Older musicians have been making a comeback in popular music in the past few years. Kim Gordon, best known as the bassist and lead vocalist for Sonic Youth, has recently released a new album titled “The Collective” a trap album currently ranked no.6 on the UK charts for independent albums. Though it has yet to be placed at all in the US and Canada, there is no doubt it will.

Despite the musical composition being a sharp departure from the raw punk of Sonic Youth, Gordon’s vocal style has not changed throughout her 43-year career, still keeping with her sultry, almost spoken-word serenades over heavy electronic beats reminiscent of 21 Savage (“redrum”) or Cardi B (“JEALOUSY”) that have become increasingly popular in the last decade. “The Collective” is an excellent example of an older artist adapting their style in a manner that appeals to the current audience while still being true to their classic staples. 

Kylie Minogue’s album “Tension” is another excellent example of an artist’s shift from what was popular when they first began their career to what is popular now in the eyes of the younger generation. From her new album, the single “Padam Padam” recently won a Grammy for Best Pop Dance Recording and has generated 44,100 videos and its own dance on TikTok. Like Kim Gordon’s “The Collective,” Minogue has flawlessly entered the world of electronic music and heavy autotune. The album is upbeat and simple both lyrically and compositionally while upholding a colorful tone that has attracted many young people.

Smokey Robinson has also attempted to incorporate modern tactics into his 2023 album playfully titled “Gasms.” Throughout the album there are influences of electronic instruments and beats that are well-blended behind Robinson’s voice. Unfortunately, the subject matter is what likely prevented this masterfully crafted album from maintaining a place with the hits. The topic of the light-hearted album, primarily sex, is where the disconnect between the 83-year-old rocker and the current population of young people becomes clear. 

While sexually-explicit songs are common today, they are often masked with electronic and upbeat music that often takes away from the listener fully grasping the lyrics. With how raw “Gasms” is, younger listeners might find Robinson’s bluntness discomforting because of how old he is. Would anyone want to listen to their grandparents’ private times? Despite how well-written and composed “Gasms” is, it spent only one week on Billboard’s “Hot 100” before quickly falling from the charts, but Robinson is not the only older star who is finding difficulty in successfully keeping up with the trends.

Legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon has also struggled with his new piece “Seven Psalms’’ gaining popularity. Seven songs are compiled into one singular 33-minute-long acoustic lament of Simon and his guitar. How Simon has decided to present his “Seven Psalms” is deterring for younger audiences for a couple reasons: a piece so long cannot be played on the radio, and although it is beautifully written in Simon’s classic poetic style with a beautiful accompaniment that showcases his talents, the religious basis of the so-called album as well as the choice in diction is not particularly timely like his pieces from 30, even 60 years ago during his time in Simon and Garfunkel that have held up as an introductory voice for young people’s ambitions. 

Paul Simon is definitely an incredible and insightful artist, but in order to maintain his impact, a more general and observational song would have a better chance of connecting with a modern audience. 

However, some older musicians have found a steady ground between modernity and their iconic sounds, embracing the times and themselves in authentic ways. Examples of this include Alice Cooper’s latest album titled “Road,” which has a very colorful theatrical sound true to Cooper’s enduring style with non-electronic produced instruments and hard rock. This very well could have been an album made in 1973 but involves a very modern quality in terms of production that tells the listeners that this is a piece for today. 

Cooper has never waned from his raw style and has effectively appealed to the current audience, placing no.1 on the UK charts and no.7 in the US for “Best Hard Rock Albums.” Similarly is the Rolling Stones’ 2023 album “Hackney Diamonds,” their first album of new original pieces since 2013’s single “Doom and Gloom.” While obviously experimenting with more Auto-tuned vocals, the Stones keep their blues-inspired classic rock composition and songs about self-struggle and love. 

Following the death of original drummer Charlie Watts, the band recruited Steve Jordan to fill in, giving the album a more modern feel without incorporating Watts’ jazz-inspired grooves that served as the base of many songs over the Stones’ 62-year career. The album also launched a line of merchandise that quickly appealed to younger audiences, with band-tees becoming all the rage once again.

It is no surprise that at the top of the charts in this category of musicians is the one and only Dolly Parton with her new album, “Rock Star.” Still keeping a country-inspired backing, Parton dominated the scene with the use of a hard-rock music model, surprising audiences of all ages in a delightfully shocking way. “Rock Star” includes some original songs, but also covers of classic hits like “Every Breath You Take” by Sting & the Police, Heart’s “Magic Man” and “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd among many others, breathing life into incredible songs for a younger demographic. Over the years, Parton has stood out through her advocacy, music, theme park, movies and now baking line, gathering the adoration of those much younger. Some have even deemed her “The Queen” for her lasting impact on multiple generations and musical triumphs. 

In 2022, she was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame after initially declining the nomination due to her background in country, not rock. According to an article by “The Tennessean,” upon accepting her induction, she excitedly addressed the star-studded room by declaring “I’m a rockstar now!” and that she would make a rock album with various rock stars to justify her induction.

Parton truly is the perfect example of an older star maintaining an audience in an industry geared towards modern trends through embracing their roots, introducing the power and value of ‘old’ music that has fallen out of popular rotation.

It is important for the young people of today to explore all types of music other than what is only played on the radio or what pops up in their Spotify recommendations.

It is the older musicians that paved the way for the artists of today and the endurance of their legacies and influence deserves to be recognized just as much as the newer ones. The appeal of older music might surprise you.

Image from Kim Gordon via YouTube