I grew up a child of the 70s and 80s, and along with that, I grew up with the music of the times. In my book before Noah 3:21, I wrote a chapter on how each generation hated the next one's music, and vice versa. It is unavoidable...and also a little laughable on both sides.
Growing up in the 8-track era, I couldn't stand my dad's music. Otis redding. Sam and dave. The temptations. Aretha. All old school soul that strained through those paper speakers in his 1979 Mercury Cougar. I was thankful as hell when I got a Walkman, so I can listen to what I thought was great music.
Just like we have repeated over and over again, we never learn to appreciate the past, as well as give the present a chance.
There was a bug hubbub about NWA getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame. How dare these pioneers of gangsta rap get into those sacred grounds?
Rap isn't music, after all.
As someone who grew up in the era that rap started, I shake my head that even in music our bias (once again on both sides) automatically makes us convict something before hearing it out.
I had an old friend named Eliezer. He was Latin descent, and he was always a little different; it's why I liked the guy. Anywho, in his teens he became a massive metal head and a big fan of Metallica. He tried to turn me on to them, but I was all about hip hop (there is a difference btw it and rap; call it classic rock's equivalent), R&B and 80's pop (my cousin teased me about listening to what was classified as "white music"; I've mentioned before that I was guilty of the same ignorance).
Now I have selections from all of their albums.
You see, music ultimately is an expression of one's inner self, and if you happen to be among the few folks who make a long-term impact, you deserved to be recognized. KISS, while I am a fan, didn't exactly break new ground in music; they were/are a marketing ploy that worked in the 70's. Hendrix, Cream/Clapton, Aerosmith (before they stopped doing drugs, even thought I wouldn’t have heard their older stuff if I didn’t hear their 80’s stuff), The Stones...these guys are just a small sample of changing Rock for the better. Flip the script, RUN-D.M.C made hip hop available to the mainstream. Grandmaster Flash and Mellie Mel help start it. NWA brought a story about life in the hood that most of America couldn't deal with...and like Rock and Roll before it gave kids something to rebel to.
How in the hell did they not deserve to get into the Hall of Fame?
Ultimately, every generation has their own thing, and if you are a music fan, you can pick out certain things from each one that means something. "Hey Ya" was the last original record I've heard, but I like Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas, DNCE, Selena Gomez, Megan Trainer...I like their stuff. It makes me turn up the volume in the car just as loud as if “One” by Metallica came on during the shuffle on my iPhone.
Now I will admit this: the other day I said to my dear spouse Carla that I doubt that there will be records from this generation that anyone, including the kids, that anyone will consider a “classic.” But there will be songs where people share their first kiss or dance, or dance at their wedding, or even remember a loved one now gone from this era, as it has been for every era before or will be.
Isn’t that the point of music, from Mozart to Bieber? To forget the toilet bowl of poop that life can be sometimes? I know when I have to go into work to deal with the American people, that 25 minutes to and from work is one of the few times that I actually believe in my dreams; to escape the fact that I can’t do anything for my son because I have no damned money, or give my wife the time off to deal with her knees that need surgery.
Music is a gift; we may dislike something because it isn’t our taste, but we should respect those who create it.
We would be worse off than we already are if we didn’t have it.
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