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If you had asked me 3 years ago my opinion of the likes of Scriabin, Prokofiev, and heck even some of the guys here on YC, you would have gotten a flat response at best. But it didn't take too long for me to start liking it more and more. It seems to me that the more I listen to something (assuming it has any merit to begin with) the more I can appreciate it. If I understand what you're getting at correctly, I think you're right. I think the music that is the most special to me is the music that took me a bit longer to get into (mostly, I mean does anybody really need a second listen to love Tchaikovsky?). There's a feeling of satisfaction after having learned to appreciate something (it's as if you actually did learn something) that can surpass the feeling you get when you like something right away.

For a long time I've largely ignored most 20th century music. Now I've really discovered the Soviet composers like Prokofiev and Shostakovich; Prokofiev especially is now one of my favorite composers. Even my 3 year-old daughter is a fan (she loves his Toccata in D minor!). Most modern classical stuff is still to way out there in my mind but perhaps that will change over time as well. I've tried getting into Babbitt but I still don't get him.