Why do oldies all sound the same?

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Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
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It's always struck me as being odd how all 50s and 60s music sounds more or less the same, it's almost always a love song with light guitar-ish/pop instrumentals to go with it. The bad dynamic range of the recording doesn't help any other.

In contrast, today we have all kinds of genres of music like death metal, new age, trance, rap in addition to pop. Why didn't this kind of variety exist in the 50s and 60s? Was everyone a conformist back then? Or is this just my limited perception, seeing how I didn't live in those decades?
 
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circlek

Senior member
Oct 11, 1999
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I don't think they had the technology that is available today. Besides there were different styles, I think you may be referring to ballad type music. I always liked the hard knocking rock and roll towards the end of the 50's and thru the 60's...still do.
 
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agnitrate

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2001
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They had different music back then too. You just don't hear the stuff that wasn't extremely popular.
The 'pop' and jazz of the time sounded very different.

I think it's funny you mention because I think all girl pop singers/boy bands/rappers sound the same today and I don't like any of it :)

Mmmm pointless nostalgia.

silver
 
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fr

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
6,408
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<< I think it's funny you mention because I think all girl pop singers/boy bands/rappers sound the same today and I don't like any of it :) >>

 
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Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
15,581
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<< I think it's funny you mention because I think all girl pop singers/boy bands/rappers sound the same today and I don't like any of it >>



hahaha, yeah they do. I used to listen to pop/top 40 type of stuff when I was in middle/early high school, but the older I grew, the more I realized, huh, everything sounds the same. . .
 
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OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
15,581
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<< They sound different. Listen to your local oldies station for a few hours. >>



I've listened to oldies for many more hours than I care for while I couldn't drive and listened to my parents choice of music.

I'm not saying that everything is a clone, but there doesn't seem to be the same variety and breadth of music back then as there seems to be today. . .
 
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need4spd

Golden Member
Dec 15, 2000
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I don't think you are really listening

Listen to some good stuff... not the crap they play on radio!
 
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pulse8

Lifer
May 3, 2000
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Are you serious??

It was an era in music. They all have the same sound as all music these days in each genre pretty much sound the same. It's how we can actually classify different styles of music. The only difference with the 50's and 60's is that they didn't have as many options as we have today. No rap and not as many different types of rock and other types of music.
 
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OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
15,581
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<< Oh brother! You never heard Eno, Lou Reed, Creme, Kinks, The Who, Bowie, Slade... God, so many of these tunes are being covered even today! >>



hahaha, ok, I'll remember to check those out.
 
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Xomon

Banned
Nov 8, 2001
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The only radio station I listen to in my town in a classic rock station, simply because every other radio station is completely horrible. But never once have they played anything by The Velvet Underground, which is such a good band IMHO. They do have a Grateful Dead hour, which kicks ass.
 
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BlueApple

Banned
Jul 5, 2001
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<<

<< They sound different. Listen to your local oldies station for a few hours. >>



I've listened to oldies for many more hours than I care for while I couldn't drive and listened to my parents choice of music.

I'm not saying that everything is a clone, but there doesn't seem to be the same variety and breadth of music back then as there seems to be today. . . >>



lol... I was (somewhat) joking in my post before. :D if you want to talk about a lot of clone music, listen to that 80's tunes! :p
 
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Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
15,581
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<< If you've been listening to Classic Rock stations like mine, then I understand where you're coming from. >>



Yeah that's probably what I'm thinking of.




<< I can't figure out why they keep playing the same songs over and over! It's so stupid! Theres 30 years of tunes to pick from, WTF!? >>



Hahaha, that's exactly what I've thought! I've always wondered, is this the best you guys can do from all those decades?
 
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ZAQ3211

Banned
Oct 26, 2001
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You young'uns!!! That was the START of Rock and Roll, baby. We paved the way!
My wife saw Elis on his first AND second tour of Texas - at a roller rink just like in the Buddy Holly movie.
She even had Little Richard's 45's on Specialty. Her daddy hated that "great person" stuff. She would have to turn the volume off and put her ear next to the needle to hear it. She loved that blues rock. If the guys stood there and snapped their fingers to the music, that was really racy.
The top 40, even the top 10 would include Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Nat King Cole, it was quite varied, really.
I still only listen to 50's and 60's, it's the best, before the heavy metal and the psychedelic.
Most people have a tendency to stay with the music that they listened to during their teen years. Keep that in mind.
Oh,yes, back then you could understand the singer was singing.
This yelling where you can't understand them - forget about it.
Oldies RULE!!!

ZAQ
 
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Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
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Same here. We have one other station that plays really oldies, which is charming, but not my cup-o-tea.

Don't tell anybody I said so, but I think some really neat music came out of the early '80s. I love Blondie, Talking heads (late '70s), and all the slick Culture Club type videos that came out then. Remember Crowded House, 10,000 Maniacs, Ah Ha, Men Without Hats, Midnight Oil...
 
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Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
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I think that's a nod to the fact that "black" artists like Fat's Domino, Chubby Checker, Little Richard and of course Chuck Berry get full credit for being the roots of rock. Many bigoted parents in the '50s weren't too fond of having their kids listen to or mimic these earliest rockers.
 
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Xomon

Banned
Nov 8, 2001
280
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<< I think that's a nod to the fact that "black" artists like Fat's Domino, Chubby Checker, Little Richard and of course Chuck Berry get full credit for being the roots of rock. Many bigoted parents in the '50s weren't too fond of having their kids listen to or mimic these earliest rockers. >>



Gotcha.
 
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ArmenK

Golden Member
Oct 16, 2000
1,600
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<<

<< Her daddy hated that "great person" stuff. >>



That was rude.. >>



thats history, if you can't accept it then it's your problem...
 
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