MADISON MCCLELLAND
Special to The Leader
Seventy percent of the music market is represented by older music. The new music market is shrinking, as we speak. According to an article published in The Atlantic, music market growth is coming from older songs from older generations.
So why is it that more people are listening to throwback artists like The Beatles and Queen, rather than today’s chart toppers such as Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift?
“Why would you listen to music that’s only new when you can pick and choose from over 100 years of recorded music?” said Elmer Ploetz, a journalism professor at SUNY Fredonia.
My love for older music all began back when I was around ten years old. I was exposed to older music like The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, The Who and more through my parents and their friends. You can read more about how I got into The Beatles, my favorite band, in my latest blog post.
Brandon Milanowski, a junior childhood education major, said, “The only newer [music] I really listen to is Greta Van Fleet, but older is usually Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and Billy Joel.”
He went on to say his music taste hasn’t really changed over the years, and that his grandmother was the one who “got him on” to The Beatles.
Sarah Conticello, a senior education major, said she is currently obsessed with “‘90s pop” and “hits from the early 2000s” that she listened to frequently with her sister on roadtrips.
“I like how [‘90s and 2000s pop] is differently written from stuff now. So, I think it makes me think of past memories and makes me very nostalgic,” Conticello added.
In addition to her love for *NSYNC, Fall Out Boy and Amy Winehouse, she also gushed about her love for Dolly Parton.
According to a poll conducted on The Leader’s Instagram story, @leaderfredonia, 74% (34 people) do not regularly listen to the latest top tracks, while 26% (12 people) do. When asked if they prefer old school or current music, 73% (38 people) voted for old school music, while 27% (14 people) prefer current tracks.