The words in oldies music lyrics can easily bring out in you what you’ve been wanting to say, but couldn’t find the words to say on your own. You can listen to any country song by Conway Twitty and find yourself bawling at the end because the words are so truthful and have so much meaning to at least one situation in your life. That is what oldies music lyrics does. It speaks about truth. There’s always a meaning in the song. I don’t think today’s artists have the inspiration of those that came before them. Think about it, when you imagine a classic song, what comes to mind? Probably not any song written in the past thirty years. The classic songs, especially the love ballads, are from back in the day. Even the fast rock and roll songs are the older ones, not anything you might hear on today’s top 40. They don’t even come close. Slow songs, fast songs, blues, country, pop, rock, and even the motown sound…there is no substitute for old school.

Most of the artists today don’t even have the talent to write original songs and lyrics. They spend so much time sampling other songs and then when they do use great music, they sample over it with rap songs. I know some of these old school song writers who have left this earth are somewhere saying, “why in the world did you give them permission to sample over my song.” Old school singers sang about life. The writers wrote about life and that’s not textbook. That’s called being creative, in other words, having talent.

The music, mostly from the 1950’s and 1960’s comprise the backbone of the traditional “classic gold” radio stations. Others may consider anything older than today as “oldies”, but true oldies format refers to the golden age of rock and roll, 50’s and 60’s. The classic golden oldies probably extend until about 1964, when the Beatles “invaded” the US, along with other members of the “British Invasion” such as The Kinks, and they changed music in this country forever.

Radio station formats are frequently based on a tried and true oldies format. The program managers work out in advance everything they will play, the traffic director schedules the day’s hours into segments of music, commercials and news. Radio jingles correspond with the station format, so you will hear oldies type jingles on an oldies radio station. No rap, just classic rock and roll.

Many businesses choose to play an oldies music station as background music in their store. Even some casinos play oldies, usually on “senior’s day”, as today’s seniors were in their high school heyday when the original music was popular on the radio and at dances. Advertisers who want to target an older audience, 50 and up, choose oldies stations for part of their advertising mix. But seniors are not the only persons listening to the oldies. If so, the format would go out of style.

Some oldies stations will do dances, have their disc jockeys go live to a dance hall. Oldies can be chosen as a theme for certain parties, or special events. The songs were shorter then, three minutes or so on average, and the radio stations created formats featuring high repetition of a few songs. All favorites, all the time could be their slogan back then; today’s it is the “blast from the past”.

Songs you will hear on an oldies music station include the era’s great singers, Elvis Presley, Danny and the Juniors, The Platters, Kingston Trio, Aretha Franklin, the Four Tops, Frankie Avalon, Fats Domino, Bill Haley and the Comets, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and more. All the hits, all the time!

Oldies radio can be found across the country, and on new broadcast outlets like Sirius Radio, which even features an “All Elvis” radio channel. Niche audiences have loyal followers and those who want to target those “oldies audiences” can do so easily by placing their commercials on those stations who play oldies music.

Some younger people say they enjoy listening to oldies, but in reality they are referring to music from the 1970’s, and 1980’s, like Marshall Tucker Band, ACDC, and Aerosmith. But if they visit Grandma’s house, they may be exposed to the real “oldies but goodies”.

The phrase, “oldies but goodies,” was first coined in 1957 by renowned deejay Art Laboe who, at around that time, used to get frequent requests from his listeners for songs from the early 1950s. A central figure in L.A. radio for over half a century, Laboe was the first deejay to play rock and roll on the West Coast and one of the first to play black and white artists on the same show. In 1959, he put together the first LP to feature (mostly older) songs by different artists. This immensely popular compilation album, entitled “Oldies But Goodies,” stayed on Billboard’s Top 100 LP’s chart for over three years and has, to date, spawned some 14 sequels. (Click here for a recent interview with Art Laboe.)

Soon after the release of Laboe’s first “Oldies But Goodies” album, the phrase, “oldies but goodies,” became commonplace and by around 1960, people were waxing nostalgic for 1950s doo-wop which was already starting to be classified as “oldies.” Little Caesar And The Romans’ 1961 hit, “Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me of You)” and its sequel, “Memories of Those Oldies But Goodies,” both pay homage to early doo-wop and doo-wop artists. This wave of nostalgia brought about a doo-wop revival in the early 1960s which was the first of many nostalgia movements in pop music since the term, “oldies,” was first applied to older pop music.

While “golden oldies” has remained a constant over the years, the larger body of pop music that we still call “oldies” today - which is made up of core golden oldies songs plus more modern material - is not fixed but has been gradually expanding forward in time to keep up with changing demographics. Nowadays, oldies music is generally considered to include all of the 1970s, even disco, and the same is expected to be true someday for the music of the 1980s, now often described as “retro.” Oldies music is also expanding in breadth as thousands of long-forgotten tunes from the 1950s and 1960s that never made the Top 40 in their day are being rediscovered and resurrected. Whether because of nostalgia, curiosity, or a genuine love for good music, the oldies format has maintained a huge following and will probably continue to do so for many years to come.

Amy Gold (c) Copyright 2005, allbutforgottenoldies.net

Amy Gold is the webmaster of http://www.allbutforgottenoldies.net/ Visit her website where you can search and browse thousands of song titles from 1960-1975 with links to audio clips. Her website also has interviews, RSS feeds, and many tips and resources of interest to oldies music collectors and other music hobbyists.

Many pass over the thought of themselves actually working in the industry due to the common mindset… “if one has talent they have a chance in music.” If one wants weekly (or bi-weekly) pay with benefits one seeks a normal job in the 9-5 workforce. This is simply false. Most people love music to some extent. Those that are paying attention to their future and careers know or at least wish they can be involved with something they love.

Many will admit they believe they don’t have what it takes to make it in the music industry and some will admit they don’t have a desire to be a musical artist. But many will also admit they need a job, and for longevity’s sake will admit they need a career they love. They love music and need career involvement in something they love.

Well… it just so happens that the music industry employs millions all around the world in positions that are not directly artist related or even behind the scenes artist related. The fact is there are over 120 different careers with lucrative futures in the music industry. Now multiply that by the thousands of record labels, advertising agencies, law firms, and so on all over the globe. These careers range from secretaries all the way up to C.E.O.’s of major music corporations. Do you like manual labor, advertising, practicing law, or preparing clothes? If so the music industry has something for you and so much more!

The music industry has involvement in almost every facet of our everyday lives. The music industry alone is responsible for offering some of the most exciting careers known to mankind. These careers are no harder to find than any other types of job as long as you’re willing to look. Yes, of course some jobs require training and hard work and some don’t. But that’s nothing someone seeking a career wouldn’t find even if they were applying for a job at the local telephone company or the like. But! How many people really LOVE their jobs at the telephone company? Or rather how many people love their telephone company job when they can be doing the same thing in the music industry while waving to one of their favorite music artists as they walk down the record label’s hallway for a 2:00 pm appointment with the record executives?

You don’t have to settle anymore with the thought of just getting by in your 9-5 job that you either don’t think much about or that you even hate. You should be searching and conquering a job/career in an arena you can identify with. It doesn’t have to be in music but it should be in you! If you do identify with the music industry, remember there aren’t only 25 music careers. There are as many as you need to be happy.
About the Author:

Dave Weston is a music industry entrepreneur, song writer and music artist affiliate. He is also the author of the Insider Music Careers Guide. You can learn more about music industry careers at http://www.music-career-guide.com

The MP3 music player utilizes media formatting technology to convert existing audio files to the MP3 format. The MP3 format consists of compressed audio files; audio that has been compressed into very small files that can fit into the MP3 music player. And it achieves this compression without sacrificing the audio’s sound quality. In some instances, depending on capacity of the particular MP3 music player, users can fit thousands of songs within its confines. Better still, because of its size the MP3 music player is a portable unit that can fit in handbags and coat pockets. Users have access to their favorite songs no matter where they are and what they are doing. And as their taste in music changes or expands they simply add additional songs to their MP3 music player collection.

The MP3 music player is able to capture audio files through the use of the computer. The most popular variation of the MP3 music player – the iPod – made linking to the computer simple and convenient for users. So much so that most MP3 music players that are sold today are done so because of their compatibility to Apple software – the company that manufacturers iPod.

On the computer, users can either upload their favorite CDs that can then be downloaded onto the MP3 music player; or they can purchase songs online and then download them to the unit. Apple’s iTunes is the most commonly used musical resource for purchasing and downloading songs.

But aside from the convenience in downloading, the MP3 music player is universally revered for its portability. It can be plugged into your vehicle and played through your car’s audio system, plugged into headphones and played while you exercise, or plugged into portable speakers and played throughout your home. In any case, the MP3 music player is the most comprehensive piece of equipment available on the market today to play music.

About the Author:

For easy to understand, in depth information about MP3 music player visit our ezGuide 2 MP3 Players.

The Dj at The Warehouse Frankie Knuckles mixed European synthpop music with mixed classic disco music, punk recordings, industrial music and the new wave music for people who were regulars there. Frequent clubbers referred this music as House Music and thus the name cam into being. But as mentioned earlier this is disputed. Musician Larry Heard claims that the term House Music comes from the fact that most of the Djs records the music at their house. Generally these Djs use drum machines and synthesizers to record the music at their house and hence the term House Music came in to being. Dj Chip E has another story to tell behind the popularity of the name House Music. Chip claims that the name came from the method of recording at a studio. However none of the claims are conclusive.

House music developed in houses, clubs and garages where mostly teenagers and local club goers used to assemble. The popularity of house music increased when the music was played in commercial radio. House music was much longer and conceptual then any other type of music and also this music was not meant for widespread commercial use. Basically house music combined the traditional elements of the musical instruments to give it a more humane touch. The house music scene is very popular worldwide even today as many musicians have made huge contributions towards this. Many new generation producers and Djs have emerged in the house music scene and their main purpose is to make House Music popular.

House Music is popular these days and this music can be seen to be catching up in Detroit, New York, Atlanta and some other cities in America where people of racially mixed origin reside. It is not only in USA that the music is catching up but also in several countries worldwide like Germany, Australia, Canada and Scandinavia. Recently the Mayor of Chicago proclaimed that 10th of August to be celebrated as house Unity Day in the city. The craze for House Music is one the rise and this is evident worldwide.

About the Author:

Kati Makat loves all kinds of music like rock, hip hop, country, pop, rap and reggae. She refers http://www.ez-tracks.com as one of her favorite sites for downloading music,free MP3 downloads,House Music , on

Many music lovers may harbor the notion that any music that is freely available will definitely not have a good sound quality and worse, the track may even be incomplete or just a promotional offer. It’s time to shed these misconceptions and log onto the virtual world where music is big business. Numerous sites offering free music spread across diverse genres will flood your senses. An elusive musical number from yesteryears may be hard to find in a music store. The internet offers the option of not only downloading the free music but also the lyrics and chords, in case you want to strum the guitar while crooning with your favorite artiste. Easily available in MP3 format, free music is all set to rock the music world.

A huge collection consisting of all songs by their favorite artiste is ‘a dream come true’ for any music enthusiast. Free music on the internet has made this a reality. You can easily surf the web for sites offering your kind of music and not only do you get every information on the artiste, the albums, other albums in this genre but you also have the option of exploring other genres. You can also download any number of songs according to the storage facility in your computer and the download speed of your internet connection. A speedy broadband connection helps you take the maximum advantage of the free music that is so easily available.

Free music that is available on the net is mostly uploaded by fellow music lovers from their cd. It promotes the concept of expanding the music lover’s community by sharing your collection with like-minded individuals. This trend is very positive for widening the circle of music lover’s across the world. As this free music is made available on the websites with the objective of sharing it with as many people as possible, a music enthusiast should have no guilt about downloading such music free of cost. However, the internet like any other place is prone to tricksters and frauds and it is always advisable to be sure about the website from where you are downloading your music to ensure good quality of the tracks. Any popular website though, will ensure that you get the best quality sound whenever you opt to download free music from their sites. So go ahead and add your favorite songs to your music collection, all thanks to free music.

About the Author:

Tom Janison is a music fanatic. He loves downloading music of all his favorite artists. http://www.ez-tracks.com is one of his favorites sites for Free Music,Glamorous by Fergie,Love Songs,Nickelback,Akon,free MP3 downloads and online music.

Old Is the New New

It seems as if retro is the “in thing” now. In recent years, disco music, scooters, and Michael Jordan’s first basketball sneakers on the market have made a comeback. The word “retro” comes from the French word “re’tro.” This word refers to the styles of the past, particularly the fashions of that time. While “retro” can mean “old-fashioned,” it usually takes on the more positive connotations of “classic” or “timeless.” For example, one could argue that retro fashion exists because some people think that butterfly collar shirts and bellbottom pants never went out of style! Likewise, the simplistic yet elegant modular designs of retro bar stools remind us that some things can stay cool for a long time, if not forever.

Long-term Memories

What makes things like retro bar stools special? The movie, “Pleasantville,” reminds us the “good old days” were not always good. There are even moments that we would rather forget, like that time we stepped onto a knee-deep puddle while walking to school, or when we were almost tempted to ask our Chemistry teacher to the prom dance, for lack of options.

By and large, however, we remember the good times. American author James Fennimore Cooper once wrote that our experiences form the knowledge that we remember the longest. We might forget what the second law of thermodynamics is, but we remember learning to ride a bike, our first kiss, and our child’s first step. Retro bar stools act as the same blast from the past. We remember the fresh, piping-hot meals we enjoyed at the local diner, or tipping the cup with our buddies at our favorite bar or pub.

Watercolored Memories

Why are certain experiences so memorable? Child psychologists explain that Barney on the children’s TV show is popular with kids for some basic reasons. Barney is big. Barney is purple. Moreover, Barney is a dinosaur. While we eventually grow out of children’s shows, we never forget such memorable characters. Likewise, we remember the colors and shapes of certain objects. We remember watching the enormous black-and-white figure of King Kong standing atop the Empire State Building. We remember tie-dyed shirts bursting with a rainbow of colors. And we remember our first car, which looked somewhat like a beetle. Similarly, the look of many retro bar stools stick to our minds like glue. Their styles can range from blocks to cones, and their colors from fire engine red to black and white or baby blue.

Retro things like retro bar stools prove that oldies can be goodies. In fact, retro bar stools function as furniture that seems to never go out-of-style.

bout the Author:

Looking for discount bar stools? Go retro! Visit our site today and browse through a variety of stools, from retro bar stools to kitchen bar stools.

In the late 1950’s, my father bought a television set, and we watched shows like Lucy; the Honeymooners; My Little Margie; Leave It To Beaver; Ozzie and Harriet; 77 Sunset Strip; Life of Riley; Flash Gordon; the Millionaire, Ed Sullivan; Gun Smoke, etc. Television was new to everyone all across the country. But, there was one television show, that was a MUST on our to-do list…and, that show was American Bandstand! The oldest American teen-ager, Dick Clark, hosted the show for many years, when it was broadcast (live) out of Philadelphia EVERYDAY! At that time, Dick Clark was probably in his mid-twenties.

Because of American Bandstand…it was television and rock and roll that teamed up, to spread the music of rock and roll throughout the country. As kids, we watched all the singers and groups that came out on American Bandstand to showcase their talents. What was amazing, is the fact, that many of these stars were only teen-agers or in their early twenties at the time…such as Smokey Robinson; Leslie Gore; Carol King; Buddy Holly; Paul Anka; Neal Sedaka; and many others. Many of the hits they sang…they wrote themselves! And, the hits they wrote back then, still thrive today! (2006) What a great time to grow up!

At the community center down the street, from where we lived, we attended dances (sock-hops) every week! Everyone showed up, including Long Tall Sally; Peggy Sue; Nadine and we would all “splish-splash the night away! There was only one “type” of dance that was popular going on at the time…”Band-standing,” which was similar to jitter-bugging! Everyone on American Bandstand did it, so we learned from watching the dancers on the show!

It was exciting to get off from school about three in the afternoon…race home…so we could see all the new stars on American Bandstand! One after another…all the biggies of rock and roll came on the show! Little Richard; Jerry Lee Lewis; Buddy Holly; Connie Francis; the Platters; the Drifters; Chuck Berry; the Coasters; Fats Domino; somebody named Elvis-somebody-or-another…and, the list was endless! There were, of course, no oldies at that time…as these singers, songs, songwriters and performers were the main ingredients of the beginning of the rock and roll era!

But, rock and roll was not liked by everyone at the time! As a matter of fact, it was down-right hated! Parents; school officials; the government; churches; and the “establishment,” frowned on rock and roll right from the beginning! “Rock and roll was corrupting our kids.”..was the cry! Certain songs were banned from the church, and the “establishment frowned on rock and roll. It was later in the mid-1960’s, when the drug culture came onto the scene, and it was then…when rock and roll was more accepted by the establishment!” After all, parents thought it was best for their kids to be having fun with music…than to get into the hazards of drugs!

If you were over 30 years old at that time, you were OLD…not trusted…and you were part of the “establishment!” You were…what Bill Cosby calls, “OLD PEOPLE!”

But, rock and roll was and IS here to stay! In the early 1960’s, Mo-Town came onto the scene, which included greats like Smokey Robinson; Marvin Gaye; the Supremes; the King of Soul; the Queen of Soul and the Everybody of Soul. I remember Little Stevie Wonder, when he was only ten years old, singing Fingertips (1&2). Singer/songwriters had block-busters at that time, and they were so young! How could so much talent exist throughout the 1960’s? The television shows “Shin Dig” and Solid Gold added to the popularity of rock and roll. Spreading the word about rock and roll as well, was the long time running…the Ed Sullivan Show, where many newcomers got their start, including Elvis and the Beatles!

It was 1964…and the British Invasion…I was a freshman at the University of New Mexico. Rock and roll continued to dominate the airwaves, but now, it was more accepted, and along with Elvis…it was the Beatles and the Rolling Stones who topped the charts. And, the Monkees, were one of the few groups that rivaled the Beatles in the late 1960’s in popularity!

As kids, we couldn’t afford (45 rpm records), but we had a friend down the street, whose parents bought their daughter records, and we went over there all the time to boogie to the latest hits! I learned to take wax off the dance floor at a young age! In the early 1960’s, dance partners split apart, and danced on their own! At that time, the dance was called the “slop,” and in 2006, the “slop” is still around, it’s just called by a different name!

American Music Awards: Throughout the 1960’s and 70’s, I loved to see the American Music Awards, because there were all the “biggies” who lead the way in rock and roll. Gladys Knight; Linda Ronstadt; John Denver; Barbara Strisand; Peter, Paul and Mary; The Jackson Five; Bobby Darin; the Carpenter’s; Three Dog Night; the Moody Blues; Fleetwood Mac; the Bee-Gees; Neil Diamond; CCR; Herman’s Hermits; the Dave Clark Five; and on and on and on! Even Bill Cosby had a hit song in the late 60’s, with “The LIttle Old Man!”!

Woodstock? A big orgy…if you like orgies! A huge slumber party of love and drugs…over 500,000 people in New York! It was a time of free-love; dope and alcohol. Like the song says…everybody gets stoned… There was one famous band member who said, “If you remember the 60’s…you wern’t there!” Well…to this dope head I say…I remember the 60’s because I WAS there!

And, the 1960’s were violent and turbulent times…not only because of Viet Nam, but because the 60’s were a time of CHANGE in America! The civil rights movement; women’s lib; equal rights for all. Civil disobedience; rebellion; cities burned…during, what was called at the time, “the long hot summers? The Congress didn’t get it…the United States of America was and is NOT a government of the Congress…or a government of the Republicans…or the government of the Democrats…it’s the government of the PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES…AND CITIES BURNED TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS TO THE DOPE HEADS IN CONGRESS…CITIES BURNED EVERY YEAR UNTIL CONGRESS GOT THE MESSAGE! After Watergate, in the early 1970’s, the DOPE HEADS in the Congress FINALLY got the MESSAGE…and now…OWNERSHIP OF AMERICA WAS RETURNED TO THE PEOPLE…WHERE IT WILL REMAIN FOREVER!

At that time, I don’t think there was a major city in America, where the National Guard was not called out because of rebellion! Here, in Albuquerque, New Mexico the National Guard was called out in 1971, after the three students at Kent State were killed by the National Guard. Fires were set at the University of New Mexico in protest of Viet Nam and the Kent State killings!

And, the music of the time reflected the mood of the country! Hundreds of protest songs were written and recorded, and many of those songs are still popular today. (2006) It was a time of, “do your own thing,” independent thinking…free and clear from the “establishment!” But, the music continued!

I would say that around 1970, rock and roll began to change. On the one side, was “heavy metal sound,” which I did not listen to! And, going in a different direction was something called, “disco!” Over the years, people put labels on music, and to this day in 2006, I have no idea what “disco” means! The only thing I can say about disco, is that me and my wife saw the movie, “Grease” in the 1970’s, and we loved the music! The movie itself was a dork…but the music was great!

Sadly…Rick Nelson; Bobby Darin; Eddy Rabbit; John Denver; Buddy Holly; Roy Orbison: Mama Cass Eliot; Jimi Hendrix; Van Morrison; Janice Joplin; Roger Miller and of course…the “KING”…all died so young!

One of the most ironic things that happened to me in the mid-1990’s when the Rolling Stones appeared in Albuquerque, N.M. (where I live) You remember, back when rock and roll first began, parents and the “establishment’ hated the music! It was 1995, and I was taking a computer course at a local community college, and the Stones were in town. The community college was located near the football stadium, where the Stones were to perform.

That night, I got out of class about 6:30 in the evening, before the Stones show, and, as I waited for a traffic light to change, I noticed 40 and 50 years old PARENTS taking their CHILDREN to a Stones concert! Can you imagine that? What a difference a generation makes! Back in the 1950’s/60’s parents hated rock and roll, and now those KIDS are taking their KIDS to a rock and roll concert…UNBELIEVABLE!

In the year 2006, the oldies dominate the music airwaves, at least where I live. And, the music will continue to dominate, because the music and lyrics are so great…they will never die! I never hear too much about new music much anymore! Oh…well…as the song says…rock and roll is here to stay…whether the songs be the oldies or the new songs coming along!

I’ve always admired musicians…those who can sing a song…write a song…and those who can play a musical instrument! As for me…the only instrument I can play…IS THE RADIO…and, I don’t even do that well at all!

During the many years of this musical explosion for me, I cannot forget one of my favorite all-time groups…the Chipmunks…Theodore, Simon…and Alvin……..A-L-V-I-N……… A—A—A—A—–L—L—L—L——-V—V—V—V——I—I—I—I——-N—N—N—N—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHERE MY ARTICLES HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED: (70+ websites/including links) Direct link: http://humordoctormd.homestead.com/articlespublished.html Website name: humordoctormd - Over 150 colorful pages; over 300 graphics http://humordoctormd.homestead.com email; humordoctormd@yahoo.com