I was born in 1964. The first music I remember hearing came out of my sister's room by way of the radio and her records. I often say that the first record I remember hearing was the Beatles' "Eight Days A Week" in 1965. My sister was such a huge Beatles fan at that time that their music and albums are forever etched in my musical memory bank.
For this list, I decided to rank my Top 10 musical years with a short explanation as to why it was so important in my musical life.
1. 1965-69 (First songs I remember hearing from the radio and records)
2. 1976 (Became addicted to American Top 40. And discovered FM radio)
3. 1986 (Met my wife and many songs from this era are just special to me)
4. 1983 (MTV takes off and I become addicted to this new medium called music videos)
5. 1975 (In the Summer I move back to the U.S. after living in Germany for 4 years. That summer was an ear-opener of newly listened to radio stations)
6. 1970-71 (AM Top 40 radio is king in my young world)
7. 1984 (The rebirth of CHR)
8. 1974 (This is the year I first start to really pay attention to AT40 and the different genres that charted)
9. 1991/92 (These are the 2 years I become a fan of Americana music thanks to the great, local radio station KPIG-FM)
10. 1979 (Disco begins to fade away, replaced by the New Wave sound of England (and U.S. acts too)