"Why Do Old People Hate New Music?"

[dhalbert]

I've also thought that there's a filtering effect. "The music of our youth" that we might remember fondly is the good music that's lasted. There was plenty of bad stuff on the radio, but it hasn't survived. I remember waiting a long time between the good songs on the radio. Nowadays there's plenty of low-quality stuff around too, and it won't last, but in the meantime, we do hear it.

[merlin666]

I would not consider much of the "new music" as music. It's more like random noize.

[frankmcr]

Even the random noise kidz listen to these days isn't good random noise!!!

Now if you'll excuse me I'm gonna put on my carpet slippers & bathrobe & go sit in my rocking chair by the fire, smoking my corncob pipe (cause I'm, you know, old) & listen to King Crimson's "Discipline" album again. Now that's random noise as it oughta be, yep yep . . . zzzzz

[Pitar]

There's a point where curiosity about something trails off. I had many of them at one time and now they're gone. Flying, surfing, SCUBA diving, rock climbing, sailing, etc., and music. I no longer have a listener's curiosity for music. It's true. I'm not that person anymore. I thoroughly enjoy creating it with my own two hands, and playing the stuff that influenced me when I was a listener, but I'm no longer a member of the greater musical audience. I can't do that anymore. Does that mean I'm locked into my past musical influences? Yes. Does that translate to hating newer music? No. I can't hate something I don't listen to, nor will I cobble up the curiosity I no longer have in pretense. I think that is the way for most people. For instance, though I thoroughly enjoy playing the guitar you will not find me actively looking to attend concerts played by others. I've moved beyond that part of music and internalized it for release through my own hands.

[Mbroady]

If old folks (not there yet but I’m getting close) are not into today’s music I would say they are not exposed to some of the best contemporary acts, bands, songwriters, players......

There is a world of great music out there that is not being played on the radio or on Pandora (I love being able to program my own stations on Pandora) .

You just have actively seek it out.

[fazool]

I must be an anomaly. I love most new music.

Of course it helps that my kids are in the late teens/early twenties. I even play one fourth of my songs are from within the decade.

My newest song is a fingerstyle version of Psycho by Post Malone who I really like.

So.....I think it's all simply attitude based - if you WANT to hate current music you can.

I hated the whole gansta rap thing.

I will say there might be something to the mere exposure argument too.

[robj144]

I honestly don't understand a lot of the posts here. If you listened to new music 50 years ago and liked it, but your parents didn't it, wouldn't you think your parents are somewhat close minded and wouldn't you do the opposite?

I mean if you like music, why would you shut yourself off at some point?

I always listen to new music and I'll always listen to new music.

[Steve DeRosa]

Quite frankly, there's plenty of music that was "new" when I was younger - most post-1967 rock, a bunch of late-60's/early-70's singer-songwriter stuff, the whole disco nightmare, the beginnings of metal and rap - that I couldn't stand then and like even less now, so it's by no means a function of age...

[merlin666]

I'm watching SNL which is likely my main exposure to a cross section of "new music". So today there was Taylor Swift and to me it sounded like background noise suitable for an elevator or supermarket.

[Silurian]

I try to be open minded about new music, but if I'm honest most of the "chart" dominated stuff doesn't do much for me.

Only last week a re-release of Abbey Road (to celebrate 50 years since the original release) went to number one in the UK charts. Setting a record for the longest period of time that an album has gone to number one on separate occasions.
I think it unlikely that fans of today's biggest acts will be buying their music fifty years from now.

[nitram]

Originally Posted by ManyMartinMan

I always loved my parents music. They bought me my first albums (Carol King, Jesus Christ Superstar, Elton John...). My parents encouraged me to play in bands, including practicing at our house, and thought it was great that I wanted to, and did become, a professional musician. Jump ahead 23 years and I loved my daughter's music. I guess it depends on where you come from in life. I believe - if you love music - you love music. All music.

I think I qualify as loving all kinds of music- BUT-I can't love rap.

[KevWind]

I like a fair amount of the new music , guess I am 69 years young

[Mandobart]

Nothing very insightful or unexpected in the original link. I think the main reason many prefer the music that they listened to in their teens and 20's is the association with our youth. Most of us had our most impactful friendships and experiences during those decades. How many of us have best friends now like we did when we were 14? You only get one first date, first concert, first time leaving home, first cigarette, first drink, etc. And we had a soundtrack to accompany those experiences.

Then we get older, and we celebrate more firsts, but these are the responsible firsts of adulthood (first real job, first marriage, first child, first home on your own) as opposed to those carefree firsts of earlier life. We don't have meaningful memories attached to the music that comes out once we're in our 30's.

Its also been established that our brains (especially males) don't fully develop until our mid to late 20's. It could be that the not-completely-developed brain responds to music differently than the developed brain.

In my personal experience, I'm really tired of most of the music that was popular when I was in my teens. I've heard enough Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC etc. to last the rest of my life. I don't care for most of the new commercial radio fare either. But there is a wealth of great new music being made now if you are willing to look just a little. My tastes now run to Americana/newgrass/stringband groups like Fruition, Elephant Revival, Milkdrive, Jeffrey Martin, Greensky Bluegrass and many more.

[Mr. Jelly]

I think the question is interesting in that it supposes a deficiency of ones preference. I've disliked allot of things over the coarse of my life. Even when I was a little child I hated some things. I still don't like beats. I wouldn't say I hate recent music because I don't hear that much of it. Though when I do hear more up to date music I can point out exactly what, how and why I have issues with it. Three things come to mind that I hear allot. Lack of artistry, the focus of the production often leading to being over produced and compression. Though the music is good their failings leave me cold. I feel no moral or ethical failing because I am not keeping up with what a twelve year old finds cool or hip or whatever new code word they use to describe the same. My interest in music leads me back to the roots over and over again. More like the seeds than roots actually.

[Nama Ensou]

There are a lot of reasons, among them laziness, loss of curiosity and then of course, inability to find the changes in the music valid to one's own views of what music is/should be.

Some listeners would find themselves covered by any one of these, and others by all three.

The worst to me is when a friend says "I'm sorry, I just hate it and I'm not interested in hearing any" without even giving their ears the chance to make the decision.

I don't learn a lot of new music, but when I hear something I like, I'll go after it and hearing requests when I'm playing is very central to getting me to actively seek out a new song. I don't always learn a song just because people have asked me to learn it, but every once in a while I'll be happily surprised when I listen to their request.