I still listen to the older songs, and most of the new songs that are our today do not even seem like music to me, especially things like rap music. To me, rap music is more like chanting than singing, and it is a form of singing that people listen to because of the words, and not because the music itself is beautiful. Over the years, I have enjoyed Kris Kristofferson, Jim Reeves, and also Don Williams. Many of the songs that I have enjoyed have also had instrumental versions, such as the haunting "Unchained Melody", and some were only released as an instrumental song. I also loved Stranger on the Shore, whether it was a vocal or instrumental. One song that I am sure everyone will remember was called simply, "The Percolator (twist) " song. It seems to me that this was also used in a coffee commercial at one time, too.
I think that one's a bit early for me, but a catchy tune nonetheless. My favourites have always been the great storytellers. Paul Simon and Bob Dylan would have to be my two faves. I don't hate all the rap music of today, some of the new music, from the late 80s and early 90s I think is quite good. I can't say I think much of the very recent stuff. I guess we all get attached to what we were weaned on.
I actually really enjoy the new stuff - rock mostly, I prefer alternative and contemporary. I like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Shinedown, Seether, Breaking Benjamin, and The Gaslight Anthem. I also really like Celtic music like Enya, Florence and the Machine, The Coors, Blackmore's Night. Here's one of my favorites at the moment - "Cosmic Love" by Florence and the Machine. It's a little dark, which suits my personality (being bipolar).
Sarah Vaughan, BB King, and Cat Stevens. They are three completely different styles and types of musicians with a heck of an instrument. Among the three though, I have felt pretty sorry for Stevens for a long time. So talented but he was black balled from American broadcasting for a number of years and is just now being heard on some of the lesser known radio stations. When he sang some of his songs you could tell he was looking for some answers that apparently only came with his changes in life style and religious preference.
Marilyn Manson is my favourite singer, I like his approach to life and he had a big impact on my life. Brian was and is a big inspiration for me.
Marilyn Manson!, that's a bit different than all the other favourites on here! Just goes to show what a varied bunch we all are! May I ask how he impacted on your life? It must have been a relatively recent impact, since his band released all their popular music in the 1990s. Has the impact been recent? or are you referring to when he was an actor?
The first song I remember, (7ish), was Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley. As a teenager I would listen to anything by Patsy Cline, or Charlie Pride. Then it was Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Joan Biaz, Judy Collins. I was never a fan of the screaching heavy metal bands. They just hurt my ears. Of today singers I find that that new Williams guy that sings that song, Happy, is a lot of fun. There are several new singers out there that are using their voices to impact us instead of instruments. Although, I really do like instrumentals much of the time.
I really like Eminem, even though I usually hate rap music, Eminem is the only exception to the rule. I love and own all his albums, in fact. And this passion started strangely, when I saw my son was beginning to be interested in him. He would listen to Eminem on speakers and it grew on me, so at least my son and I share one more thing in common. As for singers per se, I really like Enya, but there isn't a lot to tell about her here.
I have the pleasure of working with Cat Stevens and was at the same table at A&M Records Christmas party. He was a very friendly person but yes, he did have some major problems with mental illness. He told me that the song "Longer Boats" was about him going to different institutions. Although most of his work I really enjoyed, my favorites are "Pop Star." and "Father and Son".
Diana Washington is one of my favorites along with Sarah Vaughn. I like jazz and R&B, the new sound is not to my liking. There has been some good remixes of some of the old standards that I like but for now I like the old stuff.
Music- well I have some very varied interests here. A few nights ago I was listening to Linda Ronstadt, I had almost forgot what an angelic voice she had. Parkinson has robbed a gifted soul. From there I went on a Sarah Brightman hunt and ended up listening to some Celtic Women pieces. Again the voices of angels. In the car I listen to alt music and rock stations. I really am liking Cage the Elephant and Lana Del Ray, eerily she looks a lot like Anne Margret to me in some of her video's. It is odd to many people that meet me that I do like some of today's hipster music. I don't know I find a lot of it very similar to the music we listened to prior to disco and the rock/pop explosion. Hipster stuff reminds me of bands like The Mama's and the Papa's, early Genesis ,Doors, Carly Simon and acts like that. When I actually chose music that I have on my MP3 player I have been gravitating to bands like Moonsorrow and Solstifir. Moonsorrow is heavy folk metal and I just loved it from first listen. Solistfir is more ambient and even though I do not speak either language I like it a lot. Sometimes the words are not as important as the feel. Buckethead falls in this category. Electric Tears is amazing. I also really like The Tea Party. I also have a ton of dubstep music I like, a lot of it is artist remixes and thats okay. I like chillstep or what they call liquid dubstep, this is where you find the Enya and Florence and the Machine type mixes. I really like Blackmill from Scotland. As far as atmospheric music goes he is a keeper. Other then that what I have on the MP3 is a ton of metal and rock from all different era's. There's bands like ELO, Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd, as well as Megadeath, Marilyn Manson (Love!! Mechanical Animals, Holywood and Eat Me Drink Me era's) Breaking Benjamin, Godsmack and even oldies like Ratt,or Bowie. Bottom Line is a really enjoy all sorts of music.
Johnny Cash has always been one of my favorite singers, too ! I remember when I first heard him sing, and the song was (of course) "I Walk the Line" , which had just come out then. My grandmother had just passed away in California, and my folks made a fast trip down there to take care of arrangements, and it was there that i first heard Johnny Cash. When we got back home again, I requested it at our small-town radio station. They had never heard of the song----or of any singer named Johnny Cash. It was almost a month later when they finally got the song, and by then, it was probably at the top of the charts all over America. My kids grew up listening to the songs of Johnny Cash, and another great favorite of mine, Kris Kristofferson. We had most of the record albums of both singers, and also sang our favorites when we were traveling down the road in the car. Although I enjoyed most of Kristofferson's songs, my favorite was always "Loving Her was Easier".
Currently, I am a big fan of Pharrell Williams. His song, 'Happy' is really the song of my heart! The words and the cadence speaks to me and lifts my spirit every time I hear it!