Biggest musical influence as a kid

[txteach]

I'm a HUGE beatles fan now and still love this band but KISS was big with me. I was in the kiss army, had all the records, cards, and figures. I remember as a kid me and 3 buddies singing christine sixteen down the road while going to little league practice. Also, in 78 kiss was my first concert. Gene, Ace, Peter, and Paul were like gods to me between the ages of 8-14. I remember waiting weeks to see kiss meets the phantom and thought it was the best thing I ever saw (boy how time changes your perspective). I also remember dressing as Gene for halloween. A homemade costume that made me feel great! All I can say is, thanks kiss for being there when I was growing up.

[Bill]

I was never into any music until high school. A friend gave me a cassette tape with the Sex Pistols on one side and the Circle Jerks on the other and that was it. Luckily I grew up about an hour from DC and the Circle Jerks would play twice a year back in the late 80's at the 9:30 Club. Growing up listening to punk at that time was amazing; shows were $8 at most and you could always hang out with the band afterwards no matter who they were.

[HardyGirl]

My influence was sorta split. My older brother and sister (twins) went to 2 different high schools. My brother and his buddies were big into Motown. My sister who went to school in Central Park West, had prodominently white friends, so her tastes were more Seals & Crofts, America, Donovan, Traffic, etc. As a result, I loved the Jackson 5, The Stylistics, Seals and Crofts, and America. My sister passed on when I was 10, so every now and then when I think of her, I pull out her records that I kept.

[huedell]

David Lee Roth, Kevin Dubrow, Nikki Sixx, Ozzy Osbourne,
Randy Rhoads, Blackie Lawless, Steve Plunkett, Dee Snider,
Stephen Pearcy, Joe Elliot, Steve Vai, Billy Sheehan, Vince Neil,

[Mikey]

Beatles
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Pink Floyd
Earth, Wind and Fire

[BlackKnight]

The Whole Grunge Movement up Here in the 90's was Huge for me & any teenager at the time. Every Show you saw was Just great. Quite a few local bands never made it into mainstream,.. but were still great as well.

[Monsterama2000]

Your story sounds a lot like mine. At my 11th birthday party in 1977 my dad bought a bunch of 45's to give out as prizes. I ended up with the Christeen Sixteen/Shock Me single. That lead to buying the albums, cards and the Gene Simmons figure. I still have all that stuff. I also dressed up as Gene for Halloween and my brother was Peter Criss. Unfortunately I didn't see my first KISS concert until 1985. I'm still a big fan, but it's not the same as the old days.

I'm a HUGE beatles fan now and still love this band but KISS was big with me. I was in the kiss army, had all the records, cards, and figures. I remember as a kid me and 3 buddies singing christine sixteen down the road while going to little league practice. Also, in 78 kiss was my first concert. Gene, Ace, Peter, and Paul were like gods to me between the ages of 8-14. I remember waiting weeks to see kiss meets the phantom and thought it was the best thing I ever saw (boy how time changes your perspective). I also remember dressing as Gene for halloween. A homemade costume that made me feel great! All I can say is, thanks kiss for being there when I was growing up.

[Merlyn1976]

My mother had me listening to Black Sabbath before I could walk...still love them today!!!

[Bill]

The Whole Grunge Movement up Here in the 90's was Huge for me & any teenager at the time. Every Show you saw was Just great. Quite a few local bands never made it into mainstream,.. but were still great as well.

Those early Sub Pop days were great. Mudhoney, Tad, Nirvana, Supersuckers, The Dwarves and my favorite Big Chief. That must have been something to have been there.

[kingcarm]

Led Zeppelin

[jessica]

My mom listened to top 40s and 50s music when it was available on one specific radio station. We also watched a lot of cartoons, with lots of swing from Tom and Jerry. Swing music is what is looping in the van. It was funny to hear my six year old ask me to rewind the song, Let Me Off Uptown by Anita O'Day.

I don't know why but I just love the war time era songs, too, and 1930s early jazz.

[BlackKnight]

Those early Sub Pop days were great. Mudhoney, Tad, Nirvana, Supersuckers, The Dwarves and my favorite Big Chief. That must have been something to have been there.

It Was Great ! Don't forget Sound Garden, Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam, GruntTrunk, Green Apple QuickStep, Alice-in-Chains , Screaming Tree's & Temple of the Dog to name a few more.

[Zemo]

For me it was Zep and Jethro Tull.

[grayhank]

My favorite was the Beatles and they soon became an obsession. I had to have every album by the band and as solo artists. I remember the Vice Principal of my high school called me into his office one day because he had heard that I knew quite a bit about them. He was trying to win a trivia contest and I gave him the answers he needed.

My other favorite was Cat Stevens...another artist that I constantly listened to and still have every one of his albums and songs today. I missed him so much when he changed his name and became Yusef...and it was great when he returned to the music scene a couple years back and released "An Other Cup", his first studio album since 1978s "Back To Earth". It was just like he had never left even though he didn't return to his former name sake for that album.

Other than that I mostly listened to rock bands like Queen, Styx, Boston, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Aerosmith, Heart, etc.

[BlackKnight]

Aerosmith Rules. Everything they put out is Just Great imo.