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Is there still a generation gap?

slobake

slobake

resident ... something
Aug 6, 2011
1,904
25,886
Somewhere to the left of "Whoopie"
smowles01.wordpress.com
#1
I am old enough to remember when Chuck Berry and Elvis were kings. I have been blessed to live through all kinds of music.
When I was young I wanted nothing to do with the music my parents liked. Over they years I have grown to appreciate all kinds of music. Django, Charlie Christian, Cab Calloway, Spike Jones to name a few of the older guys.
It seems like a lot of the younger generation is still listening to things like Led Zepellin and the Beatles. I know not everyone but quite a few. Is that true or am I just out of touch?
If it is true I have a theory. I believe that the gap between baby boomers and our parents was much wider than it is today. We did everything we could to be the opposite of them. Our parents were mostly terrified of drugs, were very against pre-marital sex and knew nothing about eastern religion. They were mostly politically conservative . But they were busy when they were young trying to survive the depression and fight the second world war.
As a lot of us grew older we came to appreciate and respect our parents but not when we were young. "Don't trust anyone over 30" was a popular expression.
Is there that big of a gap today? I don't think there is.
What are your thoughts? If not , why not?
 
#4
On certain issues there's a massive generation gap. LGBT rights are heavily supported by the youth, notsomuch by the elderly. Religion is another example, people under thirty have much higher percentages of non affiliation, or outright lack of belief than older generations. It's not as uniform as other issues, but it is a trending one.
 
#5
Stewie26 said:
Mmmmm... about six months ago we were playing classic rock at a bar gig.
I overheard a young very attractive gal say to her friend that she wanted to leave as she could not take anymore "Geaser Rock." It made me feel old and realized how much things have changed.
Click to expand...

I was playing a gig just the other week in a bar that was inhabited by...ummm, a more mature crowd. The band was outside taking a break when a group of girls in the early 20s went into the bar. I mentioned that I must be getting old cause the girls reminded me of my daughter. About 10 minutes later, before the break was even over, they piled right out of the bar, no doubt to seek a more age appropriate place and read vampire books. :p
 
#6
In regard to music, I think younger folks today perhaps pay more attention to the music of the previous generation than occurred in the past. But I think it's due to heavy exposure, not to any conscious effort by the older generation.

It's a matter of demographics: There's just so damn many Boomers--and I'm technically one of them, although I was born in the final year of the boom. Younger generations are smaller in number, because birth rates have declined (well, in the US and Europe, at least). So Boomers' music--especially "classic rock" of the '60s and '70s--got played on more radio stations for a very long time because of ratings.

I still think there's a big generation gap, though. I see a lot of the typical grumpy-old-man reactions to current music from TBers my age.:hmm:
 
#7
slobake said:
I am old enough to remember when Chuck Berry and Elvis were kings. I have been blessed to live through all kinds of music.
When I was young I wanted nothing to do with the music my parents liked. Over they years I have grown to appreciate all kinds of music. Django, Charlie Christian, Cab Calloway, Spike Jones to name a few of the older guys.
It seems like a lot of the younger generation is still listening to things like Led Zepellin and the Beatles. I know not everyone but quite a few. Is that true or am I just out of touch?
If it is true I have a theory. I believe that the gap between baby boomers and our parents was much wider than it is today. We did everything we could to be the opposite of them. Our parents were mostly terrified of drugs, were very against pre-marital sex and knew nothing about eastern religion. They were mostly politically conservative . But they were busy when they were young trying to survive the depression and fight the second world war.
As a lot of us grew older we came to appreciate and respect our parents but not when we were young. "Don't trust anyone over 30" was a popular expression.
Is there that big of a gap today? I don't think there is.
What are your thoughts? If not , why not?
Click to expand...
my old man had 1 record i liked,and still do.....duke ellington, indigos....as far as the generational thing goes,it was totally different...our parents were parents,not pals....i think of today's generation as the really spoiled rotten brats raised by spoiled brats borne of the boomers,the first generation of spoiled brats....

but at least the boomers seemed to be looking for something that was better,rather than those idiotic hats,ultra low slung pants ,and a culture bought at the mall....
 
#9
i_got_a_mohawk said:
Have you listened to popular music today? And you'd wonder why many prefer older tunes? ;)

I think that the biggest driving force, particularly in the last 10-15 years, is the internet. It has allowed access to information on a scale that far outstrips anything before, that includes music.
Click to expand...

The older music I hear being played today is mostly the good stuff, although many including me would even disagee with that. There was a lot really stupid pablum they called music in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Most of that doesn't get played today. There was also stuff that I still think was really good music that doesn't get much play today.
 
#10
Jim Campbell said:
my old man had 1 record i liked,and still do.....duke ellington, indigos....as far as the generational thing goes,it was totally different...our parents were parents,not pals....i think of today's generation as the really spoiled rotten brats raised by spoiled brats borne of the boomers,the first generation of spoiled brats....

but at least the boomers seemed to be looking for something that was better,rather than those idiotic hats,ultra low slung pants ,and a culture bought at the mall....
Click to expand...

I can always count on you to post something hopelessly negative, whatever the subject. :p



I think there are still big generation gaps between Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials. Artists (like musicians for instance) or at least people who are artistically oriented seem to bridge those gaps much better than those who aren't really interested in the arts. I may be wrong, but that's how it seems to me.
 
#11
Well, music records became widespread after WWII and we still have those records today. You can hear Led Zeppelin and the Eagles in coffee shops even today.

It seems that WWII had some very significant cultural impact, after which things changed radically. Maybe the same thing happened after the civil war etc. It could also be that no such sudden, radical change in outlook can happen without significant events driving them.
 
#12
Bloodhammer said:
I can always count on you to post something hopelessly negative, whatever the subject. :p

I think there are still big generation gaps between Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials. Artists (like musicians for instance) or at least people who are artistically oriented seem to bridge those gaps much better than those who aren't really interested in the arts. I may be wrong, but that's how it seems to me.
Click to expand...

The members of my band range in ages from 16-years-old to 61-years-old. (I wonder who the old guy is :p) We have someone from almost each group you mentioned. A lot of different musical tastes but it all works out to create our own style. We are having a great time playing music together. :hyper:
 
#13
i_got_a_mohawk said:
Have you listened to popular music today? And you'd wonder why many prefer older tunes? ;)

I think that the biggest driving force, particularly in the last 10-15 years, is the internet. It has allowed access to information on a scale that far outstrips anything before, that includes music.
Click to expand...
slobake said:
The older music I hear being played today is mostly the good stuff, although many including me would even disagee with that. There was a lot really stupid pablum they called music in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Most of that doesn't get played today. There was also stuff that I still think was really good music that doesn't get much play today.
Click to expand...
This, especially the bolded part. The ol' wheat and chaff bit.;) I think the top 40 has been awfully weak for 35+ years. So I've very often had to look to the lower-sales strata to find most of the music I like, whether in the mid/late '70s or now.
 
#15
Bocete said:
Well, music records became widespread after WWII and we still have those records today. You can hear Led Zeppelin and the Eagles in coffee shops even today.

It seems that WWII had some very significant cultural impact, after which things changed radically. Maybe the same thing happened after the civil war etc. It could also be that no such sudden, radical change in outlook can happen without significant events driving them.
Click to expand...

I think that was the point where our economy geared up and we started mass producing everything.

I've also read that after that war, we switched to a consumer culture, which I suppose goes hand-in-glove with access to a lot of mass produced goods.
 
#16
Bloodhammer said:
I think that was the point where our economy geared up and we started mass producing everything.

I've also read that after that war, we switched to a consumer culture, which I suppose goes hand-in-glove with access to a lot of mass produced goods.
Click to expand...

I know one thing about my generation. When we say we are outta here , we are outta here. :hiding: :p:p:p

Couldn't resist that one. Does that make me a grumpy old man?
 
#17
Bloodhammer said:
I can always count on you to post something hopelessly negative, whatever the subject. :p



I think there are still big generation gaps between Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials. Artists (like musicians for instance) or at least people who are artistically oriented seem to bridge those gaps much better than those who aren't really interested in the arts. I may be wrong, but that's how it seems to me.
Click to expand...
it might seem different to you if you were around long enough to see it/live it first hand...artists may bridge gaps more these days but there was a time guys like lenny bruce went to jail..jazz guys in new york could have their "cabaret cards" revoked and thus not be able to work for the slightest things.......i can still recall when detectives here went to first run theaters and busted them for obscenity....

..those were real cops with real clubs busting real heads in chicago in 68...and the guys that endured then made your life easier by ensuring that you would never have to......if i appear negative,i have had a lot of time to acquire it....a lot of the freedoms you take for granted today had to be fought for .....
 
#18
Uh...

You say I'm a spoiled brat born of spoiled brats...

BUT it's because the older generations made it that way so my generation wouldn't have to deal with what they had to deal with...

BUT there's nothing good about that - which is why I'm a spoiled brat born of spoiled brats...

So it was all for nothing. We should all go through violent social upheaval so we become bitter and unhappy people because otherwise we're sheltered brats.

Am I understanding this right?
 
#20
Bloodhammer said:
Uh...

You say I'm a spoiled brat born of spoiled brats...

BUT it's because the older generations made it that way so my generation wouldn't have to deal with what they had to deal with...

BUT there's nothing good about that - which is why I'm a spoiled brat born of spoiled brats...

So it was all for nothing. We should all go through violent social upheaval so we become bitter and unhappy people because otherwise we're sheltered brats.

Am I understanding this right?
Click to expand...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LoF_a0-7xVQ&feature=kp
 

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