Music when we were young

[quartz]

The Suzanne Crough thread became off topic rather quickly, and I was thinking we should start another thread and then @Susan1 suggested it as well, so I thought I would go ahead.

As a kid I was rarely allowed access to secular music, with the exception of what was on TV, like The Monkees, The Partridge Family and whatever variety shows were on in the late 60's and early 70's.

I was not allowed to listen to the radio. My dad left in 1974, and my mom started to relax the restrictions, and so I got my first radio by the time I was 13 in 1975, which was also the year Queen released "Night at the Opera". My earliest rock influences have stayed with me, as I still prefer 70's rock and prog rock.

David Cassidy was my first musician crush, but I was only 9 at the time. Davy Jones was also pretty cute!
When I started listening to rock, my crushes were (and still are!) Tommy Shaw (Styx) and Steve Walsh (Kansas),
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) and Roger Daltrey (The Who).

 

[Buzz]

I first started listening to popular music in the earlier 80s after entering high school. And of course Michael Jackson was my #1 favourite, I also loved: Madonna, REO Speedwagon, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Bruce Springteen just to name a few.

 

[myhoneyhoney]

When I was young my mother's younger brother and youngest sister lived with us. They ruled the stereo (remember the ones with the big box floor speakers?). I spent my childhood listening to Madonna, Foreigner, Phil Collins, Air Supply, Duran Duran, George Michael, etc. My Dad was in the Navy and based on the other side of the country but when he was home he listened to The Beatles a lot.
To this day I still listen to a decent amount of 80's music and I LOVE listening to the Beatles.

 

[misskarne]

My parents only ever listened to an "oldies" station, and we weren't allowed to change it. So I grew up listening to some of the great music of the 70s and 80s - Queen, Dire Straits (my father was a huge Dire Straits fan, so we had the love of that instilled in us early). If it came out in that era, I listened to it and probably loved it - and I still find it superior to a lot of the music my age-mates grew up with, though I do love some of the nineties stuff.

 

[paskatefan]

I really didn't start listening to rock & roll music until the Beatles came to America. Still love their music, and lots of the "British Invasion." The first album/record I ever bought was Petula Clark's "Downtown." I also love Motown music, folk-rock (Simon & Garfunkel, the Mamas & the Papas). My favorite song of all time is "Windy" by The Association. All time favorite musicians include James Taylor, Carly Simon, Gordon Lightfoot, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, Joni Mitchell, Michael Buble, Jethro Tull, Bruce Hornsby, Huey Lewis & the News, Fleetwood Mac ... I also love Classical music and Broadway musicals (especially those of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe).I still listen to all of the music (and lots of movie soundtracks, thanks to figure skating) I mentioned.

 

[judiz]

I discovered music when I was six years old and a classmate let me look at her copy of Tiger Beat magazine. I fell in love with David Cassidy and of course I had to watch The Partridge Family and buy all their albums. I thought Bobby Sherman was cute but he was always second to David. I liked watching the Osmonds on TV but never went crazy over Donny.

As a teenager I was crazy for the Bay City Rollers and The Beatles (odd combination).

When I started subbing and then teaching in the public schools, all the rage was New Kids On The Block and I reverted to my teen self and became a Blockhead.

Today I can comfortably mix all music ranging from Frank Sinatra to Elvis to the classic groups of the '50's and 60's and still have room for the boy bands and some of today's artists.

 

[Susan1]

Thanks! Just feeling nostalgic. Here's a summary of the albums I still have (and don't get me started on all the 45s) -

Almost all of the Beatles albums, the 2 Partridge Family's, 1 Bobby Sherman, most of Elton John's, Rod Stewart's, and Styx. Almost all of Barbara Streisand's albums, and Barry Manilows and The Carpenters. Others I kept or bought at used record stores for one or two of for specific songs - Hall and Oates greatest hits, REO Speedwagon, Alice Cooper's School's Out (sold others at garage sale), 5th Dimension, Carole King, Robin Trower, Pure Prairie League, Deep Purple, Genesis, Boston, Rex Smith, Bread, T. Rex (9th grade), Eagles, Lesley Gore. And a bunch of the Time-Life compilations of 60's, 70's and British Rock albums that they used to send once a month back in the 80's. So, GUESS what kind of radio stations I listen to?????? The only CD I have from this century (ha ha) is Linkin Park - and ONLY for the song Breaking the Habit. I heard it when we were out somewhere and thought it was so pretty. The rest of the CD sounds like mean people throwing trash cans and screaming!!

 

[Susan1]

When I was young my mother's younger brother and youngest sister lived with us. They ruled the stereo (remember the ones with the big box floor speakers?). I spent my childhood listening to Madonna, Foreigner, Phil Collins, Air Supply, Duran Duran, George Michael, etc. My Dad was in the Navy and based on the other side of the country but when he was home he listened to The Beatles a lot.
To this day I still listen to a decent amount of 80's music and I LOVE listening to the Beatles.

Still have my dad's "big box floor speaker" stereo. The record player turntable is warped!!!!!!

Duran Duran - one of our rink's end of season skating shows was movie themes (back in the 90's), and one of the groups skated to View to a Kill. We adult club ladies were sitting in the hockey box singing along. The kids were like "huh?".

 

[Twilight1]

The time between 1984-97 are probably my favourite songs. The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink love those songs. I was in highschool and college between 91-97 so those stand out for me too. (Snap, Aqua, Sarah McLachlan)

It was through watching skating that I developed an appreciation for classical music. (Vivaldi, Chopin, Bach)

 

[Susan1]

I discovered music when I was six years old and a classmate let me look at her copy of Tiger Beat magazine. I fell in love with David Cassidy and of course I had to watch The Partridge Family and buy all their albums.

I went to a Catholic school through 8th grade. We had a lay teacher who thought David Cassidy's hair was too long. And she was only 24!!!!

But then we had a nun who played popular records to teach religion class. I can't remember - a Mamas and Papas song that had a message? Peter Paul and Mary? Godspell. A Simon and Garfunkel song? Rats - usually my long term memory is so good.

Came back on because I JUST remembered - she played us John Lennon's Imagine. And explained how he didn't mean there should not be ANY religion, like everybody was so upset about back then, but that it didn't matter what you believed and it shouldn't divide us. A timeless idea, huh???

 

[gkelly]

I knew the names of all the Beatles when I was 3 because my 25-year-old parents played their music and we danced in the living room. But I lost track of them after about age 7 and didn't pay attention again until after they had broken up.

Before I was a teenager I mostly just listened to whatever my parents played on records or radio. They liked Broadway, and I specifically remember the cast album of Hair. Also Simon and Garfunkel.

Yes, I did briefly have a thing for David Cassidy in 4th grade, though not as much as other girls in my class.

First albums that I bought myself and attended in my mid-teens were Jackson Browne and Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

 

[Jenny]

Others I kept or bought at used record stores for one or two of for specific songs - Hall and Oates greatest hits, REO Speedwagon, Alice Cooper's School's Out (sold others at garage sale), 5th Dimension, Carole King, Robin Trower, Pure Prairie League, Deep Purple, Genesis, Boston, Rex Smith, Bread, T. Rex (9th grade), Eagles, Lesley Gore. And a bunch of the Time-Life compilations of 60's, 70's and British Rock albums that they used to send once a month back in the 80's.

Sooner or Later!

For those who enjoy compilations, keep and eye out for the "Gold" series - they do double CD sets themed on specific genres in specific decades, and greatest hits of various artists. Compilations can be tricky as many big artists/labels won't participate, but the Gold series seems to get them all. For the one-hit wonders, anyone into 70s (also available in about 20 individual CDs) and 80s needs to have the Rhino box sets.

Also, if you like the Hall and Oates hits, I'd encourage you to try the broader catalogue - I only really started to appreciate them in recent years when I went beyond the radio hits. This is arguably the best album - Abandoned Luncheonette.

 

[quartz]

My mom only listened to Gospel music, and she had to do that when my dad wasn't around. Dad played Sacred music, Classical Music and Opera, which he played VERY LOUD!
I had a phonograph and a few carefully chosen by my dad albums. So I had the classics for kids sort of thing, and The Sound of Music and children's vapid Church music, like Jesus Loves Me sort of thing.
I think the reason the music of my early teen years still resonates with me so much is because it was a breaking away of my parents influences and learning about what I liked and not having my choices dictated to me, (even though I still love Classical!)
I do try to expand my horizons, and my husband is quite varied in his tastes so he gets me to listen to a lot of things I normally wouldn't think to try. But I keep coming back to my 70's stuff, Kansas in particular is my all time favorite.

 

[Rob]

My brothers are 9/10 years older than me so my favorites were divided between music for my age group and music for their age group. Eclectic between teeny bopper and rock n roll. So in the 60s to 70s, I loved:

Gary Lewis and the Playboys
The Beatles
The Jackson Brothers/ Jackson 5 (the Jackson's played at my brothers' boarding school in Indiana for homecomings before they got famous)
The Rolling Stones
The Monkees
The Who (had a Daltrey Poster in my room)
The Partridge Family (Many posters in my room)
The Grateful Dead
Bobby Sherman
Led Zeppelin
Elton John
The Doors
Bowie

and I played the soundtrack from the movie Oliver! over and over!

Then I played all kinds of ballet music - Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, Romeo & Juliet, Don Q, Sleeping Beauty.

Oh and between the ages of 11 and 15, I went to concerts with my brothers: Stones, Jethro Tull, George Harrison, Billy Preston, and Ravi Shankar, the Dead, David Bowie, etc. Some classic stuff.

 

[genevieve]

My sister and brother are many years older than I am, so I inherited several albums once they were teenagers. From a very young age, I had 2 Partridge Family albums, the Mary Poppins soundtrack, and quite a few 45s: Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever double A Side (Beatles, duh), Without You (Nilson), Brand New Key (Melanie) were the ones I listened to the most. I had an old turntable that had not only the 33/45 RPM settings but 16 and 78 as well, so I loved listening to these at the way wrong speeds

Albums that were MINE before I was 10:
Carole King - Really Rosie
Free To Be You and Me
Shaun Cassidy's self-titled debut album (I also had an enormous poster of him on my wall - this is when I was 6-7 )

My sister always had great taste in music, my brother was and is prog rock all the way (if you're wondering who the target audience for pre-superstardom Genesis was, it was he). My mom is very oddly disinterested in music. She listens to classical music but I don't think she knows or cares so much what it is. All rock music is just noise to her. Three exceptions: "Yesterday", "Piano Man" and "American Pie".

 

[Susan1]

Sooner or Later!

Yep! Remember the t.v. movie? And the song "You Take My Breath Away"?. Swooning again..........

 

[Susan1]

Sooner or Later!

For those who enjoy compilations, keep and eye out for the "Gold" series - they do double CD sets themed on specific genres in specific decades, and greatest hits of various artists. Compilations can be tricky as many big artists/labels won't participate, but the Gold series seems to get them all. For the one-hit wonders, anyone into 70s (also available in about 20 individual CDs) and 80s needs to have the Rhino box sets.

I have the 80's hair bands power ballads cassette tape!!!!

 

[Jenny]

genevieve I had a record player like that too - we had the old KTel Fantastic record and there were certain songs we preferred at the wrong speed

Also remember Free to Be You and Me - that was a popular borrow at the school library so I guess a lot of us now must have memories of that one.

 

[Susan1]

I knew the names of all the Beatles when I was 3 because my 25-year-old parents played their music and we danced in the living room. But I lost track of them after about age 7 and didn't pay attention again until after they had broken up.

First albums that I bought myself and attended in my mid-teens were Jackson Browne and Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

I'm just picking out various quotes from people...........

A - I may have mentioned before that I had my first Beatles record in preschool!!! And I distinctly remember sitting on the floor in front of the t.v. watching them on the Ed Sullivan Show. I took my 45 to "school". Just thinking about that time is so amazing. What other era/decade did kids go from Poky Little Puppy records (still have it with the book to read along...) to rock and roll overnight. The Beatles did that! In first grade, a girl named Barbara sang Eight Days a Week for show and tell! Someone else posted about Gary Lewis and the Playboys. My dad brought home the 45 of Everybody Loves A Clown (still have it!) and told me it was The Beatles. I kept crying and telling him it wasn't them and I didn't want it!!!!!!

B - CSNY (greatest hits cassette tape) in a car with great speakers - you can hear all of their voices separately. Gives me chills just thinking about it. Wooden Ships - man!

 

[Susan1]

But I keep coming back to my 70's stuff, Kansas in particular is my all time favorite.

My cousin Lisa's first car had an 8 track!!!!!!! So she ordered tapes from one of those clubs (ads in T.V. Guide) that sent you 12 for $1 and an extra one for one penny and then you had to buy one every month. She called me to come over one day and we opened the box and there were all those tapes (Kansas, Boston, Foreigner, Styx). We looked at each other and back to the box and each other and back, speechless. Always makes me think of cartoons where the cat's eyeballs get really huge and pop out of his head. And then we had to drive all over the rest of the day to listen to them.

 

[quartz]

I don't care for the early Beatles I Wanna Hold Your Hand puppy love stuff. They were much more interesting once they started doing drugs.

 

[Susan1]

My brothers are 9/10 years older than me so my favorites were divided between music for my age group and music for their age group.

Yeah, my two best friends had older sisters (one had two and the other had three), so between all of us, we probably had every 45 made in the late 60's. Remember stacking them up on the record player and they would fall down one at a time? We'd do that and turn up the volume and go play games or read in the other room, or twirl batons next to the open window. When they were done, we'd put on the next stack.

 

[Susan1]

My sister always had great taste in music, my brother was and is prog rock all the way (if you're wondering who the target audience for pre-superstardom Genesis was, it was he). My mom is very oddly disinterested in music. She listens to classical music but I don't think she knows or cares so much what it is. All rock music is just noise to her. Three exceptions: "Yesterday", "Piano Man" and "American Pie".

My dad only listened to piano records - Liberace, Ferrante and Teicher, Peter Nero, etc. (and "elevator music" on the radio.) I hated that. I'd go in my room and close the door to play my records. Funny, ex-boyfriend and I went to a semi-nice restaurant about 10 years ago on a Saturday night and they had a piano player in the corner. I said I felt so old because that was so much nicer than loud music or sports on a bunch of t.v.s.

 

[Rob]

I still have my 45s and 8 track tapes (even though I no longer have an 8 track player).

And we twirled batons too! My 2nd/4th grade teacher was a majorette in school so she taught us some moves. I was never very good at it.

Susan1 and I must be about the same age!

 

[taf2002]

My dad loved to watch "Sing Along with Mitch" & have the whole family sitting around & singing. We always sang on car trips too. I still know the words to lots of '30's, '40's, & '50's songs. And in the late '50/early '60's there was "Your Hit Parade" which was an early version of Billboard - they introduced & sang the top 10 songs of that week.

But my 1st musical crush was Bobby Darin & that crush (not really just a crush, it was true love ) has endured to the present day. Whenever I think of him my heart hurts. I was convinced that I would grow up & marry him because no one could ever love him as much as I did. And when he got married I cried my eyes out.

 

[quartz]

So, other than @genevieve's brother, are there any other prog rock fans here?
Pink Floyd, Yes, ABWH, Dream Theatre, Jethro Tull, Asia, Porcupine Tree, Alan Parsons?
Also, has anyone here ever heard of Zon?

 

[Susan1]

I still have my 45s and 8 track tapes (even though I no longer have an 8 track player).

And we twirled batons too! My 2nd/4th grade teacher was a majorette in school so she taught us some moves. I was never very good at it.

Susan1 and I must be about the same age!

My baton teacher was the high's school's head majorette. She made me try out for majorette before public school in ninth grade, but, fortunately all of the 8th grade majorettes just moved up! (Oops, even when we change threads to talk about music, I go off on a tangent.................................)

 

[gkelly]

So, other than @genevieve's brother, are there any other prog rock fans here?
Pink Floyd, Yes, ABWH, Dream Theatre, Jethro Tull, Asia, Porcupine Tree, Alan Parsons?

Yes, but not so much until after high school.

 

[flyingsit]

I LOVED Asia.
Also Styx, Foreigner, Beach Boys. And INXS, they were awesome.

 

[clairecloutier]

I was a tween/teenager in the mid-1980s, so I got into music in the very early MTV era. I remember watching a video-compilation show that aired once a week on one of the networks! This was the era of early Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, and David Bowie's Let's Dance. My favorites from that '80s era were R.E.M. and U2. And I had a major crush on Sting that lasted for years! Naturally during this time, I listened to Police records so much, I practically wore them out!

But I didn't like a lot of 80s music. So in my late teens, I got into music from the 1960s/1970s. I loved Fleetwood Mac, the Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, and some of the Who. I still think the Beatles are the greatest band ever, just in terms of how many great songs they wrote and how original they were.

As an adult, I've gotten into Joni Mitchell and jazz.