Music That Will Never Die

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Music That Will Never Die
Posted on: 11.10.2013 by Olene Minyard
After posting on a recent thread about how EDM music is outdated after a matter of days or weeks due to the current technological age, it got me believeing. Someone replied stating that some songs never get outdated and will always feature.

I'm just curious as to what songs fit into that mould by people here?
Layne Koop
12.10.2013
This...

Originally Posted by UncleFunky
Louis Armstrong music from the 30's has survived, as have a few of his jazzy contemporaries. People also pay big dollar for blues from that period, but most wouldn't be interested.
And this...

Originally Posted by Sambo
There's plenty of songs from the 30's and 40's that are still around, especially thanks to games like Bioshock and Fallout that reminded everyone how good they are.
Perhaps I should have used the example "...I can't even name a single tune the Romans whistled while they marched to the corners of the empire and brought civilization (and plumbing) to Europe..."

I am by no means a Lindy Hop DJ....but I certainly do know that there is recorded music from the 1930's that survives to this day. The overwhelming majority of my collection of "early blues" comes from the post-WWII 1940's...there were HUGE advances in recording technology that make those recordings nicer to listen to.

I am glad to see that my larger point was not lost.

Originally Posted by UncleFunky
But you hit the nail on the head, very little has, so far, survived the passing of the generation that produced it. That said, recorded music doesn't have a long history, so Martha and the Vandellas might still get an audience jumping in a hundred years time.

Stuff will always be relevant if you DJ to the generation who were around when it was produced. But, I guess, it's harder to play older stuff to late teens and twenty somethings.
This. (Had I more time when I posted originally, I was going to make these exact points.)

The advent of "modern notation" means that an ENORMOUS amount of classical music survives to today. That is awesome. We may not have "period tuning" on modern symphonies...but we really don't need it (anymore than we need "period dentistry"...and for much the same reason).

I have a fair collection of recordings that pre-date the 1940's...and while I love listening to them....it puts me in a very different head space than more modern recordings. It is a bit like watching silent movies...those early recordings feel "campy" and "quaint" rather than like "inspired master pieces". I "know" that is unfair...but I can not listen without hearing the limitations of the recording tech. By the late 1940's the tech was good enough that I am able to "ignore" it and instead focus on the music.

It remains to be seen how much of this recorded music will stand the test of time. The "100 Best Ever" lists are (almost) exclusively focused on western music, American music (or at least music released in the American market), and 20th Century music. I am not clear if those view points will stand the test of time either...but they do dominate the discussions we have today.

By the 1950's the Jukebox allowed people to hear music on demand...and that means that a LOT of the songs that made it into the jukebox also made it in to the collective memory of that generation. Aside....in modern American life a "tradition" seems to be anything that happened to a Baby Boomer more than once before they were 20. The general idea is that in order for music to remain "fresh" a piece of music needs to recall an emotional reaction.

I was exposed to music from the 50's onward by my parents...they still listened to the music of their childhood & young adult hood when I was living at home. I play a lot of that same music for my kids. BUT...as time marches on, kids will "start" their music education based on music from the 60's, then 70's, then 80's...and the emotional imprints from earlier music will be lost.
Sonja Roybal
11.10.2013
Originally Posted by Cook
Northern soul.
*like*

I know a bunch of cats that quit their full time jobs to dj and sell Northern Soul records. It's a crazy scene.

I'm a drum and bass guy. I have no idea what happens with other genres. Dnb is full of tunes that are absolutely "timeless."
Desire Piedmont
11.10.2013
Originally Posted by soundinmotiondj
Music that will "never" die...???

Beethoven seems to have some staying power. Everything else seems a "flash in the pan." Heck, I can't even believe of the last time I heard something from the 1930's...and that was just 80 short years ago.
Louis Armstrong music from the 30's has survived, as have a few of his jazzy contemporaries. People also pay big dollar for blues from that period, but most wouldn't be interested.

But you hit the nail on the head, very little has, so far, survived the passing of the generation that produced it. That said, recorded music doesn't have a long history, so Martha and the Vandellas might still get an audience jumping in a hundred years time.

Stuff will always be relevant if you DJ to the generation who were around when it was produced. But, I guess, it's harder to play older stuff to late teens and twenty somethings.
Lakeesha Storman
13.10.2013
Well, if you're talking non DJ music, then yeah Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Chopin, Rachmaninov, etc. I love Mils Davis on the jazz side. Blues is just too tough for me personally to really get into without seeing it live.

From a rock tip, Zep, the Doors, the Eagles and dare I say Nirvana?

Public Enemy from a hip hop point of view.

I believe all these artists not only were freakishly talentd, but their music in many scenarios was so far ahead of its time that that's what makes it be able to stand the test of time.
Lina Rawie
12.10.2013
For music to be "timeless", I believe it has to fulfil one or both of two categories: -

1. The artist has to be at, or near, the top of their game in terms of real talent. Whether they get mainstream recognition or not, game recognises game and names live on through that.

2. The song/album has to make the listener feel real emotion. Not just temporary "right time, right place" emotion, because that only makes for a throwaway pop song that's forgotten inside a year.
Lannie Kutay
12.10.2013
just some Artists that will still be played on ipods 50 yrs from now....

Led Zeppelin
Beatles
Daft Punk
KC and the Sunshine Band
Most classic rock and Classic Disco, you cant go wrong.

As for house music, alot of it never dies, but people do forget about it, for a few years at a time then old stuff gets popular again.
Layne Koop
12.10.2013
This...

Originally Posted by UncleFunky
Louis Armstrong music from the 30's has survived, as have a few of his jazzy contemporaries. People also pay big dollar for blues from that period, but most wouldn't be interested.
And this...

Originally Posted by Sambo
There's plenty of songs from the 30's and 40's that are still around, especially thanks to games like Bioshock and Fallout that reminded everyone how good they are.
Perhaps I should have used the example "...I can't even name a single tune the Romans whistled while they marched to the corners of the empire and brought civilization (and plumbing) to Europe..."

I am by no means a Lindy Hop DJ....but I certainly do know that there is recorded music from the 1930's that survives to this day. The overwhelming majority of my collection of "early blues" comes from the post-WWII 1940's...there were HUGE advances in recording technology that make those recordings nicer to listen to.

I am glad to see that my larger point was not lost.

Originally Posted by UncleFunky
But you hit the nail on the head, very little has, so far, survived the passing of the generation that produced it. That said, recorded music doesn't have a long history, so Martha and the Vandellas might still get an audience jumping in a hundred years time.

Stuff will always be relevant if you DJ to the generation who were around when it was produced. But, I guess, it's harder to play older stuff to late teens and twenty somethings.
This. (Had I more time when I posted originally, I was going to make these exact points.)

The advent of "modern notation" means that an ENORMOUS amount of classical music survives to today. That is awesome. We may not have "period tuning" on modern symphonies...but we really don't need it (anymore than we need "period dentistry"...and for much the same reason).

I have a fair collection of recordings that pre-date the 1940's...and while I love listening to them....it puts me in a very different head space than more modern recordings. It is a bit like watching silent movies...those early recordings feel "campy" and "quaint" rather than like "inspired master pieces". I "know" that is unfair...but I can not listen without hearing the limitations of the recording tech. By the late 1940's the tech was good enough that I am able to "ignore" it and instead focus on the music.

It remains to be seen how much of this recorded music will stand the test of time. The "100 Best Ever" lists are (almost) exclusively focused on western music, American music (or at least music released in the American market), and 20th Century music. I am not clear if those view points will stand the test of time either...but they do dominate the discussions we have today.

By the 1950's the Jukebox allowed people to hear music on demand...and that means that a LOT of the songs that made it into the jukebox also made it in to the collective memory of that generation. Aside....in modern American life a "tradition" seems to be anything that happened to a Baby Boomer more than once before they were 20. The general idea is that in order for music to remain "fresh" a piece of music needs to recall an emotional reaction.

I was exposed to music from the 50's onward by my parents...they still listened to the music of their childhood & young adult hood when I was living at home. I play a lot of that same music for my kids. BUT...as time marches on, kids will "start" their music education based on music from the 60's, then 70's, then 80's...and the emotional imprints from earlier music will be lost.
Jetta Drenzek
12.10.2013
There's plenty of songs from the 30's and 40's that are still around, especially thanks to games like Bioshock and Fallout that reminded everyone how good they are.

Also Daft Punk's Discovery and Gorillaz's eponymous debut, also the Arctic Monkey's first album are all classics.
Sonja Roybal
11.10.2013
Originally Posted by Cook
Northern soul.
*like*

I know a bunch of cats that quit their full time jobs to dj and sell Northern Soul records. It's a crazy scene.

I'm a drum and bass guy. I have no idea what happens with other genres. Dnb is full of tunes that are absolutely "timeless."
Antonetta Wikel
11.10.2013
The Beatles seem to have some staying power and a special place in my Rubber Soul.
Desire Piedmont
11.10.2013
Originally Posted by soundinmotiondj
Music that will "never" die...???

Beethoven seems to have some staying power. Everything else seems a "flash in the pan." Heck, I can't even believe of the last time I heard something from the 1930's...and that was just 80 short years ago.
Louis Armstrong music from the 30's has survived, as have a few of his jazzy contemporaries. People also pay big dollar for blues from that period, but most wouldn't be interested.

But you hit the nail on the head, very little has, so far, survived the passing of the generation that produced it. That said, recorded music doesn't have a long history, so Martha and the Vandellas might still get an audience jumping in a hundred years time.

Stuff will always be relevant if you DJ to the generation who were around when it was produced. But, I guess, it's harder to play older stuff to late teens and twenty somethings.
Layne Koop
11.10.2013
Music that will "never" die...???

Beethoven seems to have some staying power. Everything else seems a "flash in the pan." Heck, I can't even believe of the last time I heard something from the 1930's...and that was just 80 short years ago.

That said, I have no idea what songs the Roman legions marched along to.
Hank Guidas
11.10.2013
I believe funk as a genre will live on for a long time. Still cooperating funk tunes into my house sets
Annalisa Shogren
11.10.2013
Jungle.
Celestine Porebski
11.10.2013
It's not really dependent on genre, imo. The good stuff will always prevail. That said: I do agree on the notion of classic Chicago house. One of the nicest parties I attended this year was an oldschool house evening at Panorama Bar. Cece Rogers singing live and people like Martin Landsky playing all those classic house tunes made for a brilliant evening to be remembered.
Lakeesha Storman
11.10.2013
what zimfella said. So much of that early, classic house has been used over and over again in samples or remixes, it will never go away. Mr Fingers, Frankie Knuckles, Farley Jackmaster Funk, Steve Silk Hurley, Liddell Townsell, Todd Terry, Phuture.

I'm really loving Dance by Earth People right now.
Love & Happiness by River Ocean featuring India:
Lauretta Ehrhorn
11.10.2013
All music sounds of a time and age. The difference is that quality will always remain quality and therefore will stand up in a set. There are many great tunes within genres such as disco, soul, italo, house, funk, hip hop, acid jazz etc that will be playable for ages.
I have records by Miguel Migs, FK, Kerri, Ferrer etc that have never left my box.
Beverlee Bedrin
11.10.2013
Originally Posted by amadeus
All of the stuff from the original house heads stuff from the likes of Kerri Chandler, Mike Huckay, Rick Wade, Theo Parrish, Moodymann, the list could go on and on.

Dance music that goes out of date after a few weeks aint worth buying, and if it goes out of date, was it really that good in the beginning? Probably not.

It's also due to the amount of stuff that comes out digitally, and is disposable, things move fast.

I buy vinyl, and everything gets played, no matter of how long ago it came out.

Music with sell by dates, just aint worth it.
+100
Hanna Ridenbaugh
11.10.2013
Bethann Olortegui
11.10.2013
rock n roll
Marcelina Hanaway
11.10.2013
Oscar G. - Dark Beat
Dione Haimes
11.10.2013
Northern soul.
Maryam Fevold
11.10.2013
I believe there will always be a place for French house. Of course you got the classic Daft Punk jams, but then stuff like Modjo, Cassius, Justice, etc. I'll always find a way to get some of that sound into my sets.
Lawana Mileto
11.10.2013
All of the stuff from the original house heads stuff from the likes of Kerri Chandler, Mike Huckay, Rick Wade, Theo Parrish, Moodymann, the list could go on and on.

Dance music that goes out of date after a few weeks aint worth buying, and if it goes out of date, was it really that good in the beginning? Probably not.

It's also due to the amount of stuff that comes out digitally, and is disposable, things move fast.

I buy vinyl, and everything gets played, no matter of how long ago it came out.

Music with sell by dates, just aint worth it.

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