Nostalgia for the 1970s and 80s is sweeping through today’s generation. Those that believe that they were born in the wrong era are daydreaming about a different time and place when bell-bottom jeans were the rage. Being groovy during the cultural revolution of the 1970s into the 80s meant dancing in a club with “black” lights that were illuminating neon day-glow décor. From the driving rock with a groovy baseline and screaming guitar solos to synth-pop beats it was a time when style moved at the speed of musical changes.
The nostalgic wave that is washing onto the shore of the digital-media generation includes daydreaming about strutting down the street with halter tops, and tight-fitting “bells” and “flares” anchored by footwear with up to 4-inch heels. The nostalgic love of the retro past may be overlooking how this generation rocks as hard.
The fashion, music and vibes of an era in the rear view mirror holds an allure that captures the hearts and mind of a new age. The 70s fashion of flared pants, silk shirts for males and bare midriffs for females transformed at the speed of light as the calendar turned into the 80s from the 70s. Just as the music switched gears from driving rock to harmonizing pre-disco so did the fashion looks.
One only needs to watch the hit movies and weekly TV shows of the day to see the dramatic change to the oversized blazers and bodysuits of the 80s. Today these iconic styles are cycling back into the limelight along with the nostalgic dreams of the social media instant generation.
Even the 90s, with their claw clips, cardigans, and combat boots, or the Y2K era’s crop tops and low-rise pants are featured as nostalgic favorites. These relics of the past are alive and grooving in today’s fashion scenes.
The current generation uses the trends of the past to create a cultural smorgasbord of style and fashion. The ability to instantly share, comment and amend what’s hot, what’s groovy, and what’s just old hat has never been easier than during this instant social media era. The generation of now uses Instagram, and Tik-Tok to showcase the styles that they have discovered with each other.
Rocking fashion and music harder than ever the now generation erases physical boundaries and joins communities of common interest. In the 1970s, 80s and 90s, everything was moving at the speed of light, but it was relative to the times. It took time for the fashions of the West Coast, London, Paris and the East Coast travel to across space and time. Today in social media communities shared tastes, styles and reimagined fashion mixes and matches are instant. The Instant generation can and does rock grunge one day, remake goth into a new vision of pastel the next and connect with their fashion tribe for feedback and modifications.
Fashion and music are equal opportunity influencers. Music tells the tale that this generation rocks hard. Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services have revolutionized the way this generation listens to their tunes. Every generation of recorded music is readily accessible. 70s rock, 80s disco, 90s grunge, even 20s jazz, and 30s blues has communities of like minded fans. Choosing from over a century of music takes seconds in the internet age. The barriers that once limited access to music from different eras have been shattered. Playlists that span decades and genres can be curated and shared with others throughout the world instantly.
The musical journey of eras, genres and formats is the story of the evolution of music. The early days of shared music began with crackling radio shows in the silence of night and progressed to hi-fidelity vinyl played on component stereo systems.
Music was sensory during the vinyl era. Beyond listening to the music, the experience included sliding a record out of its sleeve, placing it on the turntable, and gently setting the needle down. It was a ritualistic experience. The warm silence and crackle before a song began was an invitation to step into a dream. The artwork, liner notes, and the smell of a new record were all part of the music experience. It was a full sensory experience that went beyond just the auditory. Vinyl was, and still is to aficionados how music was meant to be enjoyed.
The digital age created a new paradigm for another generation in the evolutionary trail of the music journey. CDs in the 1980s began the shift towards a more compact and portable form of music. The 90s took the CD to the personal level with the rise of the Walkman and portable CD players. Music lovers began to take their tunes on the go, a luxury that was unimaginable with stereo systems.
The internet and music streaming services were a pivotal change. Free streaming platforms and social media sharing democratized music consumption. Listeners can access enormous libraries of songs from all eras and genres at the touch of a button. The barriers to music discovery have been demolished by the instant generation and their technologies.
Streaming services have altered the landscape for artists. Recording artists can now reach global audiences without the backing of major record labels. Independent artists and genres that might never have found a platform in the pre-digital age are now proliferating. The digital revolution allows this generation to rock on, rock hard and enjoy the nostalgia and the now simultaneously.
With the good and the advancement comes tradeoffs. The act of listening to music has become passive. Algorithms and playlists dictate listening habits. The artistry of album sequencing once an important part of the process for the recording artist is lost in the shuffle (pun intended). The anticipation of waiting for a new release is gone. Those who live in the age of instant gratification cannot enjoy the nostalgic experience of staying up all night online at the record store waiting for a new release. Unlike online communities the overnight line at record stores was a hands on in person encounter with like minded people.
Today online forums, social media, and blogs are where music lovers share their thoughts, discoveries, and critiques. The collective memory and knowledge of music are being preserved and expanded upon in real-time, different from the overnight record store line, but similar.
Embracing the present does not mean dismissing the past. It is a nostalgic remixing and reimagining the past and the present. The music of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s now have massive audience of multiple generations with instant access.
The self-proclaimed misfits of the modern age who feel they were born too late should understand that they were born in a time with access to the past and present. It means that you weren’t born in the wrong generation, you’re rocking hard in the right one. A generation where the entire history of music and fashion is here and now. The instant access to the past combined with the present is the recipe for creating the future.
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