It’s a little unsettling how well Apple’s Dad Rock playlist seems to know me, a hopelessly unreformed Dad Rock Dad. I didn’t even know Dad Rock was a thing beyond the hurtful snark of young kids on the internet these days, but apparently it’s a legit genre.
I completely concur. I live and breathe a Dad Rock play list and I am loud and proud of it. My tastes are wide and varied but they are nearly always mainstream and I am fully OK with that. I reckon the most obscure I get is Tenpole Tudor from the early 80s. I listen to a lot of late 60s stuff as well as 70s rock. And I say with pride that this has been passed down to my teenage offspring.
Interestingly, we had a 17th birthday party at ours 3 weeks ago with 80 kids and maybe 20 adults. The music started out with stuff I do not know, and TBH, do not like. WAP was played and I just cannot get it. However, as the night went on and kids became looser, the music went older - 60s, 70's, 80's and even a bit of country. Then the parents/adults joined in and it was totes awesome.
I've decided I want a Billy Joel tribute act to play 'I've loved these days" at my funeral. It has always made me feel better when things weren't going so well. Such exquisite FML energy.
You speak truth, JB. I'm older than you so I missed Khe Sanh by only a year or so rather than a generation, but the effect is the same.
And yes, it's weird how all of those 70s and 80s popular tunes have wormed their way into your brain without you knowing it, but they have, despite the super obscure Norwegian indie grrrl bands in your case, or the even more obscure Eastern European ritual dark ambient dreamscapes I try to work to.
But I have found another indicator of this Dad Rock phenomenon. Bruce Springsteen concerts.
I'm not a hardcore fan but I do consider myself a mid-level fan. I've been one since the days of The River album- I'm familiar with most the albums and can recognise most of the songs.
But go to a concert. As soon as the E-Streeters hit the stage Max's kickdrum and Gary's bass will hit you in the gut and remind you that you are expected to sing along, and no matter the setlist that night, a switch closes in your subconscious and you suddenly know all the words to the lyrics. I don't know how they do it, but they've done it to me every time.
I have this theory, incoherent and totally unthought through, that its simply not possible to escape the music of your youth. It’s when you have the most time for listening to music, and when your life is, I dunno, in it’s most subjectively dramatic phase. Or something. Causing those memories to fuse deeper and harder. As I said, incoherent and not well thought through.
I think your theory has legs; when Iron Maiden were on their greatest hits tour I went with my brother and sister in law, and despite not having actively listened to Maiden for at least 15 years I knew EVERY SINGLE WORD. Much to the shock and awe of my poor sister in law who saw a side of me she never imagined existed 😂
And why would you want to escape it? It's when you started buying records, and you probably still have them all and still play them all. I know I do. I didn't get to 28 and _stop_ buying records though: I still like a lot of contemporary music, but there's enough of it that you can afford to be choosy.
I do wonder whether the effect will be the same with today's "youth" generations. Starting with streaming must have two effects: none of them are locked into genre at all, and none of them will have the "sunk cost" baggage of a record collection of their own. All the young people that I know have incredibly wide musical taste. Much wider than anyone I knew at their age. Will be interesting.
I think you’re right about streaming. Buying an album was a big deal when I were a lad. They had real scarcity value, which meant you played them endlessly. I do wonder if Kids These Days won’t invest as heavily in their early musical choices because they simply don’t have to.
And what b-sides? I loved wondering what was on a b-side. The absolute joy of an unexpected song, often not on an album. Some good, some not, but that moment of anticipation when you turn over the single - priceless. And the time taken by the artist to record something else - much appreciated.
My biggest influence, that broadened my musical taste, was listening to student radio in my 40s. 95BFM in Auckland NZ ("other radio stations are shit" ~ world's best advertising strapline). Got into a habit of seeking out and appreciating new music, a habit I've still got 20 years later.
When I put my radio playlists together I often retreat back to my early teen years for a set or two. This is when most of us start listening to music, for want of a better word, seriously. I call it that warm and fuzzy comfort zone where everything was new and awesome and we can retreat their for respite from real life. Don’t get me wrong, I love other eras than early 80s, and get into new releases too, but songs from that era just awaken something, hit some spot in the brain. If I hear Planet Earth, Shout, Mad World, Glittering Prize, Hymn, Relax, Turning Japanese, or anything by Blondie, I can’t help but smile and feel happy.
what the actual whatting what ... like all self-respecting over 50s I like both kinds of music: hard house AND trance, but you've totally lost me there ... If it's not > 125 BPM it can't _possibly_ be Dad rock; it must be some kind of classical music
I completely concur. I live and breathe a Dad Rock play list and I am loud and proud of it. My tastes are wide and varied but they are nearly always mainstream and I am fully OK with that. I reckon the most obscure I get is Tenpole Tudor from the early 80s. I listen to a lot of late 60s stuff as well as 70s rock. And I say with pride that this has been passed down to my teenage offspring.
Interestingly, we had a 17th birthday party at ours 3 weeks ago with 80 kids and maybe 20 adults. The music started out with stuff I do not know, and TBH, do not like. WAP was played and I just cannot get it. However, as the night went on and kids became looser, the music went older - 60s, 70's, 80's and even a bit of country. Then the parents/adults joined in and it was totes awesome.
I recall a lot of kids parties defaulting to classic 70s disco hits. The kids in particular loved it.
I've decided I want a Billy Joel tribute act to play 'I've loved these days" at my funeral. It has always made me feel better when things weren't going so well. Such exquisite FML energy.
"We drown our doubts in dry champagne
And soothe our souls with fine cocaine
I don't know why I even care
We'll get so high and get nowhere
We'll have to change our jaded ways
But I've loved these days"
You speak truth, JB. I'm older than you so I missed Khe Sanh by only a year or so rather than a generation, but the effect is the same.
And yes, it's weird how all of those 70s and 80s popular tunes have wormed their way into your brain without you knowing it, but they have, despite the super obscure Norwegian indie grrrl bands in your case, or the even more obscure Eastern European ritual dark ambient dreamscapes I try to work to.
But I have found another indicator of this Dad Rock phenomenon. Bruce Springsteen concerts.
I'm not a hardcore fan but I do consider myself a mid-level fan. I've been one since the days of The River album- I'm familiar with most the albums and can recognise most of the songs.
But go to a concert. As soon as the E-Streeters hit the stage Max's kickdrum and Gary's bass will hit you in the gut and remind you that you are expected to sing along, and no matter the setlist that night, a switch closes in your subconscious and you suddenly know all the words to the lyrics. I don't know how they do it, but they've done it to me every time.
I have this theory, incoherent and totally unthought through, that its simply not possible to escape the music of your youth. It’s when you have the most time for listening to music, and when your life is, I dunno, in it’s most subjectively dramatic phase. Or something. Causing those memories to fuse deeper and harder. As I said, incoherent and not well thought through.
I think your theory has legs; when Iron Maiden were on their greatest hits tour I went with my brother and sister in law, and despite not having actively listened to Maiden for at least 15 years I knew EVERY SINGLE WORD. Much to the shock and awe of my poor sister in law who saw a side of me she never imagined existed 😂
Run to the hills....
And why would you want to escape it? It's when you started buying records, and you probably still have them all and still play them all. I know I do. I didn't get to 28 and _stop_ buying records though: I still like a lot of contemporary music, but there's enough of it that you can afford to be choosy.
I do wonder whether the effect will be the same with today's "youth" generations. Starting with streaming must have two effects: none of them are locked into genre at all, and none of them will have the "sunk cost" baggage of a record collection of their own. All the young people that I know have incredibly wide musical taste. Much wider than anyone I knew at their age. Will be interesting.
I think you’re right about streaming. Buying an album was a big deal when I were a lad. They had real scarcity value, which meant you played them endlessly. I do wonder if Kids These Days won’t invest as heavily in their early musical choices because they simply don’t have to.
And what b-sides? I loved wondering what was on a b-side. The absolute joy of an unexpected song, often not on an album. Some good, some not, but that moment of anticipation when you turn over the single - priceless. And the time taken by the artist to record something else - much appreciated.
My biggest influence, that broadened my musical taste, was listening to student radio in my 40s. 95BFM in Auckland NZ ("other radio stations are shit" ~ world's best advertising strapline). Got into a habit of seeking out and appreciating new music, a habit I've still got 20 years later.
When I put my radio playlists together I often retreat back to my early teen years for a set or two. This is when most of us start listening to music, for want of a better word, seriously. I call it that warm and fuzzy comfort zone where everything was new and awesome and we can retreat their for respite from real life. Don’t get me wrong, I love other eras than early 80s, and get into new releases too, but songs from that era just awaken something, hit some spot in the brain. If I hear Planet Earth, Shout, Mad World, Glittering Prize, Hymn, Relax, Turning Japanese, or anything by Blondie, I can’t help but smile and feel happy.
It's weird innit. Maybe it is just that you're more likely to listen to a song a thousand times if you hear it at an early age.
what the actual whatting what ... like all self-respecting over 50s I like both kinds of music: hard house AND trance, but you've totally lost me there ... If it's not > 125 BPM it can't _possibly_ be Dad rock; it must be some kind of classical music