I remember in the 70s holding my cassette recorder microphone directed at TOTP to record a Bowie song with all the family forced to sit in silence. However, my grandfather walked into the room and said loudly "is that that yin Essex?". I did my nut obviously as the recording was ruined (I wish I still had it) but that was generally the held view of my parents and grandparents on the modern music of the time.
My only memory of anything other than disdain, was my grandfather complimenting Bohemian Rhapsody and my dad having a sneaky listen to SAHB's Delilah on my stereo. He was thrown out of my room as soon as this violation was discovered obviously.
I get the feeling that older people now have a greater respect for a wider range of genres appealing to different generations and I wondered why. I don't particularly like rap but I can name a few tracks that I appreciate.
Is it just down to the greater availability and exposure, or are we generally a more rounded generation?
Edit: I was quite pleased to remember paragraphs today, then disgusted to notice that the title is missing a question mark. 🤬
No.
I cut my musical teeth as a HEAVY METAL fan, I grew up a HEAVY METAL fan. Went to University as a HEAVY METAL fan, got married as a HEAVY METAL fan, became a parent as a HEAVY METAL fan, lost my parents as a HEAVY METAL fan, retired from work as a HEAVY METAL fan. If I live to be a hundred I will be a HEAVY METAL fan. oh, I do like a bit of proper Progressive Rock as well. :)
Back in the late 70s and early 80s you picked your musical tribe and stuck with it. When you were out and about you taunted the Punks, Teds, Skins, Mods, Soul boys, Disco boys, Motown fans, Jazz fans, Pop fans, Teenyboppers, Roller maniacs, C&W fans, Yacht Rockers, New Romantics and whatever other musical sect was hanging around on the street. Then you ran like buggery if things got a bit lairy - once a coward always a coward :)
Today's generation is just too apathetic to get fully involved in a musical sect and it goes without saying that modern music is RUBBISH - and I refuse to believe that the likes of Rap have anything to do with music. Should I watch any of the BBC's Glastonbury coverage I will pour scorn and deride the quality of "music" that is placed in front of me.
As a bit of an aside, when I started going to see bands in the late 70s the average age of the audience was younger than that of the band. Of course for bands of that era that still tour it is still the case, but when I go to see bands like Opeth, Riverside and the Von Hertzen Brothers, the audience is older than the bands. As I say, today's generation is too apathetic and will just let whatever processed pap is pumped their way. It's not like brutalz innit bro LOL.
Of course YMMV
Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on June 24, 2025, 12:31:00 PMIs it just down to the greater availability and exposure, or are we generally a more rounded generation?
Edit: I was quite pleased to remember paragraphs today, then disgusted to notice that the title is missing a question mark. 🤬
Questionmarks are overused anyway?
But more to the point: I think we are more forgiving, a lot to do with the 60s revolution I suppose that brought forth pop music and made it widely acceptable. I suppose your (grand)parents thought of the Andrew Sisters are the forefront of the modern music industry, but considering the enormous variety of music that the Beatles , Stones and Kinks have produced and all tnhat followed after, it is easier to like or tolerate different music.
Here's the thing - in my humble opinion of course: there's a crucial difference between our generation and the generation that had to confront rock'n'roll, glam rock and heavy rock. All that was a huge cultural change, and naturally alienating to your average 60-year old who'd been brought up on Glenn Miller, Bing Crosby and would prefer to listen to Val Doonican or Shirley Bassey.
We just haven't had that alienating cultural and social change to contend with, and that's reflected in the music. '70s and '80s music is still played everywhere, all the time. Restaurants, bars, football matches, national radio broadcasts. And quite often, newer music doesn't sound much different. In the '70s it was a bit weird to see someone in their 30s at a gig, now there are plenty of old folks like me.
Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on June 24, 2025, 12:31:00 PMEdit: I was quite pleased to remember paragraphs today, then disgusted to notice that the title is missing a question mark. 🤬
You could have edited into the thread title at the same time as you added this bit.
Quote from: Slim on June 24, 2025, 06:52:11 PMQuote from: The Picnic Wasp on June 24, 2025, 12:31:00 PMEdit: I was quite pleased to remember paragraphs today, then disgusted to notice that the title is missing a question mark. 🤬
You could have edited into the thread title at the same time as you added this bit.
Didn't know that was possible. 🤭 Thank you.
Quote from: Nickslikk2112 on June 24, 2025, 03:54:26 PMNo.
I cut my musical teeth as a HEAVY METAL fan, I grew up a HEAVY METAL fan. Went to University as a HEAVY METAL fan, got married as a HEAVY METAL fan, became a parent as a HEAVY METAL fan, lost my parents as a HEAVY METAL fan, retired from work as a HEAVY METAL fan. If I live to be a hundred I will be a HEAVY METAL fan. oh, I do like a bit of proper Progressive Rock as well. :)
Back in the late 70s and early 80s you picked your musical tribe and stuck with it. When you were out and about you taunted the Punks, Teds, Skins, Mods, Soul boys, Disco boys, Motown fans, Jazz fans, Pop fans, Teenyboppers, Roller maniacs, C&W fans, Yacht Rockers, New Romantics and whatever other musical sect was hanging around on the street. Then you ran like buggery if things got a bit lairy - once a coward always a coward :)
Today's generation is just too apathetic to get fully involved in a musical sect and it goes without saying that modern music is RUBBISH - and I refuse to believe that the likes of Rap have anything to do with music. Should I watch any of the BBC's Glastonbury coverage I will pour scorn and deride the quality of "music" that is placed in front of me.
As a bit of an aside, when I started going to see bands in the late 70s the average age of the audience was younger than that of the band. Of course for bands of that era that still tour it is still the case, but when I go to see bands like Opeth, Riverside and the Von Hertzen Brothers, the audience is older than the bands. As I say, today's generation is too apathetic and will just let whatever processed pap is pumped their way. It's not like brutalz innit bro LOL.
Of course YMMV
Great piece, Nick, but slightly missing the point I was attempting to make. It wasn't so much a slight on the youth of today's music, but more to do with our generation's, in general, acceptance or mild appreciation of other types of music, where our parents and grandparents might have been less accepting.
When I think of my generation's musical heyday, I consider it to be the 70s and 80s. Rush, Queen, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Status Quo etc. I was never into punk but bought NMTB when it was released. Band obsession probably ceased for me after I discovered Rush. Nothing took the place of that feverish love for a band's music for me after them, but I still appreciated a lot of different music produced by others thereafter.
Very little these days but probably only because I listen to so little radio now as I have almost given up on driving. It's a shame if I was forced to think of the best song I've heard in the past ten years that I can only think of one or two contenders.
I'm at least grateful that a song such as Objects:Meanwhile can still lift and inspire me the way certain songs did in the 70s to remind me that my soul is intact, even if my long curly hair is not. Thank you SW.
Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on June 25, 2025, 12:20:33 PMGreat piece, Nick, but slightly missing the point I was attempting to make. It wasn't so much a slight on the youth of today's music, but more to do with our generation's, in general, acceptance or mild appreciation of other types of music, where our parents and grandparents might have been less accepting.
Wish I'd just said "No" really. I hate typing out long screeds.
I think I'm just as unaccepting as my parent's generation. I hated their music. I loved my music. I hate today's current musical fixations like Rap; Girly R&B*; "Singer"/"Songwriters" and whatever.
* whatever happend to real R&B?
Can any of us dance? Was it because we didn't fit the norm we found our place waiting for 2 metal songs at a club /farmer's disco, village hall party?