As Cher once sang in 1989, “If I could turn back time…”

It’s the complaint that nearly everyone has heard: music from several decades ago is better than the music of today. Music, like most entertainment, is a very subjective kind of media. People enjoy and detest many different genres of music based on their personal preferences. One of the biggest debates regarding music, especially between many generations, is whether music from decades such as the 70s and 80s is better than modern music. Often, older generations complain that today’s music is not as good as the music that was created and listened to by many in past decades. While it may be nostalgic, these complaints have merit. Vintage music is better than modern music because older music had more talented musical artists, iconic songs and meaningful lyrics. 

There is no doubt that the music industry has changed since the 70s and 80s, especially in regards to the musical artists that inhabit it. What was once a form of entertainment filled with talented singers and songwriters is now a mixing pot of the hard-working talented and the rich untalented. In today’s society, social media dominates pop culture. With the right amount of money, time and looks, people can become major influencers just by having a social media presence. As of late, these social media stars have tried to join the music industry including TikTok stars Dixie D’Amelio and Addison Rae and YouTube sensations Jake Paul and Dream with less than desirable results. Due to their devoted modern fan bases however, they are able to create popular yet, horrendous songs. Additionally, many modern musical “artists,” who grew through social media first, utilize the function of auto-tune to cover their lack of experience or poor training. Back in the 70s and 80s, there was no way to hide imperfections in singing, as auto-tune was not invented until 1997. Back then, artists had to be authentic with their singing in order to grow a fan base, as there was no social media nor auto-tune to help. With the lack of technology and pureness of singing, older popular singers are much more talented in comparison to some of the popular “singers” of today’s music. 

If you’ve ever been to a football game or any kind of public event, you’ll notice that many of the famous songs being played are not from the music of today, but from the 70s and 80s. This is because vintage music is so superb that it has transcended the limitations of the passage of time. Songs such as “Uptown Girl,” “Billie Jean” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” are so expertly crafted, they have never gone out of style. When the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie soundtrack was released, the songs were all from the 70s, and it hit number one on the Billboard Top 100, beating out modern music and showing that people still adore those 70s and 80s hits. 

As times have changed, music has shifted to reflect the more open and accepting modern society. Songs of today are much more inclined to discuss taboo topics than the music of the 70s and 80s, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing. For example, by comparing one of the top songs for the week of Sep. 13, “STAY” by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber, and one of the top songs from 40 years ago, “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes, anyone can see the shift in tone and emotion. In “STAY” Kid LAROI sings “I get drunk, wake up, I’m wasted still / I realize the time that I wasted here / I feel like you can’t feel the way I feel / Oh, I’ll be f**** up if you can’t be right here.” Compared to “Bette Davis Eyes” where Kim Carnes sings “Her hair is Harlow gold / Her lips a sweet surprise / Her hands are never cold / She’s got Bette Davis eyes,” and there is clearly a difference. Vintage songs had lyrics that were meaningful and deep, while many newer, recent songs are raunchy and explicit. It is hard to find a hit song that doesn’t drop a major expletive. In fact, when comparing the All Out 80s playlist and the Today’s Top Hits playlist on Spotify, none of the songs from the 80s are considered explicit, while half of the top 10 songs from today fall in that category. Vintage songs did not need to use a plethora of swear words to get their emotions across because their lyrics were complex and sincere. 

However, there are several music artists of today that write beautiful modern music. Singers and songwriters such as Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Doja Cat are popular because they are legitimately talented and their music connects with people. On the other hand, there is music from the 70s and 80s that is less than pleasurable to listen to and has simply been buried with time. Both time periods of music have positive and negative characteristics. In comparison, however, there is no doubt that good music from the 70s and 80s is much easier to find and listen to than music from today. 

If this seems unbelievable, head to Spotify or Apple Music and listen to some 70s and 80s music on your own; you’ll surely be “Hooked on a Feeling” with some great music.