In exactly 13 days I will turn 40, and besides my usual blogs I've been doing some reflective blogs about my favourite music. Well today I wanted to write an angry blog, because at 40 I must be an angry old man. There was a study released recently, a few months ago, but the old man is late with these things; the study used Spotify data to conclude that people over the age of 33 just don't listen to new music anymore. Well, fuck you study!
So the study claims to have discovered, because of Spotify data (Big Brother is even watching what music you choose), that as soon as people turn 33, on average, they stop searching out new music. And supposedly walk around shouting at kids with headphones that music is just noise now and not as good as the old days.
Now I love old music, or "older' music. Cause I really don't class the naughties as retro, just yet. Now I've always said that my favourite year in music is 1989 - old I know. But it was when I was in Year 9 in High School and music meant more to me than anything. I was a fat, closeted gay kid in Sydney's west - my door wasn't exactly being broken down for dates. I escaped into music, pop music. That was the year that I went from saying, "Hey, that Madonna's pretty cool", to "Oh my God, she is my everything, Like A Prayer is the best thing ever, and will always be". Well 1989 Wayne, you were right, it is still your favourite song of all time, and will always be. Cause that was my peak year for loving music. Soul II Soul, Janet, Kylie, Paula Abdul, Lisa Stansfield - they were all making music I was living for. I still love to hear this stuff, does that mean it's all I ever want to listen to? Don't be ridiculous.
On this blog, I cover a new single of the week every single week. It's not my single of the week from 2001. This week it was Leona Lewis's new one, the week before Jason Derulo and the week before Blonde featuring Alex Newell. I also pop up lots of album reviews - I have a few ready to go in the next couple of weeks. Sure, then I also do a weekly Top 5 list which features older music - tracks from the 80s through until today. That is one of the best things about getting older, your music taste gets deeper and you can love stuff from all eras. Old or new, can't we just have both?
I have been playing music while writing this blog. I let my shuffle pick and have been loving the tunes. I didn't think about the age until now, some new stuff and some old stuff. Some really old stuff, I just heard Connie Francis's "Breaking in a Brand New Broken Heart" from 1961. That was 14 years before I was born, but my Mum loved her and I used to work at a 50s/60s radio station, Vintage FM; so Connie has become someone I love. Looking down the list today I've also heard Prince's "Batdance" from 1989 (such a good year), Mariah's "Without You" from 93, Delta's "Innocent Eyes" from 03, Adam Lambert's "For Your Entertainment" and then from this year there was Dami Im's newie "Smile", Conrad Sewell's " Start Again" and a lot of remixes of Madonna's latest corker, "Bitch, I'm Madonna". Music from so many eras, and they are just a scratch on the surface of the many tracks I've heard today - all spanning the decades. I even managed to just have a FB conversation with a friend, who's 22, about all the new albums we're enjoying at the moment. He recommended the new Hilary Duff, me the new Giorgio Moroder album. He may be 74, but he's still making music, today!
Maybe basing your discovery on just the playlists of Spotify listeners may be the problem. I know many "older" people who just use Spotify to find older songs, songs from their childhood. I know a friend who downloads new music but has Spotify for their old songs cause they only had their favourite 80s songs on cassette or record. Or how about the 35 year old who loves their old school Backstreet Boys or Spice Girls, but their favourite artist is Taylor Swift? Not going to be hearing "Bad Blood" on Spotify, or any other Tay-Tay song. Or then there's those indy fans who still love Triple J for all the new music they play. Apparently this study only took pop into consideration, not upcoming alternative music from unsigned artists. So again, the study is flawed. And bad news Mums, apparently if you have kids you stop listening to new music even earlier - once again I call bullshit. My parents have always enjoyed listening to new music with me - whether it's from a CD/iPod or on music TV. When I was a teen my Dad was the biggest Roxette and M People fan because he heard me playing this music, and when I am home and put on Channel V, he will happily watch and enjoy new clips. And a few years back I made my Mum some CDs with tracks she had grown to love because they were songs she'd heard me play - these artists included Mary J Blige and The Waifs, my Mum loved The Waifs, and she turns 70 this year. Sorry Spotify, she doesn't may not have the internet at home, but she has heard every single song on Madonna's latest, "Rebel Heart" album and Taylor Swift's "1989".
So I thought before I published this blog I should it put it out there to my other "old" friends (sorry guys), on Facebook. I asked them if they only listen to older music or new music as well. While a few said they preferred older music, most said they liked both. Artists like Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran were mentioned, and really, a lot of their fans would be a little older. People don't stop listening to new music just because they get older, many still love the same genre they always have. I have ALWAYS loved pop. When I was very young it was Laura Branigan, then it was Whitney. Madonna changed my world. Then I loved Janet, Kylie, Katy, Gaga. Pretty much any pop diva. Today I still love new divas, give me Taylor and I'm happy. Love Sia, Ariana Grande, Ella Henderson. All new pop music. And you know what Spotify study? The day I stop appreciating new music is probably the day I die. And excuse me while I go back to my computer and play my iTunes library, cause it has more of the music I like than your limited Spotify collection does. Maybe I am an angry old man?
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