What kind of music do you like to listen to? If you are part of the Baby Boomer crowd, my guess is that you love the music of the sixties, seventies and eighties. A few of us also enjoy the fifties. But guess what? We are not alone! Many people under the age of forty, and many even under the age of thirty, are listening to the same stuff!
According to Ted Gioia, music and culture writer for The Atlantic, old songs represent 70% of the music market today. As he writes, “The song catalogs in most demand are by musicians who are in their 70s or 80s (Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen) or already dead (David Bowie, James Brown).”
Apparently I am like many Boomers who feel that the older tunes had more melody and more interesting harmonies, not to mention words that we could actually understand. When Gioia asks his Boomer friends why they prefer the old music, they often tell him, “There will never be another Sondheim….Or Joni Mitchell. Or Bob Dylan. Or Cole Porter. Or Brian Wilson. I almost expect these doomsayers to break out in a stirring rendition of “Old Time Rock and Roll,” much like Tom Cruise in his underpants.” What could be wrong with that? “Old Time Rock and Roll.” “Tom Cruise.” “In his underpants, no less!” Sounds good to me.
What do you think? What are your favourite songs? Do you find yourself going back to your old playlists or are there newer songs you’re “groovin’ to” these days? Would love to hear from you!
Happy Birthday to my son Lachlan who turns 32 today! One of his very favourite songs is “Bat Out of Hell” by Meat Loaf, a favourite also of his Boomer Dad.
Now back to that “Old Time Rock and Roll!”
Boomerality 