Your FIRST 10 Favorite Bands

As a kid I must have seen 'Let's Spend the Night Together' like 900 times, loved the movie, and I was happy when they recently reissued it on DVD

I was such a big fan I even dressed up in the tights with the knee pads for a couple Halloweens in homage to Jagger. And boy did no one get that. I got the dvd awhile back as a costly Japanese import. Still money well spent.

Kino (Cinema in Russian) - everyone here likes at least some songs of them. And only few knows they are TOO similar to The Cure.

Rammstein

Udo, then Accept - the first heavy metal bands and the bands with whom i started to get into music.

Judas Priest

Dio - perfect for a teenage (y)ears.
Fates Warning - eternal fan, top 1 band. When I started to appreciate the beauty in music.

Queensryche - heard them earlier, but was able to get into only after Fates

Pink Floyd - not as prog as other illustrious 70's acts and maybe it is the reason why i like them so much.

Fifth Angel, Scanner, Running Wild, Rage.

Iron Maiden - slowly growing from indifference to love. With every listen I find a little something to appreciate in them.

It was weird for me (imagine that)

My choices were mostly from being a spectator of my older siblings listening habits and poeple kickin down music to me. Of that I am grateful. It could of easily included Bad Co, Aerosmith, Sabbath, Scorpions, Lizzy, Nazareth, Boston, Nugent, or B.O.C.

Nice seeing such diversity and it is easily seen as to who the younger folks are around here.

James B. wrote:

It was weird for me (imagine that)

My choices were mostly from being a spectator of my older siblings listening habits and poeple kickin down music to me. Of that I am grateful. It could of easily included Bad Co, Aerosmith, Sabbath, Scorpions, Lizzy, Nazareth, Boston, Nugent, or B.O.C.

Nice seeing such diversity and it is easily seen as to who the younger folks are around here.

I can even tell with those that are just a few years older than me - tons more 70's influence than I had. I am the oldest child and I can see the difference between me and those that had older siblings. Heck, my brother picked up on what I listened to.

I picked up on a lot of what my sister liked. She watched a lot of MTV which introduced me to stuff like Bon Jovi, Van Hagar, Faith No More, etc. I started to watch it on my own and picked up metal/hard rock bands like Metallica, Guns & Roses, Anthrax, etc. which began my love of metal. My early non-metal tastes came from my mom (Moody Blues, John Denver, Kenny Rogers, Billy Joel, and lots of 80s pop & AOR) and dad (Highwaymen, Oakridge Boys, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, and a lot of old country). I stopped listening to all that through my early metal/hard rock days but picked it back up in High School when I realized I would never be accepted by the other metal/hard rock fans (I guess they thought I was a poser without long hair and the like-plus most were intoto the faux metal that started to get big in the late 90s-they were probably more poser than me) in my school and stopped giving a crap what others would think of my listening habits.

Weird Al
Kenny Rogers
Def Leppard
Iron Maiden
Metallica
Europe
Bon Jovi
Hall and Oates / Vio-lence
Van Halen

Cool thread.

The Beach Boys
The Monkees
Guns N Roses
Poison
Def Leppard
Bon Jovi
Weird Al
Huey Lewis & The News
Whitesnake
Aerosmith

Those were the first bands I became obsessed with. I still like them all but couldn't really care less about ever hearing Aerosmith again unless it's new music. KISS, AC/DC, Metallica & Motley Crue almost made the list! But I didn't really get into any of those bands until '98.

It all started with Elvis. He died when I was close to 3 years old, and the media just about exploded over it. So I guess I was exposed to his music everywhere, and it made an impact. I even used to have this wall-carpet thing with his portrait on my bedroom wall!

The carpet was soon replaced by posters of a mask-clad foursome, called KISS. I was already a fan when the band vidited Norway for the first time in 1980, but i still remember the hoopela the band made in the press (one of the Norwegian newspapers took some of the first pictures of the band unmasked at the airport, but they got the names of the men on the pictures all wrong, so the mystery was still intact!)

Then it was the classic case of my elder brothers listening to music that I thought was cool, so I stole their mixed tapes when they weren't looking There I found bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Scorpions, Ozzy Osboure, Queensrÿche and Loudness.

Being raised in a Christian home, it was only natural that we got connected to the Christian bands, and it was a treat when the Christian hard rock and metal bands started to pop up. Jerusalem was the first band that got me hooked. Then it was Petra, and finally Stryper.

The last band I discovered that I will call a favorite band is Savatage, thanks to Headbanger's Ball on MTV.

Meatloaf - my first exposure to rock music (and an epic one to boot!) - As soon as I heard the opening guitar sounds of Bat out of Hell, I was hooked.

Metallica - First metal band I ever heard and (as you all know), I've been a die-hard ever since.

Iron Maiden - Once I heard "Fear After Dark", I was sold!

Helloween - discovered these guys some time after getting into Metallica, when I started exploring other styles of metal - after I heard "Halloween", I was in awe.

Black Sabbath - Don't remember what the first songs/albums I heard were, but I do remember falling in love with their music, and also got into Ozzy Osbourne through them!

Ozzy - See above for explanation

Judas Priest - The first Priest I ever heard was some live performances I found on this mixed compilation of metal videos - I started getting into them, and now they're one of my all-time favorite bands!

Mercyful Fate/King Diamond - Started checking them out when I heard that they were from Denmark - the music blew me away! At first I wasn't really that into King's vocals, but they grew on me, and now his vocals are one of the most important elements! It just wouldn't be the same without those haunting falsetto vocals of his. Also got into his solo band that way, and loved his combination of chilling horror stories and awesome heavy metal!

DIO - discovered this amazing man/band rather late, but I sure as hell catched up!

Primal Fear - another band that blew me away on first listen - I think it was "Thunderdome".

I think these are the first three rock albums I ever had (and the years I got them).



Hall and Oats (Big Bam Boom) 1984
Oingo Boingo (Dead Man's Party) 1986
KISS (Smashes Thrashes and Hits) 1988

1. Elvis. Listened to allot of Elvis when I was around my grandparents. Still a casual fan, I guess. The early days anyway.

2. Johnny Cash. Same deal as above. Still a big fan though.

3. Beatles. Listening to my dad's old records as a kid. Still a HUGE fan. Moreso now than when I was younger.

4. / 5. [tie] Beach Boys/Rolling Stones. Same as above. The Beach Boys I pretty much grew out of except for Pet Sounds and the greatest hits. I still like the Stones, but mostly their 70's stuff.

6. Huey Lewis and the News. The first band of "my generation" that I got into and one of my earliest concert experiences. Don't own any, but I still dig ol' Hugh. They were a fun band with lotsa hits.

7. Aerosmith. First real hard rock band I got into. Still love 'em to this day, although their stuff after Permanent Vacation hasn't aged well with me. I want their next one to be great, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

8. Guns n' Roses. First "metal" band I got into. Never heard music and lyrics that intense before. At the time, it was like Aerosmith on steroids. And like Huey Lewis, I considdered them the 1st band of "my generation" that I latched onto full throttle. Despite Axl's issues, I still love 'em.

9. Megadeth. First real metal band that I latched onto. Still a huge fan to this day. Probably in my top 5.

10. Metallica. Dave Mustaine was in another band before Megadeth? I gotta hear this!! Still somewhat of a fan, but not to the point of blind worship.

Honorable mentions to Weird Al, The Chipmunks, Led Zeppelin, Anthrax, The Monkees, and George Thorogood.

the mid to late 70's was when rock bombarded my life.

Kiss-Alive and Destroyer, then the rest of their 70's stuff
Aerosmith-Rocks, Toys, Get Your Wings
Rush-FBN, CoS, 2112, ATWAS
Montrose-s/t and WB Presents
Nazareth-Razamanaz, Loud & Proud, Hair Of The Dog, Close Enough for R&R
Eagles-Greatest Hits and Hotel Cal
Steve Miller Band-Fly Like An Eagle and Book Of Dreams
The Beatles-everything
Led Zep-1,2,3,4,Houses, Presence
Van Halen-s/t and II

..continued from my first 5 (The Beatles, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, The Doobie Brothers, Kiss)

6. Boston - I think my Mother bought this album for herself initially, but I quickly claimed it. The organ solo on "Smokin'" and the intro "Foreplay" started my lifelong fascination with that instrument.

7. Heart - Dreamboat Annie was another record my Mother purchased that I ended up listening to more often than she did. I got Little Queen shortly afterward.

8. Queen - I heard "We Will Rock You" on the radio when it was first released, got the 45 single first and then the LP shortly afterward.

9. Pink Floyd - I still remember listening to a late-night radio show where they played "Time", "Wish You Were Here" and "Have A Cigar" back to back, it was like having a spiritual awakening, I've been a Pink Floyd fanatic ever since.

10. Rush - One of my friends in elementary school turned me onto "Permanent Waves" (which was a new release at the time) and I was a fan overnight.

*edit* - Electric Light Orchestra should have made the list as well, I probably got into them the same time as Queen.

Stryper
lots of radio crap I cant remember

I was pretty much raised on rock and metal. My family loved music of all styles and I can appreciate most types of music for what they have to offer, but I gravitated towards harder rock and distorted guitars at a young age. Most of my early favorites were introduced to me by my older sister. The first ten that come to mind (in no exact order)...

Scorpions - Love at First Sting was one of my first metal albums. I liked the guitars and the songs were really catchy. What four year old kid doesn't like "Rock You Like a Hurricane"? I still enjoy their older albums at least.

AC/DC, Aerosmith, Guns 'n' Roses - Big fan of all of them growing up. Some of the hardest rock I could readily get my hands on. AC/DC was my first concert ever (Ballbreaker tour) and I'm still a fan. I still like Aerosmith to some degree, but mostly their '70s albums and some of their '80s songs for nostalgia purposes. Don't really like Guns 'n' Roses anymore honestly.

Ramones - My introduction to punk (along with The Sex Pistols), though at the time I didn't know what "punk" was and just thought they were a fun rock 'n' roll band (which is what they really were at heart). I liked the fast guitars and catchy songs about horror movies, circus freaks and girls - stuff I could relate to. Still one of my favorites today.

Metallica - My first taste of heavier metal. My sister taped me off a copy of Kill 'Em All and I was blown away. ...And Justice For All was the first album I ever bought by any band, followed shortly by Ride the Lightning, and I was convinced they were the greatest band ever. Like many others I've been divided and disappointed with much of their '90s - present material, but I will always sing the praises of their first few albums.

Iron Maiden - It's cliche, but yeah, Maiden changed my life and the way I thought about music. The Number of the Beast was my introduction, and I bought Powerslave, Live After Death and Somewhere in Time shortly after wards and I was sold for life. They could definitely rock, but what really hooked me were the songs like "Hallowed Be Thy Name," "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Alexander the Great" because, at the time, I never heard anything like that. It wasn't the usual 3 1/2 minute "verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-etc" rock and pop thing that I was used to, plus the subject matter (history, literature, mythology, fantasy) appealed to my inner budding nerd and seemed so much more interesting than what most bands were writing about. It just changed the way I thought about music and really opened me up to appreciating a lot of other bands and styles down the road. To cut it short because I'm rambling: Great band, great songs, great memories, I have a dog named Eddie.

Queen - If I really think about it, Brian May was probably the first guitarist that I really loved. Great tone and style, and of course Freddy Mercury was a brilliant singer. Like Maiden in a way they also helped change my perception of what music could sound like. Still a fan today.

David Bowie - My mom bought me a copy of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust on cassette when I was young and I was fascinated with the man for a while. I probably couldn't call myself a die-hard fan today, but I still greatly respect the man and his work.

Frank Zappa - My sister was a huge Zappa fan when I was growing up. At the time I just thought his songs were really funny and didn't bother to think much deeper beyond that ("Don't eat the yellow snow"? Teehee!). I was too young to grasp the deeper subtexts behind a lot of his humor and music, but over time I started paying more attention and I began to appreciate how off-the-wall and experimental he was. Again, much like Maiden, Queen and Bowie, it changed a lot of how I thought about music. I'm not as crazed of a Zappa fan as some are, but every few years I dig out the Zappa albums and give 'em a thorough spin for a refresher course and I definitely respect the man.

jstate wrote:

I was such a big fan I even dressed up in the tights with the knee pads for a couple Halloweens in homage to Jagger. And boy did no one get that. I got the dvd awhile back as a costly Japanese import. Still money well spent.

They just released a domestic version of that concert on DVD, it sounds better then when ever. It is now only like $8 or 9 new.

Interesting point on Frank Zappa and David Bowie, I liked both of those artists but I did not always 'get them' when I was a teenager.

Zappa appealed to me because of his funny, filthy sarcastic lyrics, it was not til I got older that I learned to appreciate there was more to Zappa then that, I always knew he was a brilliant guitarist but I had no knowledge of jazz, classical , doo wop, or even some of social satire and biting commentary etc

The first time I heard David Bowie was 'Let's Dance' I did not care for it at time ( I was 12 or 13, at that time if it was not metal it did not mean crap to me phase), it was til I heard a greatest hits album did I realize how much ground his music covers

As well as I can remember:

1. The Beatles: The local library showed Yellow Submarine at least once during their summer movies for kids. I'm still a fan (or am a fan again, after getting over my "hard rock/metal only" phase).

2. Michael Jackson: Can't remember where I heard Beat It, but I liked it at the time. Not really a fan anymore, although there's still a few songs of his I like.

3. Yes: Owner of a Lonely Heart was one of the first videos I saw. If anything, I like them more now.

4. Def Leppard: For whatever reason, there was something of a war between fans of Def Leppard and Duran Duran at my school (at the level of you could be a fan of one or the other, or neither, but not both). This may have led to me paying a bit more attention to both bands, and I liked Def Leppard but not Duran Duran. I still like the older Leppard albums, but haven't been that struck by the post-Steve Clark material I've heard (and still can take or leave Duran Duran).

5-8. Van Halen, Scorpions, Twisted Sister, Queen: These four all had songs I liked in heavy rotation not long after I first got MTV. Still like all of them to varying degrees.

9. Mötley Crüe: Another band with a pretty heavy fandom at my school. Still like the first couple of albums, not fond of the Theater of Pain to John Corabi period, haven't heard anything more recent.

10. Genesis: That's All was in heavy rotation at the time, and I liked it then. Now, I like older Genesis, but not the period I liked back then.

Sweet thread!

1. Petra - Beyond Belief. This was the first cassette that I ever bought, and it was a quest to find all of their stuff... Not easy growing up in a rinky-dink redneck town. I still give these guys a spin every so often. Bob Hartman still has some great chops, and hooks that can catch a whale. I tend to listen to Unseen Power more often because it has some pretty good crunch to the guitars.

2. Stryper - To Hell With the Devil. A friend of mine from down the street got this for his birthday and I think that I listened to it more than he did. The guitar sound and the vox blew me away. Still a huge fan but i tend to grab Against the Law or 7 Weeks Live first.

3. Bloodgood - All Stand Together. Another friend hated this album as he was more into rap and pop. He gave it to me and the rest is history. Still and avid listener, and I love all their stuff.

4. Poison - Flesh & Blood. Rolling around with my uncle when I was in 6th grade blasting this album in his truck. I loved it then, now other than the memories and my first taste of RnR, I don't really care for it too much. On a positive note, CC's solo in Poor Boy Blues is what hooked me. Still love this song.

5. Ugly Kid Joe - As Ugly as they Wanna Be. The song Everything About You grabbed my attention, but the rest of the album smokes. The follow-up disc is even better. Whitfield Crane is probably one of the most under-rated singers of all time. Great guitar tone and serious metal. Too bad they came out at the end of the hair scene. I have not listened to these guys in years, I might have to find this album again.

6. Guardian - Miracle Mile. Saw the Ad for this album in Heavens Metal and knew I had to have it. This album is still one of my favorites by them.

7. Scorpions - Crazy World. A guy that I went to school with had this album and I loved the cover art. Having only heard Winds of Change on the radio I was not really interested... Then he played me bit of it on a walkman. Still my Scorpions go-to album.

8. Metallica - The Black Album. This was my intro into metal and the album blew me away. I had never heard that much heaviness in music and I was hooked. I wore out 2 cassettes of this album in middle school and high school I listened to it so much. I still like this album quite a bit, but I don't listen so often. When the Metallica mood strikes, its usually Lightening or Puppets.

9. Tourniquet - Vanishing Lessons. A fellow burger flipper in high school knew that I liked heavy metal so he let me borrow his copy of this cd. I was hooked and had to have more so I went searching for their back catalog. Imagine my surprise when I pushed play on Pathogenic for the first time. Pathogenic is still one of my all time favorite thrash albums.

10. This one is a toss up between Whitecross - Triumphant Return and Guns n Roses - Use Your Illusion I. Both bands were hugely influential in my musical taste development. I loved the songs like November Rain and Coma, as well as Don't Damn Me. It had some filler stuff on it, that even back then I knew was filler. Songs like Back Off B****, or You Weren't the First. The ballads on the GnR album were better than Whitecross by far, but Whitecross had a shorter more consistently good album. I have not listened to GnR in years other than Jungle or whats on the radio. I think that I may have to go buy both of the Illusion albums again. I still like Whitecross quite a bit but Hammer and the Nail is a far better album.
Honorable Mentions >>
Aerosmith – Get a Grip. I still play this one quite a bit.
Helloween – Keeper (Pts 1 & 2) – My introduction to power/speed metal. I still love the genre but kinda burned out on these albums.
Def Leppard – Adrenalize. Still listen quite a bit, more now than then for sure. In highschool I was all about Pyromania.

Def Leppard
Pink Floyd (every album)
The Who
Queen
The Move
Cream
Led Zeppelin
The Kinks
Jimi Hendrix
AC/DC

.... wow, brings back memories.



Sunshine of your love was one of the easisest songs I learnt to play on my bass guitar.

In the early 90's when kindergarten, my mom worked nights and my dad and I would hang out and listen to vinyl and play air guitar. It was my favorite thing in the world to do. My favorite albums then, while maybe not my absolute favorites now, are still really enjoyable:

Cinderella-- Night Songs
Kingdom Come-- In Your Face
Iron Maiden-- Piece of Mind
Van Halen-- 5150
Ratt-- Out of the Cellar
Yngwie Malmsteen-- Fire and Ice
Motley Crue-- S/T (Corabi album)
Firehouse-- Hold Your Fire
Slaughter-- Stick It To Ya
Warrant-- Cherry Pie