(CNN) -- It was the late 1960s and Tom Repasky was in a fog.

H. Michael Karshis owns thousands of albums but Steely Dan's "Can't Buy a Thrill" holds a special place in his heart.

"I was trying to discover who I was, what I was and what I was doing here," he said.

In 1963, at age 14, Repasky was on a field trip with his seminary when he and another student accidentally fell down a steep ledge while throwing rocks at upperclassmen. A tree broke his friend's fall, but Repasky was not so lucky.

Repasky awoke in the hospital, but says he was unable to remember even the smallest detail of his past. "It was as if I didn't exist before that time," he said.

This experience scarred him, to the point that he was asked to leave the seminary by the end of the year. "I clearly was not the same person," he said. "After my near-death experience, there was this prolonged period of not being able to relate to reality very well."

Several years after his accident, Repasky first heard the Moody Blues song "Nights in White Satin." "After I heard these lyrics, I thought, 'They know what I'm feeling.' "

He sought out their album "Days of Future Passed." He was particularly drawn to the lyrics from their song "Dawn is a Feeling:" "You are here today; no future fears; this day will last 1,000 years, if you want it to."

Repasky, who now lives in Danville, Pennsylvania, and is an artist, often goes back to this album. "When I hear the music, it brings me to the point of realizing that I had experienced life and I could be alive, and it brings me great joy in knowing that." The part of "Nights in White Satin" where the words "I love you" are repeated always moves Repasky, even 40 years later. iReport.com: Watch Repasky tell his story

Repasky is one of many iReporters who shared the album that first hooked them and has stayed with them throughout their lives.

H. Michael Karshis owns about 3,200 albums, but one holds a special place in his heart: "Can't Buy a Thrill" by Steely Dan.

Even though his mother worked in a record store in 1973 (which helps explain the number of albums he owns), "Can't Buy a Thrill" was the first one he bought with his own money, at the age of 12. "Reelin' in the Years" was the song that hooked him.

"It's almost an ode to a distant past," he said. "I remember listening to that before I was 17 and thinking about how old 17 was. It has a different connotation and meaning the older you get, but it's still a poignant, relevant song."

Whenever Karshis moves into a new home, one of the first things he does is to crank up the stereo and play the album.

"It's just one of those timeless albums and it's hard to describe how it affects me."

Karshis, who works as a graphic artist in San Antonio, Texas, thinks the cover of the album has influenced his artwork. "I'm not saying I got it all from the Steely Dan cover, but it's amazing how it permeates everything I do now." iReport.com: Karshis talks about one album in his massive collection

Sal Steels of Denver, Colorado, first rocked out to Van Halen's album "1984" about 20 years ago, and hasn't stopped since. In fact, he demonstrated the way he feels when the song "Panama" starts in a video for iReport.com.

For Steels, "1984" is "one of those you have in the car. It's one you make a backup CD for." He listens to it constantly and considers "Panama" his favorite song of all time. iReport.com: Sal Steels rocks out
Who is H. Michael Karshis's favorite band? What band  it an iReporter through near- death experience? What are iReporters sharing? Who owns thousands of albums? Who loves Steely Dan the most? What is the favorite band of Karahis? Who does Karshis love the most?
Steely Dan's Moody Blues the album that first hooked them H. Michael Karshis H. Michael Karshis Steely Dan's "Can't Buy a Thrill" by Steely Dan.
question: Who is H. Michael Karshis's favorite band?, answer: Steely Dan's | question: What band  it an iReporter through near- death experience?, answer: Moody Blues | question: What are iReporters sharing?, answer: the album that first hooked them | question: Who owns thousands of albums?, answer: H. Michael Karshis | question: Who loves Steely Dan the most?, answer: H. Michael Karshis | question: What is the favorite band of Karahis?, answer: Steely Dan's | question: Who does Karshis love the most?, answer: "Can't Buy a Thrill" by Steely Dan.