Ann Barnhardt has a great post.
It’s odd that she included me (and some dude named Van Der Loon.. or Lute… probably a new guy in the blogging scene) in the post because it’s actually a premise I once floated at Irony Curtain. (I gave Ann a chance to marry me back in the day. We could have had quite a life discussing these quirky thoughts. But nooooooo.)
She calls it Equidistant In Time Musical Interludes.
I can explain it by retelling the Irony moment.
Awhile back, let’s say ten years ago (the math might be wrong on this, but play along), I was at his house for dinner and The Beatles were on the stereo. I thought about his high school aged kids being subjected to dad’s playlist and wondered what they thought.
Doing the math, I said, “you know, The Beatles music is 40 years old. So, when we were in high school in 1978, this would be like our parents insisting we listen to Kay Kyser.”
Irony would have none of it, saying the Beatles have more of a connection to today’s music than our music did to our parents. In the end he was right because his kids love The Beatles. But not all kids do! The music we listened to in 1978 might as well be Ishkabibble to a whole new generation
Ann’s reference is startling.
She reminds everyone that in 2017, MMMBop is the halfway point if we started at You Light Up My Life.
As they said in This Is Spinal Tap, “that’s too much perspective.”
I looked up the number one song in America today.
All three are pukable.
Interesting line of thought. I like it.
On the surface it seems musical (or fashion) trends/tastes seem to skip generations. That is, what our generation embraced is distasteful to our children but is picked-up by our grandchildren. I have a nostalgia for an era in which I never lived, the late 1920’s to late 1930’s — Big Band (Benny Goodman), the sleek, beautiful lines of industrial art, even the social upheaval of the era; part agricultural, part modern industry.
Very interesting subject, Fur.
I never cared for the big band sound, however if I was being tortured I choose the same. The other two should never be confused with music.
20 years old… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDo1617aXX4
40 years old… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVIA1n5ng4Y
60 years old… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCObON5sJzU
The last one is one of my favorite John Prine songs, good stuff Maynard.
Year I was born — 1949 I can pick from Vaughn Monroe — Ghost Riders in the Sky or Perry Como — Some Enchanted Evening. Half way — 1983 is a Michael Jackson fest — Beat It or Billy Jean. I need to pick some other dates.
Birthday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y22tIJ6toPY
1985: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewxmv2tyeRs
Today—I couldn’t give a damn, I wouldn’t listen to that crap under any set of facts.
https://youtu.be/50xx1_CbJTI
Fat Domino died today. Just thought it might be relevant.
Um..Fats
My toddler grandson loves old music played on vinyl. He calls it good music and calls music on the radio in the car really bad and it annoys him. I have cds with old music and must put on the good music, but then he says it’s better on the black things that go round and round.
So I passed on old music to my kids and now starting on my grandkids.
Bad Brad you missed green Onions by booker T and the MG’s. It was part of the sound track of my youth just like in the Sandlot when I also played little league baseball back in the early 60’s. Being a scrub they always stuck me in center field but it was fun.
geoff the aardvark
I was headed that direction and ran into Zager and Evans so I decided to quit while I was ahead.
Should have gone a little farther, one of my all time favs.
https://youtu.be/AZQxH_8raCI
Year zero…. also ties into the grammar nazi post… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qud4ZRYAtQ
Glad you didn’t play Zager and Evans, they suck. But when they played Sprit In the Sky in the British comedy Saving Grace really loud when the stoner was taking a pee outside in the dark and the greenhouse where they were growing pot lit up really, really bright and he had a marijuana induced epiphany was hilarious. I love that movie, it was one of my late wife and myself favorite comedies especially the two goofy old ladies who got high drinking pot laced tea with the googly slinky eyes and got the munchies. We both laughed hysterically at that.
Grew up on Polka music along time ago 😥.
18 yrs. old 1969— https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrUHvPgxlcw
28 yrs. — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mS7ly4dP5o
38 yrs — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcUxrpIwuQ4
48 years — 1999 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQg1uWEPsOI&list=PLam08HY53ekvandBYqqOYKTDdFKXhs3Pz&index=39
58yrs — 2009 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpJxJmXpSYQ&index=1&list=PL41D90571AF6A9E28
66 — 2017 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOEviTLJOqo&list=PLWvahZRxLnLMSWeULnub0CCeQzvxGM8hB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6fA35Ved-Y&list=PLWvahZRxLnLMSWeULnub0CCeQzvxGM8hB&index=33
Birthday:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy_JRGjc1To&index=4&list=RDKaFtsqU2V6U
1983:https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-mozilla-003&hsimp=yhs-003&hspart=mozilla&p=every+breath+you+take+police+youtube#id=1&vid=16a38afe63fe1fb06bed71646291d41a&action=click
Ann definitely should have married you, Mr. Hat. What a lovely couple you would have made!
Everyone knows I’m a Beatles fanatic but part of the appeal was that they changed all the rules. Used to be that there was nothing UN-hipper than your parent’s music but great, great music is timeless. Dave Grohl articulates it best in this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irf2hOPQlUM
OMG Cato!
Were you in my class?
Number 1 in the year of my birth was Goodnight Irene by Gordon Jenkins and the Weavers (ye gods, I’m old):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5aixNi_C1Q.
Halfway to 2017 it was Billie Jean by Michael Jackson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75sx7U6dAB4.
If I used the year of my HS graduation, it was To Sir, With Love by Lulu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTapoA5RQyo.
Halfway to 2017 would be End of the Road by Boyz II Men:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDKO6XYXioc&list=RDzDKO6XYXioc.
which I must admit I’ve never heard of.
Very interesting exercise, but I’m still reeling from Goodnight Irene – it feels like I was born in 1910 or something. Sheesh.
Zonga I was thinking the same thing.
Irony
True dat, interesting comparison. Johny Cash changed them back here.
Nine Inch Nails
https://youtu.be/prDoGmY5kj8
Johny Cash
https://youtu.be/vt1Pwfnh5pc
Abigail Adams – I’m with you on Big Band music. It was before my time but I’ve always loved it. It’s beautiful music but it was of my parents era and I’m sure there’s some nostalgia about that for me.
Fur, tell us a bit about Ann. I’ve been a regular reader of her blog since ’11, and now listener of podcasts. She pointed me towards the Catholic Church, which I joined in ’12. No regrets. I have a great deal of respect for her blunt truth telling.
I enjoy all kinds of music but, get in my car and start the engine and you will rock out with me. I love Rock, hard Rock, Alternative. Rock gives me energy and makes me so happy and care free. It’s the only way to clean house. Try it, you’ll see!
year born: ‘Blue Tango’ ~ Leroy Anderson
midpoint: ‘When Doves Cry’ ~ Prince
now: Don’t Ask, by I Don’t Give A Phuck … oh yeah … featuring No Taste, No Harmony, No Rhythm, Misogyny, & Just A Stupid Beat w/ Atrocious Rhymes
soundtrack of my life: The Beatles, The Allman Brothers, Motown, John Hiatt, Frank Sinatra, Swing, old R&B, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Led Zeppelin
@Zonga & AnnieGirl
It’s been so long I can’t remember less than a handful of people in my class of 500. But then again, I only spent 3 years in the town where I graduated.
Funny I left 12 days after H.S. (’69), went in the military for 4 years and didn’t come back here until 5 years ago (43 years later).
And I wouldn’t recognize anyone if I saw them today (we’ve all changed….well of course I haven’t).
I grew up on a type of Country. Used to watch the Green Valley Jamboree taped in Kalamazoo, MI. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Z87Z3GO7A
Then it was the British Invasion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jenWdylTtzs
HS Graduation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCjDLaQxyq8&list=PL7329082E54ECB6FC
My musical taste has evolved. Rock, Alternative, Opera, Big Bands, the Rat Pack, Christian, Jazz, Blues, and recently Bluegrass. The only thing I will turn off is Rap (not music), Hip Hop and any new pop music (especially if autotuned).
Oh, wow. Moonlight Serenade. I won’t recount the story here. Let’s just say that I consider it to be one of the most romantic tunes EVER. Right behind it would be Never Tear Us Apart by INXS.
Birthday: “Love is Blue” Paul Mauriat
Midway Point: “I Will Always Love You” Whitney Houston
Became a Beatlemaniac at age 10 (1978), never looked back.
Eagles, Hendrix, Skynyrd, LOTS of others
Some years ago, when I first found this place, I quickly got the feeling that I was a kid compared to you regulars. I like such places, as I fit in better. Never in my life have I had a friend of my own age or younger; 15 years have been the fewest in age difference. None of you have ever disappointed me.
I’d like to put a twist in my humble submission by limiting myself to a particular singer. While that means I can’t stick to dates strictly, I’ve come as close as I could with his hits, or, at least, his rendition.
This is near some significant point in my life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E40nEv8QXuU .
And this is an apropos song that he does a great job with:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhumdH3MU-E
As a parting note, thanks to all the regulars for sharing your wisdom with me these years. You’ll never know how hard it’s become to find such for one of my age.
Glad you’re here, Sturge. The ages run the range here.
1952 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7txb2aRdYo
1984 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKi3yFmBM4
2017 Nothing
Great Music, great memories.
HS graduation – 1963
Didn’t knot that was the year Sukiyaki made top 100 till just now. Plain Jane was starting on her great adventure. No wonder it’s one of my absolute favorites.
1990, 27 years later. Part of my great adventure was dancing every chance we got, even though some times it might just be dancing in the kitchen to Love Shack.
So did you all know Rand Paul is lead singer of B-52’s. Just go to 1:11 to see for yourselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SOryJvTAGs
Unfortunately in pop music now, 27 years later, I find nothing. I now rely on oldies, big band, classical, blues, faith based music etc., for entertainment.
TV and movies stink, unless you go back a decade or more. My youngest DIL loves the movies of the 1950s. She finds nothing current appealing either.
I look at time frames that way quite a lot. When I look back at when I first got my driver’s license, it would have been like someone at that time who had gotten his driver’s license in 1927.
Sturge – glad you’re with us. BTW, I love Try to Remember. Beautiful, poignant song.