The Bizarro version of this thread. What music groups did you used to hate, but now you like (or at least tolerate)? And what made the change?
For me, the Doors. My brother was a big fan, and played them all the time (when they were still around). I grew to hate them (I hate hearing anything over and over again). Once, I even admitted I liked “People Are Strange,” he ragged me about it.
Now, I’m far more willing to listen to most of their work (though not the album cut of “Light My Fire”).
I didn’t care much for the Beatles at first, but that was just snobbishness. The first album I bought was “Sgt. Pepper.”*
Anyone else have this happen?
*In mono. Believe me, there’s not much difference.
When I was 10 or so I hated Billy Idol. I don’t even know why. All I know is I couldn’t stand his music or his look or anything. Then when I was 13 I bought the Rebel Yell tape (cassette! Yes I’m old) and I freakin loved him. Saw him in concert a few years ago and it was fantastic.
When I was very little I was afraid of KISS - especially Gene Simmons - and never got to know their music because they freaked me out too much. Then I grew up and totally sing along to them when I’m driving. Saw them in concert a few years ago too.
I also never liked Heavy Metal in general as a kid but grew into it as I got older.
A lot of bands that were too mainstream were like that for me. I generally gravitated towards bands that showed off virtuoso musicians. As I got older I recognized that writing a good catchy song is a skill. The one that pops into my heads is Journey. I liked a few of their songs when they came out but I always found them too poppy. Now I realize they put out some really good stuff.
All through my adolescence and young adult years, I scorned them for their 3-chord hits and had Tom Petty pegged as a Dylan wannabee. I saw him and his band perform with Dylan in the mid or late 80s and learned he out-Dylaned Dylan. But that still didn’t do it.
A few years ago a friend invited me to see the band again. It was a wonderful concert, full of energy and joy for just the sheer love of the music. I realized a few things. Petty was the soundtrack to a hell of a lot of my life, and listening to all those great old songs brought back sweet memories. That was worth a lot. Another realization was what a feat it was to keep a band together and turning out the hits for as long as they have done. And the other big realization was the same one as Loach made: There’s talent in being able to write songs that appeal to the masses in a broad way. Including me.
Now I can’t get enough. Fortunately, it’s a large catalogue.
She’s not exactly a band, but she is a musical performer. Sheryl Crow. I never liked any of her radio hits. I thought they were fluff and ignored them. Then one day I was driving over the mountains with a co-worker who had a Crow CD in the player and when I got past the radio crap, I heard some really solid music. I still don’t like her radio hits, but I have learned to appreciate her other work.
The Stray Cats. When they were new, I hated them for their poseur-ness. They were pretending to be old school 50s rebels, but they didn’t understand what the time they were imitating was really like. They were the musical equivalent of rat rods.
But as the time between now and the 80s is greater than that between then and the 50s, I’m more forgiving. Their songs are pretty good. And I really love Brian Setzer Orchestra stuff!
I was in high school during the time Fleetwood Mac and Rumours came out and while I wouldn’t say I hated them I disliked them pretty intensely. I was a young drummer mostly into the prog bands of the day.
Now that I’ve picked up guitar and other instruments and learned how frikkin’ hard it is to write and record a good song I’ve come to appreciate pretty much everything about those albums a lot more.
Prince. At the time (80s) I only liked real rock music, but later I learned to love funk (Sly Stone, etc.) and electronic dancy stuff like Bjork or Plastelina Mosh, so I began to appreciate where Prnce fit into it all.
The biggest 180 I did was on the Smashing Pumpkins. Didn’t care for them at all until about 1996 or 1997. “Hate” may be going too far, but on the negative side of “indifferent.” Then, around that time, something just flipped in me and they became one of my favorite bands of the 90s, if not my favorite band.
I could have told you that 35 years ago. Appreciated them not just as a girl with posters on my walls and VHS copies of all the videos, but for their music and their appreciation for those who inspired them. Yes, we were overexposed to them but if you strip that all away, they really didn’t suck.
I was too busy with Duran Duran and the synths & videos to acknowledge Rush.
I haaaaated Rush with a passion for many years, really until about 5 years ago. I finally realized much too recently that it wasn’t Rush I didn’t like, it was their fans. All I ever heard back then was how “my” music sucked and Rush was the greatest band in the world. I was a New Wave fan and the two certainly did not mix demographics back in the '80’s. Rush fans seemed pretentious and arrogant to us, and I’m sure we seemed shallow to them.
Now, I finally get it. They really are good!
Yeah, as a little metalhead in junior high school, I dismissed all new wave out of hand. Especially Duran Duran. I hated them with a passion, because all the girls were in love with them, not necessarily their music. And of course, Rush were gods.
As I grew up and matured, I realized I’d been missing out on a lot of good stuff. I realized Duran Duran were actually pretty good. And what’s funny is that my love for Rush has dwindled. I still like them, but their music doesn’t get me all fired up like it used to.
A more recent entry for me would be Talking Heads. They were one of those bands I hated when I was a kid, but just in the last ten years or so I’ve realized how truly awesome they are.
Van Halen - Why would a hard rock band have a Caberet singer as a front man. Took me years to get used to DLR and just enjoy how he both contrasted and complimented Eddie,
AC/DC - dislike by Front Man again. I thought that Scott was trying to sound like a cartoon character. The music and the vocal intensity eventually won me over.
Rush - Hard rock and what sounds like somebody’s 12 year old brother singing hysterically. Got used to Geddy after a while. Enjoy the music but to this day I can’t handle more than a few songs in a row.
Hate is too strong a word, but I never liked Yes, based mainly on Jon Anderson’s voice and the fact that I was into post-punk in my formative years and Yes were scoffed-at prog-hippies (though King Crimson were always cool).
Eventually my brother talked me into giving them a proper chance, particularly the classic line-up with Bruford and Wakeman. I got used to Jon Anderson’s voice and even started to kind of like it.
Strictly the classic lineup era, though. And the 80s pop band version is an abomination.
I am trying think if a band has actually won me over. When I was a young suburban 80’s white-boy idiot, I dismissed Country Music and Disco with snotty disdain. To be clear, I enjoyed I Feel Love by Donna Summer and the BeeGee’s songs but in a guilty pleasure short of way.
Same with Country music - the silly, sappy stuff was fun to make fun of, but you can say that about rock, too. I like Willie and Hank and Johnny Cash but treated Country like Rock’s yee-haw cousin.
When I got my head out of my ass, and was open with my love of good Disco and Country, it was much better. Plus, I could listen to Patsy Cline, Buck Owens, Amii Stewart (disco Knock on Wood) and I Feel Love with no shame.
I hated the Go-gos and The Bangles on their first run, they just seemed like shallow manufactured pop music, and I was a pretentious art-rock snob at the time. 20 years later I really grew to appreciate the perfect crafting, musicianship, and sizzling energy that went into their tunes.
Actually, that reminds me. Not a band, but a genre. I really don’t have the patience for prog rock (I know that’s it’s not been exactly a bold stance to dislike prog for quite some time now), but I did find myself liking King Crimson and Genesis eventually. I still can’t get into any other of the usual prog suspects, but those I’ve found something that I could actually sit through and enjoy. Especially the Genesis. As a keyboardist, Tony Banks is one of my idols. I never could get into Emerson or Wakeman or any of those, but Banks just has wonderful texture, tone, and taste.
