At what age and with what music did you develop an appreciation for music?

For me - 1976 / '77, about 5 or 6 years old, listening to three 8-track cassettes in the car 8-track player on road trips:
Hank Williams Sr. - Greatest Hits
Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger
Freddy Fender - Wasted Days and Wasted Nights

I then remember a phase of Eddie Rabbit (I Love a Rainy Night) and the Grease Soundtrack on cassette.

Finally, around 1980, I recall my first bonafide rock song: "I Love Rock and Roll" by Joan Jett on a 45 single on my friend's record player. (That's a girl?! No way!)

All analog, all pre-MTV.

1991-1992. I was in 6th and 7th grade and my whole view on music changed those years. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice n Chains, STP, Dr. Dre, New Jack Swing.

TAMU freshman roommate had Led Zeppelin CD box set and I thought it was amazing. A couple of years later Napster came around and I downloaded everything I could.

Listened to it my whole life. Have a great appreciation for 60s-80s music thanks to parents. All genres.

The first 4 songs that I remember liking as a child were Can't Touch this by MC Hammer, Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins, Pump Up The Jam by Technotronic, and MMBop by Hanson. Make your judgements accordingly.

My first memories of being into music and really loving what I was hearing were as a young kid in the 70's, riding around in my grandfather's truck as we visited farms all over the San Joaquin Valley gathering soil samples. It was 8-tracks of Leon Redbone, Louis Armstrong and Hank Williams that stand out the most. He and I would sign along with Leon Redbone to Polly Wolly Doodle and I can remember drumming on the dash board to the song Skokiaan. My grandfather had a wide taste in music but he was an interesting guy. Those were great times for me.

Probably about 1962 or so. Earliest music memories are of the song "Stagger Lee" which my dad sang all the time and Johnny Horton's " The Battle of New Orleans" on WBAP.

And, until I was older, I was perplexed by the idea of fighting the "Bloody Bridges."

Basically my entire life. My parents would play oldies, classic rock or country growing up and I am curious by nature so I'd always ask questions about everything. Boston was my first favorite band even though I was born way after..

When I was about 6 I asked for and got my first cd... Solid Gold: Sounds of the 70's or something like that. It was awesome.

In the late 70's/early 80's, I had 3 musical influences:
1. My older cousins. They listened to Kiss, Aerosmith, Rush, AC/DC, Ozzy, etc.

2. My Dad. Classic country. Waylon, Willie, Cash, Hag, Hank Jr., Alabama, etc.

3. By Babysitter. A black women who used to watch me for a couple of hours until my Mom got off work to pick me up when I was in Kindergarten. She listened to Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, Al Green.. all sorts of great R&B. To this day I hear a song & it flashes me back.

Dang what a great thread idea...

For me, my dad was a big influence on what I listened to growing up. He plays guitar and loves classic rock so naturally that's what was always playing. A lot of 60-70's rock n roll with some blues mixed in too. My mom was more into older country like George, Garth, Brooks & Dunn, etc. Then in JR high started listening to a lot of 90's stuff, which is my favorite decade of music probably. I still listen to all that stuff today, but I try to keep a wide palate when it comes to music choices.

However, I really became a fan of music in high school when, and I will probably get some flak for this, listened to Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds live at Luther College, which then lead to listening to the band studio and live albums. Not sure what it is about that album, it was just two dudes jamming on acoustic guitars, but man it blew my mind.

My mom had a masters in music and was active in choir and local opera as a soprano and alto. My dad has played piano since high school, performing with several symphonies while in college and medical school. When I was growing up, we had two Steinway concert grand pianos in our music room. Almost every night, one or both of my parents would practice for hours. So my first love is classical music. Especially the Rachmaninov preludes, the Chopin ballades, Beethoven sonatas, Bach French suite, Joan Sutherland, Handel's Messiah, Leontyne Price, all the piano concertos, Horowitz, Van Cliburn, etc etc.

Then I listened to the Heavy Metal soundtrack in 1980. My horizons expanded a bit after that. LOL.

Very similar to OP but my old man made his own mix 8 tracks.

To this day I still know the lyrics to the Johnny Horton classics.

Sink the Bismark
Battle of New Orleans

Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams


He also had a Jerry Clower comedy 8 track with Cletus and Johnny - Funny stuff for an 8 year old.

Radio

Both parents are tech grads.... loved buddy holly.... took me to the Gary Busey movie when I was a kid.

Older brother and friends introduced me to Rush, Van Halen, Def Leopard... ect.... in 1987, I discovered Metallica! I'm still hooked!

My sister and I grew up listening to Mom's old 45's.

Elvis
Sam Cooke
Dean Martin

The first song I remember hearing on the radio and liking was "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks. I used to LOVE that song. Still do, in fact.

We also listened to Dad's Johnny Cash albums, and numerous 8 tracks, among them Nancy Sinatra (These Boots are Made for Walkin'). Also Dad had some Christmas albums that were given out as promotions by Firestone back in the late '50s. He worked at the Firestone store in Columbus, Texas when he was first out of school before going into the Army.

Later, I cut my teeth on Pop and Rock listening to 79Q AM/93Q FM out of Houston. The Q Morning Zoo was good radio to a teen in the 80's.

Always loved music. Would sit in the living room listening to the weekly top 40 on the home stereo in elementary school. Mainly though two main periods though:

1. Family trip to Rockport. My cousin had Pearl Jam "Ten". I bought my own copy as soon as we got back home and wore it out. It was the beginning of the grunge era and my musical world expanded big time.

2. Early A&M (98 - 99ish) - I became a member of the bulletin board for my favorite band, Toadies. I only really knew mainstream music, things you could see on MTV or hear on the radio. The people on that board opened me up to indie music. I remember going to the College Station Best Buy and buying Modest Mouse's "The Lonesome Crowded West" without ever having heard a note, just based on the recommendation of that board. Opened me up to a ton of stuff.

With my ears

Older sisters in high school hooked me at an early age before I was even double digits.

I am the youngest of 6 with my closest sibling being 9 1/2 years older (yes, I was an oops baby) so I can't remember a time when there WASN'T music around. I remember us having a Kenny Rogers greatest hits album that I liked along with Barry Manilow's One Voice album. Then as I got older I would hang out in my sisters' room playing air guitar to **** like REO Speedwagon's You Can Tune A Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish and other similar albums. Then my brothers/brother-in-law got me into stuff like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Alice Cooper, and so on.

My mom was the church organist. We had a piano and an organ in the house and there was always music.

During road trips we would always sing to pass the time. My mother loved The Kingston Trio and The Lettermen. Don't laugh, when I was 5-6 I could sing harmony to almost anything on the radio.

I was also the youngest and was growing up in the 60's. My sisters loved the Beatles and would play them constantly. Another good lesson in vocals and harmonies.

My greatest Christmas present was a portable Hi-Fi record player for my room. Went to high school in the 70's and bought albums by the truckload. I still remember the first album I bought with my own money. Three Dog Night - Harmony.

30s - Mother at ironing board singing " Jesus Loves Me " and " Red Sails in the Sunset " !

BigJim49 AustinNowDallas said:

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30s - Mother at ironing board singing " Jesus Loves Me " and " Red Sails in the Sunset " !

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MIDNIGHT OIL

Heard unforgiven on friend's older sister's cd player in room.. quickly heard other black album songs, and at that moment I completely strayed from what was listening to before then.. namely my parents music, beatles, elton john, billy joel, etc. I was 11 at the time.

Grunge discovery was concurrent with black album. Then mid 90s, got into more metal.