Do you listen to music your parents did, or do you reject it ?
My Mum and Dad had a BSR record player and we had it on in the house quite a lot in the early 1970’s. Mum loved Rod Stewart and Cliff Richard, Dad liked The Rolling Stones, Status Quo and Neil Diamond. Simon and Garfunkel. New World, ELO and Roxy Music were also common. We had Tubular Bells and Autobahn regularly so a real mix. Although I like Rod Stewart as a person having met him frequently through local football when I was young and the fact that he makes models for his railway, as do I, his music has not come with me as I have aged. The electronica has stuck, as has the Roxy Music. Quo is strictly for family parties, but it did lead me to my head banging years from about the late seventies. Paul Simon stuck, Graceland is probably my desert island disc.
I now have what friends call odd musical tastes. I have seen Motörhead and AC/DC live about the same amount as The Tallis Scholars and the LSO. Spent a few years once a weekend at the old Marquee Club in Wardour Street. Saw most of the metal bands of the time come and go.
I have a feeling my Dad would have enjoyed Eels and Elbow and my Mum loved Cara Dillon.
I was thinking about this as I streamed Moods, by Neil Diamond last night. I had lots of memories of my Dad and the songs were surprisingly good and completely familiar.
As a youngster, when my parents mentioned that they quite liked The Beatles, that was enough to swerve me for life onto the Rolling Stones … obvious, innit?
Zero. They did not own a single record between them as far as I am aware and never had the radio on apart from R4 for the news. They certainly never went to see live music.
I could not tell you what music they liked, if any, when they were young, and now both are totally deaf! Incidentally their combined ages are 179.
They did if course glimpse TOTP at times and tell me to ‘switch off that rubbish’ but I think that is pretty standard.
Bruce
Their lack of real interest in music was very obvious. After my parents got divorce my dad bought a Rogers system but only ever bought about 3 albums. As I lived with my dad after the divorce it was down to me to buy albums and use it in evening after school and before he got home from work, I soon built up a fair collection, some I still have to this day.
My father was somewhat into hifi - he had quite a good setup, with, at one point, Radford amplifier I think, good pre-amp (all valve in those days) and Quad tuner with a big Wharfedale corner speaker that was sand-filled. Sounded pretty good. He listened mostly to classical orchestral music, and little else. I like some orchestral classical music, but nothing else in common.
My mother effectively introduced me to music, in the form of classical, either on the wind-up gramophone or on the radio. It influenced me in terms of an interest in music, and possibly my enjoyment of classical. But my parents certainly had no influence in my discovery and liking of rock, though maybe my love of prog was a combination of my discovery of rock fusing with the enjoyment of classical.
Funny this should come up at this time of year. Parents would always have Mrs Mills playing on some old mono thing in a cabinet, as I started to appreciate music (early 70’s) I asked for a stereo for Xmas - Philips turntable & a separate integrated amp; loved it. Then as the big day got nearer Bing Crosby’s white Christmas album went on (as well as Xmas ‘Mills’) & that is still my ‘go to’ album at this time of year - Christmas was ‘family’ then not ‘who can spend the most money’ 
🥲:relaxed:
Ps: still got their original vinyl album 
We had a radiogram…and my parents played Elvis, Frank Ifield, Bill Hayley, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Chubby Checker, Ray Charles, Lonnie Donnigan, Sam Cooke, Beatles…etc
My fondest memories are of Sam Cooke, the Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers.
Great idea for a thread.
I think I was lucky. My folks local was the eel pie jazz club. So lots of rock, folk and jazz influences.
Still have a sizeable 7"inch collection once owned by them.
Richmond area so more the Rolling Stones than the Beatles.
What are the actual measurements?
A sizeable collection of 7"inch ? (Does mother now approve ?)
Hmm… Not sure.
The Beatles seemed to be approved of, as my Mother took me to see A Hard Day’s Night. My Fathers musical taste was Classical, on 78’s - only a wind-up HMV Gramophone.
Later, a Dansette Record Player arrived - what progress…!! My parents had LP’s by The Seekers and later, some James Last…
But - the Dansette was there to provide a means for me to play Records I bought, later on…
When I was just a bump, apparently I used to jump about happily when Ella Fitzgerald was played.
Similar here, though my dad mostly listened to crooners and big bands, and my mom listened to The Beatles and a lot of Bossa Nova (we lived in Brazil for a while when i was young). I still have a soft spot for a lot of the stuff they played, and most of their old vinyl is at my place nowadays.
My parents had literally no taste in music- what I mean is that they didn’t have a taste in music that I did not like- that is forgivable- they had no interest in music whatsoever. My father had a Sony stereo which he used to keep me away from- although it never got used so it sure why it was so precious.
In contrast my 3 children all have great taste and knowledge in music- significant overlap with my and my wife’s but also individualised too. We have made an effort as they grew up to listen to music and talk about it together.
Strangely some of my 2 sons musical interest has arisen from playing video games - eg grand theft auto- which has some great music on your car radio!
All my children have vinyl based systems too- but do stream loads of music as well.
My dad was a big influence on me from about ten onwards, every pay day he would would bring home a single for me, Beatles, Stones, Kinks etc.
My parents also went holiday to Jersey and would bring me home tax free LP’s, King Crimson, early Floyd. Also bought me my first guitar and Dansette record player, I was hooked.
One of my Mum’s favourite records, Perry Como Magic Moments (she had the single - I’m hoping I rehomed it when she died) - I’ve loved it my whole life.
Great thread - influences are an interesting social concept. For me it was my paternal grandparents, but it was only the radio: two way family favourites, desert island discs, and carol services. More importantly, it was church, both at home and school, that provided my first source of influence. Once at boarding school I was introduced to a wider range of music; this was both a formal education in music appreciation, and the influence of my peers. I rarely found anything of interest on TOTP.
It is the latter that remains an inspiration to this day: what do my friends like to listen to and recommend. Was this the Roon radio of its day?
They had minimal interest in music so the only answer is not at all.
Zero for me, my parents didn’t listen to much music.
They always said the problem was they lived in a semi detached house.