What Music Means to Me

Above is a timeline I created by searching for the albums that stuck out in my mind from when I was a mere babe to my broken complicated late-teenage self year that I find myself in now (he says with a glass half empty). I will be going through a specific song from the time period specified and talking about why that was what I listened to, what influence it had on me later on.


So first the hazy "Early Memories" I remember distinctly Jungle Book's Bare Necessities being played in the evening and dancing with my mum, I suppose its quite a normal childish thing to listen with Disney films being a prominent feature to a childs life. Then strangely I remember Elvis Presley, I really had a thing for those Blue Suede Shoes, I don't know why - I no longer listen to this music. Ever. And lastly I remember Madness because my brother would always be singing it, so naturally I latched onto the music as well trying to be like my big bro (cringe) belting out the lyrics to Baggy Trousers and Our House.
It is nice to have the songs of my early childhood be happy and dance'y songs, I guess my flaws do not come from that time period if the music taste was so good but it does show that my taste is heavily under the influence of what's around me (apart from the random Elvis song). Disney films and my brother.

Next the Short trousers, long socks, cap, blazer, book bag time of my life - "Primary School". In this part of my life I found the internet, made more sticking friends and I feel, looking back, more aware of my music tastes. Mika, a very solid choice by me (if I do say so myself) and the song that sticks out is Lollipop; these songs again were happy songs, fun childish songs - I think it was a hit song on Heart FM (Essex FM at the time) so I heard it a lot on the radio to school and back, liked it and then got the album. And I think in this time I was listening to collection albums like Pop Party and NOW *insert number*. And a song that sticks out again in my mind is Mr Blue Sky by The Electric Light Orchestra i think it was just a song that my mum or brother started listening to, i don't know how i would have found it otherwise. And then the largest regret of my life! I'm just over-exaggerating for effect but still Nickleback, it was something me and my friend liked to listen to American rock i dunno its a sad memory but i liked that music at the time and the music videos were good on you tube for my young naive eyes.

First Few Years of secondary school i was developing more of my own taste but still listening to what was popular at the same time (in terms of example and the EDM stuff) but the question begs to be asked can you listen to popular music and say it was totally your own finding and that it is completely your taste? I think not because i no longer listen to that music now and i know tastes change but i have listened to the same-ish music for the last 2-3years so i must say that my tastes are clearly defined and back then i was just jumping in with what was popular and what i actually liked. I suppose i listened to the popular music because radio 1 came into my life and you are surrounding by people at school who all listen to the same music, whatever is top in the charts was cool and every kid wants to be cool so you all do the same thing (i am generalizing here, obviously some people are a bit more individual than others back then, identity takes time to build, so not everyone was overly obseessed with being the "cool" kid). This age of exploration of ones own tastes is shown through the example period, example was big with a few hits but i bought all three albums in those few years - music that i would never listen to now but at the time it was a major part of my iTunes library.

Now in the last 2 to 3 years i have truly found what i love and what i would define as my tastes in music. This is mostly through becoming more on an independent, introverted individual and spending more time online and the access to Spotify on my computer helping me explore tastes and genres of music. Nathaniel Rateliff, in his solo career of music and with his band now is a major part of my music taste and very different to anything else on the table. His solo stuff is really depressing country guitar stuff, the lyrics and the music is relaxing to me when i am in the mood for that genre but then if i want a bit more of a get up kinda vibe i listen to his band Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats which is blue and soul music, that is great for singing out looud to and the whole composition of that genre is just nice for the ears - this music (and everything else from this time) is just really relatable for me now, singing about drinking, partying, sex, girls, drugs etc all those kind of things. I thinks that  a main thing with all thses artists, Catfish, Tom Odell, Mumford and Sons, Ben Howard i just relate to that music, the music helps me and even though some of the names are well known i feel like not everyone listens to them so it is more for me.

In conclusion, to address the title directly. Music, is a very powerful and personal thing and also really influential for me. Music can bring back the saddest memories, evoke strong emotional response from me happy or sad or it can just be something to get me hyped. It has carried me through my whole life in the background.  Music simply is one of the best things in the world.