I love music.  A few bars of a long-forgotten song can instantly transport me back in time to the moment I first heard it, evoking all kinds of memories”].  The first dance with someone special;  the song played over and over again just after a breakup; (perfect for having a good sob to),  or the one that I just HAVE to get up and dance to, despite having two left feet

Sugar sweet

The other night my husband and I were listening to an old 70’s CD, and I was musing over how music had changed so much over the years.  My elder sister was desperately in love with Donny Osmond, so my earliest memories were of the sweet, and innocent (might be a song title in there somewhere) songs that he and his family used to churn out prolifically throughout the 70’s.  In a similar vein there was David Cassidy (oh so handsome), David Essex (he’s still got it), and the Jacksons (always loved their music, not to mention their crazy outfits)!

Punk Rock

Then towards the end of the 70’s suddenly Punk Rock burst onto the scene with their spiky hairdos, safety pins, and bad language (You’ve got to love the Sex Pistols’ Friggin’ in the Riggin’).  What a complete turnaround!  Gone were the saccharine sweet lyrics, and the wholesome teenage heart-throb. Say hello to  lyrics written to offend, SHOUTED, rather than sang, and the bands as well as the fans, puking all over each other or fighting just for the sheer hell of it.

New Romantics

The 80s though were my favourite, a bit classier.  The New Romantic look had taken off and bands like ABC, Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet, were dominating the charts. God knows they probably gave a huge boost to the cosmetics industry as well, with their carefully applied, perfectly made-up faces, (It didn’t put me off Phil Oakey from Human League, though, and I still have a bit of a thing for him)!

Disco

Disco was big through the 70s and 80’s as well, with groups like the Bee Gees  (not blessed in the looks department, but still had a huge following),  Chic, and The Jacksons, (particularly Michael.  He really came into his own in the 80s, and their music guaranteed a full dance floor at the one and only nightclub we had in our town back then),

Fashion

Oh, yes, how I loved the music.  Of course, there were also the rather dubious ‘fashions’ that went along with the music, but the less said about those the better! I cringe anytime a photo crops up of me in that era, with my garish makeup, awful, clothes, and even worse hair.  I was blissfully unaware at the time, as everyone else looked just as bad, (or good as we thought then)!  Even my poor bald husband had spiky hair and highlights, (He does miss his hair, Bless him).

Teenage music now

My daughter despairs whenever she gets in my car, and Gilbert O’ Sullivan is singing a jaunty little number, or Kate Bush is wailing pitifully from the CD player.  She has not quite learned to appreciate good music yet, no matter how much I exposed her to it!

The stuff she likes to listen to (like Nicki Minaj,  Rihanna, Justin Bieber etc) involves people ‘twerking’ or some kind of bump and grind routine.  (The most risqué band I can remember were Imagination or the bloke from Cameo that used to wear that ‘codpiece’ over his trousers)!

She also likes Eminem (actually so do I), but it is hardly easy listening for a young, impressionable child.  I remember when Frankie Goes to Hollywood released ‘Relax’ and   Radio 1 banned it, sending it soaring to the number one spot!  Once I twigged what the lyrics were about, I was shocked they had managed to get away with it for so long.  (Even though the Sex Pistols were around before them,  the DJs were not allowed to play their music the radio).   Now though they just blank out or bleep the bad bits.  It is pretty obvious what is being blanked out, though.

Christmas Songs

Another thing, not many recent artists have managed to produce a decent Christmas song.  Who can compete with Slade, Wizzard, Elton John,  Wham, and even good old Cliff Richard ?(you got to hand it to him, he does try). When I was younger, we watched ‘Top of the Pops’ Christmas Day to see who had made the prestigious number one spot.  Now, though it’s always the winner of  X Factor or some such show that gets the Christmas number 1.  Not exactly a surprise.

Still, although I do enjoy some of the music that is around now, I am more than happy to live in my little musical time warp, as I merrily screech along to my favourite songs from yesteryear blaring out in my car.