For me it was hearing REM's "Out of Time, that changed my musical tastes forever - it was an album that strayed from the usual meat and potatoes rock i was into at the time, so I branched out in many different directions - not feeling like I had to stick to the basic drums guitar approach... even if its not the most revolutionary album ever made, it had stylistic elements to it that drew me off towards enjoying some rap, more suble, folky music and even some country sounds... it also showed me that songs about love, personal relationships and feelings didn't necessarily have to be sappy wussy ballads... it changed the course of my listening habits.