When I was a kid, I hated eating peppers. Now I practically eat them every day. When I was a kid, I was addicted to chocolate. Now, at most, I’m pretty meh about chocolate.
It’s interesting how our tastes can change as we get older. This definitely applies to music.
There are many artists I loved as a kid and continue to love to this day. But I also remember some I genuinely disliked. Ironically, fast-forward to the present, and those same artists I once couldn’t stand I now appreciate as pure geniuses!!
Here are six…
1. Elton John
I remember going on a diatribe about how cheesy Elton John’s music was when I was in university. I guess there must have been a bit of musical elitism going on there.
It’s taken me years to realize just how great a singer-songwriter Elton John is. Not just because of the earworm quality of his songs, but because of their complexity. He’s a pretty good piano player, too! And I’ve also come to love the soulful quality of his singing voice.
2. Céline Dion
I think the world has a love-hate relationship with Céline. In the past, I was definitely on the hate side. Such schlocky pop ballads!
Even Rolling Stone magazine left her off its list of the greatest singers of all time.
But now I appreciate the sheer excellence of her singing voice. Other than Whitney Houston, I can’t think of another pop singer who can make just about anything sound epic and amazing.
I think Rolling Stone made a big mistake!
3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Yes, this is truly something I’m ashamed of. In my teenage years, I genuinely disliked Mozart’s music. I would have taken Beethoven over Mozart any day.
If I had to figure out why, I’d blame teenage angst. Mozart’s music is joyful to the soul, and at that time, I unfortunately wasn’t interested in feeling joy.
As my mental health has improved over the years, I’ve opened my heart to Mozart. So many masterpieces!
I feel the second movement of his Clarinet Concerto is the single most beautiful piece of music ever composed. And when you dive deeper into his work, there’s so much complexity, but it’s often hidden beneath the elegance and beauty.
4. Leonard Cohen
It’s not so much that I hated Leonard Cohen, but more that I just didn’t get him. Specifically, his monotone singing voice.
But as I matured, I learned to listen more closely to the words. And his music is all about subtlety. I think that’s something that can be harder to appreciate when you’re younger.
5. Culture Club
I remember being genuinely scared of Culture Club videos when I was 8–10 years old. This coming from someone who wasn’t a fan of clowns or Santa Claus, either!
I had never seen anyone like Boy George before. I even remember having nightmares that Boy George was looking through my window while I slept.
Thankfully, I grew out of that insanity and have come to appreciate their songs, especially their hits.
Boy George has such a fantastic and distinctive pop singing style. I feel his voice was iconic in capturing the essence of ’80s new wave. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me is one of the greatest heartache songs of all time.
6. Frédéric Chopin
I’m ashamed to admit that, as a pianist, I went through stages when I avoided playing Chopin. This was an absolute sin!
As an angst-filled teenager, this doesn’t make much sense because there’s arguably no composer who grasps human struggle more profoundly than Chopin. But back then, I found his music too delicate.
I was also fiercely proud of my Hungarian roots, which made me favour Liszt over Chopin.
But deeper than that, I wanted to play loud, aggressive music, and Chopin wasn’t as satisfying as Liszt in that respect.
Years later, I love every piece Chopin ever composed. Where would the piano be without him?
So there you have it!
Does any of this upset or shock you? What music do you now love that you used to hate?
