Who was your *first* favorite artist?

Who was the first singer or band that you can recall identifying as your favorite? Though I've been a lifelong Beatles fanatic, for example, the artist that *first* really grabbed me as a kid was John Denver (at least until entered my Neil Diamond period. ) How about you?

 

The Beatles. Still are.

Thank you The Beatles Rock Band video game and my dad for buying it even though I really didn't want him to because I thought it was just some dumb old timey rock band. Without exaggeration, very likely the best thing that ever happened to me (also I was like, 10 and grew up on what my dad listened to and 2000's pop, give me a break )
For the next year and a bit I didn't stop singing along to Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds, I'm Looking Through You, Can't Buy Me Love and more over and over and over. My progression to listening to the songs outside of the 40 or so featured in the game was slow but sure. Sgt. Pepper was the first full album I willingly heard, and is my favourite of all time.

I love The Beatles more than I love life. They mean the world to me. I don't care if they're mainstream as hell and this is a generic answer. They introduced me to my passion for music. I love them.

 

Rolling Stones

or

Byrds

Heck i'm so old I can't remember which, but it was one of those, lol

Loved Jim (at the time) McGuinn's square shades he wore on the show "Where the Action Is"

 

Olivia Newton-John. I was five when her HBO concert special hit. It was love at first sight...and sound.

 

Beatles.

 

Sheb Wooley. Hey, I was 4 ...

Followed quickly by Elvis.

 

Herb Alpert. My parents still can't stand trumpet music in general because I played his albums to death.

 

Rush

 

My first exposure to pop music was through Beatlemania in '64. So yeah . . . those guys.

 

Duran Duran

 

The 4 Seasons. As a baby, my parents said I used to demand to hear "Sherry" and "Big Girls Don't Cry" before I could actually speak, by pointing and yelling.

 

Well,that was a loooooooooooooooooooooog time ago,but it was more than likely-Little Anthony & The Imperials.

 

Phil Collins

 

Beach Boys

 

Those who get it, get it

 

If we're talking pop. The Everleys.

If we're talking jazz. Paul Desmond.

 

Paul McCartney/Wings

I was aware of (and loved) The Beatles from an early age but it was really Paul solo that I first latched onto as a favorite.

after that it went..

Monkees
KISS
Van Halen

....in that order. Not that anyone asked!

 

Age 6 - The Monkees. Still one of my favorite bands to this day.

 

Beethoven.

Followed by The Animals.

Go figure.

 

ABBA and I'm not afraid to admit it.

 

This lot.
<<<<<<<

Up until then (late 72/early 73) I was only really listening to music in the charts and buying either singles (T Rex/ELO etc) or cheap compilations but Steely Dan were the first band I considered a favourite.

And it seemed to make them more special that (i) my brother wasn't into them and (ii) nobody at high school had heard of them either. It wasn't really until "Haitian Divorce" that others picked up on them.

 

Elvis Presley

 

Jefferson Airplane/Starship

My first go-to and occasionally an enjoy listen.