Albums that HAD to grow on you for you to like them?
 

You guys all have em right? Albums that you had to listen to at least 5-10 times before you started to like them? (Before they started to click) I've even had some take longer for me. So basically just list albums you like/love that took you quite a few listens to like.

For me:

Radiohead - OK Computer
R.E.M. - Up
Smashing Pumpkins - Adore
Primal Scream - Screamadelica
Public Enemy - It takes a nation...

So how bout for you guys?

I started listening to experimental music around the time I joined here, and had previously been a big fan of accessible stuff like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, etc. I looked into one of Nirvana's biggest influences, the Pixies, and was initially turned off by their record Surfer Rosa. I appreciated the concept that not every song has to have a definitive structure, melody, etc, but wasn't able to enjoy it.

Around my second wave of posts here I started to listen to a lot of John Zorn, John Cage, and other experimental and esoteric composers and musicians, and for a while just listened for concepts, nodded my head and went "Hmmmm, interesting." After a while, this type of music wasn't just interesting, it was very enjoyable.

I revisited the Pixies, and found Surfer Rosa was now a masterpiece to my ears. Ah, the good ol' days. :)

Radiohead - Ok Computer (as crazy as that sounds)

Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street

The Kinks - Something Else,Village Green, Arthur (at first i just wanted to hear their poppy/blues sound and was new to this sophisticated british sound but i've gotten used to it and absolutely love it)

Genesis - Invisible Touch (So mainstream sounding i couldn't stand it but eventually i accepted it just like i did with everyhting else with this group but i still prefer the 70's progressive part of their career)

Kyle, we have done this numerous times, I think

the hardest album for me to "get" was Captain Beefheart's "Trout Mask Replica" - took me at least 20 listens

i also didn't like Nick Drake or The Residents much at first

Wire - 154
Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
This Heat - Deceit
The Red Krayola - God Bless...
Big Black - Atomizer

Disliked these albums initially but grew to love 'em over time. 5 off the top of my head, there are some more I'd imagine.

Sorry if you did, I looked for a thread like this and couldn't find it, though I found similar ones.

Also, Nick Drake is awesome man! Whats your fav release of his? Mine has to be Bryter Layter, so so beautiful.

Pink Moon

it's just so stark without the string accompaniments of the previous two albums

i quite like "Time of No Reply" as well, it's an outtakes album and is out of print

Shearwater - Rooks. Took a while to click with this album but then it became an obsessive favourite.

I don't usually give albums I dislike many more go-arounds, purely because there's so much music I can't justify potentially wasting the time, but back when I used to force myself to buy everything I'd downloaded, whether I liked it or not I thought Loveless was just "above average". It's quietly become one of my favourite albums, defnitely. Now that I have an external hard drive, I'll be making more of an effort with classics that flew over my head.

So, you found it easier to get into the progressive Genesis records than you did Invisible Touch? That's clearly a lie.

Spiderland (1991) by Slint took a number of listens for me to really start to enjoy, but eventually I hit a break through with it in the car one day and now I love it.

I wasn't too fond of The Money Store by Death Grips at first, but for some reason I kept digging and started to liek it until I became a fan. Odd.

Sea Change by Beck took me A LONG time to fully appreciate, but wow. What a great album.

Agree with that. I wasn't getting it at all until about the third time. But to be honest, I still only sort of like it now.

I think finally GETTING an album has gotta be one of the best feelings ever, :).

It took me a number of listens to get into Carissa's Wierd - Songs About Leaving. The first few times I listened to it I thought it was nice but nothing too remarkable. I left it for a while but decided to revisit it one day and it started to click with me. After that I had the album on very heavy rotation, capturing the despairing mood of every song. It was a glorious feeling.

Some albums just require you to have the patience to really get to the core of the music and get the most out of it.

The Fall finally clicked with me

and that's not through their acclaimed albums or pop songs

it was through the 6-disc Complete Peel Sessions

Damn right. Pretty much every song on the Peel Sessions is better than the album version in my opinion.

Was already a fan through the albums though to be fair.

Converge - the Poacher Diaries
Meat Beat Manifesto - Subliminal Sandwich
At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command.