High School Kids Have Bad Taste

2May/0625

High School Kids Have Bad Taste

Sarah ran a CD swap recently. The theme: music you liked in high school.

I joined up without hesitation, because I still listen to the music I liked in high school. I was obsessed with indie rock in the early 90s and most of the stuff still stands up. Here are a few of the albums I pulled songs from:

Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
Mercury Rev - Yerself is Steam
The Flaming Lips - Clouds Taste Metallic
Sebadoh - Bubble and Scrape
Palace - Days in the Wake

I'm sure some of you are reading that list and saying, "What the fuck is this bullshit? You were in high school in the early 90s! Bring on some Tribe Called Quest or at least a song by Nirvana!!" But this is a compilation of music I liked. And while I owned Low End Theory, Nevermind, and dozens of other pop albums, my obsession was indie rock. (I know, I know: "Rap is not pop. If you call it that then stop.")

Yes, I am going somewhere with this. I might as well get to the fucking point.

What music were you obsessed with in high school? Did you have every New Kids on the Block album? Did you want to make out with Vanilla Ice 'cause he had such great moves? Did the sight of Debbie Gibson give you a raging hard-on? Or maybe you're way cooler than all of this because you had every Hendrix record on vinyl...

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Ev
May 2nd, 2006 - 08:03

Greenday. I fucking loved Greenday. Kerplunk! and Dookie.

And I was also obsessed with Cypress Hill.
Ron
May 2nd, 2006 - 08:26

I’m ashamed to admit that it was anything Top 40 in the 80s. Although there were a few out of the norm bands that I really liked.

Marillion was awesome and so was Depeche Mode (and I liked more than “People Are People”).
Jimbo
May 2nd, 2006 - 08:49

While I did go through this Bad Religion, Nofx, Black Flag, etc. phase in Highschool Debbie Gibson still gave me a hard-on.
ccrider
May 2nd, 2006 - 09:47

Fugazi, Jesus and the Mary Chain, Dead Milkmen and of course Debbie Gibson gave me a woody.
*lynne*
May 2nd, 2006 - 09:49

In Malaysia I didn’t get *any* exposure to the music I now listen to almost exclusively – this thing called “classic rock”: imagine not knowing any Led Zep. Queen. CCR. and so many others…

.. but hey, enough of what I didn’t listen to…

So you wanna know who/what I was obsessed with during my high school years? (That would be in the late 80’s, fyi, where pretty much all I got was US and Brit Top 40 & pop).

Are you sure u wanna know?

…. I would have to say: a-ha

omg Morten Harket was soooooo cuuuuuuuuuuuuute! I had posters of the group everywhere!! (But, interestingly enough – never bought any of their albums!)

But no worries: in terms of actual music, I was into Def Leppard. GnR. Bon Jovi.

Oh, and Randy Travis (I have FIVE CDs of his, no kidding!), LMAO!

But, for the record, my all-time fave band at that time was still very much The Beatles. (My parents always said I was born a generation too late!)

A weird mix?
JJ
May 2nd, 2006 - 10:03

Ev:
Green Day’s still got it. Kerplunk is my favorite GD album, but American Idiot rocks my socks off.

Ron:
Momo still loves Depeche Mode. In fact, I think Ev’s a fan too.

Jimbo:
Now we’re talking. I was in junior high when I was really into hardcore/punk. Black Flag, Misfits, Bad Religion, Circle Jerks. I love that shit. If anyone out there wants to be introduced to that genre, all they need is the Repo Man soundtrack. It’s a perfect introduction.

CCRider:
“Fugazi, Jesus and the Mary Chain, Dead Milkmen” Some of my all time favorites. In fact, Fugazi was on my high school comp. Best Dead Milkmen song: Stuart. Hahahaha!!

*Lynne*:
“Def Leppard. GnR. Bon Jovi”
I went to Live8 last summer and saw Def Leppard and Bon Jovi live on the same day!! People rarely admit they like those bands, but I swear EVERYONE was singing along.
TC
May 2nd, 2006 - 11:15

Actually I had all Led Zep on vinyl – that shows how old I am.

Shit!
TC
May 2nd, 2006 - 11:17

…closely followed by Hendrix.

I now have them all on CD of course.
Marc
May 2nd, 2006 - 12:35

Favorites from senior year (1987) included: Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Samantha Fox, Expose’, The System, Gloria Estefan, and Beastie Boys.
Don’t disturb this groove!
Randi
May 2nd, 2006 - 12:52

We were ALL ABOUT Pearl Jam Ten. If I had to pick the definitive album of my high school years it was that album. Jesus. I can’t even listen to it now without overdosing on nostalgia.
sarah
May 2nd, 2006 - 13:14

u2. pearl jam. u2 u2 u2.

and then i was in to shit from my dad’s high school/college days too.

did i mention u2?

ps- depeche mode is awesome. seduce momo to exciter sometime.
Itchy
May 2nd, 2006 - 14:17

I graduated in 1990…dear lawd.

Bel Biv Devoe, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam WITH Full Force!, Bobby Brown, Keith Sweat, Prince (of course), Madonna, The System, Surface, The SOS Band, The Beastie Boys, Rick Springfield, Culture Club, anything really on the crappy Weekly Top 40 with Rick Dees and the public radio “Black Beat” (that’s what they called it!) Show they played on Sunday nights that I could only receive if I sat very still in my kitchen and moved the antenna around every so often. Oh…and of course I had to listen to that filthy ass 2 Live Crew (with Luke Skywalker, right?) while hanging out with the senior dudes my freshman year! I think some of that was before high school, though. Oh well…whatever…

And if you look at my iPod, you’ll see almost all of these people on it. So sad…
C Ro
May 2nd, 2006 - 15:11

Ho, boy.

Huge INXS fan for a while, DM, the Cure, and, of course, the Pixies. All respectable. It’s my middle school years that are embarrassing…I won’t get into that…just two words: Casey Kasem. I was totally saved from Pop Mediocrity from my sister and J.Mo.
Jimmy
May 2nd, 2006 - 17:12

um. just off the top of my head.

youth of today – can’t close my eyes
uniform choise – screaming for change
descendents – milo goes to college
bad religion – suffer
misfits – all of it
subhumans – ep lp
circle jerks – group sex
lemonheads – hate your friends
moving targets – burning in water
DRI – dealing with it
agnostic front – victim in pain
the stupids – peruvian vacation
th’ inbred – a family affair
soul asylum – made to be broken
naked raygun – all rise
bad brains – i against i
big boys – all of it
gorilla biscuits – let’s start today

ok, i’ll stop i guess. and i still love all of it almost 20 years later.
JJ
May 2nd, 2006 - 17:26

TC:
Zep rocks. Reminds me of Fast Times at Ridgemont High:
“When it comes to making out, whenever possible, put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV.”

Marc:
Ummm… hmmm…. hmmmmm…. uhhhhh…. Beastie Boys rock!

Randi:
I read a review that says the new self titled album is their best since Ten.

Sarah:
I’m not following… So you’re saying you liked U2?

Itchy:
Rick Springfield played at the Daytime Emmys. What a lame venue for a comeback performance. Poor guy.
I think there was an unwritten rule back then that all “cool” high school kids had to like 2LiveCrew. You know, ’cause it was rebellious.

C.Ro:
INXS was one of the first cassettes I ever purchased. That and GnR Appetite. Classics!
I’d have to say that Momo, J.Mo, and Jimmy really influenced my musical tastes back then. I was way into hardcore/punk (see Jimmy’s list) and they turned me on to indie rock.

Jimmy:
I owned albums from nearly all of those bands. Misfits are still one of my favorites. And I absolutely loved NYHC: Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Burn, Quicksand, etc.
I partially blame you for turning me into an indie rock pussy – especially the Mountain Goats, Lou Barlow and whatnot.
mulk
May 2nd, 2006 - 19:54

Metallica
NIN
SKOLD
KMFDM
The Cure

I was a sheltered child what could I say but booyaka! Oh Snaps!@
Michael
May 2nd, 2006 - 22:51

Yip…

Admit to… Winger, Slaughter, Beastie Boys, Pink Floyd, CCR, Outfield, Genesis, Phil Collins, David Gilmour, Pink Floyd, Pink Floyd, Pink Floyd, Pink Floyd… sorry, having flashbacks…

Won’t admit to without some type of muscle relaxant… Information Society, Miami Vice Soundtrack (Jan Hammer rulz), uhhh Vanilla Ice… and yeah, fealing a little woosy, Marky Mark and the FREAKIN Funky Bunch (Freakin added for my behalf…)

JJ… Don’t tell your brother about the whole Marky Mark thing…

Oh… and Debbie Gibson… aaahhhhhh yeeeeaaaahhhhhh…
cinders
May 2nd, 2006 - 23:05

My high school years were defined most of all by the Smashing Pumpkins.

Then there were the other alternative bands of the mid to late 90s: Garbage, The Refreshments, Nada Surf, Poe… all those where are they now people… then the Puff Daddy/Biggie phase… then came the Millenium Funk Party and the rediscovery of George Clinton. Then came Moby, Chemical Brothers…

But always and forever, SP!

(My mp3 collection might as well be called “songs I liked in high school.” I think I kinda want in on this, okay if I steal it and start my own little ring?)
Maritza
May 3rd, 2006 - 06:04

Ok, showing my age here:

Sex Pistols – “Never Mind the Bullocks”
X Ray Specs
Siouxsie & the Banshees

You smell the picture, all on vinyl! 1982 classic punky rama!
trouble
May 3rd, 2006 - 14:37

Let’s see.. I graduated in 1984, so…

black flag
sex pistols
Siouxsie

but also, cheesy, embarassing stuff like the artist formerly known as prince, Cindy Lauper, asia, and groups I can’t even remember. There were lots of one hit wonders in the 80s.

I have this great MTV Classic compilation from 1983 that has Dexie’s Midnight Runners (Come on Eileen), David Bowie, the Stray Cats, Big Country, etc.

Back when I was in high school, there wasn’t even a college station that played punk in my town. We only heard punk by listening to some other kid’s records that he or she bought someplace else. But MTV was accessible to EVERYONE. And, lord, did we love our MTV.
Jimmy
May 3rd, 2006 - 15:34

yep, i had to mail order all of my records. my two favorite distros were toxic shock and raunch.

punk rock didn’t exist in record stores until i was a senior.
SleepingMachine
May 3rd, 2006 - 22:37

ah, yerself is steam … fighting the flow of technology with the cassette-tape-only bonus track. one of the best songs ever.
mojotek
May 4th, 2006 - 15:10

I was all about Anthrax, Public Enemy, and a few local bands like Ten Foot Pole and Groovezilla.
mojotek
May 4th, 2006 - 15:11

Oh yeah, and I’m still obsessed with Cypress Hill…
JJ
May 4th, 2006 - 23:01

Mulk:
Metallica used to be so badass. I could listen to Master of Puppets everyday without getting tired of it.

Michael:
Marky Mark?!?! Damn.

Cinders:
Steal away. Music is something to share with your friends. That and drugs.

Maritza:
Now that’s an excellent list! I love old school punk rock.

Trouble:
I know I’ve said it in comments here already, but Black Flag fucking rocks. Damaged is an all-time classic. Oh – and check out this shirt. Hahahaha..

SleepingMachine:
Yes! I actually had the promo double CD that was sent to radio stations. It had the standard album on one disc then all the bonus tracks on a second disc. I love that album.

Mojotek:
Caught in a Mosh!
And hell yes – Cypress Hill was amazing. I saw them open for Beastie Boys. Henry Rollins also performed at that show. At the end of the Cypress Hill set, they destroyed their turntables like Pete Townshend destroyed his guitars.