How did you all get started?

analogsailor16 said:or going from MTV straight to Sum 41 and Blink...😎 😁

Yeah?

You clearly don't get it. I was talking about the era of MTV featuring Christina Aguilera, Enrique, and those kinds of treats. Moving on to this American skate punk scene felt like a massive step forward...😎

well, that’s exactly why bands like that exist—to turn teenagers into absolute beasts 😉

Now I can finally go out and tend to the cattle...😎

Even though I’ve basically retired from posting on this forum, I figured I’d drop one last note...

Back around 1980, my old man brought home Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here—that was the spark.
At the time, I was just listening to whatever my parents played—mostly 50s and early 60s rock.

Around '83 to '86, I was flipping through magazines like Rolling Stone and jamming to Duran Duran and all those other 80s hairballs.

From '87 to '90, I was strictly following whatever was on the charts, heavily influenced by the Super Channel and MTV vibe.

By '89, I circled back to Floyd, then moved on to The Doors, Hendrix, Canned Heat, and the rest of that crew.

In 1990, the punk phase hit. The Clash, Sex Pistols—it was all about Bowie at Yankee Stadium. That was essentially when my social life actually started.

Between '91 and '92, that punk obsession bled into American HC, and I started dipping my toes into the alternative scene and early grunge.

From '93 to '96, my playlist was a total grab bag, ranging from Husker Dü to R.E.M.

Then came the depressive years from '96 to 2000. I barely listened to anything because I felt like everything mainstream was pure garbage. My only real solace was Prodigy 2001.

From 2001 onward, I jumped back into modern stuff, everything from The Strokes to Franz Ferdinand.

Since 2005, it’s been a free-for-all—anything from the absolute classics to indie alternative.

That’s pretty much the roadmap of my musical life.

Love at first listen—Bach (though everything by Matthew has its own special place in my heart),
The ultimate trap for my sweeter side: Ilic (Eugene Onegin and Swan Lake)—his entire discography screams love, romance, lemonade, spring breeze, wind in your hair... but EO and SL are easily the most intense things in music history.
Faith No More; he had King for a Day and Fool for a Lifetime, which I listened to on loop until I actually felt sick from the sheer intensity. That’s usually my go-to move when I get obsessed with a sound.

I reckon Radiohead would actually dig this :P

feralgardener59 said:I bet you'd actually dig Radiohead :P

feralgardener59, are you talking to me, to Zachary Bishop82, or just the voices in your head?
If you meant me, I'm curious what gave you that idea. Heh. Was it because of this:

it screams love, romance, lemonade, spring, wind in my hair

I had a few Radiohead CDs lying around, though I haven't touched them in years. Same goes for FNM. Classics usually dictate my taste, but I picked up some side interests along the way while hanging with my brother and parents. My parents used to listen to French chanson, but also our own local stuff...our homegrown hits plus things like P. Kazalist, certain vocal groups, Arsen Dedic, and Tom Zdravkovic. My brother was basically a slave to punk and alternative music.

It all traces back to this deep-seated fascination I had with the accordion—a sound that eventually pulled me in enough to actually pick up the instrument and learn how to play it myself.
Back in the early days, I wasn't into that modern pop-country stuff people call "country" these days—though, if you ask me, they’re using the term wrong, since "country" should really refer to the singer in the honky-tonk, not the whole genre.
That specific style of music followed me through my entire high school years and honestly, it still does; I grew up on the classics—Mitch, Halid, Shek, Nina, Rokvić, Ilic—alongside the newer acts hitting the scene today.

Of course, there was plenty of other stuff spinning on the turntable too, like Bijelo Dugme, Azra, and Wild Strawberry... just the usual rotation.
Even now, all of those records remain a massive, essential part of my musical collection.
I genuinely love that kind of music—there's just something about it.

Most of my musical discoveries happen purely by accident, usually while I'm watching a movie or stumbling upon something random on YouTube. Once a specific artist or band catches my ear, I’ll dive into their discography and just go from there. I'm not really the type to sit around listening to the radio or hanging out in circles where people obsessively debate music theory, so most of my favorites actually come from various soundtracks. As for Evanescence—who honestly takes up most of my listening time—it was a total fluke; I heard them playing on a friend's CD and it was love at first hearing.😍To be perfectly honest, music wasn't even on my radar during high school. I know, looking back, I find it pretty baffling myself.🙄☕

Growing up in a rural part of the country, my musical exposure was pretty limited—to put it mildly. Back then, there wasn't much of a local scene to speak of, so if you asked me what I listened to, I wouldn't have said I had a specific taste; everyone just listened to whatever mainstream country hits were playing on the radio, and honestly, people still do. It wasn't exactly an intense musical upbringing.

Everything changed once I hit high school. I teamed up with this one guy, we became close friends, and we spent a lot of time debating our tastes in music. That’s when I started diving into bands like Green Day and System of a Down—basically whatever was playing on MTV that felt remotely decent. Then, he actually brought over a CD by HIM, which led me down a new path. They were alright, but compared to the country stuff I'd been stuck with before, it definitely felt like a step up.

Eventually, though, I realized that HIM wasn't quite my speed—I didn't really want anything too moody or depressing. I found myself craving energy and something more positive. One day, another friend of mine looked at me and said, "Since you're already into Green Day, you want me to blast some Ramones for you?" And just like that, everything shifted.
The Ramones were, for me, the absolute perfect band. It was like finally finding the missing piece of the puzzle; suddenly, I was looking at music through a completely different lens. I started paying attention to things like bass lines, and I began digging into The Clash, the Sex Pistols, the early Green Day albums, and even some classic punk. To be honest, even now, I can't quite wrap my head around how I ever wasted time on subpar stuff instead of listening to something this pure and perfect. 🙏
My playlist has since expanded into all sorts of rock genres: I've been listening to Elvis Presley, Rage Against the Machine, Pink Floyd (oh man, Pink Floyd 🙏), Queen, AC/DC, Reel Big Fish, and even some Celtic punk styles like Flogging Molly. Just endless variety...

Looking back, I realize it wasn't really a transformation so much as a discovery; I just needed to find the right sound. Now, music isn't just a hobby—it's a massive part of my life. I've even started writing my own songs, composing, and playing in a band...

Thank you, Ramones!!!!

stormyheron20 said:The classics definitely rule my taste, but growing up with my brother and parents, I picked up some random side loves along the way. My folks used to listen to French chansons, but they had our American stuff playing too...

Man, if only the classics actually DOMINATED my taste.

😳

The classics just put me to sleep 😁 hey, what's up feralgardener59, gaba-gaba hey! 😉

Elementary school years—mostly Minea, Vrapci, and those annoying mosquitoes😛, plus Doris Dragović and all that stuff...
Middle school—it was all JLo, 50 Cent, and whatever else was playing; I definitely got caught up in a certain rap phase back then...
High school—lots of house, club hits, and local favorites...
But honestly, nowadays I listen to pretty much anything that catches my ear, provided it isn't cheesy pop or heavy metal...

wanderingharbor21 said:Elementary school days—mostly just birds chirping and mosquitoes buzzing, nothing much else😛, maybe some Doris Dragovic stuff if I was feeling particularly adventurous...
Upper elementary—think JLo, 50 Cent, and that whole era when I guess I got caught up in a bit of a rap phase...
Middle school—more house, club hits, and local favorites...
Nowadays, honestly, I listen to pretty much anything that catches my ear, provided it isn't cheesy pop or heavy metal...

If I set aside the house music, this is basically what I've been writing about 😁

Kyle Jackson54 said:The Beatles, The Doors, Led Zeppelin (1985–1991) $\rightarrow$ Azra, The Doors, Led Zeppelin (1993–1995) $\rightarrow$ Hladno pivo, Laufer, Let 3 (1995–1997).

And then it hit me: music exists even when the radio isn't playing.

So, what now? Am I really expected to just stand here and feel ashamed?

I want a little more.

Good grief. You really are the absolute worst.

wanderingharbor21 said:Elementary school—mostly just local indie stuff and annoying little kids😛, some pop icons and whatever else was on the radio...
Middle school—hit a phase with rap and hip-hop...
High school—house, club hits, and local favorites...
Nowadays? Honestly, I’ll listen to pretty much anything that doesn't suck, as long as it isn't cheesy pop or heavy metal...

😂
What even counts as "heavy metal" to you!! 😂
😂😂😂😂

Brandon Kim96 said:Thank you, Ramones!!!!

Here are some others that hit close to home... aside from Iron Maiden, who were really the ones to first introduce me to that whole world, the Ramones were almost my first too, and they'll always be my absolute favorites... 🙏 🙏 oh, and I actually picked up the bass myself, just a bit earlier than most... 😉