I might see more, but realistically I probably wouldn't bother unless it was someone I knew I'd like.

[havoc]

Maybe I was a late developer then, as there's only a few bands I listened to pre-University (certainly pre A-levels) that I even turn to occasionally now.

Still listen to a whole load of stuff from my University time, and a few classics from my late teens (NIN, AIC, FNM, Prince, Prodigy and Talk Talk spring to mind, but not much else).


Do agree on expanding though - late-teens through University I was very heavily focused on Rock/Metal/related genres, but since then I've detoured around all over the place, although Rock, (alt-) Metal and (various) Electronica are where my heart tends to be...

[king arthur]

I think part of the phenomenon is down to being in your teens, you can't be into this or that kind of music because none of your mates are. As a teenager I had a mate who was into ZZ Top and Marillion which meant I was too (but no longer that bothered about) along with Deep Purple, Rainbow and Led Zep (which I still am). That meant of course that I couldn't also be into synth pop or new wave, whereas now I could listen to it all day.

On the other hand I like songs now that I hated at the time. This Party Fears Two by the Associates, could not stand that song at the time but now I see it as a classic which just reminds me of that time in the 80's.

Perhaps as you get older you listen more to the musicality and the creativity in the song and care less about the image around them which means you can enjoy them for what they are.

[Bluevanman]

At 12 I was listening to Showaddywaddy,at 14 Queen and at 16 Judas Priest and other heavy metal bands.
Today,at 60 I'm still listening to the same heavy metal bands and have little interest in any music made in the last 25 years or so

[DodgyGeezer]

Bluevanman said:

At 12 I was listening to Showaddywaddy,at 14 Queen and at 16 Judas Priest and other heavy metal bands.
Today,at 60 I'm still listening to the same heavy metal bands and have little interest in any music made in the last 25 years or so

I kinda get where you're coming from here. Looking at (a lot of) the new music I listen to it does appear to be 'retro-tinged'. For instance really like VNV Nation (who seem quite synthy) and Mono Inc (who are more gothy) - not sure where that leaves Rammstein in the equation though

[havoc]

DodgyGeezer said:

VNV Nation

Have been around for a LONG time...quite a bit longer than Rammstein.

Can I direct my learned friend to:-
- Front 242 (I like Up Evil and Off from their studio albums, but I'm an outlier amongst the true EBM fans. maybe start with Re-Boot: Live for some more modern (OK, 25 years ago) remixes)
- Nitzer Ebb
- Project Pitchfork (start with Chakra Red)
- Front Line Assembly
- Cubanate (start with Oxyacetylene! Then go find a nice quiet spot afterwards to relax...)
- Julien-K
- Gothminister
- 3Teeth
- ...and of course KMFDM

I'd probably also suggest Excessive Force, Sister Machine Gun and some of PIG and Prick too, if your tastes swing towards more rock/metally electronica.

[DodgyGeezer]

havoc said:

DodgyGeezer said:

VNV Nation

Have been around for a LONG time...quite a bit longer than Rammstein.

Can I direct my learned friend to:-
- Front 242 (I like Up Evil and Off from their studio albums, but I'm an outlier amongst the true EBM fans. maybe start with Re-Boot: Live for some more modern (OK, 25 years ago) remixes)
- Nitzer Ebb
- Project Pitchfork (start with Chakra Red)
- Front Line Assembly
- Cubanate (start with Oxyacetylene! Then go find a nice quiet spot afterwards to relax...)
- Julien-K
- Gothminister
- 3Teeth
- ...and of course KMFDM

I'd probably also suggest Excessive Force, Sister Machine Gun and some of PIG and Prick too, if your tastes swing towards more rock/metally electronica.

excellent!! I've heard of some of them but there's a good list to be trying out I guess it is slightly different but I'll also rather keen on Dance With The Dead

[h0b0]

First CD was 2Unlimited. I wouldn’t say I still like their music but it does bring back memories.

[castex]

First record was Eddie Grant's Electric Avenue.
And then we'll take it higher.

[Stealthracer]

My tastes have contracted, I now listen to very little rock music and virtually no pop.

A few years ago I came to the realisation that the majority of what I'd been listening to for years just wasn't very good, and dumped it virtually overnight.

[wombleh]

Mix for me. Some genres like rave that I don’t listen to at all any more, some stuff I still like but tastes have changed like rock/metal. Still like the old stuff, just don’t play it much, possibly just because there’s so much choice and it’s so easily accessible, especially in sub genres that are less popular like the heavier stuff.

[Hub]

There's a lot of truth in it but I don't think it is as narrow as just 14 years old, I think it is more whenever you first discover music up to around age 20... Well, for me anyway.

I was influenced by my parent's musical choices initially in the late 80s, then got into dance and rave stuff in the early 90s when I was about 10-12, then switched more to Britpop stuff and later got into less mainstream stuff - heavier rock, electronic and ambient stuff. So now I'm not aligned to any particular genre, and if anything my taste has widened.

My favourite albums and songs are probably heavily skewed from my teenage years, but not exclusively so. I don't listen to the Britpop stuff as much now. As the years go by I still find new music I enjoy, but it is rarer now that I find the songs or albums that really wow me or give me that emotional punch as much as the old favourites. It's great when I do discover something new that I love though.