For me, being in High School in the late 80's, I'd have to say it would be Depeche Mode. I have an eclectic taste in music to say the least, especially since I started working in clubs at the age of 16. I can go from rap to metal to opera to country without even blinking. But, whenever I feel I need to get myself grounded in reality, or need to escpe the stresses of everyday life, DM is who I invariably turn to. I have every song, album, b-side, mix and rare ever released. A bout 5 gigs worth, actually. A close second would be The Smiths/Morrissey.

I listen to, and have, the most of Nine Inch Nails. I've always enjoyed the metamorphisis between albums, as well as Trent's ability to create the albums himself. He plays the instruments himself, and has total control over what he creates. He has a hand in the live production of the albums as well. The lyrics are a bit on the lame side, usually, but I've never been big on lyrics.

Type O Negative has always been one I have gone back to, especially the October Rust album. During a particularly interesting time of my life, I listened to this album repeatedly. The dark sense of humor has stuck with me since.

I like you already. Welcome to Talk.

Prior to starting high school, I'd started branching out in my musical tastes from the R&B/rap that most of my peers listened to; I was all into the Top 40 scene, the Huey Lewis, Genesis kind of stuff.

Upon starting high school I began to hang out with a group of friends, one in particular who was ready to take another step into the musical world. She started listening to what was then called "New Music" later to be dubbed "Alternative". She would hand me tapes and I thought the music to be kind of strange at first. I remember her making me listen to The Smiths, "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" and thinking how depressing the lyrics were and for a split second being concerned over her mental state. But after listening to snippets of General Public, New Order my love for the music started to grow. Depeche Mode's Black Celebration sealed the deal.

I truly am a fan of many musical genres. This year alone I've been to see Death Cab for Cutie, New Edition, Faith Hill/Tim McGraw, Coldplay (and of course Depeche Mode)...I love all kinds of music..but Depeche Mode is a group that I hold near and dear to my heart. I listen to them on a regular basis. How can music be so sexy, but speak to me when I'm down as if to say, "You're not alone" in the same song.

While my tastes are all over the map, it all comes down to the Beatles. For this reason I love a killer melody or hook. I don't care if the song is mellow and slow, bleeps with nothing but computers/synths or is raging fast, a great melody does it for me.

Probably because of an older sibling, a lot of bands that started out in the '80s and could be labeled as alternative/new wave/etc. have had the biggest influence on me. Obviously, Depeche Mode and The Smiths are way up there, along with bands like U2 and The Cure. However, as a musician myself, I'd have to say that bands like Echo and the Bunnymen and The Psychedelic Furs have had the biggest influence on me. As far as lyricists go, probably Elvis Costello and Peter Gabriel.

I'm not a musician, so this question is N/A from a musical influence point of view.

I can't say any one music has had any influence on me as a person. I didn't do X, Y, or Z because a musician did it or the music's message was to do something. The only exception would be any supportive music that served as respite during hard times -- but that's not influence. As a whole, music has had some effect but I can't name one artist that caused any specific influence of any worth.

However, musicians/music certainly influenced my attitude towards other music. And since music, as a whole, does play a part in my life, I could say there's been some influence, or change.

Far and away, it would be U2...no one else even comes close...The Beatles rank an important, but still distant, second. If I start with the "whys", I may never stop, so I'll try to sum it up this simply--U2 is the only band in rock history to perfect as a consistent rule (not the exception, not the occasional stand-out track, but the rule) throughout the entirety of their career the quality of transcendence.

smokey robinson

These two albums sum it up fairly well:

I was born in '71, so I didn't really start discovering music for myself until the early '80s.

My first record was Queen's The Game - like all 9 year-old boys, I couldn't get enough of "Another One Bites The Dust", and "Dragon Attack" just put 'em over the top. Other "first albums" of mine were Back In Black, Live @ Budokahn, Pyromania... see a pattern? But then by '83 I started getting into more alternative stuff - early punk like The Damned, The Dead Kennedys and Black Flag, along with The Cure, Depeche Mode and New Order.

But everything changed when I first listened to Led Zeppelin IV in 1984. I bought every Zeppelin album and that influenced me to pick up a guitar because, more than anyother music, I wanted to be able to play what I heard.

Now, as much I still love Zeppelin, I just can't listen to them anymore, because their music has completely permeated my being and there's really nothing I can gain by listening to them (same thing with The Beatles, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, and a handfull of Stones' albums).

But it all influenced me - the main drive being that it was raw, guitar-based rock that was cutting edge (for it's time) and well written and performed music from artists at the height of their creativity.

Alot of music influences me in my music, but the major musical influences have been;
The Beatles
Foo Fighters
Tom Waits
Prince
Rolling Stones
Led Zeppelin
Radiohead
Chuck Berry

Bar none:

I seem to remember you mentioning this album instead, a couple of years back:

Dream Theater

Back in high school I listened to pop. A then current girlfriend and my brother got me started into hair metal (late 80's/early 90's end of its life hair metal). And while it was good and better than the pop, it still wasn't perfect for me. Grunge was decent, some rap. Pretty much all over the map. Nothing was a perfect fit though.

Then came Dream Theater. They just blew me away just like they blow away their peers talent-wise. The music was complex and totally different than anything else I'd ever heard. They opened my eyes up to this ever expanding sub-genre "prog-metal" which is mostly what I listen to anymore. It was the first band I was truly excited about and still am. I anticipate every release they put out. They just make me wish I had an inkling of musical talent.

Sister's my favorite SY album, but I first bought Daydream Nation when I was 15 and owned stuff like "Thriller" and "The Miami Vice Soundtrack". I basically haven't recovered yet.

Also, thank you for your e-stalking...

I'd have to say Radiohead's OK Computer (1997). It came out right between my transition from high school to college---one of the first big "changes" in my life at that point---so it wasn't just a fantastic album, it was in the right place at the right time.

It's not stalking, it's called having an incredibly good memory for random minutiae.

I was just kidding (sorry, doesn't translate well on the internet). It's all good in da hood, g-money grip.

I've lived in Ohio for more than ten years and I still don't get the midwestern slang.

Can't explain it, it just fed my soul and instantly went into the top 5 all time for me.

Obscure euro-disco in the late 70s, then in the 80s The Smiths.

Then in the late 90s and beyond I ditched the charts, and layed into Frank, Nat and Ella standards.

Here's my 100 favorite albums of all time:

http://rateyourmusic.com/list/grundl...ms_of_all_time

My list is very top heavy with early 80s new wave, which is my biggest influence. I credit early MTV and the 1983 movie "Valley Girl" for that.

Pearl Jam.

Been a fan since Ten came out in 1991 when I was 13. Was the album that really got me into music, and seems any time my interest in music tapers off they're the band to bring me back. Including right now with their new Album which is the best album I've heard in years and seeing them 3 times in concert a couple weeks ago my interest has peaked again.

it would be probably be when Art of Noise - Beat Box was released Q107 here in DC played it- it really cemented my love for a genre of music I continue to enjoy to this day - electronica/dance music