Are there any older members of Fluther who prefer today's music to the music they grew up with?

I listen to a lot of eighties music, which I grew up with. A lot of current stuff I listen to sounds a lot like, and is influenced by the same artists. I think it’s a good question though. I wonder if it’s generational, for example, my dad was way into music growing up but I don’t think he listens to much of what he used to, as opposed to myself.

I do. Sometimes I’m OK with listening to classic rock, but for the most part it just sounds vapid nowadays.

I haven’t read the book, but This is Your Brain on Music talks about how music affects people much differently during developmental stages, especially adolescence than any other time. So we do sort of fuse ourselves emotionally to the music we grew up on. I find that’s true for me. I’m not stuck in the ‘80s thank god, but when something comes on that I spent my teen years listening to over and over, I do feel more of a connection to it than anything contemporary.

There was an excellent quote out of a Rolling Stone interview about how the hi-fi phenomenon is basically middle age guys trying to get music to sound like it did when they were a kid (which it never will). I think that’s pretty damn insightful.

Growing up (and I mean in high school), I always thought I’d be pretty “with it” as far as music was concerned. I was guy who drove all the way to the indie record shop and bought the obscure 7“s that only a couple of us knew about. And I figured that’s how it would be forever.

But things sorta changed, and I don’t even know where I stand now. A lot of that stuff was ridiculous but I do love it for nostalgic reasons. And I do keep up with a lot of music now, but the scope is far wider and the barrier for entry is much higher. It takes something much more special for me to really care about a band/artist now that I’m 30 than some random 7” by some guy who is best friends with this other singer who is in this other band that opened for this other band that I “love.”

Also, I find myself HEAVILY loving music that I secretly loved when I was younger (you know, popular and “not cool” stuff) right now. It’s easier to like stuff when you don’t care what people think.

I like a mix of all different times of music.

The music I listened to in HS was romantic mush – the Crooners (Frank, Mel, Tony, Dean). ), the big band sounds, and the groups like the Ames Brothers.

I hear that stuff rarely, but if I do, I am cast back to a darkened Gymnasium w. a mirrored ball spinning, me in a boned merry widow (don’t ask) and taffeta dress, pressed against Jimmy Bartlett and chaperones pressed against the walls. (And Revlon’s Fire and Ice lipstick.)

Also, I should say that things are much different now. When you had to go out of your way to seek something out and make it yours, you became more emotionally attached to it. And when changing a CD while driving or riding the train was more of a pain than listening to it all the way through (and carrying several CDs at once was even more annoying), you found yourself more in touch with the record as a whole, building deeper emotional connections with it.

These days, I just have to click buttons to find almost all the music I want to hear, and I RARELY listen to records in their entirety anymore. This is something I’d have never imagined. I’ve become a shuffle maniac, and usually skip songs before they’re done. And because of this, I feel very little attachment to any artists I’ve found in the past 10 years. Even bands that I’ve found recently and went nuts for have fizzled to nothing. So I’m not sure if this change is attitude is more a function of my age or the times we live in. Sure, I could force myself to listen to entire records and I could make sure I go out and buy these albums on some sort of physical media, but I don’t. Not sure whose fault that is.

Forgot to answer the original question. No, I don’t listen to today’s music.

though I love my oldies but goodies I find that I now listen to what I call country pop now and not so much what they are calling rock today

I’m not “older” but I love the 80’s music! I wish it was still as popular as it was in the 80’s because it’s hard to find the albums now!

The older you get, the more memories are triggered by old tracks. However, I still keep up with the latest electronic dance music as I love it more and more today thanks to the progression of technology.
Unfortunately, the older I get, the less time and spare cash I have to keep up with it.