by Japleen Kaur and Sitaara Malaikzai
From vinyl records to Spotify playlists, music has always been the soundtrack of teenage life. But how does the music of the older generation compare to what kids listen to today? We set out to ask our Logan staff what they listened to as teens and how music has changed over time.
One of the biggest differences in music today is how much easier it is to access. Before streaming, people had to wait for songs on the radio, record them onto cassette tapes, or buy CDs and vinyl from physical stores. “We made mixtapes by recording songs off the radio,” said Ms. Chakrabarti, Logan’s Librarian, who graduated in 1991. “Sometimes we bought albums just because of the cover art,” Principal Mr. Polk, Class of 1986, remembered. “If you wanted music, you had to go to the record store and save up to buy it.” Today, anyone with a phone can listen instantly. One of the US history teachers from Logan, Mr. Heinsohn, who graduated in 1973, explained, “Back then, you needed record labels and studios. Now anybody with $1,000 worth of equipment in their bedroom can put their music online.”
Some staff members also described how popular music sounded different in their time. In the 1970s, artists like The Beatles and Van Morrison dominated the airwaves. “A lot of it was positive, uplifting music that made you feel good,” said substitute teacher Ms. Prucha. By the 1980s, R&B, rock, and rap were rising. “I listened to David Bowie, Ice Cube, and Jody Watley,” Mr. Polk said. In the early 1990s, alternative music became more popular. “I loved The Cure, The Smiths, and R.E.M.,” Ms. Chakrabarti shared. Today, popular music blends genres.
Lyrics have shifted, too. Mr. Polk noted, “In the ’80s and early ’90s, rappers wrote about politics and what was happening in their communities. Public Enemy and Ice Cube were storytellers.” He added that modern lyrics can feel more trend-driven. Ms. Prucha agreed, saying, “I like music that has positive messages. I don’t enjoy songs with offensive language.” Ms. Chakrabarti added, “I don’t dislike any genre in general, but I stay away from music that has hateful or misogynistic lyrics.”
Despite those changes, many teachers still enjoy music from their youth while exploring new artists. “I still love Van Morrison and The Beatles, but I also listen to Teddy Swims now,” said Ms. Prucha. Ms. Chakrabarti explained, “I hear new music through my daughter and students. These days I listen to SZA, Peso Pluma, Bad Bunny, and Chappell Roan.” Mr. Polk shared, “I listen more to gospel and old R&B now, not so much new rap.”
Even with changes in technology, lyrics, and genres, teachers agreed that music still has the same emotional power. “Music alters your mood,” Ms. Prucha said. Mr. Heinson summed it up: “The energy of music carries across generations.” From vinyl records to streaming apps, every era has its own soundtrack, and music continues to reflect people’s lives, feelings, and memories, no matter the decade.
