Your Formative Years Tune

[Jim Lahey]

For me, born in 89 and growing up in NI, and getting Sky Digital and the music channels in 00-01, it has to be Daft Punk - One More Time.

Heard it on the radio for the first time in ages. Wow. Music got me feeling so free . . .

[Sandstorm]

Prince - When Doves Cry.
First single I ever bought and I still love it when I hear it today.

[sockwithaticket]

11 years old, watching News Round and they played a clip of this song before a brief interview with Slipknot about their upcoming album. Went and got the single that weekend. Up to that point I knew a couple of pop-punk bands like The Offspring and Blink 182 plus Linkin Park. All the screaming blew my tiny little mind and really set a direction for my musical interests. To this day the bulk of my every day listening is bands with harsh vocals and little to no singing.



In retrospect it's wild that they put Slipknot on Newsround.

[Guy Smiley]

I'm a lot older than you guys

I grew up in a small, boring town that had one radio station which featured 20 songs on high rotation (or so it felt) and later on we had a weekly tv show on a Sunday that tended to throw out some more alternative listening, but the commercial offerings were scant.

In 1980, at the age of 19 I broke my leg in 3 places and spent 4-5 weeks in hospital. I had two separate operations to pin the leg and spent some uncomfortable nights unable to sleep well. Someone gave me a radio and ear piece to keep me entertained and at night I could tune into a few other stations from larger towns, stations that played a much wider range of choons. One night my life changed after hearing one song and it's been my favourite ever since, really. Nothing I'd heard or read prior had prepared me for what Lou Reed sang about in Walk on the Wild Side. He pretty much opened my head up to another world. I was blown out of the water. On top of the subject matter, it's just a gorgeous, clever tune. Produced by Bowie and Ronson... one of the greats made by the greats.

[Tichtheid]

Just before I went all Love and Peace man, and having been brought up on a diet of Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash and Barbra Streisand etc, (as well as Scottish traditional music) this was my punk moment

[Niegs]

Not so much one tune, but Soundgarden's "Superunknown" and STP's "Core" both transport me back to the 90s. Endless repeats on my DiscMan, riding the bus to and from school. Recorded them to cassettes as well so I could listen while at exercising (and y'all know the 'anti-skip' on any portable cd player was a joke! )

[Sinkers]

There can’t be just one surely?
I’d hope I could put together a pretty good soundtrack but no way pick just one track.

[Guy Smiley]

There can’t be just one surely?
I’d hope I could put together a pretty good soundtrack but no way pick just one track.

[lemonhead]

High and Dry, Radiohead.

Not even a favourite at the time. Just got a bit anthemy over several summers of drunken pub night singing out in the sticks, so permanently lodged in there.

[TedMaul]

Summer 1977 11 years old, saw this and bought my first single at WH Smith, 25 pence. By bye pomp rock hello new wave and loitering around Carnaby Street on Saturdays.
Never saw The Jam though, a regret.

[tabascoboy]

I'm kinda old so...when I discovered there was more to music than pop

[sturginho]

[Sinkers]

Summer 1977 11 years old, saw this and bought my first single at WH Smith, 25 pence. By bye pomp rock hello new wave and loitering around Carnaby Street on Saturdays.
Never saw The Jam though, a regret.

We should talk. I’ve been biting my tongue on a few threads like this thinking I’d be the only ex mod on a forum full of hairy university prog rock types

[Wyndham Upalot]

I was 13 yrs old ... great music and scene

[SaintK]

I appear to be somewhat older than the rest of you.
First record I ever bought in 1964
[media] [/media]

[TedMaul]

Summer 1977 11 years old, saw this and bought my first single at WH Smith, 25 pence. By bye pomp rock hello new wave and loitering around Carnaby Street on Saturdays.
Never saw The Jam though, a regret.

We should talk. I’ve been biting my tongue on a few threads like this thinking I’d be the only ex mod on a forum full of hairy university prog rock types

Looks like Wyndham is in our tribe too.

I suspect you have gone through similar scenes as me too, Northern Soul, Rare Groove, the Blue Note, Town & Country Club, 100 Club and so on!!?

[Sinkers]

Summer 1977 11 years old, saw this and bought my first single at WH Smith, 25 pence. By bye pomp rock hello new wave and loitering around Carnaby Street on Saturdays.
Never saw The Jam though, a regret.

We should talk. I’ve been biting my tongue on a few threads like this thinking I’d be the only ex mod on a forum full of hairy university prog rock types

Looks like Wyndham is in our tribe too.

I suspect you have gone through similar scenes as me too, Northern Soul, Rare Groove, the Blue Note, Town & Country Club, 100 Club and so on!!?

Not so much the rare groove thing and still helping support our little Northern Soul club here in Singapore.

Kinda what makes the pick one tune thing so hard when it was buying your first albums and going to your first gigs being revival bands but at the same time being introduced to Motown and Stax

[TedMaul]

Excellent! It’s highly possible my brother has played a set in your club. He owns a soul club in NY and plays all over the world, huge collector!

[Sinkers]

Excellent! It’s highly possible my brother has played a set in your club. He owns a soul club in NY and plays all over the world, huge collector!

Good on him. But I doubt we could attract that kind of talent.
This is just a few old lads from up north who were there first time around, brought their records with them when they migrated and have managed to gather a few other oldies and some newbies.

[TedMaul]

Nothing better! If you get in the right drinking slot you can still persuade yourself you’re the best dancer around

[ASMO]

one of the earliest entries into my wank bank

[Calculon]

Too many to mention really

I remember going to a beach party, sitting round one of the campfires. Nirvana’s Come as You Are is blaring out from someone’s boombox. In the firelight I can see the girl I came with, and fancied, is flirting with some of the older boys. I still feel fucking great.

A year later, different country and I’m at Michelle’s house party, very drunk. My crush is getting off with one of my friends. I fucking hate the guy, not feeling so good. Radiohead’s Creep is playing on MTV.

Only a few weeks later I’m at another house party, it’s my first time properly getting it on with a girl. I can hear Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds in the background. I was never interested in the Beatles but the following week I went out and bought Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Two year later and I’m lying in bed, snuggling with my girlfriend, the first girl I fell in love with. We’re listening to Van Morrison on my Denon CD player. She turns to me and smiles, “Hey, I’ve got brown eyes too.”

[Stranger]

Seeing motorhead on the bomber tour in 1979 in Malvern of all places. I was fourteen and it was the first concert I ever went to and my ears will were ringing several days later. so anything from that era motorhead, I never play any these days, my tastes have mellowed

[boere wors]

This. Has to be for all Gen X

[vball]

AC/DC .... Whole lotta Rosie.
First saw them in Edinburgh in 1978 ...

[Insane_Homer]

I remember it like it was yesterday, Sunday afternoons 1984, being allowed into my parents room so I could listen to David Gresham's top 20 show on Springbok radio on my dad's trusty grey Blaupunkt radio/tape deck. Sitting on the floor ready to record the cool songs on tape, trying to time it to cut out chatter and ads.

The song that first got me, Van Halen's Jump

[Guy Smiley]

I suppose I picked a tune that was more transformative than formative, ironic considering it's off the Transformer album. I remember buying records early on, things like Solid Gold Hits Volume whatever but my first actual album was Magical Mystery Tour, by the Beatles.

I reckon the first song I can remember really getting into from those early days might be Silver Convention's Fly, Robin Fly. It was always about the groove, man.

[Enzedder]

Sweet Caroline before it was wrecked by rugby DJs.

[epwc]

Really tough one. My brother loved Roy Orbison, Elvis, Buddy Holly so yeah definitely tracks by all of them but maybe when i first got into music was Changes by Bowie when i was about 12 or 13 so way after it was released

I was blessed to grow up in the era of old grey whistle test, Annie Nightingale and John Peel.

First single was Hong Kong Garden by Siouxie, first album Tonic for the Troops by Boomtown Rats

[Mr Bungle]

This. Has to be for all Gen X

Has to be! No, it doesn't actually.

For me it was this song. I'd grown up loving Beatles and Doors etc. but this song really blew me away when I was 13 and sparked my interest in guitars ever since. Lead singer playing lead guitar with a lead melody line through the verse. Some of the greatest driving music ever on that album.

[Kiwias]

late-67, starting to get interested in psychedelic rock and I came across this on Radio Hauraki that I used to listen to with a wee transistor radio as I was doing my homework. I was hooked.

[Sandstorm]

I remember it like it was yesterday, Sunday afternoons 1984, being allowed into my parents room so I could listen to David Gresham's top 20 show on Springbok radio on my dad's trusty grey Blaupunkt radio/tape deck. Sitting on the floor ready to record the cool songs on tape, trying to time it to cut out chatter and ads.

The song that first got me, Van Halen's Jump

I hated Jump first time around as a tween. I like it now.

[assfly]

Kid A by Radiohead.

Blew my mind the first time I heard it, still amazes me.

[robmatic]

This. Has to be for all Gen X

It certainly was for me. I was kind of oblivious and missed the Nirvana explosion because I didn't really pay attention to music and just listened to my older brother's AC/DC records. Then, in 1994, I borrowed a friend's Nevermind cassette on a school trip to France and basically listened to it on repeat for the entire coach journey from Yorkshire. I was blown away. After that, I became an alternative rock kid and started buying Kerrang magazine and wearing black t-shirts.

[Margin__Walker]

That's some question.

I could list dozens of tracks from my formative years that left a huge impression on me. Any number of rock, alternative, indie, punk and classic rock songs hit the mark.

In the interest of keeping it to one though, this feels like the right choice as a 15 year old lad at the time.

[Mr Bungle]

Kid A by Radiohead.

Blew my mind the first time I heard it, still amazes me.

One of the greats.

[boere wors]

This. Has to be for all Gen X

It certainly was for me. I was kind of oblivious and missed the Nirvana explosion because I didn't really pay attention to music and just listened to my older brother's AC/DC records. Then, in 1994, I borrowed a friend's Nevermind cassette on a school trip to France and basically listened to it on repeat for the entire coach journey from Yorkshire. I was blown away. After that, I became an alternative rock kid and started buying Kerrang magazine and wearing black t-shirts.

It is the most played video on MTV. One couldnt get around it at the time. But i think I haven’t listened to the complete song for 25 years or more. The rest of the album i hear regularly, for me the best rock album ever, it is just so good and still so fresh and powerful

[Tilly Orifice]

This made quite an impression at the time:

[Biffer]

Too many to mention really

I remember going to a beach party, sitting round one of the campfires. Nirvana’s Come as You Are is blaring out from someone’s boombox. In the firelight I can see the girl I came with, and fancied, is flirting with some of the older boys. I still feel fucking great.

A year later, different country and I’m at Michelle’s house party, very drunk. My crush is getting off with one of my friends. I fucking hate the guy, not feeling so good. Radiohead’s Creep is playing on MTV.

Only a few weeks later I’m at another house party, it’s my first time properly getting it on with a girl. I can hear Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds in the background. I was never interested in the Beatles but the following week I went out and bought Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Two year later and I’m lying in bed, snuggling with my girlfriend, the first girl I fell in love with. We’re listening to Van Morrison on my Denon CD player. She turns to me and smiles, “Hey, I’ve got brown eyes too.”

You sound like Dr Manhattan

[Rhubarb & Custard]

I was trying to think of one track that stood out from a Radiohead, Faith No More or what have you, and it finally dawned on there was already a track which had implanted itself by the age of 4-5, and not even Led Zeppelin who I was a big fan of from age 2 onwards