This happens to me pretty often; I hear a song from back when I was 17 (the height of my long-haired, leather-jacket-clad rocker years) and my now-43-year-old mind thinks, “I used to love that song? No shit?! That’s terrible…how often was I stoned back then?!”
The answer to the “…how often was I stoned back then…” question is “A LOT”, but that hardly counts for all of it. I’m not sure if I’ve just outgrown it, or if it sucked to begin with.
Anything by Led Zeppelin brings on the “I used to love that?! No shit?!” response. I’m not sure if I just heard sooooooo much of it when I was a young pup that I’m completely burnt out on it, or if it’s always been a bombastic, poorly written, loud, screechy cacophony that sounds like two tomcats fighting in a steel trashcan. Whatever the reason, when any Led Zep comes on the radio, the channel is changed as quickly as possible.
Almost all of it. Most of what I listen to would be classified as indie, electronic, alternative, or rock, with a very heavy emphasis on female vocalists, but I grew up listening to Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Collin Raye, Mark Wills, Tim McGraw, and other pop-country artists.
For the past 20-odd years, that was always my answer. I had listened to/played so much fricking Zep in my teens that by the time I reached my 20’s, I couldn’t bear to hear another note. Same as you – every time they came on the radio, it was cause for a quick station change. I even broke off a potential relationship with an otherwise very nice girl because she constantly referred to them as “The Mighty Zep”. Couldn’t stand 'em anymore.
However, my hiatus is now at an end. When Adam performed Whole Lotta Love on American Idol a few weeks ago, I cringed – Like it or not, I was going to have to hear Led Zep. As it turns out, I didn’t burst into flame, and I really enjoyed it. I had forgotten that I didn’t hate Zep, I had just become unbearably sick of them. Twenty years of avoiding them had cured me of that though, and for the past couple of weeks I’ve been leaving them on when they come on the radio, and really digging them again.
Well, except for Stairway. I’d doubt I’ll ever be un-sick of that one.
And most other big-hair metal bands from the late 70s to late 80s. Def Leppard springs to mind. Oh, and the Steve Miller Band. I think that SMB still sort of stands the test of time in terms of artistic merit, but I heard Fly Like An Eagle so many friggin’ times in college, that I cannot flip the radio station away from SMB fast enough.
I liked Rod Stewart at lot more until I worked at a store that had a tape that played “Every Picture Tells a Story” every ten minutes and insisted it play the entire Christmas season. But I was never a big fan, and always felt he had a great voice, but generally lousy taste in song choices (though I do still like his Jeff Beck stuff).
I liked the early Steve Miller Band, but after Steve Miller Five, they did nothing I could listen to – but I felt that way when I first heard it.
Very few others. I usually still enjoy hearing music or TV I liked as a kid or teenager.
I used to love, what I call, schmaltzy songs, growing up. Like Janis Ian’s “At Seventeen.” Now I’m like “God, what a whiney little cry baby, now wonder no one liked her.” Or Andrew Gold’s “Lonely Boy.” I mean according to the song, his entire life was ruined 'cause a baby sister was born? Man the dude must’ve had a lot of other issues.
But I love these and a lot of other “schmaltzy” songs growing up
I had always though Destroyer was such a great album. Went back and listened to again a year ago. It did NOT stand the test of time, or me reaching adulthood.
Guess I have to be the lone voice of dissent in this thread. My musical taste has expanded enormously over the decades, but I can’t think of a single thing I’ve stopped liking.
How about music you loved five minutes ago and now can’t stand? 'Cause I do that. Whenever I find a song I like I have this terrible habit of listening to it OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN until it doesn’t even sound like music anymore and I hate it.
Seriously though. When I was a kid? Hmm. No Doubt, Evanescence, Green Day, Blink 182, MXPX, Garbage, Radiohead, The Killers, Pink, Queen, The Ramones.
And that’s not to say that these bands/artists are bad, just that I can’t really listen to them anymore. It’s like… been there, done that.
Hard rock and metal in general. I used to know and listen to pretty much every major act, but now “Who Made Who(m)”- and older AC/DC is just about the only hard rock I can stand at all, and then only in about a one song dose.
Here’s my chance to tell this story…
A couple of days ago, I was going over my daughter’s piano lesson pieces with her, and when we were done I started playing a little “Stairway to Heaven”.
Later that day, she said to me, “Daddy, can you teach me that song you were playing, ‘Spareribs to Heaven’”?
A lot of country (which I used to love) is now embarassing to listen to.
Boy bands (Backstreet Boys, N’sync, etc.)
I loved, loved, loved Hoobastank’s The Reason, to the point where I would inwardly rejoice if it came on the radio and sing along without stopping for breath. I heard it the other day for the first time in a while and was utterly horrified. “This is the song that I was so obsessed with? Good God, I had bad taste.” (whether or not I still do is open to debate )
Green Day (I was way into American Idiot when it came out, especially Boulevard of Broken Dreams, which now just sounds overwrought and terrible)
Here is the most embarassing one of all…when I was 14-ish, I was absolutely, hopelessly taken with Clay Aiken. I bought his first CD (Measure of a Man) and played it relentlessly for a good six months until I got sick of it. Now I just think it’s completely cringeworthy.
Absolutely. When I was a kid, I had EVERYTHING Kiss put out. Albums, cassette tapes, jacket, t-shirts, sweatbands, dolls, you name it I had it.
When they started doing “Farewell” concerts (I think the second Farewell tour) I decided I had to go see them “one last time” before they hung up the 8" leather heels. I brought my girlfriend and was completely embarrassed. Their music was so simple, so predictable, so repetitive that I couldn’t listen anymore.
I hang my head in shame every time I remember defending them as true artists.
Oh, my. A dark secret to be revealed. I used to be inordinately fond of…Barry Manilow. And John Denver.
Not to say that I have lost all of my love for cheesy pop. I still love ABBA and the Monkees.
I did own some records by groups like KISS, Loverboy, and Van Halen, but I must admit that it was mostly peer pressure that I *ought * to like them, since they were so popular. I never actually cared for them at all.
As for burnout, the Beatles are top of that list. I really do like their stuff (or a lot of it, anyway), but I have no desire at all to listen to it.
I was about to say much the same thing as you just did. I’ve always had pretty excellent taste in music, so why shouldn’t I still love the good shit I loved when I was a teener? The sounds of the tunes haven’t changed, now have they?
'Cause I do that. Whenever I find a song I like I have this terrible habit of listening to it OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN until it doesn’t even sound like music anymore and I hate it.
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