# Songs about outdated tech or fads **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 3, 2024, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388 "2024-03-03T08:01:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/41 "2024-03-03T19:28:02Z")
“_A-rockin_’ and _a-rollin’,_ _ **Spinnin’ in a hoola hoop** _…” –Bad Boy / Larry Williams ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/42 "2024-03-03T19:35:55Z")
**Money for Nothing** -Dire Straits It’s been a while since anyone watched someone playing the guitar on the MTV. Also not a lot of color tv installation happening these days. I’d love to say we’re past calling folks with earrings (and makeup) “faggots”, but at least it’s not as commonplace than it was in the '80s. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/43 "2024-03-03T19:51:59Z")
I think the 50’s and 60’s were full of songs about dances and events that nobody’s likely to see again. Sock hops, the Twist, the Stroll, the Mashed Potato, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/44 "2024-03-03T20:48:47Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > In the worse old days before pull-tabs, you needed a special tool to open beverage cans, known colloquially as a church key. That’s still the way to open large (46oz) juice cans; apparently a pull tab is impractical when the can has to be thick enough to support stacked cans that heavy. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/45 "2024-03-03T20:48:49Z")
[Dim All the Lights](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaaxld1ugu0)-Donna Summer (1979) _“Turn up the old Victrola, gonna dance the night away.”_ Ok, the song isn’t _about_ Victrolas, but it is mentioned 4 times. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/46 "2024-03-03T21:27:21Z")
**Telstar** made it all the way to #1 in 1962 > [@](#): > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrEPzsx1gQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrEPzsx1gQ) ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/47 "2024-03-03T21:28:10Z")
A lesser known Rupert Holmes song [https://youtu.be/0YZNPOc\_nEA?feature=shared](https://youtu.be/0YZNPOc_nEA?feature=shared) ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/48 "2024-03-03T22:14:27Z")
The song dates from 1982 > **[On A Bicycle Built For Two](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gDf7misJvk%2F)** > > Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupOn A Bicycle Built For Two · Nat King ColeThose Lazy Hazy Crazy Days Of Summer℗ 1963 Capitol Records, LLCReleased... Here is an 1894 recording–but it doesn’t sound very good: > **['Daisy Bell' - Original 1894 Phonograph Recording with Lyrics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqvuNb8DevE%2F)** > > "Daisy Bell" Composed by Harry Dacre, Performed By Edward M Favor.This song is featured in many notable Movies, Anime and TV Shows, most famously performed b... ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/49 "2024-03-03T22:21:25Z")
[The Big 10 Inch Record](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzptUmg97_k) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/50 "2024-03-03T22:29:51Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > > [@bibliophage](#): > > > > In the worse old days before pull-tabs, you needed a special tool to open beverage cans, known colloquially as a church key. > > That’s still the way to open large (46oz) juice cans; apparently a pull tab is impractical when the can has to be thick enough to support stacked cans that heavy. And people still buy church keys for the other end that removes bottle caps. One of my favorite songs, BTW. The Revels are natives of the small town I live in. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/51 "2024-03-03T22:51:07Z")
> [@Jaycat.again](#): > > The Big 10 Inch Record TIL [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yXdbXl-lno) is a cover. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/52 "2024-03-03T22:56:44Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > TIL [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yXdbXl-lno) is a cover. 10 inch 78s were already out of date by the time Aerosmith showed up. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/53 "2024-03-03T23:09:42Z")
Somehow I don’t think Aerosmith’s target audience was thinking that was about records. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/54 "2024-03-03T23:24:50Z")
Sylvia’s Mother “and the operator says forty cents more for the next three minutes…” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/55 "2024-03-03T23:44:32Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > [Fountains of Wayne](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI5-NXlFEYM). > > _my big black plastic Japanese cordless phone_ And also, later, “big black Radio Shack digital portable phone”, although that is more an outdated company and terminology than tech itself. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2024, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/56 "2024-03-04T00:54:01Z")
Convoy! At least in the sense of the song, with CB radios etc. Edit: put “movie” instead of “song” for no apparent reason. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2024, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/57 "2024-03-04T01:55:02Z")
The Streak - Ray Stevens ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2024, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/58 "2024-03-04T04:11:12Z")
“Payphone” by Maroon 5. Which oddly came out on 2012. This song may have been written 15-20 years too late. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2024, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/59 "2024-03-04T04:23:54Z")
“2Way Freak” by Three 6 Mafia. About two-way pagers. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2024, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388/60 "2024-03-04T05:17:28Z")
"Fun, Fun, Fun (till her daddy takes her T-bird away) - Beach Boys [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-outdated-tech-or-fads/998388.md?page=4)