365 Days of Awesome Things - Day 12

Getting turned on to new music

I can't stand most modern music. To my ear there's a certain boring "sameness" to it. The last time I was turned onto something new was 2004, when I got hooked on Electric Six. Prior to that it was 1995 when I became obsessed with Supergrass. Basically I like what I've liked since I was a kid, with little variation. That means a steady diet of ELO, Queen, The Beatles, Elton John, and a few others (and to be fair I will never stop listening to these bands on a daily basis, but you know what they say about variety. Something about being spicy). Fortunately, getting turned onto new music doesn't necessarily mean the music itself has to be new. To paraphrase an old NBC slogan (because I don't want to get sued), "if you haven't heard it, it's new to you". The point is, I learned that because I may not like most of what is out there today doesn't mean I can't find something or someone new to enjoy.

For example - I can't stand "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" by Leo Sayer. So, because that was the only Leo Sayer song I had honestly ever heard, I decided I couldn't stand Leo Sayer. However, I recently found out he wrote and originally performed a Three Dog night song I love ("The Show Must Go On").  So, I listened to the Sayer version on Rhapsody, couldn't believe how much I loved it, and now I like Leo Sayer. Funny how that happens (though I still can't stand "You Make Me Feel like Dancing" - you can only expect so much personal growth at one time).

Additionally, a friend, through his obsessive compulsive Facebook postings about the Beach Boys, piqued my interest and so I decided to check out some stuff beyond their greatest hits, and of course, a lot of it was truly amazing (The Smile Sessions album in particular).

So, if you're like me and find most of what is produced today to be incredibly unappealing (to be fair I'm getting old and I don't really think it's meant to appeal to me anyway), take a look through some back catalogs, or check out some of the influences on your favorite artists. You may surprise yourself and start to lead a happier life.