I know in the grand scheme of things, I am not old. At 33, I most likely have more years of life
ahead of me than behind me. However,
there are certain things that really make me feel old. These are usually things that either make me
nostalgic for a prior period of my life or bring into focus just how many years
have passed since something happened to me.
One of these triggers is hearing popular music from high school being
classified as “classic”.
One of the radio stations I enjoy is a classic rock
station. When I define classic rock in
my own head, I think of songs that would have already been classified as such
when I was growing up. So I think of Led
Zeppelin, The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, The Beatles, Queen, and so
on. They include all the things that my parents
listened to in the 70s and 80s, before I ever got into rock music myself. I am even OK with classifying bands that were
still fairly popular when I hit high school, but I recognize as having been
around since that earlier time period.
The best example I have of this is Aerosmith, who started producing
music in the 70s but were still putting out new music in the 90s. They were well played among people my
own age as well as my parents’ age group.
Lately though, I have started hearing more and more music
playing on the station that is from bands that were most present in the music
scene in the 90s. It started with hearing
Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
This song was early 90s, but I was able to rationalize it away. It was after all only one song, and it was by
a band that had put out a couple albums prior to the 90s Blood Sugar Sex Magik
that really exploded in popularity with my friends. Since then, I have heard many, many songs
that were put out during my school years by bands that are firmly placed in the
90s Alternative/Grunge Rock scene. It is
now common for me to hear songs by Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Nirvana,
among others. I can no longer
rationalize it away as a single song or band that has made its way onto the classic
rock station.
The final straw came just a few weeks ago though, when I
heard Tomorrow from Silverchair played on the station. Now, I have to reconcile myself to the fact
that my favorite band ever now qualifies as classic rock. Not only is this band firmly entrenched in
the 90s music scene, but the band members are my age. At least the other 90s bands are comprised of
people who are a bit older than me.
Those musicians were all adults when they were producing the music and
therefore old enough to be classic rock musicians. Silverchair put out their first album,
Frogstomp, in 1995 when the boys were 16.
I was 13. If they are old enough
to be classified as classic rock musicians, then I am old enough to be a
classic rock listener.
I know that the math of the situation works out
equally. If bands from the 70s and 80s
were classified as classic rock in the 90s when they had been around for
approximately 15-20 years, then it only makes sense that 90s rock would be
classified as classic rock now 15-20 years later. It just does not make it any easier to
swallow that the music I grew up with and love is now considered old by the
current youngsters rocking away in high school.
I just hope that I do not hear anything on the classic rock station any
time soon that I am certain came out once I was firmly in the adult era of my
life.
What about you? Does
music affect you this way? What makes
you feel old?
See you next week!
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