I started by being obsessed with watching TOTP every friday when i was about 9 or 10. I didn't feel the need to buy anything, i was happy just watching music videos. I adored Shania Twain
I think i was 12 when i bought my first album, RHCP - Californication. This led to the Chili's being the first band i started obsessing over, it would be another 3 years till i would see them live, with James Brown supporting, in a giant field. Other bands i loved were Nirvana, Muse, and The White Stripes. Still love them.
Then i discovered NME and i confess i did become the type to listen to any old crap they recommended. The Libertines became my favourite band, i loved the relationship between Doherty and Barat and the idea throughout theur fanbase that they were something really special. Looking back, while i think the NME is embarassing now, it benefitted me a lot as far as music, i would look up the bands that were cited as influences and listen to them. My friends didn't like them generally, but albums like Daydream Nation and Surfer Rosa became firm favourites with me.
And then i discovered The Smiths when i was 15. The Queen Is Dead didn't hit home straight away, but i was curious and i wanted to hear more from Morrissey, this singer and character which was like no other. I remember the moment i fell in love, staying up all night in bed at my aunts and listening to all their albums back to back. It was a body of work like no other, i must have cried several times, and i had found a band i could call my own.
Then John Peel died. I had only listened to his show once, and had been massively confused by it, lots of loud punk, i remember. I ended up listening to all the bands that meant lots to him, and found favourites in PJ Harvey, Gang Of Four, Buzz****s, The Cure and many others...
I think since then my curiosity in all forms of music has grown and grown. I adore many bands that would be classed as Metal, Rap, Hardcore Punk, Reggae, Dance, Hip-Hop and Electro. I'm always finding something thats fresh to me (lately, Melt Banana) and hopefully this won't stop.