On my way to doing something totally different …
I know baby boomers are two generations removed from today’s music, our kids and their contemporaries filling the gap between the two of us.
I know today’s music is supposed to be different than “Do Wha Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Doo,” and I respect that.
I also know music is music, that music is a universal expression of the soul, blah blah blah.
I just have to laugh, though, at the thought that no matter how much I adore music, how disconnected I am from “today’s” music. I mean — really disconnected. And how long I’ve been disconnected.
Trying to keep this all brief, here are the top 10 of Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1965 (I was in 7th grade) …
1 . “Wooly Bully” Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
2. “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” Four Tops
3. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” The Rolling Stones
4 .”You Were on My Mind” We Five
5. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” The Righteous Brothers
6. “Downtown” Petula Clark
7 . “Help!” The Beatles
8. “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat” Herman’s Hermits
9 .”Crying in the Chapel” Elvis Presley
10. “My Girl” The Temptations
I probably could sing along with every song up there. I sense a few younger eyeballs rolling up in the head. Understood.
Then let’s move up to the top 10 of Billboard’s Year-End Top 100 Singles of 2000. 35 years later. I was married and had an 18 year old son by then.
1. “Breathe” Faith Hill
2. “Smooth” Santana featuring Rob Thomas
3. “Maria Maria” Santana featuring The Product G&B
4. “I Wanna Know” Joe
5. “Everything You Want” Vertical Horizon
6. “Say My Name” Destiny’s Child
7. “I Knew I Loved You” Savage Garden
8. “Amazed” Lonestar
9. “Bent” Matchbox Twenty
10 . “He Wasn’t Man Enough” Toni Braxton
Okay. I love the two Santana songs. I’ve heard of most of the other artists but had to Google some to see if I remembered those songs. I didn’t.
Compare these great songs and artists to the top 10 of Billboard’s Year-End Top 10 Singles of 2002:
1. “Heat Waves” Glass Animals
2. “As It Was” Harry Styles
3 . “Stay” The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber
4. “Easy on Me” Adele
5. “Shivers” Ed Sheeran
6. “First Class” Jack Harlow
7. “Big Energy” Latto
8. “Ghost” Justin Bieber
9. “Super Gremlin” Kodak Black
10. “Cold Heart (Pnau remix)” Elton John and Dua Lipa
Oh man, where have I been? Latto? Dua Lipa? What is a Pnau mix? I recognize Sheeran and Bieber’s names, but not their music.
I know I should be keeping up with today’s music, seeing as how I’m a cheering squad for Creativity in ALL its forms, which includes music.
But somehow I find myself getting excited more about an Artie Shaw Big Band hit I’ve recently discovered than any (if not all) the top 100 from 2022.
Sometimes I feel so upside down …
Humoring the Goddess 
I love music from every era. Now there are some I love more than others, and I have not gotten into rap, except for the odd song, but there is always something to love. Ed Sheerin is wonderful as is Adele and Lewis Capaldi. As long as we keep making music, the world will be OK. xo
LikeLike
Absolutely! Music is the fire of the soul, making you think and feel and dream and remember. And that’s important for all generations. Love you that you listsen!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh girlfriend, had to laugh as I just had this conversation the other day. I remember when we all knew the words to the same songs and the music brought us together. Music was something we would sit and listen to. Does that even still happen? I sound like my grandparents who said that our generation’s music sounded like noise. HA, I feel the same way about much of today’s music. I swore I would keep up with new trends as I aged………..I just don’t care for it. Maybe one or two here and there. I tried.
LikeLike
I tried, too. But I found I could learn the words to Chattanooga ChooChoo” easier than Jung Kook and ‘Seven’ (feat. Latto).. today’s #1 on Billboard. Sometimes I think ‘shame on me’ for not following and getting into today’s popular music, and I don’t know why I don’t care for it anyway. Maybe it’s just a generational thing.
LikeLike
I am 53 years old now, the son of a baby boomer couple (I think…), and I also feel disconnected from the “modern” music scene. I believe the last breath of life rock’n roll had as a mainstream genre was in the 1990s with grunge movement. After that there was some good bands in the “nerd” rock’n roll scene during the first years of the 2000s, and that is as far as my taste allows me to go.
LikeLike
Super! Then revel in what you love! I know I do! I love all sorts of music — upbeat classical, smooth jazz, hair band rock and roll. I am open to listening to country music and my hubby loves the blues, and there’s so much great music BEHIND us that I try not to worry about the ones I don’t appreciate from today.
LikeLike