Music influence
I am a strong believer that the type of music we were raised listening to has a heavy influence on the type of music we like as adults (it’s been proven!). And I was raised on rock/classic rock! Which means…
… as a kid:
- When me and my siblings would spend the weekend with my mom’s parents and hang out with their friends, they’d tease us for not knowing the lyrics to the country songs they listened to. And I thought something was wrong with us for not knowing. Aww. Ha ha!
- In grade school, when we were supposed to pick a song about love and write it out nicely on piece of paper, I was surprised my classmates weren’t familiar with Van Halen’s “Why Can’t This Be Love.”
- I pretended to know the lyrics to TLC’s “Waterfalls” at middle school sleepovers, and to Beastie Boys songs in high school… but I definetely knew the lyrics to ZZ Top’s “Tube Snake Boogie”!
- We’d listen to a class rock station (in the car and at home), and my parents would call in and try to win prizes (they did win from time to time!). I remember my dad telling us to listen for Van Halen’s “Jump,” because that was the cue to call, and us asking him to play it so we’d know what to listen for… and him blasting it on the speakers at home! (I have lots of good memories of my Dad playing music at home.)
It wasn’t until I started driving that I began listening to current pop/hip hop music. But my rock roots stayed true! As an adult:
- I’ve gone to see Van Halen with my parents.
- I’ve seen Foreigner with Rachel.
- I text my dad anytime “Thunderstruck” comes on my headphones so I can tell him how I reacted to hearing the song, ha!
- I love listening to rock music and playing it in my classes!
But it’s not the only genre I like. I do still listen to pop (it doesn’t make me crazy yet) and love most 80s music, and am in to EDM (electronic dance music).
What music were you raised on?
Themocracy
My mom didn’t listen to a lot of music my dad always took the lead on this. My dad however listened to mostly 50’s and 60’s so I grew up knowing almost everything from this era. Soon my brother became my music influence (he is 11 yrs older than I). That is when the 80’s took over!
Ahh, that’s interesting! Luckily, you skipped the 70s?! Totally kidding, ha ha 😉
Totally! I was raised on Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. I still pretty much listen mostly to music written before I was born (except for running and at the gym when I listen to pop)
I had to look up Joan Baez! What are some songs of hers I might know?
Maybe Diamonds and Rust?
I had never heard it!!!
It’s funny because my parents mostly listened to Indian music and I grew up in an area where country music was prevalent, but I never got into either of those. But I still have a nostalgic love of 80s pop music 🙂
So this does NOT apply to you! 🙂 Do you like any Indian pop stuff?
80s pop is so fun! I’ve made a few playlists with that genre for my strength classes 🙂
I grew up listening to classic rock because of my dad. Lots of Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and Led Zeppelin. The first song I have any memory of is Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” and my first concert was Robert Plant and Jimmy Page with my dad. My mom’s musical influence on me was Neil Diamond – I remember listening to one of his tapes (ha ha, what’s that?) every morning when I was in kindergarten.
I still listen to a lot of the music I grew up on, and generally hate modern pop music (though I did listen to a lot of it in the 80’s and 90’s).
That’s cool! Does your dad still go to concerts?!
I only know what this “tape” thing is because I saw someone using a tapedeck during the Dallas Marathon. Ha ha ha.
Oh whatever, it’s not like you were born in 1986! 🙂
My dad has since gone to one additional concert since then – the Moody Blues at Ravinia with me (and Melanie and her dad!) a couple years ago. He has several recordings of concerts that he’s taped off the radio over the years, so it’s like he goes all the time.
I guess I’m the anomaly. I listened to a lot of classical music growing up and through college and rarely listen to it any more (if at all). I also listened to rock with my dad and never listen to that either. I’ve now gravitated towards jazz (for chilling) and pop music (while running) which I never listened to while growing up. I can see how listening to the same music you grew up with would be comforting or nostalgic… I love that text exchange between you and your dad about Thunderstruck 🙂
Probably because you listened to all the classical music you could handle for a lifetime! LOL! I thought that would be a genre I like, since I played violin for so long, but ugh. It kind of makes me stabby, it can be so boring (not ALL of it, but a lot of it).
I guess that theory didn’t work on me or this post would be about old school country instead. I can still ID most of those old country artists when I hear them now, not going to be on if I have control of the radio though!
PHEW THANK GAWD IT DIDN’T!
Nah, if it had, I’d just love country. 😉
Too slow to drive to, right?!
I think your theory holds true for how my husband and I raised our kids, because they like the old-school rock (the Who, Queen, etc), but my parents, even though there were young when the BEATLES were coming into being, didn’t move past the 1950s rock and roll music. So I had to find it on my own, which wasn’t too hard, growing up in the Bay Area in the 70s. I still love the classic rewind station on Sirius (along with the 70s station – hey, gotta have my mix).
Ahh, interesting! Do you feel as a parent, you stayed true to the times when raising your kids and showed them some other music too, besides the old-school rock?
Oh jeez this could be me. I listened to all my parents’ music, so I knew the Eagles, Tom Petty, Led Zepplin, the Who, Meat Loaf, Stevie Nicks, on and on. I know so many more songs on the oldies station than I do current ones.
Nothing wrong with that!
I grew up listening to Spanish music. Love it!
Cool!
Intriguing question! My parents, especially my mom, were all about classical music when I was growing up. My mom refused to listen to any of the rock stations, et al, because she “couldn’t stand that noise.” At some point I did branch out and start listening to it on my own, though. A lot of it had to do with peer pressure because in grade school it wasn’t considered cool to just listen to Beethovan. Sigh.
Ha ha ha! Love your mom for saying that 😉
How did you listen to it on your own in grade school? On the radio?
My parents had similar musical taste to Kiersten’s parents – mostly Beatles, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan. Baez is a 1960s folksinger with a very beautiful voice; she famously sang “We Shall Overcome” at the March on Washington.
I got very into new wave and punk and harder rock in my teens though. And now I listen to more mellow stuff including a lot of British folk.
I am listening to the song Kiersten told me about! I hadn’t heard her before. She does have a beautiful voice 🙂
So you don’t listen to any of that stuff you listened to as a teen anymore? 🙂
Ooh, this is interesting! So, growing up, my mom exclusively listened to contemporary Christian music and anything secular was the devil’s music and we were not allowed to listen to it. (Seriously – I had to sneak-listen to Britney Spears and NSYNC!) She’s lightened up over the years, but it made for an interesting childhood!
My dad, on the other hand, exclusively listened to classic rock, so anytime I hear a song from that genre, I am instantly taken back to childhood! Those songs are so nostalgic for me!
Wow, that does! “Sneak listen,” tee hee!
Isn’t it amazing how songs can take us back in time, and to exact moments?!
Funny that you mention that VH song and Marty just posted about the 30th anniversary of their 5150 album. Oy. I’m old.
Yes, nice mention of that song. I think that dates all of us.
Where there any original members of Foreigner left when you saw them live?
Music for me… well, you kind of have an insight to the music I was raised on, at least the music I liked to listen to. My mom was always easy listening, big band and soft rock like The Carpenters. She grew up in the 1930’s and 40’s, so that comes with what music she was familiar with.
For me it was classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, new wave and alternative (in that order) that I played a lot of. AC/DC, Black Sabbath, The Cars, Devo, Depeche Mode…. all bands I love and still love to this day.
The guy playing the sax was the closet to original! But he wasn’t. Ha!
Do you think you liked that kind of music more since your mom wasn’t exactly a fan of it? 😉
I think my mom being so against my music choices increased my like for some of the music. But it was mostly just me liking these bands.