How Old Were You When You Fell in Love with Music?

soclose

I have memories of the music my parents listened to going back to the age of five at the very least. I remember my mom's oldies, and from my dad I remember bands like Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers. On trips to the store I can remember straining my ears to listen to the music playing quietly as my parents had a conversation up front. Around 7 or 8 I owned a few cassette tapes - Janet Jackson, New Kids on the Block and Paula Abdul - but I wouldn't say I was a music fan.

It was at 13 years old that things started to change. I'm not exactly proud to say who did it for me, but groups like the Gin Blossoms, Weezer and Oasis took me from simply enjoying whatever was on the radio to listening to full albums on repeat, reading liner notes and browsing the shelves at record stores for my next purchase (though those were few and far between). Pearl Jam came into my life a few months later, but I can't deny that the Gin Blossoms were my first "favorite" band.

I'm curious to find out if my experience is similar to those of others. I've read posts (especially on the Pearl Jam section of the board) from people even younger than my mere 25 years saying that they've been music fans since preschool (which often works out the the "grunge era"), and that's something I simply can't relate to. I always thought of music fandom as a teenage thing, but I guess maybe I was just a late bloomer in that area.;)

Yielded

7 or 8 maybe... of all music, I discovered Soundgarden and was hooked.
Also, David Bowie. If I could meet him I would tell him how his music changed my life and turned me into a music lover, someone who actually cares about what he listens to.

I guess it just varies from person to person. I didn't really start to explore all types of music until I was a teenager, but started loving music years before that. Many of my friends are the same as you and didn't truly discover music until they were 14 or 15 or something.

soclose

Yielded wrote:

7 or 8 maybe... of all music, I discovered Soundgarden and was hooked.

I find that fascinating. There was a time I was bummed that I had missed out on bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden the first time around because of my age - but I was 9 years old when Ten was released! Still, I can't imagine my 9 year old self listening to Badmotorfinger and being anything other than frightened! Nor do I think I had the capacity to truly appreciate music.

But I think it's very cool that others have had different experiences. And I don't even like Soundgarden anymore, so I'm not too jealous.;)

Yielded

soclose wrote:

I find that fascinating. There was a time I was bummed that I had missed out on bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden the first time around because of my age - but I was 9 years old when Ten was released! Still, I can't imagine my 9 year old self listening to Badmotorfinger and being anything other than frightened! Nor do I think I had the capacity to truly appreciate music.

But I think it's very cool that others have had different experiences. And I don't even like Soundgarden anymore, so I'm not too jealous.;)

Considering the stuff I was listening to before I got into Soundgarden, I myself am surprised to tell you the truth. Badmotorfinger, quickly followed by Superunknown, were my favourite albums for ages. Needless to say that at school, I was always the kid that wasn't listening to the stuff everyone else was into.

muppet

My mum and dad used to listen to a lot of music like Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, Beautiful South. I was sick to death of them when they played them on long road trips we had when we went on holiday.

My first 'proper' band that I liked was Rage Against The Machine. I heard Wake Up on The Matrix and thought 'wow.' This was when I was about 12 or 13. I guess that led to Audioslave, to Soundgarden, to Pearl Jam and through Pearl Jam I've discovered so much more music.

Currently, I'm loving the Van Morrison and Rod Stewart stuff. It's amazing how much music sticks with you for all these years. So I thank my parents for that.

justam

Apparently I used to sing a lot when I was a toddler so my grandmother got me started on the piano.

pjfan020

i got into general music when i was probably around 10 or 11. in eigth grade two of my buddies got on the drums and guitar and played iron man by sabbath at our talent show and i was in. got a guitar shortly after that and the rest took care of itself.

pjfan020

muppet wrote:

Currently, I'm loving the Van Morrison and Rod Stewart stuff. It's amazing how much music sticks with you for all these years. So I thank my parents for that.

i was listening to petty, neil young, bob dylan, and johnny cash before i even knew who they were...so i guess i owe my mom a lot for listening to kick ass music. she also thinks eddie is an amazing singer so i she's cool in my book.

Zanne

I do believe I was born with the love of music in my veins. My family did a lot of get togethers/jams and I think I came out with a pair of spoons (not silver) and started making rhythms while the doctors were cleaning me up!

Honestly, I can't recall a time when I would not trade in candy money for albums. I had an extensive collection by the time I was 5, and my father just recently reminded me that I was 3 when I asked for my first record player.

Peace

FinsburyParkCarrots

Seeing this on Top of The Pops, aged two, both scared the living shite out of me and fascinated me, at the same time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3B0L4mvYFk


Blame Ron Mael for everything. Invading Poland. Everything.

Wilds

I remember listening to and loving my parents music. Tubular Bells, Moody Blues, Led Zep, and Classical music. This was age 4 or 5.

Then I didn't really listen to music until I was 10 or 12. It was Buddy Holly, and lot's of early rock. Classics 24 Cat Stevens. Then I got big into Def Leopard, and Guns N' Roses. In 1989 I bought Tom Petty's Free Fallin single, plus Young MC's single Bust a Move.

At around this time my twin brother and I heard Stairway to Heaven at a friends house. Neither of us knew who Led Zeppelin was, but we both kind of looked at each other and had a flashback to when we were 4 years old and it was an awesome moment.

That song was like magic bringing us back to a time when we were always being held by our dad and mom. It was awesome.

From then on I got more and more into the Who, Steve Miller Band, The Beatles, and eventually the Kinks, and finally Pearl Jam as they emerged.

Good times.

restlesssoul

been listening all my life. my dad made tapes and tapes for me. been aware of the love since 5 0r 6. lots of ELO in early life.

catefrances

9.

elmer

Probably 3, my first explicit memorys are centred around hearing music and the intense, confusing feeling it brought me, visual stills accompany the songs but are secondary in my recollection.

curmudgeoness

I was two or three, I think. David Bowie and The Who have been part of my life literally for as long as I can remember.

musicismylife78

I am constantly falling in love with it. Its my life.

I first fell in love with it as a little 7 year old, blown away by the grunge scene.

I fall in love each time I go to a concert or hear a cd.

For me, music is IT. Its the most important thing in my life.

xSmackSoundx

I started getting serious around 7th grade... got into classic rock...

just tina

for as long as i can remember. my mom always had music playing, and pretty good stuff too..a variety that ranged from jethro tull to cat stevens to marvin gaye. i remember maggie may/rod stewart from the time it came out, and i think i was 3 or so at the time...it remains one of my favorites. i constantly heard the beatles...my mom played a lot of them and also the neighbors in the house next to our back yard..there were 4 boys there and they played beatles all day long and loud, especially in the summer. my babysitter had an obsession with jimi hendrix so there was another influence. my uncle was very into chicago, the guess who and the doobie brothers and another uncle introduced me to black sabbath and led zeppelin. my mom tells me i had "favorite" songs as young as a year old. i'd bop around and clap my hands when they'd come on the radio...just to the certain favorites.

Blind Melon

Incubus, 8 years ago.. still my favorite band.

faithful227

Some of my earliest childhood memories are of trips to the music store with my Dad. I still remember the first cassette tapes he bought for me. They were:

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: I Love Rock and Roll
&
John Cougar: American Fool


I've always had a thing for music since I can remember, and my Dad always had an awesome stereo and tons of vinyl. He was big into Steely Dan, Floyd, REO, and Billy Joel. My mom was into Zeppelin, CCR, and Steppenwolf. Crazy how I remember all that.

I thank them to this day for that influence though.

Them-Bones

When I was 12 (little more than three years ago), I started listening to Nirvana A LOT, so that was the time when I fell in love with rock music, before that I used to listen to mostly mainstream rap (50 Cent, Eminem), but I just listened to it because thats what everyone around me was listening to.

corduroid

I was 4 when we moved from Detroit and my sister played the Beatle's "I Want to Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There" 45-rpm on her little record player up in our new room, over and over.

That's the first time I can say music really grabbed me.

I remember like yesterday as she played it again and again in that empty room, flipping the sides back and forth, each of us singing (screaming) along to the " ... I'll never dance with another .... WOOOO!!!" part. It was electrifying.

That was a loooong time ago, I don't remember a lot of things as clearly as that