Kind of a bourgeois question but whatever. People do actually listen to these radio stations. They will actively seek out radio stations that really do just play the same five or ten rock hits from the seventies, maybe mixed with some modern garbage. Why do they do this? What is going through their minds on the conscious and unconscious levels?
This is a measurable thing. There have been studies that show folks think the best music was made during their late teens to early 30s and generally stop seeking out more stuff after that. But this only shows most people are fools.
I think hitting your thirties and having more responsibility (especially for people who have kids) leaves less time for finding new music.
At least I know there’s cool music being made, but I’m just too tired to spend time finding and listening to it lol
You also don’t have new music marketed at you nearly as aggressively
You are also no longer the target audience. Pop music is especially bad at this. It becomes instantly unrelatable once you’re in your 30s. Songs about partying, songs about tfw no bf/gf, songs about pursuing dreams, songs about being yourself. How about songs about lower back pain or songs about extended family fighting in probate court over some dead uncle’s McMansion?
I hit 30 and all of a sudden Spotify won’t play anything newer than 2017
I feel like that’s sort of what it is for me, I used to hang out with friends after school or my siblings and listen to music, we’d share stuff and get into new things that way. We aren’t able to all get together like that anymore with everyone’s responsibilities and living different places. And I don’t trust youtube or bloggers to tell me what’s good.
I used to go any old cheap show at this tiny venue when I was in my 20s. The venue totally didn’t survive 2020, so I can’t just blame getting old and busy lol
Internet radio stations can be quite good for discovering new music.
I discovered that, contrary to my one experience at a club I was there to listen to minimalist techno, math rock actually fucking slaps via some random station that kept playing it
I have a handful of solid university radio stations in my area, so that’s what I usually listen to in the car (the rare moments where I get to choose).
Remembering all the “huh, that was cool” stuff to check later is a separate problem that I’m ok with lmao
AFAIK it has something to do with establishing your in-group/clique and makes everything not part of that sound like complete ass. I think I’m in this category, because a lot of country and pop sounds like nails on chalkboard to me.
But I still listen to the new stuff being made in the genres I do like. There’s stuff I used to listen to that I can’t stand anymore (JFC what was in the water back in the 2000s that made anyone think numetal was a good idea?).
Nu metal was a CIA psyop to discredit rage against the machine.
I will not elaborate.
I wonder if the means of discovery has changed significantly too. Most of the stuff I discovered in my teens and 20s was via the radio, attending music festivals, or recommendations from people in my circle of friends at the time.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve listened to less and less radio. Listen to mostly Spotify out of convince. My circle has shrank and changes. I go to less music festivals as my time and money is dedicated elsewhere.
I can’t imagine I’m that unique in my experience.
Radio is also dying as a music discovery tool since most stations are owned by one company now