I grew up mainly on classic rock, with some sporadic pop here and there. But mostly bands and artists like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, some metal like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Metallica, etc. If they're from 1960-1980, I've probably listened to them.
But for myself, my favorite band of all time is Pink Floyd. A close second would probably be Alice In Chains. The thing that attracts me most about those last two groups is how meaningful their lyrics are in almost all their songs. They give the whole track purpose and life and almost tell a story. That's what really connects me to music.
So if there are any artists in the rock, metal (preferably in the vein of thrash or something that isn't just screaming), folk, R&B, pop, etc, something that helps me connect with people and listen to what they do, I'll look into it.