What kind of music are/were your parents into?

My dad likes a bunch of different stuff (mostly classical and jazz, I guess), but without seeming particularly excited by it. I'm usually not quite convinced that he is experiencing any of this as intensely as my mother was (or as intensely as I do when I enjoy something), but maybe I am not being fair to him. It may simply be that over the years other things have taken a much higher priority. I don't get the sense that he would easily recognize the styles of many different classical composers or jazz musicians. He just kind of likes it.

Dad - tons of classical, sneers at anything with a 4/4 beat.

My Mom liked Peter, Paul, and Mary, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, and other things that put me to sleep. Now she listens to a lot of stuff her mom did Ella Fitzgerald and various chello pieces and whatever strikes her fancy at the moment (Miles, Bella Fleck, etc.)

Papa listened to nothing but minimalism until 1985. He loves John Fahey, and thinks Jim O'Rourke is great if only for his getting Fahey to play more. He can't figure out why 69 Love Songs did not turn out to be 69 big-time hits. Michael Hurley is another of his favorites.

Mother - classical, in particular Opera, hosts and programs radio shows on 2MBS FM a classical station here.

Mum - anything pleasant and polite. Once professed to liking a few songs by Garbage, said she thought Missy Elliot seemed articulate and very intelligent, and upon viewing a clip of Suede performing live said she thought they were giving it their all and it sounded good.

Mom - Disco, and mostly bad R&B like Anita Baker, Fleetwood Mac, hates anything that reminds her of my father like all artists mentioned above.

Dad is big-time into folk music, as authentic and rootsy and square-wave free as he can possibly get it. Mum isn't really interested in music at all, a total 12-CDs person. (Mix of mainly classical, plus some Rod Stewart because she's fancied him since 1963, and a couple of strange things that I got her - Spz and Divine Comedy of all things.)

Mom - Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, Mike Oldfield (80's phase), REM (mainly Automatic for the People)

Dad - Blue Cheer (Vincebus Eruptum is easily the coolest album either of them own), Beatles, Stones, Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, Van Morrison, Richard Thompson, Hendrix and latterly Leftfield and bad psy-trance in a botched kinda second youth attempt type thing

Mum - Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Beach Boys and then it all goes down hill with Simply Red, David Grey and the Stereophonics.

Dad currently listens to lots of jazz, classical, country - he's out of his phase where he really tries to listen to lots of new pop or experimental music. Actually, after 30 or so years doing music, he recently decided to sell all of his CDs.

Loves - The Cramps, Leonard Cohen a la "Tower of Song", The Outlaws, Patricia Barber, Llasa, Paul Desmond, Coltrane, Bach Sonatas, Billy Idol's version of "Mony Mony"...fado music...

Back in the day, he intro'd me to Siouxsie & the Banshees (Once Upon a Time), Bow Wow Wow (See Jungle! See Jungle!), Little Walter, Durutti Column. I owe much of my taste to him (not Idol's Mony Mony, however; I prefer orig version)

And I'm the gay one??

I wonder if any of the kids who are mentioned on the 'what do you kids listen to' thread will ever post here?

My dad loved Trad Jazz (and even started writing a book about it in the early 60s).

Mom like Burt Bacharch. Dad was tone deaf and referred to all music as "turn off that racket!"

My mom likes doo-wop, big-band and swing music, songs from "The Rat Pack," and seventies-era disco.

my parents listened to indie rock: the beatles, simon & garfunkel, nilsson, joan baez, the kingston trio. only they didn't used to call it that.

my dad loves classic rock and female pop music (shania twain and janet jackson are what i associate with him right off)

my mom loves disco and mom stuff (michael buble, frank sinatra, dean martin)

my mom listned to whatever was on the radio up until the early 70s. she liked the Beatles a lot. dad liked Stax stuff, early rock n roll & doo wop, and pop up until all those nitwits started openly using drugs and breaking on through to the other side, etc. both of my parents act about 10-15 years older than they actually are.

it was funny, about 10 years ago fleetwood mac did a reunion show that played on PBS and both my folks were "who is this?! they sound pretty good!" and i'm just like wtf guys? did you turn 65 the day i was born?

my mom thinks most of her albums ended up with her college room mate. some stuff i remember them having around when i was a kid: beach boys - sunflower, doobie brothers - what were once vices are now habits, james taylor - sweet baby james, willie nelson - red-headed stranger

Dad: Aerosmith, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac. Pretty much a casual fan of these — doesn't know member's names, album titles, etc.
Mom: not really into music. Likes sappy country stuff.

oh yeah, and after my parents got divorced, my mom got into country and my dad went back to the doors and the dead

Dad: The Kinks, Ramones, Cheap Trick, Slade, Steely Dan, Kiss, Alice Cooper, REM, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Cab Calloway, Blondie, the Who, Sparks, Tina Turner, the Byrds, the Zombies, the Yardbirds, the Doors the Four Tops, Emitt Rhodes, the Pretenders, the Police, Wilco, the Go-Gos, Iggy Pop, Mott the Hoople, the Animals, Paul Simon, Chuck Berry, Hoagy Carmichael, Warren Zevon, Ohio Players, Sly & the Family Stone, 60s garage rock in general

Mom: The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Bob Dylan (both into these first three, but my mother somewhat more than my father), Randy Travis, Willie Nelson, Linda Rondstadt, Cher, James Taylor,Rosanne Cash, Cyndi Lauper, Ricky Nelson, Marianne Faithful, Tracy Chapman, Wings, Culture Club, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Don Henley, Tom Petty

My parents went through a lot of different phases, they drive me crazy. My dad likes big bands and really old rhythm and blues.

Dad: Bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace". That's it.
Mom: NOTHING. SHE LISTENS TO NOTHING. EVER.

One of the only CDs my father has bought for himself in the last several years (or ever, I suppose) is by Barbara Streisand.

I have to admit, I'd rather have parents with questionable taste in music than those that don't listen to anything ever. Thats just too weird for me to wrap my brain around.

My dad loved (and still pretty much loves) Neil Young, James Gang, and outlaw country. My mom likes new pop country and church-y music. Not like contemporary Christian really, but like actual hymns and stuff.

(btw - my dad's taste is totally not the questionable part, his is actually pretty good - he also recently discovered that he "loves" Fela thanks to Sirius.)