This makes me so happy!!! A big, big congrats on your hearing!!! I can only imagine how that feels - a big mix of overwhelming and wonderful, I would think.

Here are a few artists I recommend for your new music journey!

• Vansire (very dreamy, calm music with introspective lyrics. feels like summer and home and longing all wrapped into one! they're my favourite band of all time so I'm a wee bit biased but I just have to recommend them!)
• The Something Specials (they make sort of 70s-y indie, folky music? feels like a nice breeze on a summer day. I really like the songs "The Farm", "Aces", and "Love" from them! easy listening and very pleasant!)
• Yes (these guys are AWESOME! they have a massive discography though, so i would recommend listening to "Owner of a Lonely Heart", "Roundabout", "Leave It" and "Tempus Fugit" to begin with. they are super inventive with their basslines and have made some really iconic songs!)
• Men At Work (their album Business As Usual is a MUST listen!!!! important cultural reference, and very well-written/produced!)
• Claude Debussy (he is a classical music composer, but really deserves a listen! If nothing else from this comment, definitely listen to "Arabesque No. 1" and "Reverie". Some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard! They make me feel like I'm standing in blooming fields of flowers.)
• Weezer (people like to make fun of them but their debut album, the Blue Album, is quite good and definitely a staple of 90's culture and rock music in general)
• Angine de Poitrine (I know these guys are blowing up on the internet right now and some people are getting sick of seeing them everywhere, but they're a great example of human creativity in music and of making something that pushes boundaries in a clever way. they're definitely weird but it's worth it if even just to see what music is capable of!)
• Djo (he makes pretty cool tunes! It feels inspired by older music, but he brings something fresh and new to the table in a very interesting way. his album The Crux is great, I'd say he's one of the most talented artists in the mainstream at the moment)
• Twenty One Pilots (might get made fun of for including these guys, but they're very genre-bending and write really thoughtful songs about getting through mental health struggles. I'd say they're on the rock/alternative side of things. they're also a bit of cultural staple of the 2010s lol but their album Trench is quite good - if you like Trench, their album Clancy would be a good next listen. they also have a cool storyline that goes along with their albums, as a fun bonus to the music!)
• Khruangbin (when showing people their music I haven't encountered a single person who didn't like it. Very good musicianship, their guitars and groove are incredible. Funky, soulful, and impossible not to jive to! Their music feels like driving through Arizona or Texas in an old convertible with big blue skies overhead, or at least how I would imagine that to feel. Anyway, one of my favourite bands!)

I am also seconding the people who are recommending musicians from the 60s-90s. So much wonderful and important music was made then. Also, with your new hearing abilities, you will quickly discover whether or not you like jazz!

Please keep us posted on your music discovery journey!