What's your weirdest guilty pleasure in music?

axisus · July 2023

I had some spare time for internet faffery and headed over to iPlayer to dig out a bit of Glastonbury for background music. However, I didn't get as far as Glasto as I found my weird musical guilty pleasure - An hour long programme of Barry Manilow at the BBC! It was most enjoyable!

I've always been drawn to his stuff for some reason. He seems like such a nice, affable chap, rather quirky looking, and he's sold a shedload of records, around 85 million I believe. It warms my heart to hear him singing Copacabana, which was a favourite of my dear old mum. Always makes me think of her.

I'm known as a fan of Prog, classic rock, old school metal etc, so most people are really surprised when I say that I'm a fan. He's recorded some lovely songs though - Mandy, Could it be magic, Looks like we made it, Can't smile without you, I made it through the rain, I write the songs ...

One thing that I thought was nice for him - he hid the fact that he was gay for most of his life as he thought it would disappoint his massive fanbase of women. It all came out when he finally married in 2014, even though he tried to keep it quiet, but the fans were supportive.

So yeah, that's my 'weird' one. Got anything?

viz · July 2023

Duran Duran - bloody awesome. Listened to two DD albums today.

Also Nik Kershaw.

guitartango · July 2023

Wham! loved the original Wham rap.. I am a sole boy..

Winny_Pooh · July 2023

Guilty pleasures are banal rather than weird (Tom Waits and Joanna Newsom may be weird but hardly guilt inducing) and so:

stimpsonslostson · July 2023

Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift for me.

They both take a lot of flack but write and perform great songs

munckee · July 2023

Dusty Springfield and Dolly Parton for me.

stickyfiddle · July 2023

Taylor Swift is phenomenal. ABBA wrote some of the best songs of all time. So did Dolly. Kylie is a legend. I'd rather listen to the Spice Girls than the Grateful Dead

But no guilt here - I'll die on each of these hills!

Sporky · July 2023

stickyfiddle said:

I'd rather listen to the Spice Girls than the Grateful Dead

I'd be concerned if anyone wouldn't!

I like cheesy chillstep.

GavRichList · July 2023

Biting down on a rag soaked in amyl nitrate whilst asphyxiating myself, listening to Adam Rickitts’ “I Breathe Again”.

Or have I got this thread wrong?

Sporky · July 2023

GavRichList said:

Biting down on a rag soaked in amyl nitrate whilst asphyxiating myself, listening to Adam Rickitts’ “I Breathe Again”.

Or have I got this thread wrong?

We're not here to judge each other.

tone1 · July 2023

Duran Duran for me too…..and Classic FM

EricTheWeary · July 2023

Possibly Phil Collins era Genesis. It has grown on me over the years, the Prog rock fans think the Gabriel era stuff was the biz, it's music that has never been cool and as someone with a vaguely punk ethic all Genesis is essentially verboten. So, it's definitely a guilty pleasure.

axisus · July 2023

EricTheWeary said:

Possibly Phil Collins era Genesis. It has grown on me over the years, the Prog rock fans think the Gabriel era stuff was the biz, it's music that has never been cool and as someone with a vaguely punk ethic all Genesis is essentially verboten. So, it's definitely a guilty pleasure.

I have a strange relationship with that stuff. I still love early Genesis, and I don't own the albums after Steve Hackett left, but growing up I always liked it when Genesis (eg one of my bands) hit the charts. It felt that they were flying the flag even though I wasn't massively into the short songs. And still today, I can put on a Genesis live show from that period and enjoy listening to it.

thecolourbox · July 2023

Neil Sedaka for me

EricTheWeary · July 2023

axisus said:

EricTheWeary said:

Possibly Phil Collins era Genesis. It has grown on me over the years, the Prog rock fans think the Gabriel era stuff was the biz, it's music that has never been cool and as someone with a vaguely punk ethic all Genesis is essentially verboten. So, it's definitely a guilty pleasure.

I have a strange relationship with that stuff. I still love early Genesis, and I don't own the albums after Steve Hackett left, but growing up I always liked it when Genesis (eg one of my bands) hit the charts. It felt that they were flying the flag even though I wasn't massively into the short songs. And still today, I can put on a Genesis live show from that period and enjoy listening to it.

Collins had his love of soul music (and hip hop - fascinating that Mama was directly influenced by Grandmaster Flash) and that filters through a bit in that period and in his early solo work. I can't really cope with full blown prog but pop played by prog musicians seems fine to me.

thecolourbox said:

Neil Sedaka for me

When my main source of music was my sister’s record collection she had a Best Of Neil Sedaka and I loved a lot of that. Carole King was the other one.

prowla · July 2023

A couple of great songs from on the radio when I was a child.

(I do draw the line at "Bimbo", though.)

Teyeplayer · July 2023

Lionel Richie. Yeah I’ll find the exit…

Trude · July 2023

Natalie Imbruglia's second album is one of mine.

darthed1981 · July 2023

Winny_Pooh said:

Guilty pleasures are banal rather than weird (Tom Waits and Joanna Newsom may be weird but hardly guilt inducing) and so:

Surely it's weirder to NOT love Kylie?

Something very compelling about Charli XCX here, no idea what...

Teyeplayer · July 2023

Trude said:

Natalie Imbruglia's second album is one of mine.

Great album… shit that’s two guilty pleasures. I’m done for!

thecolourbox · July 2023

EricTheWeary said:

thecolourbox said:

Neil Sedaka for me

When my main source of music was my sister’s record collection she had a Best Of Neil Sedaka and I loved a lot of that. Carole King was the other one.

Yes I like Carole King but I didn't think that was weird as she is still pretty well regarded and credible, whereas Neil Sedaka seems like one of those people who has always been a cheesy middle aged bloke playing camp music for squares. My mom used to play a tape in the car with him on one side and Crystal Gayle on the other so that's probably the only reason as it reminds me of that.

I don't really like happy music normally do it's bizarre that I still like that, can only be the nostalgia thing

rlw · July 2023

George Jones. Buck Owens. Bob Wills.

Alterlifeson · July 2023

Easy - 90's country. Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Travis Tritt etc. Just simple, fun songs that don't take themselves to seriously.

Love Taylor Swift as well, fingers crossed I can get some Eras tour tickets!

BillDL · July 2023

@prowla ; I love Jim Reeves' voice also, and in particular "Welcome to my World".

Your video links have been lost in your comment. Jim Reeves - Welcome to my World.

The Seekers - Morningtown Ride (1966). My Dad used to love The Seekers, so I grew up listening to them.

I also never tire of listening to Don Williams who made every song sound so laid back and effortless. I think my favourite song by him is "It Must Be Love".

I still enjoy listening to some real old time gospel music occasionally. My Mother used to listen to Mahalia Jackson when I was a kid and it brings back memories when I'm in the mood. What a voice! For guitar based old time gospel / delta style music I like The Staple Singers. Listen to "Uncloudy Day" The Rossington-Collins Band did a good homage to this general style of music, albeit acapella, with "Pine Box".

Cryptid · July 2023

Annie Lennox - No More I Love You's

It was an intrusive earworm for years until I learned to fully embrace it. I've slipped it into a few open mic sets, really splits the crowd

drofluf · July 2023

Taylor Swift, Lana del Ray

LastMantra · July 2023

Marillion

Alanis Morissette

Queen

scrumhalf · July 2023

munckee said:

Dusty Springfield and Dolly Parton for me.

Photos, or it never happened.

There's loads of late 60s/early 70s pop that I love. The Tremeloes came up with some great stuff, and Chip Hawkes (father of Chesney) has a wonderful voice. Rick on guitar could let rip as well.

Litterick · July 2023

Henry Mancini.

digitalkettle · July 2023

Cryptid said:

Annie Lennox - No More I Love You's

It was an intrusive earworm for years until I learned to fully embrace it. I've slipped it into a few open mic sets, really splits the crowd

Only realised this was a cover version last month!

Nitefly · July 2023

A few Aussie girls already mentioned, but my favourite was Tina Arena - the "Don't Ask" album was a cracker,with both Chains and Sorrento Moon.

I remember the guy who did the acoustic lesson in Guitarist mag transcribed a snippet (they'd given up doing whole songs by then, presumably for copyright reasons) which turned out to be the opening chords to Sorrento Moon, sort of Gmaj7 to A with a pushy driving strum pattern - surprisingly addictive to play!

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What's your weirdest guilty pleasure in music?

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