I am proud to say I have amassed a very impressive CD collection. I have over 200 CDs, and if it weren't for my tendency to sell them back to Record Theater for cash, I'd probably have close to 400.
While a healthy number of those CDs are from the past decade, the vast majority of them were released over 20 years ago. As much as I enjoy current music, my favorite music tends to come from the late '70s and early '80s. That's the stuff I play the most.
There's a good chance that your favorite artists now were inspired by musicians that were around 20 to 30 years ago. If you like Vampire Weekend, check out the Talking Heads and Paul Simon albums that inspired their music. If MGMT is your thing, check out some late '60s psychedelic rock. The influence of these artists will be readily apparent.
The same goes for all genres. Fans of hip-hop who like Kanye and Jay-Z would be wise to look to the past as well. Pick up an album by Public Enemy or the Beastie Boys; it will give you great perspective on how rap and hip-hop have evolved over the years. Current artists constantly sample songs from the past. Think, "Golddigger."
Music is disposable. In the iTunes era, we tend to chew artists up and spit them out. All you have to do to forget a song exists is delete it from your computer.
As a result, we tend to focus on the artists of the moment. The artist who has a hit song now could be yesterday's news the second no one downloads their second single, proving that pop music careers are very fragile.
That is why it's important to know your music history. Don't solely listen to new stuff. Get acquainted with the music of the past as well. If you don't, you'll miss out on some great tunes.
This is not to say that current music isn't valid as well. Indeed, the person who ignores the music of the present day is just as flawed as the person who ignores the music of the past.
People who swear by classic rock and punk would be wise to check out an album by The Gaslight Anthem or The Hold Steady, and people who swear by U2 should really give Arcade Fire a try. These rock acts are keeping the flame that was lit by their predecessors alive, and they are doing it expertly.
At the same time, listeners should check out artists who take their genres to new places. People who are stuck on old school hip-hop should listen to acts like M.I.A. and Kid Cudi. These are original acts that expand the scope of their genres. Their music should not be missed.
The key to being a good music listener is to have a solid knowledge of the past and the present. If you ignore any era of music because you have a prejudice toward that era, you are missing out on some good tunes.
Never forget: music has no expiration date.
E-mail: john.hugar@ubspectrum.com
