Your next listen

Turning back tim e

Claire Tseng

Jack Hansen

Your dad has just taken control of the radio. Already groaning, you prepare to suffer through several minutes of agony, waiting for the song to end. Yet, when the music does start to play, you find yourself... enjoying it? You can’t possibly be enjoying “old people” music, can you?

Despite the music being decades old, it can still appeal to people of any age.

On the surface, comparing music from completely different times seems nearly impossible. Modern instrumentation, lyrics, and other factors such as features are very different from several decades ago. Features, which became popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, are when another artist appears on a song.

However, even with these differences, many people will still be able to connect with older music. Already, things like the “Guardians of the Galaxy” soundtrack have introduced old music into a modern film, including songs like “Hooked on a Feeling” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

One of the things that could appeal to listeners is the prevalence of concept albums, which had a central theme or narration. While they still exist today, with albums such as Kendrick Lamar’s “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” they’re much less frequent.

Pink Floyd is an artist who exemplified the concept album, releasing rock albums such as “Dark Side of the Moon,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “The Wall.” Although “The Wall” is one of their most well-known albums, it stretches to an hour and twenty minutes, making it hard to listen to in one sitting. Given the narrative in the album, the songs lend themselves to be listened to all at once.

Another such concept album sits at the top of Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Album list: Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” The album is sung from the perspective of a returning Vietnam veteran. The last song of the album, “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler),” contains lyrics that echo the opening song, “What’s Going On.” Both songs discuss racial discrimination and anti-war feelings, making the end of the album loop right back to the beginning.

Although concept albums are less popular in modern music, they’re still a great choice. Artists like Pink Floyd and Marvin Gaye fuse great instrumentals with storytelling throughout the album, leading to incredible results. The distinct nature of concept albums make them worth listening to and broaden one’s music tastes.