Holy cow - this could take a while. Being the stat nerd I actually used to compile my favorites for everything & through the 80's I could statistically grade my favorites, so that showed how my tastes changed. But here goes from memory:
Early 1980s
Elementary School: Pop music of the time - Olivia Newton John, ELO, Kool & the Gang, Queen, Michael Jackson, Van Halen
6th Grade: I discovered Led Zeppelin. I started listening to music of the 60's & 70's, which at the time seemed to be of a totally different era but in hindsight I was only a few years separated. Rush, Foreigner, Who, Kinks, Jimi Hendrix, Yes, Queen, Van Halen, ZZ Top, AC/DC.
7th Grade: I added metal to my repertoire - Twisted Sister, Ratt, Motley Crue. Otherwise I listened to even more 60's & 70's hard rock through junior high.
late 1980's
10th Grade: No more metal, I became sick of the hair metal acts like Bon Jovi. My music tasted softened some & broadened - Neil Young was replacing my favorite of Led Zeppelin.
11th Grade: Hanging out with the cool kids - developed more of an interest in 80's music for the first time: U2, REM, Drivin n Cryin, Smithereens, Edie Brickell New Bohemians, Sugarcubes as well as whatever a girl liked who I had a crush on - XTC & Red Hot Chili Peppers.
12th Grade: Interest went in 2 directions, I followed the trend of the time & listened to a lot of 60's music like Beatles & Rolling Stones but also Velvet Underground due to my greater interest in what was then alternative music at the time. Finally liked music that just a few years ago I would have labeled 'pussy music' such as Cure as well as more adventurous stuff like Dead Kennedys.
early 1990's
College: 3 big things: college radio station, living in a big city & the 1990's. Easily my most devoted & obsessed music period. Ran from 1990 through 1997. Slint, Guided by Voices, Sebadoh, Archers of Loaf, Superchunk, on & on
late 1990's
Working man, married, in my late 20's - I was no longer obsessed with music. I also started listening to more bands that were mimicing older music & otherwise becoming out of step of what was on college radio but still followed bands like Ween. Branched out to childhood music like bluegrass & old country, also to singer-songwriter music like Lucinda Williams, Townes Van Zandt & John Prine. Also - started the more annoying music hobby that my wife & I enjoyed - 70's AM Gold (cheesy music).
mid 00's
Starting to listen to everything again - still finding some new music but also re appreciating older music like Kinks. By now - I am collecting all kinds of pop music of the 60's through today - from punk to R&B. Yeah, I'd say I know more than the average guy about all music & not just a specific music genre such as the case in the early 90's.
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