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.
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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.”