Tuesday, August 03, 2010
This Is What We're Dancing To
My parents' generation has settled on one thing: Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles are their bands. No matter where they are and what is happening, they can enjoy a song from either of those bands. They might sing along to the chorus or dance a little.
My dad could be getting a root canal at the dentist's office, and a Fleetwood Mac song comes on the radio. He'd stop the dentist, "Hold on a minute, doc. Is that 'Second Hand News?' This is a good one!" He starts snapping his fingers to the beat, and the dentist goes back to work.
Why Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles? Despite the histories of sexual tension and drug use in those bands, their music is relatively inoffensive. I can't believe that the PMRC would ever get upset over songs like "Take It Easy" or "Rhiannon." The choruses are singable and memorable. The bands rock just hard enough not to be totally lame but not hard enough to make baby boomers want to turn the volume down. It's a subtle formula that few bands can master. I can't picture my parents singing along or tapping their feet to Led Zeppelin.
I wonder who my generation's go-to bands will be when we're middle aged. I can't think of anyone popular enough but not offensive or controversial who could fit the criteria. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg? Pearl Jam? Although both had long careers and were very popular, they seem a little too rough for mass generational acceptance. I really can't say who our bands will be. It's probably an unconscious decision that we all make together. But if it's Smash Mouth, Nickleback, or some synthesized pop act like Britney Spears or a boy band, then I'm going to be sitting alone in a room with my Radiohead and White Stripes albums while everyone else is wearing khakis, snapping their fingers, and drinking Corona Light.
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