In my early teenage years, I listened to a lot of heavy metal, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, taking in a little Jethro Tull, The Who and Humble Pie along the way.
Then, in my first job after high school, I was friends with a group of a similar age, and these lived fairly close to each other. As the only one with a car, I was delegated to driving from A to B, including their homes, where they would play Motown.
The music I listened to normally was very dark in comparision, and Motown raised the spirits and gave one an air of optimism. I liked that.
I still listen to the heavy stuff, but you can't really beat the Four Tops when you feel like cheering up.