Okay, here's a few that can be listened to with pleasure: "For What It's Worth," "Honky Tonk Women," "Barbara Ann," "Third Rate Romance" and the great ones from the turn of the millennium: "Please Remember Me," "Kiss Me," ""Baby One More Time," and so on. Those in the latter category do not make the era WMTY covers.
But maybe there should be a statute of limitations on some music. Let's face it: the 1950's stuff has a lot with inane lyrics and backup singers making strange sounds, like shadoop, shadoop. and so forth. And name the goddamn horse (from the 1970's)! And stop complaining about American women. Those refer to songs whose lyrics immediately prompt me to change the station!
There's a noticeable cut-off at around 1975. Why leave out ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, and so forth? Why is the hippie stuff enshrined but not 1970's pop or disco?
However, in all fairness, music does get entwined with personal, often happy or bittersweet memories and that results in the personal appeal that some songs have, and why people listen to golden oldie music. And some of it does wear well, even after 50 years.
The problem is that old stuff becomes too easily canonized by virtue of being old. Are there any oldie songs that you think should be sent to oldie limbo? Tell it all, podners! Cleanse the soul and musical palate.
9 comments:
I occasionally listen to classic oldies. Like you, that 1950s stuff leaves me cold.
Sigh
It makes me sad that you consider the songs that I grew up with as oldies.
I once posted on Twitter that I was listening to 70's Rock.
A young friend responded that he loved Classic Rock.
I said that I preferred to call it 70's Rock, as it was the music of my high school years. Classic Rock was older.
He said, "Yeah I listened to it in high school, too ... and we called it Classic Rock then, old man!"
There are many 'oldies' that I didn't like when they were new. For instance I can't STAND Bob Dylan.
Ah but you refuted your own clean-up campaign by stating correctly that some music can evoke deep emotion and memories even 50+ years on (which I can testify to!). 50's hit "Venus" gives me the same goosebumps as it did in dad's car when I was a tot
MaArthur Park - enough said.
John - WMTY calls their music Golden Oldie for what it's worth.
Cloudia - I guess I did contradict myself. But my contemporary music comes from about 2000.
Mariette - You are spot on. It lasts +7 minutes!
Mike - I can't either.
Elvis - Golden Oldie or Classic Rock may include too long a span of time. It seems that the era between 1965 and 1975 or 1980 was particularly rich.
I'll feature three versions of a nice song from 1965 with BOTB on June 1.
I listen to the oldies, and it seems that we get a lot of B-sides on the playlist.
This sounds like a playlist that I would enjoy. Back in the late 60's I used to hear some very cool music from a station in Lenoir City. Have no idea if they're still on the air.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Well, I'm surprised you didn't mention "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Do Wah Diddy Diddy". All the best golden oldies have silly words in their titles.
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