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Post by Kapitan on Nov 19, 2019 23:13:04 GMT
Nearly all these examples date to the late 80s/early 90s. I think that once we get into the '00s, the music industry is such that we don't have as many massive hits. Media fragments, subcultures become more insular. (Might we have become somehow even more youth obsessed than we already were? I actually doubt that one.) That's my guess as to why.
Though something did occur to me: Jay-Z had a very big (platinum) album last year (though no broad hits, as far as I know), and his career began in the mid-90s.
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Post by B.E. on Nov 19, 2019 23:20:49 GMT
Though something did occur to me: Jay-Z had a very big (platinum) album last year (though no broad hits, as far as I know), and his career began in the mid-90s.
Weezer's cover of "Africa" was pretty big last year, but it still only hit #51 on the Hot 100. Just looked it up, apparently Mariah Carey had a song hit #15 in 2013 ("#Beautiful" feat. Miguel).
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Post by B.E. on Nov 20, 2019 0:00:44 GMT
Willie Nelson had two songs hit #5 in the early '80s: "Always On My Mind" and "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" w/Julio Iglesias.
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 20, 2019 0:12:51 GMT
Carlos Santana (with Rob Thomas) had a huge hit with "Smooth" in 1999-2000, 30 years after the first Santana album.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Nov 20, 2019 2:06:01 GMT
It is interesting to see all of the "later" hits, and we're using roughly 25 years after the artist/group BEGAN as the standard. What seems more relevant or impressive would be to go 25 years (or a long period of time) after their last HIT or No. 1 single. That makes The Beach Boys' 1988 No. 1 with "Kokomo" even more impressive (unless you want to recognize "Rock and Roll Music" which I would understand).
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 20, 2019 2:18:18 GMT
Guessing the aforementioned Santana one is similarly lengthy.
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Post by kds on Nov 20, 2019 13:23:02 GMT
Nearly all these examples date to the late 80s/early 90s. Maybe music fans in general were a little more open minded about listening to new music from artists that date back to the 50s and 60s? Back then, MTV and Top 40 radio formats didn't shun artists with a resume over a decade long.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Nov 20, 2019 13:42:27 GMT
Do you know what else is interesting about these "later in career" hits? For most of these artists, those songs at one time SEEMED like later in their career(s), but then ended up being mid-career hits. Because these great artists went on to record well into their 60's and 70's, we have to adjust what we refer to as "later". The Beach Boys, Paul Simon, Aerosmith et al were in their 40's when those "later" hits were recorded!
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Post by kds on Nov 20, 2019 13:44:40 GMT
Do you know what else is interesting about these "later in career" hits? For most of these artists, those songs at one time SEEMED like later in their career(s), but then ended up being mid-career hits. Because these great artists went on to record well into their 60's and 70's, we have to adjust what we refer to as "later". The Beach Boys, Paul Simon, Aerosmith et al were in their 40's when those "later" hits were recorded! Weird, huh? But, I honestly think the mainstream music landscape today has moved so far away from the classic era of rock music that it would be nearly impossible for any of these artists to actually have a legit hit the way they did in the 80s or 90s.
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 20, 2019 13:51:26 GMT
I think because rock and roll was generally considered a young person’s game and somewhat ephemeral, the idea of people playing it into “real” adulthood, their 40s and 50s, was bizarre.
But Baby Boomers didn’t want to give up their Dylan, their Simon, and even their harder rockers; they wanted to grow with them. Ditto the Xers but even more extremely (with metal and rap).
With fewer truly broad, universally accepted stars, I wonder how that will proceed in the future. My guess is it’ll be limited more toward country stars.
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Post by kds on Nov 20, 2019 13:54:40 GMT
You'll probably also have pop stars. Brittney Spears is still somewhat relevant over two decades later. Despite having one hit wonder practically written on her face in 2008, Katy Perry is still out there. Even Taylor Swift has been around a little while. I'd cite more examples, but this is getting depressing.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Nov 20, 2019 14:12:14 GMT
Back in the old days (the 1950's through 1980's) of "popular music" recording artists, you only had a few singers/artists like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and Tony Bennett who were still performing into their 60's and 70's. Most of them were basically night-club performers, though Sinatra also did arenas. And, as they got older and grayer and their voices (their instrument) started to fray a bit, their fans still loved and supported them, but at the same time affectionately thought "Wow, they're still performing at THAT age...". Age was big factor. If you listen to some of their concert performances, "age jokes" is a big part of their schtick with their on-stage banter.
Today, we could list dozens of rockers who are performing in their 70's, and many of them will undoubtedly be going into their 80's. It will be interesting to see how that changes how we/fans perceive this. I guess it will be more and more accepted, to the point where it is expected. We're there right now, we're talking about it right now!
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Post by kds on Nov 20, 2019 15:42:18 GMT
Back in the old days (the 1950's through 1980's) of "popular music" recording artists, you only had a few singers/artists like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and Tony Bennett who were still performing into their 60's and 70's. Most of them were basically night-club performers, though Sinatra also did arenas. And, as they got older and grayer and their voices (their instrument) started to fray a bit, their fans still loved and supported them, but at the same time affectionately thought "Wow, they're still performing at THAT age...". Age was big factor. If you listen to some of their concert performances, "age jokes" is a big part of their schtick with their on-stage banter.
Today, we could list dozens of rockers who are performing in their 70's, and many of them will undoubtedly be going into their 80's. It will be interesting to see how that changes how we/fans perceive this. I guess it will be more and more accepted, to the point where it is expected. We're there right now, we're talking about it right now! Speaking of Bing, his Little Drummer Boy with David Bowie definitely qualifies as a later era hit. It probably gets played almost as much as White Christmas, which came out over three decades prior, each November and December. It'll be interesting how things go in the next decade. Will Paul McCartney and the Stones have to shorten their respective sets? Will Mike Love start doing less Beach Boys shows each year? I saw King Diamond a week ago. He's 63, but he's had his share of health issues, and he only played 80 minutes. Plus, his vocal style is also quite tough to maintain over a long set too.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Nov 20, 2019 16:49:58 GMT
Back in the old days (the 1950's through 1980's) of "popular music" recording artists, you only had a few singers/artists like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and Tony Bennett who were still performing into their 60's and 70's. Most of them were basically night-club performers, though Sinatra also did arenas. And, as they got older and grayer and their voices (their instrument) started to fray a bit, their fans still loved and supported them, but at the same time affectionately thought "Wow, they're still performing at THAT age...". Age was big factor. If you listen to some of their concert performances, "age jokes" is a big part of their schtick with their on-stage banter.
Today, we could list dozens of rockers who are performing in their 70's, and many of them will undoubtedly be going into their 80's. It will be interesting to see how that changes how we/fans perceive this. I guess it will be more and more accepted, to the point where it is expected. We're there right now, we're talking about it right now! It'll be interesting how things go in the next decade. Will Paul McCartney and the Stones have to shorten their respective sets? Will Mike Love start doing less Beach Boys shows each year? These guys (and girls!) today are pioneers. Look at Mick Jagger. He has a heart procedure and in a few weeks is back on stage as gyrating as ever. Playing rock and roll. Other than some wrinkles he looks and sounds like, well, Mick Jagger. People joke about Mike Love performing until he drops but no one has EVER played as many shows as Mike is playing at age 78. Eric Clapton just hosted another Crossroads Guitar Festival. And then there's Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. The list goes on, but the point being is that this group of artists performing into their late 70's/80's are blazing a new trail. Good for them, good for us!
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Post by kds on Nov 20, 2019 16:59:26 GMT
It'll be interesting how things go in the next decade. Will Paul McCartney and the Stones have to shorten their respective sets? Will Mike Love start doing less Beach Boys shows each year? These guys (and girls!) today are pioneers. Look at Mick Jagger. He has a heart procedure and in a few weeks is back on stage as gyrating as ever. Playing rock and roll. Other than some wrinkles he looks and sounds like, well, Mick Jagger. People joke about Mike Love performing until he drops but no one has EVER played as many shows as Mike is playing at age 78. Eric Clapton just hosted another Crossroads Guitar Festival. And then there's Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. The list goes on, but the point being is that this group of artists performing into their late 70's/80's are blazing a new trail. Good for them, good for us! What baffles me to a certain degree is that these artists in their 60s, 70s, and 80s wouldn't be touring if there wasn't a demand. And I've been to enough shows to know that the fans who attend are not just people the same age as the artists on stage. So, there's a demand from the desired demo for real music. But, nobody's out there taking advantage of that.
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