What are the two songs that got you into rock (or whatever your into)

[Rabs]

So after talking a bit on the other thread about the two guitarists that got me to pick up an Electric guitar I realised that it was also two of their songs that really got me into Rock in the first place..

 

No one in my family was into rock and my friends hadnt really discovered it yet either, so I had no old record collection to go through in order to learn my Rock.. Instead I had from my oldest sister (as the middle one wasnt into music) stuff like ABBA and BoneyM (which I still like today) and my mum was also into music but listened to mainly classical, soul singers and some jazz so I inherited some of that taste in music too..

 

So when I started getting into music at about 15 I was listening too (emmbaressingly now, the Pure Soft Metal and Precious Metal albums (that really were anything but metal).. They had stuff like Robert Plant (solo stuff), Bryan Adams (summer of 69), Yes and Toto type stuff (mostly) that I call AOR (Adult Orientated Rock).. They had some more heavy stuff like Sabbath and Alice Cooper but I wasnt ready for that just yet so it all sounded a bit noisey to me at the time lol.

 

THEN Sweet Child O Mine was released.. And the second I heard that Riff that was it lol.. I was a rocker.. Then after exploration and a few years later Thunderstruck was released and that confirmed my headbangig status :) Shorly after that I found Led Zep, Hendrix, Floyd and the like and have never looked back as such.. I had learned classical guitar at school when I was 12 but shortly after all this all I wanted to do was play a Les Paul :)

 

So whats the two tunes that got you into Rock? (or any music for that matter).. Was there anything as specific as I can remember or were you just always surrounded by it? These tunes really did change my life (for the better :)).

 

 

[milod]

I really hate to say this but... it wasn't tunes per se, at least for guitar, it was money.

 

When I was in the high school rock band, there was enough "rock" stuff that functionally was "pop" that I played trumpet for it before I got into guitar.

 

Then in '63 I got into guitar and was heavily "folkie" until I moved to another college and ... there wasn't any money in folk and there was in rock. And in a rural college, there wasn't much interest in any "folk" stuff. So...

 

Even then, there was so much attachment to "folkie" type material that it really wasn't that much of a shift except to get electrified. To me it was all just "music" with variations in material set to attract different audiences.

 

m

[Rabs]

I really hate to say this but... it wasn't tunes per se, at least for guitar, it was money.

 

When I was in the high school rock band, there was enough "rock" stuff that functionally was "pop" that I played trumpet for it before I got into guitar.

 

Then in '63 I got into guitar and was heavily "folkie" until I moved to another college and ... there wasn't any money in folk and there was in rock. And in a rural college, there wasn't much interest in any "folk" stuff. So...

 

m

Thats ok :) I know that not everyone who plays guitar is a rocker first or at all lol... Im just interested in how people found their music.

 

But for me even though I have grown to love most music im a rocker at heart and always will be.. Its what I enjoy listening to and playing the most... :)

 

Its all good.. We all do things for different reasons.. and in the end it doesnt really matter how you find it, just that you find it

[Texasbluezman]

It's pretty hard to remember, not many brains cells remain from that era. But I think it was Shout Out The Devil-Motley Crue & Rock of Ages-Def Leppard. It was the early '80s hair metal stuff that was new then. A buddy's older sister got me into it.

[pippy]

A semi-distant relative let me hear some Hendrix when I was 11 which absolutely hooked me (I had been brought up [happily] in a 'Classical' environment) but without any doubt my 'Crossing the Rubicon' moment was a few weeks later seeing (on TV) a clip of Paul Kossoff (with 'Free', of course) playing 'The Hunter'.

 

Probably from the Isle of Wight 1970 festival but I'm not 100% sure. It was a long time ago and I was too young to take much interest in the closing credits...

 

P.

[milod]

Rabs...

 

It's not so much whether I'd qualify as a "rocker" or not - I do - but rather what one means by "rock."

 

You've gotta figure that when I was at that 10-18 age group, we're talking about a whole different thing when somebody said "rock." A lot was very "pop." A lot was very old style "blues." Quite a bit was sax-heavy "Oo-scray Oo-yeah" stuff.

 

I'm note sure that "Peggy Sue" or "Wake Up, Little Suzie" or "The Lonely Bull" or doowop or oodles of other stuff would qualify as "rock" today.

 

OTOH, I doubt that were it not a "rock band" who did "Michelle" or "As Tears Go By" whether those would be considered "Rock" either.

 

Anyway, that's something to think about. Over the past 55 years or so I've seen a bunch of changes in music and frankly, I'd say that the interesting thing isn't that "we" like various sorts of music, but rather that the term "rock" has supplanted the term "pop" for the popular music of the day for pretty much all age groups.

 

Also... I'd also make a case that "country" today is simply a variation of rock that's more adult angst rather than teen angst oriented.

 

m

[Rabs]

Rabs...

 

It's not so much whether I'd qualify as a "rocker" or not - I do - but rather what one means by "rock."

 

You've gotta figure that when I was at that 10-18 age group, we're talking about a whole different thing when somebody said "rock." A lot was very "pop." A lot was very old style "blues." Quite a bit was sax-heavy "Oo-scray Oo-yeah" stuff.

 

I'm note sure that "Peggy Sue" or "Wake Up, Little Suzie" or "The Lonely Bull" or doowop or oodles of other stuff would qualify as "rock" today.

 

OTOH, I doubt that were it not a "rock band" who did "Michelle" or "As Tears Go By" whether those would be considered "Rock" either.

 

Anyway, that's something to think about. Over the past 55 years or so I've seen a bunch of changes in music and frankly, I'd say that the interesting thing isn't that "we" like various sorts of music, but rather that the term "rock" has supplanted the term "pop" for the popular music of the day for pretty much all age groups.

 

Also... I'd also make a case that "country" today is simply a variation of rock that's more adult angst rather than teen angst oriented.

 

m

Yes all true.. But I can only talk from my own experience.. So when I got into it, it was Rock as most of us know it (of my age)..

 

Pop music also was abundant at the same time (late 80s) as the Rock I got into so there was a huge difference for me between say Duran Duran or Guns N Roses. Both bands use distorted guitars (to a point) and have similar song writing but I always considered Duran Duran purely Pop.. As been mentioned in previous threads, I think Rock is in the attitude so even Frank Sinatra rocks (in his own way ;))

 

So yes what you say is true, buy calling GnR rock you ignore the fact it was also popular music by the truest deffinition but we have to categorise to a point so we all undestand what each other are saying (even though I hate pigeonholing :))

 

As I say, im not so interested in the categorisation, I was just using it as an example for myslef. But am more interested in what got people into what ever music thats in their heart.

[SHO]

It's hard to say that this or that one song got me into rock. There was always music being played in our house for as long as I can remember. And being the youngest child, there was a mix of old an new around me with parents being of the Elvis and Beatles kind of generation, an older brother being into the then current rock and metal like AC/DC and Iron Maiden but also looking back to Hendrix or even Chuck Berry, and an older sister who mixed the current pop with a fascination for 60's pop and 50's do-wop stuff. So I grew up listening to a mix of all that, really. I still have old cassette tapes I made that mix stuff like The Shadows, Judas Priest and the Beach Boys!

 

I guess it would be cool to say that I kept on listening to all kinds of stuff, but I didn't. I heard Slayer and that was it, nothing but metal for years to come. It wasn't until my mid 20's that I snapped out of the metal only mindset, oddly enough by discovering 70's jazz rock fusion bands like Return to Forever and Weather Report after some metal guitarists named them as influences, and a bit later accidentally stumbling across Zappa's music. From there on I came back to listening to pretty much anything.

 

But if I have to name one song... AC/DC is the first favourite band I can remember having, and T.N.T. is the first thing I can remember being taught to play on a guitar at age 7 or so, if playing it with one finger on one string counts that is. So yeah, AC/DC - T.N.T.

[Gruffchris]

Hey Rab,

 

Tough question, but this is the oldest rock song i can remember, still a tune :).

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G5rfPISIwo&feature=fvwrel

[Rabs]

Hey Rab,

 

Tough question, but this is the oldest rock song i can remember, still a tune :).

 

I still have the T-shirt for that :)

[rocketman]

Eight Days a Week and Tom Sawyer (I know, weird combination).

[Rabs]

Hey Rab,

 

Tough question, but this is the oldest rock song i can remember, still a tune :).

 

By the way.. its off topic but have you seen the Bossa Nova version).. its helerious :)

[milod]

Rabs...

 

"But am more interested in what got people into what ever music that's in their heart."

 

I guess for me, all kidding aside, it simply was that I was brought up around music. Musicians in general were ascribed a status recognizing their abilities when I was a kid. We had weekly summer concerts in a tiny little town. Two of the three car dealers were involved in music. The Chevy dealer played an early electronic organ, they had a drummer and his wife sang well - and they had a weekend gigging band for the love of it. My Mom and Dad were known in the wider community for some pretty fancy duets in the late '40s and '50s.

 

So it wasn't so much what music turned me on to playing, but rather what music did I NOT want to play as the musician I was kinda born to be... Alas, born to be, but with only a lesser ability and talent...

 

Then too, the '50s were a marvelous time of incredible change and richness of musical styles all played on the same microscopic choice of media venues - so you heard just about all that was available.

 

So from that perspective... I guess I don't see a guitar band with various noise-making add-ons as "pop" from a musical standpoint.

 

As for a "rock" mentality... yeah, I think Sinatra sang "Oo-scray ooyeay" smoothly and I tended to do it in a more raucous, if far less talented mode... <chortle>

 

But technically I doubt much of either qualifies as "rock" by the vantage point of one your age. And believe me, that ain't no insult at all. You'll see a lot of change in music in your next 50 years, believe me - and it will challenge your definitions of variations in music.

 

m

[Rabs]

Rabs...

 

"But am more interested in what got people into what ever music that's in their heart."

 

I guess for me, all kidding aside, it simply was that I was brought up around music. Musicians in general were ascribed a status recognizing their abilities when I was a kid. We had weekly summer concerts in a tiny little town. Two of the three car dealers were involved in music. The Chevy dealer played an early electronic organ, they had a drummer and his wife sang well - and they had a weekend gigging band for the love of it. My Mom and Dad were known in the wider community for some pretty fancy duets in the late '40s and '50s.

 

So it wasn't so much what music turned me on to playing, but rather what music did I NOT want to play as the musician I was kinda born to be... Alas, born to be, but with only a lesser ability and talent...

 

Then too, the '50s were a marvelous time of incredible change and richness of musical styles all played on the same microscopic choice of media venues - so you heard just about all that was available.

 

So from that perspective... I guess I don't see a guitar band with various noise-making add-ons as "pop" from a musical standpoint.

 

As for a "rock" mentality... yeah, I think Sinatra sang "Oo-scray ooyeay" smoothly and I tended to do it in a more raucous, if far less talented mode... <chortle>

 

But technically I doubt much of either qualifies as "rock" by the vantage point of one your age. And believe me, that ain't no insult at all. You'll see a lot of change in music in your next 50 years, believe me - and it will challenge your definitions of variations in music.

 

m

Well you are lucky to have been surrounded by so much music.. Id have loved growing up with that around me.

 

And yes I have thought many times of when I will no longer understand the current trends as I get older (am almost 40 now, so am catching up with you ;)) (as it is Nue Metal or whatever its called and bands like Coldplay do my head in already).

 

Some kind of techno metal rap new age fuzz or whatever it will be called.. Im sure I will just call it noise though :)

[feldkeen4]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oowuyzxgmtg

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R82OM5tzcrk&feature=related

[heymisterk]

In 4th grade, I had two things: a paper route and a radio/tape recorder, where I could tape what was on the radio. These two songs, above all else at the time, made me fall in love with rock and roll...

 

 

 

It wouldn't be until later, when I wrote songs, that I felt the full significance of my mom's playing Phil Spector-produced masterpieces...

[Rabs]

In 4th grade, I had two things: a paper route and a radio/tape recorder, where I could tape what was on the radio. These two songs, above all else at the time, made me fall in love with rock and roll...

 

It wouldn't be until later, when I wrote songs, that I felt the full significance of my mom's playing Phil Spector-produced masterpieces...

I love both of those tunes too

[milod]

Rabs...

 

Here's another point to consider, too...

 

Why don't I listen to the current teen/20s hits and even much of anything from the later 70s to current?

 

It ain't 'cuz I think it's necessarily all "bad" music that I don't want to hear, it's just that there's so much stuff available that I already knew/know I wanna play that there ain't time to listen to the newer stuff - unless it's a specific piece a friend "demands" that I listen to or that I see on this forum.

 

OTOH, much as I've played ear-damaging music, both rock and "country," I think one of my major criteria of "good" music is if it interested me when it didn't hurt my ears... And that, perhaps, is a function of age. I dunno. Heck, I used to crank Bach's chromatic fantasia and fugue in Dm up to ear-splitting levels 40 years ago too.

 

<grin>

 

m

[Rabs]

Rabs...

 

Here's another point to consider, too...

 

Why don't I listen to the current teen/20s hits and even much of anything from the later 70s to current?

 

It ain't 'cuz I think it's necessarily all "bad" music that I don't want to hear, it's just that there's so much stuff available that I already knew/know I wanna play that there ain't time to listen to the newer stuff - unless it's a specific piece a friend "demands" that I listen to or that I see on this forum.

 

OTOH, much as I've played ear-damaging music, both rock and "country," I think one of my major criteria of "good" music is if it interested me when it didn't hurt my ears... And that, perhaps, is a function of age. I dunno. Heck, I used to crank Bach's chromatic fantasia and fugue in Dm up to ear-splitting levels 40 years ago too.

 

<grin>

 

m

:) haha yes me too.. Bach, Mozart, Holst, Wangner and the like also rock in that way.. Some of that music is so powerful not just in sound but in the way it can make you feel.

 

Actually this was the first sort of music I would listen to (so ive been told).. My mum used to stick me in front of the record player when I was a baby and apparently when she would stick on classical stuff I would just sit there mesmerised... Haha so maybe thats why I was drawn to powerful music :)

 

I know its an obvious one.. but when you listen to this at full volume it just blows you away... Powerful, gracefull and so intelligent.

 

again, an obvious one.. But a real Classic classic :)

 

Anyone who hasnt ever tried it.. Try listen to this stuff at full blast.. its awesome :)

 

Also like you theres good new music that I just cant be bothered to listen too.. It rather listen to the originals.. :) However just sometimes something new comes along that grabs me.. not often but it does happen ;)

[milod]

Here's a quadruple "Yup" to playing a lotta "classical" stuff at full blast to the point it starts to hurt the ears.

 

Here's one a little more modern I'll crank in the Jeep to the point I get funny looks. <grin> Yeah, I had fun playing it in too close to 50 years ago - and ain't played it since.

 

m

[Rabs]

Here's a quadruple "Yup" to playing a lotta "classical" stuff at full blast to the point it starts to hurt the ears.

 

Here's one a little more modern I'll crank in the Jeep to the point I get funny looks. <grin> Yeah, I had fun playing it in too close to 50 years ago - and ain't played it since.

 

m

I like it

 

Its like a cross between Cant Explain by the Who and Wild Thing by the Troggs :)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwRrXjWgkaY

 

[milod]

Wild Thing is about as stupid a teenybop song as I can possibly imagine and yet ... no question, I've played it a few thousand times and it's become a true classic for ... a number of reasons.

 

<grin>

 

Never heard the other, though.

 

EDIT: OMG, the turtleneck and plaid jacket... #$%#@$%@#$%@$ Looks too much like what I wore a bit in the '60s. Probably still have a pix of me thusly attired. Argh!.

 

<chortle>

 

m

[Rabs]

Wild Thing is about as stupid a teenybop song as I can possibly imagine and yet ... no question, I've played it a few thousand times and it's become a true classic for ... a number of reasons.

 

<grin>

 

Never heard the other, though.

 

EDIT: OMG, the turtleneck and plaid jacket... #$%#@$%@#$%@$ Looks too much like what I wore a bit in the '60s. Probably still have a pix of me thusly attired. Argh!.

 

<chortle>

 

m

Was this one of the reasons you reckon :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB31q-Ap-RE&feature=related

 

By the way.. im not as old as you but even I have pictures of me when I was about 5 in a green suede shirt and flares.. haha

[Vestapol]

Okay, the two songs that got me into Rock:

 

First, there was "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?". It was light, obnixiously sweet pop hit and our family sang it to death. It drove me in the right direction...

 

Because right around this time, I decided to play with the dial on my old radio and one night I found this raucous music, crazy music I'd never heard before. And a wild DJ shoutin about "Rock 'n Roll"...I think that first tune was "Flip, Flop and Fly" by Big Joe Turner. Soon after that I heard Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis...all before I heard Elvis, I was gut hooked.

 

Cheers,

[milod]

Actually, that was the first time I heard a Hendrix version. Never cared for what he did at all. OTOH, I think it's 'cuz I rather prefer a somewhat more "classic-al" approach to a lotta music. Used to play Dixieland trumpet and some pretty saggy-bluesy stuff that way, and then some pretty saggy-bluesy acoustic blues but... I dunno exactly how to 'splain the difference I feel in my head.

 

Honestly, I think the Troggs' original, with that odd vocal quality, the hard-hitting but heavy guitar beat and the odd whatever-it-was instrumental break went together to make something that hit at the right time.

 

It's kinda like the Chipmunks stuff. Horrid in ways, really, and yet...

 

m