Your biggest influences in Music taste


Starting to play an instrument and associating music with generally cool people
Once i started playing no genre or style was out of the question to listen to
Had no music in my upbringing so don't know where it came from but i still look for stuff now at 60 like i did at 17
Pretty much this for me, but my voice was always my instrument, (though I played cornet badly, in the school band and play guitar very badly).
Older siblings, older neighbours, my peers, John Peel: just about anywhere where music was played.
I was always drawn to unique voices, though, which I think stretched my vocal range, trying to emulate them. (Russell Mael, Billy McKenzie, Sal Solo).
At 24, "discovered" swing/standards via Harry Connick Jr. (via When Harry Met Sally).
57, sold out, completely but still making a nice living from it.
 
Got to be the late John Peel, the Old Grey Whistle test, NME Factory Records & of late 6 music

What's yours?
Me Da, and to a somewhat lesser extent me Ma. Me Step Dad too.

Grew up hearing The Beatles, The Stones, Oasis, Queen, Thin Lizzy, The Boss, Blur, Bryan Adams, Dire Straits, Meat Loaf, Journey and various rock /indie compilations of the day. Dylan in a small way too but I wound up finding him meself really.

Took up guitar at about 14, and got meself more into rock, and a shared taste in music became a thing with me and me Dad. He'd lend me his old LPs like Dark Side of the Moon and it went from there. A lot of discovery for me and rediscovery for him. On top of that I'd go through whatever CDs/LPs there were at home. Notable titles include Led Zep IV, Wishbone Ash's Argus, The Free Story, Love Over Gold, Axis Bold As Love, Groundhogs' Split, Jethro Tull's Stand Up.

Got into Guns N' Roses through me mates at school, but we'd already worked out we were all into the rock thing. I'd say I've influenced my mates more than they've influenced me, though we all share pretty much the same interests.


Heard all sorts in me Dads car really. That was the starting point for a lot of stuff. I thought Turning Japanese was class when I was bout 6, and me dad let me believe it all about the Turtles. :lol:

I also thought the Seven Seas of Rye were an actual thing, and that The Beatles had a ticket to them... :lol:


I also know all the words to Celine Dion's mind-90s catalogue thanks to me mam, though I'm not so keen on them meself. :lol:
 
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My brother first, he was into punk back in the day so i listened to the stuff he bought.

After that probably TOTP and just talking about music with mates.
 
That's a great question actually and I don't actually know who influenced me, if anybody.

The old man is into classical music, most of which I dislike but some of which I love.
A friend of mine at school lent me The Joshua Tree and an INXS album, both of which led to me buying more (most in fact) of those bands' albums.
My first girlfriend, as well as being red & white, loved The Cure and I have always liked listening to their live shows on YouTube. Went to see them at Bologna last year and loved it.
Other bands I have heard on the radio I suppose. I always listen to Absolute and Heart 80s and 90s.
I like the music on Trigger Happy TV and similar things where they choose the music carefully on television and in films, and that got me exploring those bands and similar ones.
 
A mix of radio, TV, music press, the internet, friends and just going to gigs a lot and also festivals, which are great for hearing new bands. On the radio, John Peel, Annie Nightingale and the radio 1 evening session (in various guises) then Mark and Lard when they did the graveyard shift. TV: Whistle Test (the Mark Ellen, Andy Kershaw, Richard Skinner era), SnubTV, to some degree The Tube. Muisc press: I read Record Mirror for a while then NME for ages, have now subscribed to Uncut for years. In terms of the internet, I had a spell in the early 2000s of obsessively scanning certain blogs for new music, can't remember what most were but do remember Gorilla VS Bear, which still appears to be going:

GORILLA VS. BEAR
 
Tommy Vance, Fluff Freeman, Johnny Walker and Alan Robson`s Hot & Heavy Express on the radio. Randy Mandy Heavy Rock disco on a Saturday night introduced me to a lot of music.

My older sister`s record collection introduced me to KISS, Van Halen, Thin Lizzy and Led Zep and probably some of the older lads in my registration class at school with their painted haversacks who recommended bands to listen to.
 
Tommy Vance, Fluff Freeman, Johnny Walker and Alan Robson`s Hot & Heavy Express on the radio. Randy Mandy Heavy Rock disco on a Saturday night introduced me to a lot of music.

My older sister`s record collection introduced me to KISS, Van Halen, Thin Lizzy and Led Zep and probably some of the older lads in my registration class at school with their painted haversacks who recommended bands to listen to.
Painted haversacks man🤣🤣🤣
We all had them, with the big flap painted with your favourite bands emblem.
Had the Queen crest on mine. Took me f***ing ages.🤣🤣🤣
 
Skate videos were hugely influential as well as each riders section would have a tune played along with the run. Discovered so much through various skate/fruitboot videos.
 

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