Last week I wrote a post about my most unlikely concert experience, and in response someone who hates the Steve Miller Band wrote about the time he saw Steve Miller live. (You can see the original post and the comment here.) I have to admit, there was a time in my life when I liked the Steve Miller Band and, yes, I owned the greatest hits album with the horse on the cover. I really did think “The Joker” was a great song, right up there with “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers. (Forgive me — I was a freshman in high school.) Today, however, the Steve Miller Band is at the top of a list I like to think of as “Bands I Can No Longer Listen To.” Here it is:

1. The Eagles
2. Steve Miller
3. The Spin Doctors
4. Jethro Tull
5. Phish

Top song I used to love but can no longer stand: “Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams Runner-up: “Forever Young” by Rod Stewart

It’s possible I would still be listening to Phish if my college roommate didn’t hate them. In fact, every time I played a song she didn’t like, she would wrinkle her nose in disgust and say, “Who is this? It sounds like Phish,” even if it was a song by someone completely different and not at all like Phish, like Mike Watt. My college roommate actually had a profound influence on my musical tastes. If it wasn’t for her, I’d probably be hanging out at the Gathering of the Vibes every year, listening to jam bands. Instead, I went in a more punkish direction. I have seen Jethro Tull live, at a music festival in Birmingham, Ala., and they were actually very good, with lead singer Ian Anderson really tearing it up on the flute. But every time I hear “Locomotive Breath” or “Aqualung” on the radio, I change the station.

I mentioned the theme of this post to my editor, who suggested that Billy Joel deserved a spot on this list. But, no, I can actually still listen to Billy Joel. And Supertramp, if you’re wondering.

Once I start making lists I often find it hard to stop, and as soon as I finished up “Bands I Can No Longer Listen To” I thought of a new list: “Bands/Musicians I Used to Scorn But Now I Love.” Here it is:

1. Prince
2. The Cure
3. Bob Dylan
4. David Bowie
5. Fleetwood Mac

It’s hard to believe that I once failed to appreciate the musical genius of Prince, but that’s why I went to college, so I could learn such things and debate important questions like: “What is the best Prince song of all time? ‘Kiss’ or ‘Little Red Corvette’?” (For the record, I go with “Little Red Corvette,” hands down.) And I don’t really love Fleetwood Mac. But “Rumors” is a pretty good album, and I’m happy to own it.

And here are some “Songs that Somehow Still Sound as Good as They Did When They Were Released:”

1. “Bust A Move” by Young MC
2. “O.P.P” by Naughty by Nature
3. “Fight for Your Right (to Party)” by the Beastie Boys
4. “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell
5. “Like a Prayer” by Madonna

I once attended a wedding where the band played “Fight for Your Right.” Naturally, the crowd went wild. It made me think that “Fight for Your Right” should be a staple at all Gen-Xer weddings. And maybe the other songs on the list should be, as well.

Of course, these lists are far from comprehensive. Feel free to add your comments below.