I’m “only” 37 years old, but I really have no connection anymore to the youth of America and what’s cool, what’s hip, and what’s now.
OK, I never really did, but work with me here.
As I scroll through my musical preferences de jour, most of which were produced at least a few decades ago, I sometimes pause and wonder “What are the top songs now?” “Would I recognize any of the artists, much less like the music?” “Will a year 2071 version of me look back on 2021’s tunes and think ‘Today’s music is awful. Where is the modern-day Cardi B?’”
I decided to look up ye new Billboard “Hot 100” and see what’s going on in modern music.
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande are in the number one spot with a tune called “Save Your Tears.”
He was the fellow that played at the Super Bowl a few months ago, so he must be something, right?
Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, the aforementioned Ms. B. I’ve heard these names before, I mustn’t be THAT out of touch.
Oh, wait, Polo G, Masked Wolf, Saweetie. Yeah, no idea who these particular creative people are.
I guess I’m not hip. The fact that I’m using the word “hip” probably means I’m not hip.
There’s probably a more youthful word for “hip” that I’m not allowed to know.
Looking for meaning
If we want to theorize that, in some small importance, the popular music of the time reflects its particular time, what do the current popular songs tell us about time minutes, hours, and day that we are currently passing through?
Facetiously speaking, apparently, spelling, doesn’t count anymore.
Seriously speaking, it appears the “kids” like love songs, the newest sounds in technology, dance-worthy beats, and lyrics and lyrical themes that their parents probably would not approve of.
Is this really anything new for any generation?
Looking for past meanings
I decided to pick out some past important events over the previous few decades to see if the popular music of the time reflected those times — these are times (and songs) we are probably more familiar with.
The following is a list of dates and events and the first Billboard number one song in the week following the particular date and event.
(I got these from Wikipedia so I’m trusting they’re mostly accurate.)
November 22, 1963 — Assassination of President John F. Kennedy: “I’m Leaving It Up to You” by Dale & Grace (Note: A couple of weeks later “Dominique” by The Singing Nun would be number one for four weeks.)
July 20, 1969 — Apollo 11 Moon Landing: “In the Year 2525” by Zager and Evans.
August 9, 1974 — President Nixon resigns during the height of the Watergate Scandal: “The Night Chicago Died” by Paper Lace.
November 9, 1989 — Fall of the Berlin Wall: “When I See You Smile” by Bad English (This came in the middle of some Milli Vanilli hits. Also, Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” was almost the end-of-the-year number one, which would have been perfect.)
September 11, 2001 — 9/11 Attacks: “I’m Real (Murder Remix)” by Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule. (Yikes, really? This was number one through September 22, and reappeared back at the top after a couple of weeks of chart-topping by Alicia Keys with “Fallin”.)
So we have a few revisionist observations here.
Futuristic themes during the moon landing, conflict during Watergate, and violent apathy during 9/11.
Not too far off, really.
What can we learn
Modern life can be reflected in its contemporary art.
A certain time period can be immortalized through its art.
It becomes easy to think Elvis was the embodiment of the 1950s, or the Beatles were everything about the 1960s, or Michael Jackson was the 1980s personified.
It wasn’t like that for everyone in those decades, but whichever came first, the music or the attitudes, they were enough to shape a good chunk of those times and the people who lived through them.
If the current world confuses you, take a few moments and listen to the music.
We can learn a few things about what the generation of consumers who affect the “record charts” think and feel about life, or what they want their lives to be.
Related to that, younger peeps could dust off an old top 10 and learn a little bit about the artistic reflections in their parents’ and grandparents’ time.
The chart — then and now — might not be 100 percent illustrative of life at that time, but it’s a good place to start.
Even if we don’t like what’s going on during the time we’re in, or the music that’s coming out of it, music trends may help us understand what people now are thinking and feeling.
The more we understand the time we live in, the more we can take that sad song and make it better