By: Carley Taylor
So why are younger people so into old music? There’s been a phenomenon of younger people being so into the music of the older generations (I’m sure everyone’s noticed). With the resurgence of sporting older bands on T-shirt’s, collecting vinyl records or cassettes, and taking on the aesthetics of the time there’s a rising popularity of this music among youth (me and Ashly do all of this). I find that me and those around me have a certain adoration for older music such as genres from the 70s and 80s. This could be because the music is simply better or because of something else.
One reason I came up with is that all of us as young adults are yearning to to be kids again (read Ashly’s post for more on this). Nostalgia is huge right now, but perhaps instead of being nostalgic for music made during our time we’re all nostalgic for the feeling of being a kid again. The kid who sat in the backseat while their parents played the music that they grew up on. This could be because being an adult kind of sucks, life is way more stressful, or simply because we want to reflect on what it was like to be a child again.
I find myself often being interested in the same music my parents grew up with whether as kids, teenagers, or young adults. I find that with Ashly, a song much older than us will play that we both connect to our childhood, and we reflect on it together. It’s mind blowing how universal this feeling is and funny how often someone around you will say “my parents used to play this in the car” when talking about a TikTok sound or simply an older song.
One time when talking about the music we listen to, me and Ashly noticed that if we ever said the phrase “I listened to this when I was a teenager or in my 20s” some of the songs would be so funny. Artists like Fleetwood Mac, Hall and Oates, or Elton John aren’t categorized as being in “our time” and definitely aren’t so we would be repeating what so many might’ve said before us. With streaming it’s easier than ever to listen to whatever song you want and find new music (maybe not always new new) so I picture that many will have similar experiences to this in the future.
When I hear certain songs, I am transported back to being a child. To a kid who isn’t afraid of the future and a girl who feels invincible when singing along to AC/DC or Guns n’ Roses with my sister. This feeling along with picturing what it was like to be around when these songs came out makes the music even more appealing to listen to.
I think that these eras of music can be so intriguing because of what was going on culturally at the time. The 60s and 70s are times that are looked at as so cool and inspiring especially regarding the music. I’ve heard so many times the phrase “I wish I was alive then” when talking about the 1970s because of the fashion, the culture, and bigger than both the music.
When thinking about this time period I automatically think about Woodstock 1969 where people came together in peace with music being at the center. This event is looked back on in awe and a sort of envy that we weren’t able to attend. It’s almost like people are nostalgic for a time that they didn’t even experience. The historical nostalgia with the help of social media, movies, and recordings of the event make all of us imagine what could’ve been our lives.
At the end of the day, I believe that music will always bring people together and truly spans generations. Whether in the form of those attending Woodstock 69’ or in the form of kids now using it as a way to connect back to their own childhoods.
Thanks for reading!
Here’s a link to mine and Ashly’s playlist (some of the songs are funny inside jokes)