Part of my morning ritual is listening to my music of choice from Alexa while getting ready for the day. It’s quick. It’s easy. And it’s exactly what I want. Sure, Amazon is tracking it all and selling my data, but that’s the trade-off, I guess. Some of you may remember hearing about a study from 2015 stating that most people stop listening to new music at age 33. I was deeply intrigued by this at the time and am reminded of it nearly every day when I ask Alexa to play music from Dwight Yoakam, Tom Petty or Jim Croce. The reasons for the loss of new music interest? According to the study, it appears to come down to two factors: First, we aren’t discovering new music because we aren’t seeking it out as much. Second, we are returning to the music that was popular when we were coming of age. Call it nostalgia. Call it getting old. Call it whatever you want, but I know what I like, and apparently most of you do, too. Interestingly, the study also claims that parents stop listening to new music earlier than those without children. One might argue that having kids in the house exposes a person to more popular music than they would otherwise listen to. That certainly happened to me as I listened to the music choices of my kids – whether I wanted to or not. And, yes, some of it stuck with me. Some. Of course, this “problem” is more of an issue with men. The study stated that men and women listen similarly in their teens, but after that, men’s mainstream music listening decreases much faster than it does for women. Regardless, music listeners older than age 33 seem to reach a point where their musical tastes “mature.” The authors of the study say this is why organizers of the Super Bowl — with a median viewer age of 44 — typically balance their halftime show with a variety of music. So remember this next time you choose some music to play, but don’t apologize. Regardless of what anyone else says, you know that music was better in your day. Have a terrific Tuesday, and, as always, thanks for reading!
Shane Goodman President and Publisher Big Green Umbrella Media shane@dmcityview.com 515-953-4822, ext. 30 |