Musical Retrograde

I lived through the music of the 70's and 80's, some I liked and some I didn't. I have a chunk of my collection is from that era but I like the new stuff to come out in the 2000's.

What fascinates me about the 20-something people that I know through school and otherwise is that they are deep into 70's and 80's music. For instance, I am at school last night a little early, sitting in the library, listening to my MP3 player, reading a little Cell Biology. I had just recently downloaded The Eagles, Best Of. Funny, I can still remember all of the words to "Take It To The Limit" and "Hotel California". One of my classmates, John, plops down at the table with me and picks up my player and screams.

"Oh man, The Eagles, I love them!"

John is 22, he was born in 1983. The Eagles heyday was mostly the mid to late 70's, they stopped churning out hits when he was in diapers. I'm thinking, OK, his parents must have played this and he remembers it from them.

He hands me his iPod, "Here look at my collection, maybe we can swap!"

Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Earth Wind and Fire, B52s, Gogo's, Foghat, wow. The only current music I saw was Coldplay and Interpol. I dont get it, my generation couldnt stand older music.

I'm curious, "So whats with the 70's and 80's fascination?"

John, "Come on, all the music from my generation is crap! You were lucky to be around back then when music was good, man, youre like history, walking!"

Ok, Im not sure I like that ... lol.

But come to think of it when I have gatherings at my place I tend to play a lot of 70's/80's music interspersed with new. Usually the 20-somethings know the old stuff better than the new. Interesting.

Has the earth entered a musical retrograde?