Decades Music

Timeless tunes

Students enjoy music throughout the decades

Malak Samara samarmal000@hsestudents.org

1. Sophomore Lane Kemper’s art is inspired by the music they listen to. Photo used with permission of Lane Kemper.

Music allows for society to be connected to other cultures, new perspectives and di erent ideas. It even has the power to connect people today to people from the past through their common love. While the style and meaning behind it constantly evolves as society does, modern music still takes inspiration from past decades as far as 60 years ago. “It is just so important to learn from history and to see something amazing that someone else did and you want to learn from it,” sophomore Lane Kemper said. “We turned [past music] into our own. [We have] incorporated it into our lives because we see it, it’s cool and we want to be a part of that.” Music is one of the many ways to showcase constant history. Not only does it give a look into the problems of people in the past, but it gives listeners a sense of understanding and empathy because music can allow listeners to live vicariously through the lyrics. “Our generation [being] connected to the past through things like music o ers a unique perspective into what life was like years ago,” freshman Adriana Josephson said. Moreover, music from the past gives people a direct line to learning more about their culture. A common habit of musicians throughout the years was the creation of music that was relevant to their lives and represented a collective ideal during that time period. “I think it’s important to learn about other cultures from the past,” sophomore Mika Shaw said. “Not only is it important, it is just interesting to broaden what you know about your own culture. “ Many modern artists are inspired by and incorporate aspects from the past. is can include using speci c instruments from the past or taking the format of songs from back then and using it as a guide. For example, Harry Styles’ latest song, ‘As it Was,’ has an ‘80s inspired sound and music video. “ ere are a lot of remakes that people do of past songs,” Shaw said. “Like Melanie Martinez remade ‘Pity Party’ [which was originally sung in 1960 by Lesley Gore] in her own style; I loved it.” 1

Music in the ‘60s typically revolved around blues, rock and bubblegum pop genres. It was common for the lyrics to re ect love, freedom, unity and occasionally, psychedelia. For Josephson, ‘60s music had always been in the background of her life, but she became interested in the decade of music in 2018. Her father introduced ‘60s rock to her and they would listen to it together. “I love that [‘60s music] has brought me closer to my family and that we have bonded through it,” Josephson said. “I have a lot of fond memories with my family listening to ‘60s music and memories of how it has inspired me.” According to Psychology Today, the reason ‘60s music is still listened to today is because people consider the time period as a social and cultural revolution and connect the music to that, viewing music as documentation of the positive changes. “I think 60’s music just holds up very well,” Josephson said. “People like [‘60s music] because it really inspires them. Maybe part of the reason why people still listen to ‘60s music is the nostalgia it brings, even if you weren’t around for that decade.” ‘60s music re ected a lot of the world from the youths’ eyes since rock stemmed from their rebellious tendencies. For Josephson, the history behind that decade inspires her in a way that no other decade could. “I think what makes ‘60s music di erent than [others] is that it represented a changing world,” Josephson said. “If you listen to early ‘60s music versus late ‘60s music, it’s so entirely di erent.”

Music in both the ‘70s and ‘80s is known as the new wave era. is is because it was a pop oriented version of punk music that was considered to be more sophisticated. e era was characterized as being abstract and using subjective symbolism, as well as experimenting with new techniques. Like ‘60s music, new wave music tended to talk about real world problems from the time such as discomfort with the economy and social norms. Senior Michael Grudis sees the messages in ‘70s music as a way for him to self-re ect. “[ e songs I listen to] inspire me to not take myself too seriously and become more observant, open minded and critical of the world around me,” Grudis said. Not only did the new wave era teach Grudis life lessons and changed his world view, but it also in uenced the way he dresses. Grudis realized that his out ts re ected those of the artists he listens to. “X-Ray Spex’s lead singer Poly Styrene is just super cool with her voice, fashion and general attitude,” Grudis said. What makes ‘70s music so enjoyable for Grudis is the relatability it relays. Most of the writers during that era started out as average people who just liked creating music. Knowing that made Grudis feel more connected to those artists and the messages they would convey in their art. “To me, the ‘70s were a transitional period where a lot of techniques and diverse voices emerged and that makes it unique,” Grudis said.

e ‘90s was known to be a time of peace and prosperity, however, music like alternative rock and grunge-core became extremely popularized during this decade. A lot of the messages conveyed included the youth being tired of empty promises from the world around them. Shaw did not enjoy ‘90s music at rst, but as time went on, she grew to love the decade’s music. She credits most of that change to the fact that it brought her and her family closer which made the music more enjoyable. “My parents would play [‘90s music] because they loved that music,” Shaw said. “So then I would listen [and] get into it more. Now I love it.” Kemper sees ‘90s music as more than just good music that is enjoyable. ey usually nd great inspiration from the decade, to an extent that their art usually has incorporations of it. “[‘90s music] is what I listen to when I’m painting,” Kemper said. “It’s comfortable and it just helps me to feel good.” ‘90s music was able to set many precedents for how the music world would look later on. Kemper believes that due to in uential music in the ‘90s, music now has the opportunity to be able to develop the way it has. “You see how [‘90s music has] grown over time [with artists] like the Foo Fighters,” Kemper said. “ ey have adapted to what people want, but they also kept what they learned.” However, there are still distinct di erences between music in the ‘90s and more modern music. Shaw believes artists such as Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa are good artists, but they do not have the same connectivity as artists back then. “You’re not going to see a band of friends that came together in high school and decided to make music today,” Shaw said. “ at’s not the pop stars that a lot of people listen to today.”

However, there are still distinct di erences between music in the Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa are good artists, but they do not have stars that a lot of people listen to

Music in the 2000s mostly stayed as small, fragmented trends rather than a revolutionary emergence of new styles of music like past decades. e most known genre of the 2000s was emo, which is considered a subgenre of indie music. With that being said, mini-genres of music throughout the 2000s allowed for more variety and helped both artists and listeners nd music that was just right for them. “Music today is on a much wider spectrum than ever before with artists that make up brand new genres every day,” Grudis said. “ e lines between styles are a lot more blurred as inspirations blend through time.” Due to the broader variety of music, artists are able to express themselves better through their music. For example, emo was a style of punk that had more emotional lyrics. Not only does this make music more vulnerable, but it also makes it more relatable. “[Emo music] is relatable and real because it sends a message and it has a meaning,” Kemper said. “Music is something that is expressive and emotional and very meaningful for me. To see something that incorporates the ‘90s grunge, but also has a lot of emotion, that is very special to me.” Music has the ability to connect people together, even as far as 60 or more years ago. Whether that be through an appreciation for the lyrics, an interest in history or the fact that it can be inspirational, music throughout the decades impacts life today and will continue to a ect the society. “I think 2000s music has brought our generation together, and other decades of music did that as well,” Josephson said. “Music in general just brings people together. You can reminisce about songs you used to listen to or even discuss your favorite genre or songs with a person. I think it’s very cool.”