I came into the fold during his BBC Radio London show, but people used to look at me like I was mad if I sang his praises. To them he was just the Daz guy or, worse, the guy who went drinking with Chris Evans and Paul Gascoigne. I suspect he'll never quite shake that image, either.

it took a long time before I actually got to hear what Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone actually had to say, the filters and barriers were too great for a long time.

OK, that's my credibility shot but... Early doors, they were just too weird for this Faces / Slade loving schoolboy. Early 80's and they were too polished for this post punk. Fortunately, I've long since come to my senses and realised they were absolutley terrific.

Nirvana- on the principle that I wanted to be different at school, and not jump on the bandwagon. Has taken me ten years to get over that.

Pink Floyd- Bought the Best Of in 2002, thought it was rubbish. Have enjoyed them ever since hearing DSOTM a year or two later.

I was too young for his first flush, and growing up during the eighties I probably wasn't exposed to his best work. It wasn't so much not liking him as being indifferent and feeling slightly nonplussed at all the admiration. Then somebody was waxing about Station to Station on here a few weeks ago, so I bought a copy and haven't looked back since. In fact I can see where Bauhaus got all their ideas from. And Suede. And..etc, etc..

I heard - and did not warm to - 'Genesis Live' once in the 80s. The Phil/hits era did nothing for me - and still doesn't - but I tried the Anthony Phillips/Steve Hackett period again a few years back and was slowly hooked. I've now got an unhealthily large collection of pre-1978 material and even drag the GLW to tribute band evenings.

Similar story with Paul McCartney, who I've found irritating since the first Q. In the past 3 months I've begun to explore his back catalogue and am taken aback at how misplaced my prejudice was.

As a callow youth I was enamoured with Greenies Jewish blues and repulsed by Mk. 2's pre-punk success/excess. These days...I haven't listened to Oh Well in a long time, share Mk. 2 tips with my daughter and am actively seeking out Stevie Nicks solo albums.

Guns n Roses: 1987, everyone around me is enthusing about the "American Rockers" (as I think they were referred to in either Kerrang or Raw), and how fantastic Appetite for Destruction is PLUS my younger brother was one of the enthusers.
So, theres two misguided principles I applied here:
1) Everyone else likes it, I don't
2) My brother likes it, I don't
Some ten years later, I finally admitted that I was wrong, and they weren't so bad after all. Then came 'Chinese Democracy'

Stevie Wonder: It was the final track on High Fidelity (I Believe When I Fall In Love (It Will Be Forever) which caused a huge 180, and a discovery of all of his work (not just "Uptight", "Happy Birthday" and "I Just Called To Say I Love You")

Pizza: Tastes change, and the principle of paying 5 quid for "Posh Cheese on Toast" has gone away

Through the 60s and 70s, they passed me by other than the hit singles.

Last year I worked through the entire back catalogue from 'Spicks And Specks' to 'This Is Where We Came In' and realised just how much I'd been missing.

Did a 180 about five years ago when his radio show was genuinely fresh and funny. And 180 back again - before Sachsgate - when it all got a bit stale.

And was amazed at some of the gems in Elton John's back catalogue, having previously sworn never to listen to any album by the Made In England hitmaker.

It took me a long time to 'get' this guy. For ages he was on the periphery of things; I'd hear a track on the radio, I'd catch the buzz about his Oscar performance, I'd read rumours about his drug habit, but the songs I did hear didn't connect with me and the figure he cut on stage during the live performances i watched, well, they kind of repelled me to tell you the truth. This big, ugly, spotty stoned thing was just not for me.
And then, about four years ago, looking for something new to listen to i bought, on impulse -I guess all those positive reviews I had read had stuck in my memory - his final album proper "From a Basement On a Hill"
And that was that, as they say. I subsequently tracked back through his list, buying all the albums in reverse chronological order. I could probably live without the first one but after that he seemed to change gear and just artistically catch fire. I now believe he was one of the true great songwriters.

Dylan, that is, not Geldof. Still not a fan of everything, but have at least got to like the stuff that everyone else has liked forever.

And Van Morrison.

And Take That.

Always one to divide opinion and in the Seventies, when he was very cool, I just did not get him - yes it was mostly the voice. But over the years a grudging admiration turned a corner and now I even like the voice - esp. on some of the recently released live recordings from the start of his career.

I remember fuming when Wham first appeared on Top of the Pops with their long T-shirts and bouffant hair, singing things like 'young guns' and 'wise guys'.

But I've really warmed to him over recent years. He comes across as a decent bloke - honest, funny and a little eccentric - and it's unfair that the tabloids always seem to be after him.

I'm still not a great fan of his music, but he has produced four or five great and distinctive pop songs over the years.

Largely because of Karen's voice which is mesmerising; also Saturday night Radio Scotland (Take the Floor with Robbie Shepherd followed by Pipeline with Gary West - Scottish country dance music then bagpipe music ... kind of "heech, aye, woo, heedrum hodrum" followed by morose laments where the drone can shatter ceramics)

Things I never liked that I still can't bring myself to try include vests, slippers and Radio 2 ...

... with Boards Of Canada.

In the late nineties I thought they were dull, sub The Orb, Eno wannabes. I no longer think this.

I'd also say there are acts who spring to mind like Fleetwood Mac, Simple Minds, Madonna, Abba, Guns and Roses, and many others who have me reeling from one extreme opinion to the next, almost at random, as the years go by. If I love them now, I'll hate them awfully soon and vice versa

post-punk-cred-fog out of my mind that stopped me from enjoying Caravan, Roy Harper, The Allman Brothers, and Black Sabbath (amongst others) simply because I thought it wasn't allowed.

I'll always draw the line at ELP, however, despite what Danny Baker says; they are the most unreappraisable group in the history of rawk.

I must admit it took me a little time to get Punk.I just couldn't see the point of the tuneless racket,then a pink haired female friend took me to Eric's (famous Liverpool music venue) and the penny dropped with an almighty thunking noise.Next day off came the long flowing locks,on went the bondage kecks.

bob dylan

the smiths

bruce springsteen

the black eyed peas

charlie brooker

mark kermode

Hated them as a kid and even into my 20's. But now I can't go a week without listening to some tracks on my Ipod.

Every time I hear Brian Damage & Eclipse together the hairs stand up on my neck.

thought he was a moderately talented little oik when he first appeared and signing for that red lot made it even worse.

Now a big fan and he even gives a fairly decent interview for a footballer.

As a misguided youth in the early 80's, I believed Bowie's 'Scary Monsters..' was a cynical cash in, riding on the coat tails of Numan, Human League, Ultravox! etc(I know, I know), plus a girl I had my eye on was going out with a Bowie fan. It wasn't until quite a few years later that I realised the, oh so sad, error of my ways.

but I used to loathe the sound of Adrian Chiles voice (which is a bit rich as I hail from Wolverhampton). It's probable my distate was a reaction to his being a West Brom supporter, but after watching him on The Apprentice follow up show and MOTD2 over the past few years I have to concede that he is pretty good.

Also used to hate "Silent Witness" but found the last series very watchable.