# Which rock musicians' work is as exciting today as it was when they first began? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2019, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900 "2019-12-15T18:36:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900/21 "2019-12-16T21:11:12Z")
Good music never gets old. I’m listening to music from almost the whole history of recorded popular music, the oldest music being the oldest blues recordings from 1923/24. So much of the music I listen to is from before my birth in 1968, and much is from the sixties/early seventies when I was still to young to be conscious of it. The music that often sounds the most dated to me is from the eighties, my formative years which are often cited as the times that define your musical taste for the rest of your life, but somehow 80’s production values still haunt me :D. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900/22 "2019-12-17T10:14:01Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Good music never gets old. I’m listening to music from almost the whole history of recorded popular music, the oldest music being the oldest blues recordings from 1923/24. So much of the music I listen to is from before my birth in 1968, and much is from the sixties/early seventies when I was still to young to be conscious of it. The music that often sounds the most dated to me is from the eighties, my formative years which are often cited as the times that define your musical taste for the rest of your life, but somehow 80’s production values still haunt me :D. There were several bands from the 80s that are often called “hair bands”. I enjoyed their music when it first came out. But I can no longer stand listening to it today. The reason? It may be due to overplay or it may just be due to their songs not holding up over time. I really don’t know. But I think both those factors can cause people to no longer want to hear some music after a time. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900/23 "2019-12-17T20:27:58Z")
I’m going to go with the “artist’s new music is as interesting as the old music” question and say David Byrne. From Talking Heads to American Utopia. American Utopia on Broadway was excellent. I went twice in three days. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900/24 "2019-12-17T21:10:42Z")
There are a couple of artists that I used to listen to all the time that I rarely do any more: Elton John Styx Probably Queen actually But, most of the artists I loved many years ago I still listen to some: Blue Oyster Cult Kansas Rush Yes But, there are newer artists I listen to a lot as well: Macy Gray Janelle Monet The Killers ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900/25 "2019-12-17T21:20:45Z")
There are early rockers whose output sounds dated because of production values of the time (think Elvis with a typical chorus of middle-aged-sounding voices in the background). Sometimes it’s downright embarrassing (Bill Haley & The Comets). For me, Chuck Berry and Little Richard’s music still carries the energy and excitement they brought to rock n’ roll. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900/26 "2019-12-17T23:14:21Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > There are a couple of artists that I used to listen to all the time that I rarely do any more: > > Elton John > Styx > Probably Queen actually > > But, most of the artists I loved many years ago I still listen to some: > > Blue Oyster Cult > Kansas > Rush > Yes > > But, there are newer artists I listen to a lot as well: > > Macy Gray > Janelle Monet > The Killers I don’t know Janelle Monet, but Macy Gray and the Killers are \*newer \*artists? I guess we’re all getting old ;). ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900/27 "2019-12-18T04:13:58Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I don’t know Janelle Monet, but Macy Gray and the Killers are \*newer \*artists? I guess we’re all getting old ;). We are. But only if we are lucky! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900/28 "2019-12-18T21:11:37Z")
Lots and lots of bands, really. I can think of dozens. Aerosmith’s early work remains incredible. U2’s early stuff is still outstanding. The Tragically Hip’s first four albums are mesmerizing. My wife and I went to a Classic Albums Live performance of Supertramp’s “Breakfast in America” last month. Those songs remain awesome. Some music HAS dated, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900/29 "2019-12-18T22:15:21Z")
When I read the thread title, I thought it was asking which musicians continue or continued to be as vital and exciting in their later work as they were in their eralier work. By that definition, I’d go with people like Bowie, Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave. As far as what I listened to when I was young, I may occasionally like hearing a specific song from then, but my tastes have changed vastly, especially once I started to consider lyrics as important. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2019, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900/30 "2019-12-21T02:12:12Z")
Todd Rundgren has never stopped pushing himself. Since his heyday, every album has been different and most of them have been in different genres. Most people haven’t heard anything he’s done after the 1970s albums like _Something/Anything_, \*A Wizard/A True Star \*and \*Todd \*but he’s done amazing albums like \*Acapella \*which he toured with an 11 voice choir and no instruments. When asked to re-record his “hits” he rearranged them into _Bossa Nova/Exotica_ style and toured the album with a Tiki bar set up on a theater stage and played to a dozen tables set up on the rest of the stage. I’m a huge fan, and I have no idea what his next album will be like. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2019, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900/31 "2019-12-21T20:30:48Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > A more serious answer: for me, it largely depends on whether an artist was treated as part of the Classic Rock genre by the Classic Rock stations themselves. > > Those that were, got tremendously overplayed, and artists and songs I used to love, I simply can’t stand to hear one more time. (I stopped listening to classic rock stations altogether 3-4 years back on account of this.) > > But artists that I used to love that weren’t included in that genre still feel fresh. A while back, somebody on Facebook commented that, in 2021, we’ll be closer to 2070 than 1970. I replied, “And the classic rock stations in 2070 will still have the same playlist.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-rock-musicians-work-is-as-exciting-today-as-it-was-when-they-first-began/844900.md?page=1)