Music from the 90's
Last week I finally gave into my temptations and bought myself an MP3 player with the extra cash that was burning a hole in my pocket. Its nothing too fancy, sandisk, fits about 100 songs, no video player or ipodish. The main reason I bought the one that I did was because, well, it was on sale, and is compatible with Rhaspody, which I already have service through. I was going through all of my music trying to decide what to put on it and I basically put my favorite songs in it(duh!). Then it hit me: the majority of the songs are from the mid-90's. I have the obvious DMB(early and present), Robert Randolf, some hip-hop, some 60-70's classics like CCR and Lynard Skynard, and the rest are REM, Pearl Jam, Live, Blues Traveler, Bush, ect... To get to the point of this post: Why is it that people tend to hold onto the songs/bands from their high school years as their favorites? Is it really better music? For me, that was the time when I was really into music and now I can't seem to enjoy any new bands like I did back then. I go through the CD section and nothing hits me, I can't remember the last time I bought a CD. Is it because that time is emotionally ridden with angst and love-lust that we connect with the musicians and their songs better? That is my theory. I can say that I am somewhat content right now and I don't need the songs to help me understand that I am not the only one who feels that way. But I do enjoy listening to the songs and remembering what it was like to be a teenager in the 90's. Wearing flannels and overalls, cargo jeans and baby doll dresses. I still have a pair of khaki cargo pants that I can't bring myself to get rid of. In the junior and senior years of HS I remember listening to Eminem and that mushrooms song and thinking I was so cool as I was holding a beer and smoking some pot in a room filled with strobe and black lights. Of course I also remember being stupid and drinking a beer and smoking pot in a room with strobe and black lights in my ultra conservative hometown, which the cops could bust at any moment. Maybe it's just nostalgia that makes us hold on to the one thing that will never change and still be socially acceptable to listen to, while putting on your favorite flannel shirt and oversized cargo pants isn't so socially acceptable.