Title ripped from and concept inspired by this thread. Perhaps “hate” is too strong a word, but in general I mean musical artists you went gaga for in your teens, but now either don’t do as much for you, or you now actively hate.
My big bands during my teenage years were Chicago and Elton John. I can still favor certain songs from both artists’ catalogues, but there’s much that I now find abhorrent. Both reached their creative peaks in the early 70’s, but their artistic declines were both precipitous and ugly, and I can’t stand anything made by either after c. 1976, and in fact I started to grow away from both at that time and moved on to other things (like Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac), and then later in college I got a taste of prog, Krautrock, and postpunk, and things were never the same.
I think my embarrassing early teenage phases that to the greatest degree did not last were Phil Collins, Billy Idol, and the Ramones (who aren’t so horrible but have been very much put aside and are categorized in my head as “childrens’ music” (I know someone will ream me for that). Oh, and The Doors drive me up the wall now.
But I think I speak for most people of my age group when I say “Pearl Jam.” Must have been something in the water supply at colleges in 1991-2 since it seemed to make so much sense at the time. . .
Oh, and the whole metal thing. Strange that now the only metal bands I still can stand to listen to (70s-era Priest, Maiden) are the bands that by the late 80s one was embarrassed to admitting liking, since by then it was all Metallica.
R.E.M., although a couple years back I listened to their old (IRS label) records, and found that I still really like their old stuff. It’s the band which changed.
Speaking of which…
Have you listened to Chicago’s Stones of Sisyphus? It’s supposed to be more like their early stuff. Plus, if the record company called it “unreleasable”, and held it back for fourteen years, it’s got to be good, right?
Yeah - I came in to name them. When I was 12, KISS Alive was da bomb. Now I listen to their music and wonder what I was thinking. I don’t hate them, per se - jeez, I have a huge respect for their business sense and durability - but, at best, their music is meh and their whole shtick is, well, shticky…fine for when you’re about 12…
Creed. When I first heard their album in college, I really liked them. After a few years of hearing their stuff, it got worse and worse with each listen, rather than better and better. Now, they’re hard for me to listen to.
Blink 182. Loved them in middle school along with all the other kids that were finally breaking free of their parents’ music. I knew the lyrics to their first major album by heart. After seeing them live (summer 2002, they were terrible) I became disenchanted with them. Now I can’t even hear Tom’s voice without wanting to stab my eardrums with an ice pick.
I have kind of a hobby of digitizing my vinyl now that I have a USB record player. Sometimes the only thing that gets me through certain records is the drive to preserve the product for posterity. I swear to God Loverboy and Night Ranger sorely tested my resolve. Had to do them both on the same day with the help of a 12-pack of Harp lager.
Midnight Oil. I used to love that band. This isn’t one of those deals where you like a band when you’re twelve but then grow out of it, either - I was in my thirties when I used to listen to their CDs over and over. Now when a Midnight Oil song comes up on the ipod, I usually hit the skip button. Boring!
Not quite what the OP is looking for but I can’t listen to the Doors anymore. I don’t hate them, but I loved them SO much when I was a teenager that they are now strongly associated will a lot of memories I would rather forget.
They were a great band, but I will change the channel if they ever come on the radio, and I don’t own any albums anymore.
That was fairly common. KISS was rock’s equivalent of training wheels. You listened to them for about a year of so after you outgrew your kiddie records and before moving on to a “real” band like Van Halen, Zeppelin, or Aerosmith. I can’t think of anyone who listened to KISS after their 14th birthday.
Of course, I never liked KISS even when I was 12 and 13. I thought they were stupid and gimmicky.
The Steve Miller Band did some very good work on their first five albums. Then came “The Joker,” and everything else was crap. I still like their early songs, but whenever I hear a Steve Miller song on the radio, my finger hits the next station at the speed of light.
I’m still trying to hold onto my love for ELP, but it’s hard. Their lyrics were the kind of thing that appealed to my HS and college-age self, but now… :rolleyes:. When Lake keeps his yap shut, it’s a lot more bearable. Still, it was through them that I discovered Mussorgsky, Bartok and Prokofiev, so it’s hardly a loss.
Men Without Hats… sigh. I loved these guys with a passion back in Jr. High, but when I listen to them now… ugh. Musically, they’re not all that bad, and I still enjoy them as good nostalgic fun, but the lyrics are just embarrassing.
Huh? U2 and REM are both still making music, and in fact REM put out their best record in a decade this year and played some of the best live shows of their career. I can understand if they don’t appeal to you anymore, but they haven’t called it quits yet.
Totally agree on Metallica, though their live show at Bonnaroo was actually pretty good. Their new album is embarrassingly bad.
