Were your parents into rock music?

M

Mike J.

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I know some of you here (maybe most!) are much younger than me. So I'm sure for some of you the answer is a big yes.

I was 10 when the Beatles first appeared on Ed Sullivan in 1964. Dad was 39 and mom was 36. They recognized right away the Beatles were very different but they really didn't care for their music at the time. In later years they came to appreciate their music from the laid back instrumental orchestral records they listened to. Fact is mom once said "you can always tell when it's a Beatles song."

I remember playing "Tommy" by the Who when it first came out. My mom was sitting in the living room with me and she really liked the Overture and the next song 21 a lot. I remember that very well.

By and large they really didn't care for rock at all, but surprisingly my dad really liked a few things by the Doors. I think it's because dad used to play the piano, so things like "The Chrystal Ship" and "Whiskey Bar" and "People Are Strange" were a few he liked.

So for the most part, mom and dad enjoyed just a few snippets here and there with rock music but it really wan't their thing.
 
Not mine. I was born in '67, and played lots of records at home. Mom was a house wife, so she heard it. Dad was a "turn it down" guy with the record player and the guitar. Sadly, he died at 64 in 1985. They were both born in the 1920s, and would mostly listen to big band music (which I love...played the alto and baritone sax for 4 years). I can remember many Saturday (or was it Sunday?) nights when they would tune in to watch Lawrence Welk.
 
I'm from your generation, Mike. My parents didn't understand rock and roll at all; at first they made it very clear to me that it was strictly for 'hoodlums'! [insert laughing emoji].

They were into big band, classical and even show tunes.

Their disapproval didn't stop me from listening to rock, or joining rock bands. Eventually, they accepted my interest in it, and at some point they stopped complaining about my band practicing at our house. At one point they even came to a big gig my band did. During a set break they complained about the volume, and went home.

On the other hand, I still love, and write, orchestral music. They'd be happy with that. My mother heard my orchestral music and loved it (not saying she was my only fan, but she was probably my only fan ;)). My father died before I started writing it, but he would have said:

"Don't quit your day job."

"Dad, music is my day job. I left the practice of law 31 years ago."

"Then you're an idiot."

"You're probably right, Dad, but...alas, too late!" :)
 
Dad was gone, but my mom was into all kinds of music. From rock and pop, to Motown and soul, to Hawaiian heritage music, something was going in the house all the time. Only two of my siblings took up actually making music, but we all love it to this day. I consider it a gift.
 
Nope. Dad was a classical music fan in college (liked playing "Also Sprach Zarathustra" at loud volumes on the Student Union stereo system at college.). Owned much of Arturo Toscanini-conducted Beethoven's Symphonies, Grieg, Wagner, some obscure and rare out-of-print LPs. Later an easy listening and folk music cassette tape fan. Some Simon & Garfunkel, Peter, Paul & Mary, Ladysmith Black Mombazo.

Dad would get all teary-eyed when listening to Beethoven's Ninth. It brought him much joy to hear part of his college youth again.

Mom was a Frank Sinatra / Bing Crosby fan in her early years, though didn't care too much for jazz, blues, rock & roll at all.

Classic rock, blues and jazz only became part of my life after I'd purchased a Pioneer stereo tube receiver, a Pioneer turntable and a pair of Bose 301s. Up until then I "begged" Dad to upgrade his homebuilt Radio Shack stereo system, and after that, family listened to my stereo receiver and an entry level turntable with LPs I'd purchased from 1973 onwards. Dad's homebuilt speakers served their purpose through high school.

Once heading off to college with the receiver, new turntable and the 301s, my LP collection grew. In due time, both a cassette tape player and CD player both made it into my audio gear. CDs replaced the LPs and cassettes. My LPs and turntable were given to my nephew, a classical music student/cantor himself. My CD collection was several times size my LP collection, but most of it has since been portioned out and donated to our local library fundraisers.

Today, like others, I typically download MP3s from amazon or Bandcamp, and play them through my Clarett USB 4Pre & JBL LSR308s. I prefer to own an MP3 compared with streaming it from a service. Saves on subscription fees.
 
Not really...both my parents were born in '41. Dad liked The Beatles - well, the early stuff. Didn't care for the later. They both liked The Mamas and the Papas, and later Cass Elliot. During the 70s they liked a lot of the pop stuff - The Carpenters, Captain and Tenille, Neil Sedaka. Dad was into Stan Kenton, Dave Brubeck, and Ray Charles.

Dad died in 2009. Mom said at the time she'd never seen a rock concert, and we decided she needed to see all the concerts. As such, while she still tends to listen to pop at home, at 81 she's seen Motley Crue, Yes, Kiss, Def Leppard, Alice Cooper, Five Finger Death Punch, Rush, Styx, MyChemical Romance...among many others. She likes metal shows because of the spectacle.
 
My parents are of prime age for the British invasion and the boom of rock music (Dad born in '47, Mom in '49), but they grew up in a small town where the big trends didn't make much of a mark. And their parents, conservative country folk of the Greatest Generation, did not understand rock music at all.

Mom has a copy of Meet The Beatles and Hard Day's Night, plus they have an Elvis album or two. Mom became the rocker over the years, plus jazz, blues, pop, classical. Dad is all about doo-wop, plus classic soul/R&B, folk, country; basically nothing beyond the 70's and nothing loud.

I love it because I got the combo of all of the above. I remember enjoying artists like The Four Seasons, John Prine, or Sam Cooke with the family and then Mom would pull out the Springsteen, Joe Walsh, or ZZ Top when Dad wasn't home. \m/
 
My Dad was heavily into rock. I grew up with some names around that we would all know because my Dad had a security company that did concerts and after parties. Some of my coolest vinyl was also his. My best times growing up were driving around in his muscle cars (and later his "old man" cars) listening to rock and talking about life. He was one of the few if not the only parent of my friends that actually encouraged me to go to rock concerts. I will always remember sitting in the living room talking honestly about it afterwards.

Good topic. Thanks for the memories Dad.
 
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My parents had a ton of records and reel to reel tapes.

My dad had a thing for The Ventures and Johnny Rivers but later gravitated towards country. He liked Mel Tillis.

My mom actually listened to records a lot when we were younger. Her tastes ranged from Paul Revere and the Raiders to Lulu to BeeGees and anything pop that was new at the time. I think I was influenced a lot from that as I really love 60s and 70s music.

Son of a Preacherman is something I remember hearing when I was young and To Sir With Love both of which I absolutely love for both content and the way they were recorded. Great sounding snare on Preacherman.

I also remember Good Thing by Paul Revere and the Raiders. I still know most of the lyrics from hearing it so many times.

Great times. I'm almost embarrassed to admit there are a couple of Osmond Brothers songs I've always wanted to cover.......lol.
 
Shreve said:
Does this count? Laurence Welk Orchestra’s ripping version of “Ghost Riders!” :D Vai’s got nothing on this guy…

Click to expand...

Whew! The guitarist looks like he's acutely uncomfortable with being in front of the band instead of behind it, and honestly looks like he's trying to hold it together without soiling himself. For my own part, I nearly lost my s!?t seeing him in frame doing That New Thang with "GERITOL" splashed across the scrim. Surely somebody involved in production knew what they were doing in setting up that bit of savage irony!
 
gush said:
My mom actually listened to records a lot when we were younger. Her tastes ranged from Paul Revere and the Raiders to Lulu to BeeGees and anything pop that was new at the time. I think I was influenced a lot from that as I really love 60s and 70s music.

I also remember Good Thing by Paul Revere and the Raiders. I still know most of the lyrics from hearing it so many times.

Great times. I'm almost embarrassed to admit there are a couple of Osmond Brothers songs I've always wanted to cover.......lol.
Click to expand...
Ah yes! My father was big into Paul Revere and the Raiders and the Kingsmen. Music was a big thing in my parents' home and I have to admit their tastes were more varied (albeit mellow) than mine. I fell hard for the sound of electric guitars screaming for their dear lives and it was all over. My folks always ran about 10 years older than their actual biological age, so while they hit their teens just before the Beatles, they were into a lot of fluffier 60s-70s music and band and church music.
 
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