a trip down memory lane

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dads. they've got questionable musical taste, don't they? not mine. well, save for that time i busted him listening to missy elliott's "work it" because he "really liked the urban jungle beats", but generally speaking, my dad was pretty much the one person who shaped my musical education; it's because of him that i have such a varied taste in music now, and why i'd still prefer to listen to smooth radio or golden oldies than any top 40 pop-nonsense that is produced or played on the radio these days (except justin bieber. that new album is banging). he's old, right, and he was a bonafide hippy in the 60s (he has the "peace sign" tattoo over his heart to prove it), so his musical journey starts and ends with rock-and-also-roll. growing up i was blessed with the sounds of dire straits, the eagles, creedence clearwater revival, fleetwood mac, et al, but with a heavy dose of country and folk on the side - to keep things "meaningful". on long car trips we would regularly insist on cat stevens, bob dylan and james taylor sing-a-longs, while my mum's desperate attempts to get "her music" some air time were instantly squashed. that's not to say her music choices were bad, so to speak, i mean... they're perfectly fine. she likes pop music; the beatles, simon and garfunkel, elton john were the few bands my parents had in common. do you want to know the only vinyl my parents each brought to their marriage of almost 40 years? goodbye yellow brick road. a great album, i give you that, but it's where their shared musical taste ends. so yeah, when the choice was limited to sweet baby james or another neil diamond playlist, well, she was clearly outnumbered. to this day james taylor remains one of my favourite artists of all time (alongside does phil collins because bae). for that, i have my dad to thank. so in a nod to father's day later this month, i've created a little memory lane playlist to remind myself of where my musical journey started, and how far it's come since i was a child. some people (like my father) would say that what i listen to these days (pop-punk, hardcore, etc) is a pretty far cry from the stuff i was brought up listening to, but i suppose, you have to start somewhere, right? my love of music started at a young age, and started with some greats. those greats opened to door to modern rock bands, alternative music, the indie and emo scenes, and from there... the rest is history.  i'd love to hear where your musical education started, and whether or not your dad's tastes have impacted your own at all. have a listen and tell me some of your favourites below!  *written in collaboration with hmv, all words are my own*