When my dad was younger, he worked at his grandfather’s record shop and he became obsessed with music. It was to the point that he can now name random facts like who produced an album or what label an artist was signed to. Because of his obsession, I grew up listening to The Beatles, Chicago, and the Eagles. As a kid, I hated listening to it. I just wanted to listen to “Burnin’ Up” by the Jonas Brothers or any song from High School Musical. But as I got older, I came to respect and even seek out the music my dad would force me to listen to. It is very different from music you would hear today, but that is because music is continuously evolving. In some way or another, the music of then has evolved into the music you hear today. To truly love music, it is important to appreciate the music that came before. With that said, here are six artists from your parents’ generation that you should listen to.
1. Elton John
Elton John is an English singer-songwriter. He is considered to fall in the soft rock and pop rock genre. His first album was released in 1969 and he is now a world renowned best-selling musician. He is best known for his extravagant performance costumes. In 2018, he announced his retirement from touring and embarked on a three year farewell tour. In 2019, a biographical musical movie, titled Rocketman, was released based on his life.
Songs to listen to: “Tiny Dancer,” “Bennie and The Jets,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
2. Billy Joel
Billy Joel is an American singer-songwriter from the rock genre. He released his first album in 1971. He is nicknamed the “Piano Man” after his hit song and the title of his second studio album. He is currently still touring around the world.
Songs to listen to: “Piano Man,” “Vienna,” “Only the Good Die Young”
3. David Bowie
David Bowie was an English singer-songwriter that fell in the art rock and glam rock genre. He was known for changing the music landscape with his stagecraft and unique visual performance. He released his first album in 1967 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
Songs to listen to: “Changes,” “Rebel Rebel,” “Heroes”
4. Tom Petty
Tom Petty was an American singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, a rock band. They released their first album in 1976. Petty then went on to have a solo career in 1989 before regrouping with the Heartbreakers in 1991.
Songs to listen to: “I Won’t Back Down,” “American Girl,” “Don’t Do Me Like That”
5. Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra is an English rock band. It was formed by Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan. Their music is considered to be Beatlesque progressive rock. They sought to create melodic rock with classical overtones. In 1971, they released their first album. As of 2019, ELO is still releasing music and touring around the world.
Songs to listen to: “Livin’ Thing,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Evil Woman”
6. Queen
Queen is a British rock band that included Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, Brian May, and John Deacon. Their early music was considered to be art rock, but it evolved into pop rock. Their debut album was released in 1973 and they gained international success in 1975 with the album A Night at the Opera, which featured “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Currently, Brian May and Roger Taylor are touring as Queen with Adam Lambert.
Songs to listen to: “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “The Show Must Go On,” “Killer Queen”
I hope this list gave you a new artist to listen to or at the very least, you found some songs that you enjoyed trying out!