Music thread (sort of)

zarabia

zarabia

Tol Eressea
No one has posted a music thread in a while so I thought I'd start one based on an article I read a couple of weeks ago on NPR. I'll post the link to the article below, but the upshot is that people are almost as sentimental about the music of their parents' generation as they are about the music of their own generation. It's thought that it is probably because they have fond memories of songs their parents listened to around the house when they were kids.

I certainly relate, but I think there's more to it. I love The Kingston Trio and Herb Albert whom my parents loved; I listened to The American Grafitti Soundtrack probably more than they did, but my mom also listened to a lot of country and western and I never got into that. I love 40's big band music which my father loves (but which was before his time) though he didn't play it when I was a kid. So I think our personal taste has some influence rather than it being purely a matter of fond childhood associations.

My niece knows 80's music backwards and forwards even though my sister and brother-in-law didn't listen to music that much of any kind. I think for her, it may be because there was a lot of popular music used in movies like The Breakfast Club, etc.

So what do you think? Do you think you like your parents' music because of childhood memories, because you share the same taste, or a little of both? And what music of your parents do you love? Do your kids share your love of The Beatles, Duran Duran, Nirvana...? Any other thoughts on music welcome. [:)]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/09/05/219278386/turns-out-your-kids-really-did-love-that-music-you-played
 
I think it's mainly because they are so good, but there are some very strong childhood memories attached. One of Mum's favourite songs was 'Blackbird'. Although she never specifically mentioned that she wanted it, three of us independently chose it for the funeral. Actually, I think she had a hand in it, if you know what I mean.
With both of my parents gone, those musical associations feel stronger and more meaningful. One of my favourite memories is dancing to Elton John's 'Crocodile Rock' with my Dad, with me standing on his feet. Every time I hear it it's kind of bitter-sweet. He died when I was very young. He loved jazz and I just can't get into it. Mum loved world music, and my sister is pretty into that.

My strongest musical knowledge and memories are of the late 70's through to the late 80's, because these were my formative years, which reflects the finding in the study you linked to. I am very hard to beat in 80's music trivia!
 
One of my favourite memories is dancing to Elton John's 'Crocodile Rock' with my Dad, with me standing on his feet. Every time I hear it it's kind of bitter-sweet. He died when I was very young.
Click to expand...



I'm sorry you lost him young - a wonderful memory though. And auditory association is so strong you must think of him every time you hear that. [angelic]
 
Yet none of my parents do - though that is from their youth. Odd right?

One thing in common: Elvis reminds me of my dad (picture a dark blond version of him.) So that is a connection!
 
that I still have strong memories of him. He was a very 'present' father. So, although I only had 8 years with him, those years had a big, and very positive impact.
He was really into the Nilsson album 'Nilsson Schmilsson'. After he died, I used to play the song 'Without You' over and over again. Only as an adult did I think about what sort of impact that must have had on my poor mother. She never stopped me.
 
My strongest musical knowledge and memories are of the late 70's through to the late 80's, because these were my formative years, which reflects the finding in the study you linked to. I am very hard to beat in 80's music trivia!
Click to expand...




Oooh, I may need to challenge you to an 80s music trivia contest - also my strongest musical knowledge decade [cool]

Re the OP, I also have memories of dancing on my dad's feet to music from the 40s/50s, but I find more of my nostalgia is for the music of my older siblings (60s/70s), I can still remember listening to it after I was supposed to be asleep, but they were all still up. And while I love the Beatles as well, definitely not good enough for a trivia contest on their music [tongue]
 
I'm so sorry for your loss. I think we are about the same age and that's too young to be without your parents, though I don't know that it's ever easy.

I also apologize for forgetting that not everyone is fortunate enough to still have both parents. I lost my step-father about twenty years ago, and though I loved him for being so good to my mom, he never replaced my dad, so I know it's not the same thing at all.

But I'm glad you still have strong memories. And as Brethil said, music can really spark certain memories.


Your parents were much more hip than mine. Like I said above, I think we are about the same age - I was born in the late 60's, don't want to be more specific - so either my folks were older when they had me, or they were middle-aged before their time. My parents thought Elton John was weird. It wasn't until later that they got past the silly glasses and all and realized that he's actually pretty talented. :)

The musical eras that register the most with me are late 70's through mid 80's, and then the early to mid 90's. I love early 80's music, but there are negative associations for me, so I can't listen to very much. I didn't care much for late 80's, and so I just assumed I was getting old already in my early 20's :P It wasn't until the early 90's that I found that I still enjoyed music and realized I wasn't old just yet. But my knowledge of early 80's music is pretty decent, too. :)
 
The Beatles certainly, but Led Zeppelin and The Doors also seem to be popular with many different generations.
 
Last edited:
Re the OP, I also have memories of dancing on my dad's feet to music from the 40s/50s
Click to expand...

But I remember him trying to teach me to swing dance. I never got the hang of it, but I learned to love 50's Rock -n- Roll. [:)]
 
Last edited:
The Beatles certainly, but Led Zeppelin and The Doors also seem to be popular with many different generations.
Click to expand...



I just always felt odd about liking 'my parents music' (rightfully so, age wise) when they didn't!
 
having an 'I'm an orphan!' moment after Mum died. But I consider myself extremely lucky to have had two wonderful and loving parents. Many people have never experienced that gift.

They were definitely hip! My father was an artist, and into all sorts of interesting music, art, design and pop culture, so we grew up around that. And my mother was the cool mum, and a very good listener - my friends would always come and talk to her about the things they couldn't talk to their own parents about.
As a teenager, I shared my music with her. She got right into Shriekback, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Psychedelic Furs, Magazine, and early U2 alongside me. We would go halves in albums together.
And I loved hearing her stories about her love of music as a youngster. She was right into Little Richard, because he was so outrageous. And she got kicked out of a film screening of 'Rock Around the Clock' with a group of friends because they were daring to dance in the aisles! Good times. [:)]
 
My parents were into classical music, especially my father who played the piano well and used to take me to symphony concerts right from when I was a small child. I fell in love with it from the word go and it's still my greatest musical love, though I have come to enjoy other things as well. So I didn't hear much of the music from "their time" which would be (I guess, if you define it as when they were young or youngish) Forties and Fifties, and don't particularly relate to that.
 
But yeah, it is kind of strange. My mom is of an age that she "should" like TheBeatles but she never really has. I learned to like them on my own. [:)]
 
Warm, loving parents, though not rare, aren't nearly as common as they should be. I'm glad you have such fond memories to cherish. They sound like wonderful people.

My folks are open minded and progressive in most ways, but their musical tastes seem to have stagnated when they got married. When my mom was young she loved Little Richard too. :)
 
That I had had more exposure to classical music when I was young. My parents had a few albums which I loved and which fostered a love of some classical music, but I don't understand it enough to truly appreciate all of it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top