I was born in 1972.
From time immemorial (say, 1976) until second grade I remember hearing country music but listening to my dad’s old pre-Beatles rock and roll records. I can still sing ‘Yakkety-Yak’.
In second grade I moved somewhere where radio other than CBC North was available and started listening to AM radio. AM radio at the time was stuff like Steely Dan, The Police, Bruce Springsteen. I leaned more towards the rock than the New Wave and was listening to stuff like Def Leppard and Judas Priest and Iron Maiden by the sixth grade.
I moved on to older stuff like The Stones and Pink Floyd and particularly The Doors in junior high. And, oddly, Kiss. I was big into older Kiss when I was about 14. I knew who Rush was, but don’t remember especially being a fan in junior high.
I was still listening to the classics in high school, but had also decided The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fishbone were pretty neat too. Then Rush released ‘A Show of Hands’ and that was pretty much that.
University wasn’t much different until I graduated and moved in with a friend from school, a classically trained pianist who played guitar. From that time came exposure to jazz and fusion and basically music for musicians, music by people we both still refer to as ‘ECM guys’. I’ve since devoured most of Zappa’s catalogue, got into Al DiMeola and Paco De Lucia and their ilk, have gone to see Medeski Martin and Wood twice, and basically listen to what a classic/prog rock sort would listen to when not listening to classic or prog rock. Primus came along at some point in there too. What bit of bass guitar I can actually play I learned at this point by ear, mostly Bob Marley, The Police, and Talking Heads.
Not much new rock has grabbed my attention. Radiohead put out a couple of good albums, Green Day put out a couple of good songs, I have nothing against Soundgarden but have no interest in Nirvana. Lately, Big Wreck albums put me at risk of speeding tickets.