Songs we loathe, and those we have learned to like

[malumbu]

What are the songs/genres that you loathed then loved, vice versa, and the stuff that would make you leave the room (or worse, see below)?

As a kid I hated disco music, not soul music from the 60s and 70s but Chic, Shalamar and the like. I wouldn't have been seen dead listening to folk, country or soft rock.

Years later after re-education including the numerous BBC 4 documentaries I'll happily listen to much of this. There is some MOR/AOR and prog that is still to much.

The person whose music I detested over the decades was meatloaf, and yet another generation discovers Bat out of Hell (I wont go below the belt and talk about the late Marvin Aday's politics). I was pretty mean many years ago leaving a vinyl copy of this in the sun to wharp,

I'd similarly leave the room if Rainbow was played. Like much of the music of my youth through to 30s when I lost touch with pop/rock it dates quickly.

[Spartacus]

Run mal Run

[malumbu]

Nah, can't knock Bumble, Zippy et al

Talking about that anthemic late 70s rock Rainbow, Richie Blackmore and the like.

[DulwichFox]

Song I REALLY REALLY can not stand is Bohemian Rhapsody,

Utterly Pretentious Drivel.

[David Peckham]

Rainbow were one of the first bands I ever went to see. At the Royal Court in Liverpool 1981, the 'Difficult to Cure' tour. That era of Rainbow isn't anything I'd choose to listen to now, but the earlier stuff about stargazers and men on silver mountains still has a certain bombastic, silly charm. I believe Blackmore has swapped his Stratocaster for a lute and now plays along to medieval madrigals.

I think I saw four bands that year, the others were Japan, New Order and The SpeciaIs. I still listen them occasionally, but not as much as I listen to stuff that influenced them -stuff I wouldn't have heard unless I'd read interviews about what they were into: Roxy; Bowie's Berlin trilogy; Lou Reed/ Velvet Underground; Krautrock. The Specials got me into King Tubby, Augustus Pablo etc.

The NWOBHM bands I was into really haven't aged well, but Led Zeppelin still sound relevant. I've played 'Whole Lotta Love' far more recently than 'Wheels of Steel'.

One genre I couldn't stand around then was soul/ R&B, but really got into the early - mid 70s Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Isaac Hayes stuff, which obviously influenced it, during the Acid Jazz thing in the early 90s.

From denim to corduroy in just over 10 years.

[Jenijenjen]

  Quote

Song I REALLY REALLY can not stand is Bohemian Rhapsody,

Utterly Pretentious Drivel.

 

I’d agree with this but my views about Queen have changed. I found them hilarious when I first saw them on tv in the early 70s as Freddie’s performance (bless him) was so derivative and I have to admit I became prejudiced against them, even their performance at Live Aid by which time Freddie had developed his own strong, unique on stage persona. It was only watching the concert put on in memory of Freddie that I appreciated the really good music they had produced.

I still can’t stand Bohemian Rhapsody though.

[David Peckham]

It's a funny one with Queen. I don't think you'd get many people citing Queen as their favourite band but Bohemian Rhapsody is the country's best selling non-charity single and their first Greatest Hits album is the UK's best selling album. I suppose their output was so varied - all four members wrote - that there's kind of something for everyone in there. Even in Bohemian Rhapsody you get three songs for the price of one.

I'm not sure I agree with DF about the pretension thing. I see his point but they, and that song in particular, were so ridiculous and over the top that it always felt it was done with a bit of a wink and tongues firmly in cheeks. There's a quote where, when compared to Led Zeppelin, Freddie Mercury says that they're more like Liza Minelli.

I suppose it's a bit like The Bee Gees and ABBA - forty-odd years after the spangles and Spandex, you do realise that there was very solid song writing behind it.

[WomblingFree]

I listen to very little of my old music now, which is possibly a bit strange but Alan Davies said on QI he only listens to new stuff so at least I'm not the only one. I often love older pop hits when I hear them by accident on the radio - Whitney, Britney - when I'd have thought myself far too cool to have listened to them at the time.

And Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen is, I now realise, complete genius.

[zenoria65]

Anything by Bowie, UB40, U2, Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black - all nails down a blackboard for me....

Give me the Small Faces on a 24/7 loop and I'm a happy girl..... Although Herb Alpert (roll on June 2023 at Ronnie Scott's finally) sends me into a nostalgic dreamworld.....

[Twoddle]

Recently got into Dexy's a little bit after watching a cover of "There, There My Dear" by The Wonder Stuff.

Today you can look up the lyrics on the internet, in the 80's you never knew what the hell he was saying.

[Spartacus]

That's a bit like MTV used to run a competition to work out what the lyrics of give it away by the red hot chilli peppers were

Ruined by lyric websites