There’s a site that gives you an album a day to listen to and review from the book ‘1000 albums to listen to before you die’. One day I got an Abba album and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a surprisingly dense, dream-like production to it. I expected simplistic pop but was surprised by how well structured and layered it was.

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So, I like metal. Death, thrash, heavy, doom, prog, it’s all great.

However, something like 8 years ago, I found myself really enjoying Lana Del Rey and I still can’t explain why. Then a year or two ago the same happened with Dua Lipa. They are the only artists I can’t explain and when I get suggestions similar to them I don’t like them.

If you’d told me this time last year that my new favourite genre of 2023 was going to be Finnish rap, I’d have said “no I hate rap”.

Well, actually I’d have said “this is some kind of Eurovision related nonsense isn’t it?” and the answer is yes. The people’s champ Käärijä hooked me in with his party metal, got me checking out his rap back-catalogue and now Spotify has decided all my playlists should be Finnish and here we are.

We got the moves - Electric callboy. Popped into my recommended when it released, with me having 0 knowledge about the band or what they’re all about. Just saw this dude in a weird costume and apparently it’s techno? Not the kind of music I like, gave it a try anyway. Then it got fucking wild. Not a day goes by without at least one EC song since then.

Pinguini Tattici Nucleari.

I grew up performing. Loved music of all kinds. Went and studied music at university.

Then ended up hating music. Which is so weird I know. Something about needing to perform to survive haha. I didn’t like it.

I started listening to pop music in different languages. German. Italian. French. Etc.

Was surprised and became obsessed with an obscure Italian pop band from Turin called Pinguini Tattici Nucleari. Flew there from Australia. Saw them play.

Now they are huge in Italy.

But yeh. Dunno why it took listening in a language I didn’t understand to do it for me. Probably something with appreciating the actual music, rather than a catchy pop song. I say great music “creates interest”. And it definitely does.

https://open.spotify.com/track/3V9aCzb0dOvuLHRerJ8sJI?si=a5CAgXH5SQ-ejfl6qgoEfA

Sails of Charon - Scorpions - Woah just woah this is where all those great guitar gods took inspiration from? (from Randy Rhoads to Yngwie Malmsteen). Second realization: Welp now I know why Scorpions made such a huge, they were great. Now I can deconstruct the image of those sad arena shows. Ok Germany I get it, you guys aren’t square for liking Scorpions, they were the tits. Obs: I had the same realization when I saw a clip from AC/DC playing way back when on the streets and Angus was killing it.

The new Lil Yachty album this year surprised me for sure. Really big departure from what he usually does, and he did it (in my opinion) really well. Never been a fan of his in the past

Though it is more in line with what I usually listen to, experimental hip hop, psychedelic rock, indie. Just didn’t expect it from him.

Something separate from what I usually enjoy would be That’s The Spirit by Bring Me the Horizon. Never been into that genre really (metal? I’m honestly not sure how they’re classified) but I really enjoy this album and I’m sure it’s gonna be right near the top of my Spotify Wrapped this year.

The first thing that came to mind

This was years ago. I didn’t like this band, but I knew of them.

My ex girlfriend told me to listen to this track.

I was kinda blazed, I put this on, put on my headphones, and holy FUCK

I never expected it. It’s so amazing, so heavy, so light, so aggressive and peaceful, it still gives me chills as I’m writing this.

If you want to be moved by music, be moved by the music, don’t be on your phone watching tiktok at the same time.

BE IN IT.

I guess when I ran into Aesop Rock, and got absolutely infatuated? I don’t do a lot of rap, so his stuff hitting so damn hard was a surprise.

I remember a few of the other times. Mostly it has taken the right moment, the right mindset and the right artist. A dark autumn evening and a walk in a park for Dark Sanctuary, falling asleep to SunnO))) and waking up to it was a mindblowing experience.

Carpenter Bruts album Trilogy opened up electronic music for me, and Crypt of the Necrodancers soundtrack cemented it.

I think I’ve learned over the years that I can like almost anything, and although I’m more likely to like music from my favourite genres, it’s possible I’ll like anything.

The most recent example I can think is that an artist I like did a cover/colab of Unholy by Sam Smith and after listening a couple of times I listened to the original and found I actually prefer that.

I also like things which are borderline not music, like The Shaggs.

Miley Cyrus did a tribute to Tom Petty and it was incredible. I never thought I would say that about anything she did.

I grew up not liking rap and hip hop, except exclusively liking Eminem. But lately I’ve been trying to branch out. Thought I’d give Kanye a try, so I listed to the College Dropout album and wow, I was not expecting to like it the way I did. Almost the whole thing is solid beats and decent rhymes. Same with Graduation. Color me impressed Kanye, I don’t like you as a person but your early music is great.

An old podcast introduced me to ‘All Day’ by Girl Talk. I thought it was the weirdest shit at first but I kept coming back to it, now I listen to it basically any time I’m doing menial/tedious work.

I liked the last album by The Interrupters, and I don’t even like punk music, but their songs were all wonderful