Your Music/ Your Parents

[H2IZCOOL]

I wanted to start this thread as more or less a companion thread to Dawn's First Songs You Remember Hearing thread.

I noticed that most of us (quite naturally I suppose) remember our parents' music as the music we have in our earliest memories. But as we got a little older and started to develop our own musical tastes - and the major musical influences in our lives moved, perhaps from our parents to our peers, we may have found ourselves in conflict with our parents, musically.

I know that in my era, that was a major rift in many households. In 1955-56 with the birth of Rock N Roll with Blackboard Jungle, Rock Around the Clock, and Elvis Presley as King, there was a huge divide between the music of our parents and our own music. We hated the music of our parents, or at least, laughed about it when talking to our friends. Their music was "square; ours was "cool." On the other hand, our parents would say that their music was pleasant, and ours led to Juvenile Delinquency.

I would say that for most kids growing up in the '50s and even into the '60s, the transition in our minds from our parents music to our own was more or less a violent upheaval, not a smooth transition.

However, reading most of the replies from you younger people to Dawn's thread, I'm thinking that your own transitions were much smoother. It was more a building of your musical tastes upon those of your parents. Certainly branching away somewhat, but still accepting of the roots. -- And I would think your parents were more supportive of your musical tastes because they weren't violently opposed to their own.

Speaking from my own experience, with a son who will be 30 next week ( ), I never found his musical transition to be a matter of argument. - He's mainly into alternative music, and he and I can discuss the differences in our musical tastes intelligently (I think). I know I could never have those same discussions with my father, who considered all '50s music to be "jazz" - a four letter word.

How about you guys? Agree, disagree? How about your own music experiences (agreements and disagreements, rough or smooth transitions) with your parents, and with your kids if they are old enough?

[Dawn]

Interesting topic, Ed.

I can't say I recall many instances of disagreement with my parents over music. They weren't crazy about a few of the albums and cassettes I listened to as a teenager (mainly the hard rock/metal ones), but I don't think it was ever a major issue. Mom and I had a lot of the same tastes in music by the 1980s, and I remember us borrowing each other's tapes quite a bit. Dad's tastes in music were somewhat different, as he was mainly into '50s and early '60s rock/pop music as well as older country, but he was usually receptive to listening to newer stuff as well. He even tolerated my blaring Michael Jackson's Thriller album every morning before I left for school, for weeks on end in 1983.

Ironically, my collection is probably a little more "square" than my parents' in some aspects, as I occasionally like to listen to artists like Frank Sinatra and Rosemary Clooney and some '40s big band music, and I don't think they've ever listened to that style of music much.

[Railyn]

From My Mom:

The Beatles
The Monkees
British Invasion Music
Motown, Funk, Soul, Disco, and anything in that style beat
David Bowie
Most anything with a full, rich sound and harmony
The Bee Gees

From My Dad:

The Rolling Stones
The Who
Dire Straits
ZZ Top
Rock Instrumentals (Classical Gas, Soul Finger, Joy, 5th Of Beethoven, etc)
Heavier Classical Music (stuff like Wagner, Holst, etc)
Most anything with heavy orchestration
Most anything with a great bass line or hook

Dad disliked a lot of stuff I listened to, and was known to criticize a number of artists I liked (ABBA, The Monkees, The Beatles, Michael Jackson - before I fell out of favor with him, Duran Duran, and New Kids On The Block to name a few), but he'd largely tolerate them, and he would often listen along when I would play certain radio shows that WQSU (The Voice Of Susquehanna University) would play, and say that some of the stuff was ok and worth a 2nd listen (U2, The Bronski Beat, Wishbone Ash - off the top of my head) and I turned him on to a few people like Mike & The Mechanics, and Weird Al Yankovic.

Mom would tolerate just about anything other than Rap, and was known to borrow my records and tapes (and cd's). While I gave up Rap and Hip Hop ages ago, it was not among her favorites, and she'd get tired of it quickly. I turned her on to New Wave in general, and what we then called Alternative (Depeche Mode, etc).

[dave910]

I enjoy this topic Ed. When I was growing up, my Mom had the radio on all the time. She enjoyed listening to station that mixed contemporary music (it was the 80's) along with stuff from the 70's and 60's favorites like Motown and the Beatles. In fact, she's the one that stumbled upon American Top 40 with Casey Kasem, when I was ten. This became a Sunday ritual with me up until 1992.

My Dad enjoyed modern stuff, but it had to move him. He grew up with early rock 'n roll, but his album collection was mostly jazz or vocal music of the 1950's and 60's. Stuff like Four Freshman, Stan Kenton, Count Basie and Frank Sinatra. As a kid, I wasn't into it all that much. But when I was in college, I began to appreciate it more. Not that my Dad has passed, I have more affection for jazz music. When I was collecting blues music, Dad enjoyed that as well. He even enjoyed some of the ska music that blared from my room.

My folks were never into the metal, rap or the alternative I liked when I was in high school and college days. But, I never expected them to enjoy it anyway.

My Mom and I are big fans of the show "Rescue Me". I was more surprised when she also loved the theme song "C'mon C'mon" by the Von Bondies. I think that is pretty cool!

[Ken]

Great topic, Ed

When I was growing up, my parents never objected to any of the music I listened to.

In the 80's, my Mom and Dad asked me to make several mix tapes for them (which I still have). They really liked country music(Kenny Rogers, Johnny Horton, Johnny Cash, Alabama etc), so I included quite a bit of it, but I also included these artists:


Abba
Bread
CCR
Crosby Stills & Nash (Dad really liked "Teach Your Children")
Beatles
Eagles
Badfinger
Ritchie Valens (Mom really liked "Donna")

They loved them, and listened to them all the time.

What blew me away was in my Dad's last several years he really liked Eric Clapton, Tears in Heaven was one of his favorite songs. Ever since he passed away, it's a hard song for me to listen to.

Another artist he liked was Chuck Berry, he really enjoyed the concert movie "Hail Hail Rock N Roll" and I remember him and I watching it several times. I bought the DVD on the day of it's re release, and I always think of my Dad whenever I watch it.

[edehl]

For the most part, my parents didn't mind the music I listened to as a teenager. I was really into more mellow/pop 60's music, like the Beatles and the Monkees, which wasn't offensive to them. However, my older sister loved all the hip bands from the 80s, and once my parents saw the cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Welcome to the Pleasuredome", I think that was the beginning of the end for them tolerating her music. Actually, as long as we didn't play it loud and didn't burn too much incense, they were pretty cool. Our rooms were on the other side of the house, so they didn't have to deal with us much.

[Viki (ditzybrunette85)]

My parents never really minded the music I listened to. In high school I was into boy bands, pop music, and rap (well the stuff they played on the radio and at school dances). My parents aren't too keen on the fact that I listen to really heavy rock music and punk, but they just ask me to turn it down if its too loud. I'm 23, I listen to what I want to listen to lol (I still live at home, by the way).

I also actually listen to a lot of the same stuff as my parents do. I got all the 60's music from my mom and Classic Rock from my dad. Sometimes my father and I sing along to the classic rock station in the car Growing up I liked my parents music as well.

So no, no disagreements really, though my parents didn't care too much for the rap I listened to as a teenager (infact, I don't even know why I liked that music cause I hate it now!). But they never argued with me about it.

[55dodger]

My transition to my own music was not a smooth segue, but resembled nuclear warfare. With an older sister, and at the time an even older step-sister, I was listening to the British Invasion stuff, Bob Dylan, Beach Boys, etc by the time I was 8 or 9 years old. The song that got me hooked was Mr. Tambourine Man by the Byrds. Thought it was then & still do an awesome song. My step-dad was lost in 40s & mom was full blown country. With my turquoise blue transistor radio tuned to the local pop station, it was constant disagreement for all three of us. In the late 60s/early 70s, mom would come home to find CCR, Chicago, or something like that blaring on the family stereo. Busted again & grounded for life.

Something that always nagged me as my kids were growing was how I would deal with them as they developed their own musical tastes. My kids got a steady diet of my music (they like to call it Dad Music). My daughter fell early for the boy bands (Hanson, N'Sync, Backstreet Boys) and my son got into rap. Thankfully, as they've grown, their musical taste have changed. My daughter is more country now and every once in while asks for a 60s CD, something I'm more than happy to oblige. My son, while still in high school, became a classic rock & blues kinda guy, still is. One of his senior pictures was taken with Bad Company, Rolling Stones, & Led Zep albums placed around him. Music is now the center of his universe as he is a DJ at a country station in Michigan. Both my kids understand that without what I listened to as a kid, what they listened to as a kid might never have happened. And that is pretty cool. What they thought was once boring, they now think is okay.

Ed, this is one great topic. Thanks

[cairnterrier]

As I developed a taste for music of my own, I guess I can say that myself and my parents somewhat met in the middle. We agreed on some, yet disagreed badly on others. When I was little, my mother....who was quite a Beatles fan would sing along to the music.....I learned the words to "Here Comes the Sun" at a very young age....and to this day it is still one of my favorite songs. More so now that I can understand the meaning of the lyrics. She was also a Carpenters fan, and to this day...I think Karen Carpenter has a wonderful voice. She also loved Neil Diamond.....ditto for me. I can appreciate his powerful voice as an adult. I guess I can say that we have similar tastes with what she likes. Though I think I drove her crazy with some of the rock music I discovered as a teenager (though she did find Van Halen to be entertaining and thought alot of their music to be well done) She was mixed on Billy Joel....I became a big fan at a young age, while she though some of his material was "too angry". She was also big into show tunes and opera (Pavarotti etc)....I hated as a kid (but have grown to really like as an adult.

AS for my father.....we didn't agree at all during my child and teenage years. He listened to the "Beautiful Music" instrumental stations, and also liked the standards....Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles.....and various Jazz. I didn't care for it back then. (Though I now am a huge Sinatra, Charles, and big band fan). He also didn't care for any of the stuff I liked.....he refered to it all as a "mess". Suprisingly.....he has mellowed a bit in his years....as have I. We now meet in the middle with Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra.....and the Three Tenors. While we can listen to Elton John, Billy Joel, Grateful Dead, and even a few Van Halen songs while occupying the same room. Yes, we now meet in the middle.

[gremashlo]

My parents were remarkably vague when it came to popular music--my mother loves easy listening and instrumentals, but she was an avid listener to WOW-AM out of Omaha, which at the time was the strongest top-40 station in the Midwest...so because of her, I have strong memories of late'60s/early '70s pop music...

However, my mom developed a taste for Tom Jones after seeing him in concert.

My father is a dyed in the wool "old school" country fan, but he'll still listen to the newer acts.

They never criticized my music choices, as I rarely "pushed" it too far--however, the only time my mom told me, "Turn that DOWN!" was one summer when I was listening to Mungo Jerry's "In the Summertime" and I decided to sing along with the "ch, ch-ch...UGH!" chorus a BIt to empahatically!