Best band you were surprised to discover you liked

[pedro]

My top two are The Smiths and New Order.

When I was in High School I had a neighbor that was a tall, beautiful, introverted, swim team, Smiths fan. My friends and I just didn't get it, but all the cool girls loved him. It was years before I *got* the Smiths, and suddenly then my old neighbor.

When I was at college, I had a guy who lived in the room next to me in the dorm sophomore year. His name was Mike. In their room Mike and his roomate had bunk beds in which Mike held the bottom bunk. One night the entire floor was awakened to Mike's screams when the top bunk collapsed on top of him in the middle of the night. He was OK, but from that time on we all called him "Sandwich Mike". Anyway, Mike had a page boy haircut and really loved New Order. Being the freedom rockin hippy that I was, I didn't *get* it, but now, listening to their great bass lines I totally understand. (although I would like to add that the gap between the songs that I think are great and the rest is pretty large.)

So who is the best band you were surprised to discover you liked?

[MrCinatit]

i usually like classic rock (beatles, stones, who, pink floyd).
for some reason or another, i picked up a coupld of songs by the godfathers of alternative, Sonic Youth - and found out i REALLY enjoyed their sound. they are unlike about anything else i listen to...but they are unlike about anything else, anyhow.

[pedro]

i usually like classic rock (beatles, stones, who, pink floyd).
for some reason or another, i picked up a coupld of songs by the godfathers of alternative, Sonic Youth - and found out i REALLY enjoyed their sound. they are unlike about anything else i listen to...but they are unlike about anything else, anyhow.

SY are a great band but sometimes they aren't very accessable. I like them most when Kim doesn't sing. You are right though, they have an incredible sound. Lee and Thurston are super guitar players so I'm not surprised you enjoy them based on the other bands you said you like.

I like (beatles, stones, who, pink floyd) too.

[Betterread]

i usually like classic rock (beatles, stones, who, pink floyd).
for some reason or another, i picked up a coupld of songs by the godfathers of alternative, Sonic Youth - and found out i REALLY enjoyed their sound. they are unlike about anything else i listen to...but they are unlike about anything else, anyhow.

I'm going to provide an example of the opposite perspective. After listening to zep, the who, and pink floyd as a kid, I was bored with them by about 12 and starting listening to punk, post-punk, then indie music exclusively with Sonic Youth being my favorite. I haven't bought a Sonic Youth record since "Dirty" (I still like their sound, but their music meant a lot to me at a certain time and place in my life and I am now in a different time and place) but now enjoy Jackson Browne and am listening to his stuff.

By the way, this is an excellent idea for a thread, Pedro.

[Ravenlord]

The Black Eyed Peas and Gorillaz

[Sean_CaseyRules]

Franz Ferdinand and Modest Mouse, i used to despise Take Me Out, but after a while it grows on you.

[DoogMinAmo]

The Darkness

[Larkin411]

Led Zeppelin and the Smiths. I used to hate all those floyd/zeppelin-obsessed guitar guys who would take the "learn to play guitar" class at my high school and then like for they're final project would do a rendition of the Rain Song while the rest of us were trying to strum three chords in succesion. So that being my first real introduction to the band caused me to think less of them. Once I got to college though I warmed up to them after a reading of "Hammer of the Gods." I only read that book because I thought it would be entertaining but it got me interested in hearing their music and the rest is history.

The Smiths I thought were just a whiny precursor to the more whiny Cure but now I love their stuff. I had to come up with a whole douglas sirk-type theory of their angsty lyrics though before I could admit to liking anything by Morrisey. I still don't offer up the fact that I like them too often in public.

[RawOwl UK]

Radiohead

Used to find them really depressing BUT I got into them big time, some beutifull written songs. Also an Irish band called Aslan they are truly fantastic but not really known out of Ireland.

[Dom Heffner]

i picked up a coupld of songs by the godfathers of alternative, Sonic Youth

10, 20, 30, 40...tell me that you wanna scold me...

I used to listen to that song over and over. Something about the way she sang, "bettin' on the bullllll in the heather...."

[BuckU]

Weezer, I used to think they were "nerd rock" but I actually have loved their last 3 albums.

[zombie-a-go-go]

Wu-Tang Clan, about 3-4 years ago.

At the time (I was a Smiths/Cure guy ), it came as a pretty big shock to me.

Thank you, Jim Jarmusch.

[TeamCasey]

For me it was Lyle Lovett.

[Sweetstop]

For me it was Lyle Lovett.

I love the quirky Mr. Lovett. Church, Don't Touch My Hat, That's Right (You're Not From Texas) etal. Why were you surprised, TC?

[MrCinatit]

SY are a great band but sometimes they aren't very accessable. I like them most when Kim doesn't sing. You are right though, they have an incredible sound. Lee and Thurston are super guitar players so I'm not surprised you enjoy them based on the other bands you said you like.

I like (beatles, stones, who, pink floyd) too.

ou are very correct about that - in fact, i would say they are very unaccessable to many listeners. i was lucky enough to be exposed to their more accessable works like Teenage Riot, Cool Thing, their cover of Superstar, and Sugar Kane before i decided to grab some of their CDs.
there are still songs i have a tough time listening to - and in fact, most of them are sung by Kim. the only exception there is Washing Machine, which i think is their best work. as for Lee and Thurston, their abilities are quite amazing. many years ago, their sound may become legendary (also might not. who knows).


here was another surprise for me, though it was not the group as a whole, but one of their albums.
i know many of the "lists" are bull hockey, but i still like to look at them.
one album consistently appearing on every list was "Pet Sounds", by the Beach Boys.
i mean...they are the Beach Boys, for Pete's sake. they are a surf group!
finally, i caved in and bought the album.
simply amazing, and it is now easy for me to see why it is given so much credit. the amount of pain Mike Wilson was in when he made the album is shown in every groove.