When was the last time you found piece that didn’t match your usual listening habits, but ended up liking it? How did you come accross it?
My taste has been mostly rock, metal and certain kinds of electroic music, but
Fallout introduced me to Billie Holiday
Youtube channel Inside the Score got me started on classical music, like actually listening and enjoying Beethoven, Sibelius and Dvorak and going even to a concert instead of just knowing the bits you can not avoid.
The jazz covers of Phoenix Wright music, especially The Dark Fragrance of Coffee, got me seeking for more of similar style.
There’s a site that gives you an album a day to listen to and review from the book ‘1000 albums to listen to before you die’. One day I got an Abba album and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a surprisingly dense, dream-like production to it. I expected simplistic pop but was surprised by how well structured and layered it was.
There’s a site that gives you an album a day to listen to and review from the book ‘1000 albums to listen to before you die’.
I just found this one, in case anyone is interested.
Yep, that’s the one I used. Fantastic site.
People shit on Dancing Queen because of its ubiquity, but that track is an absolute masterclass in how to write a beloved three minute pop song. Benny & Bjorn know their shit.
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Thanks so much for the recommendation. This is awesome!
If you’d told me this time last year that my new favourite genre of 2023 was going to be Finnish rap, I’d have said “no I hate rap”.
Well, actually I’d have said “this is some kind of Eurovision related nonsense isn’t it?” and the answer is yes. The people’s champ Käärijä hooked me in with his party metal, got me checking out his rap back-catalogue and now Spotify has decided all my playlists should be Finnish and here we are.
For me also. Eurovision has been very meh for me, but this year I actually liked many of the songs and Germany really didn’t deserve the last place in finals.
I don’t like the style Käärijä’s albums are produced, but live he is awesome. Cha cha is even better when he can do his own thing instead of worrying the choreography.
Love that live show! The week after such a crushing disappointment, too.
It was a ridiculously strong year, and agreed 100% about Germany. I’ve actually been listening to a fair bit of Lord of the Lost as well since the final. I am a Eurovision superfan so may be biased, but it’s kinda crazy how many new types of music it can introduce you to.
Also had Ylivoimainen by KUUMAA on repeat, the Finnish national selection was absolutely stacked (as per).
I grew up performing. Loved music of all kinds. Went and studied music at university.
Then ended up hating music. Which is so weird I know. Something about needing to perform to survive haha. I didn’t like it.
I started listening to pop music in different languages. German. Italian. French. Etc.
Was surprised and became obsessed with an obscure Italian pop band from Turin called Pinguini Tattici Nucleari. Flew there from Australia. Saw them play.
Now they are huge in Italy.
But yeh. Dunno why it took listening in a language I didn’t understand to do it for me. Probably something with appreciating the actual music, rather than a catchy pop song. I say great music “creates interest”. And it definitely does.
https://open.spotify.com/track/3V9aCzb0dOvuLHRerJ8sJI?si=a5CAgXH5SQ-ejfl6qgoEfA
I have never been good at remembering lyrics and often kind of ignore them. I have been surprised multiple times about what songs that I have listened for a while are about when the lyrics finally click in my head.
I enjoy more the sound of the artist and in good music you don’t need to understand the words for the emotion to come through.
Like Memories of Dust is one of the most emotional songs even though the lyrics are in [human language]
I’ll check it out. Let me know what you think of my recommendation haha.
I liked the last album by The Interrupters, and I don’t even like punk music, but their songs were all wonderful
We got the moves - Electric callboy. Popped into my recommended when it released, with me having 0 knowledge about the band or what they’re all about. Just saw this dude in a weird costume and apparently it’s techno? Not the kind of music I like, gave it a try anyway. Then it got fucking wild. Not a day goes by without at least one EC song since then.
Sails of Charon - Scorpions - Woah just woah this is where all those great guitar gods took inspiration from? (from Randy Rhoads to Yngwie Malmsteen). Second realization: Welp now I know why Scorpions made such a huge, they were great. Now I can deconstruct the image of those sad arena shows. Ok Germany I get it, you guys aren’t square for liking Scorpions, they were the tits. Obs: I had the same realization when I saw a clip from AC/DC playing way back when on the streets and Angus was killing it.
Miley Cyrus did a tribute to Tom Petty and it was incredible. I never thought I would say that about anything she did.
So, I like metal. Death, thrash, heavy, doom, prog, it’s all great.
However, something like 8 years ago, I found myself really enjoying Lana Del Rey and I still can’t explain why. Then a year or two ago the same happened with Dua Lipa. They are the only artists I can’t explain and when I get suggestions similar to them I don’t like them.
Similar situation for me. Love Lana, Check out Beach House
I think I’ve learned over the years that I can like almost anything, and although I’m more likely to like music from my favourite genres, it’s possible I’ll like anything.
The most recent example I can think is that an artist I like did a cover/colab of Unholy by Sam Smith and after listening a couple of times I listened to the original and found I actually prefer that.
I also like things which are borderline not music, like The Shaggs.
The new Lil Yachty album this year surprised me for sure. Really big departure from what he usually does, and he did it (in my opinion) really well. Never been a fan of his in the past
Though it is more in line with what I usually listen to, experimental hip hop, psychedelic rock, indie. Just didn’t expect it from him.
Something separate from what I usually enjoy would be That’s The Spirit by Bring Me the Horizon. Never been into that genre really (metal? I’m honestly not sure how they’re classified) but I really enjoy this album and I’m sure it’s gonna be right near the top of my Spotify Wrapped this year.
The first thing that came to mind
This was years ago. I didn’t like this band, but I knew of them.
My ex girlfriend told me to listen to this track.
I was kinda blazed, I put this on, put on my headphones, and holy FUCK
I never expected it. It’s so amazing, so heavy, so light, so aggressive and peaceful, it still gives me chills as I’m writing this.
If you want to be moved by music, be moved by the music, don’t be on your phone watching tiktok at the same time.
BE IN IT.
My second choice is an album by Ludovico Einaudi. Genre is neo classical.
I put it on at work, which was a big mistake. No work happened for an hour because I was moved almost to tears by this.
Buena Vista Social Club. It came up on the 1001AlbumsGenerator. It’s probably the album I’ve revisited the most.
Didn’t expect to see this, and now I have Chan Chan in my head (and I love it).
Nice. It’s a bit different from my usual listening. Plus my Spanish is very very basic.
Another that came up on the generator with a sort of similar vibe was Getz/Gilberto, more light jazz but you might like it (if you don’t already know it).
Quite recently. My husband kept asking me to Ren as he’s from the same town as me but I knew it was a bit rappy and rap is not my thing.
Turns out Ren is great and some rap is maybe alright so that surprised me.
Bit of a deeper cut, but Dr Syntax is amazing, has been around since the golden age of UK Hip Hop (IMHO), the early 2000s, and is also from Brighton.
If a real lover of music doesn’t like Hip Hop/Rap, they are invariably looking in the wrong place. There isn’t really a more diverse, granulated, genre - including Punk and Jazz (both of which I love).
If you fancy looking a bit further afield, you could start your adventure with Aesop Rock. Bon voyage!
An old podcast introduced me to ‘All Day’ by Girl Talk. I thought it was the weirdest shit at first but I kept coming back to it, now I listen to it basically any time I’m doing menial/tedious work.
