What's a song you initially disliked but now love?

I am ashamed to admit it, but I used to dislike The Tragically Hip. Gasp.

Well, maybe not gasp, unless you are from Canada or a border town I'm not entirely sure how popular The Hip are... they are legends around here, though. And deservedly so...

The reasons were shallow and dumb, in a teenage way. It's easy to dislike things that are popular when you are struggling to find your identity in middle school and high school. I gravitated to hardcore, punk, and hip hop. So the alternative band that is popular with all of the "cool" kids was not an option.

Funny enough, I honestly don't even know if I actually heard a song from them in those days. I just knew everyone talked about them, so it was a dealbreaker.

Some distance and maturity later, I gave Phantom Power a shot. I picked up the CD during our first trip to Vancouver when we lived in Seattle. It quickly became a favorite... which led to all of their back catalog. I was sold.

I got to see Gord Downie (solo), finally, in 2014 at the Field Trip festival in Toronto. Just an amazing artist, poet, and human being. He is missed dearly – especially now.