Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Generation!

Long-playing records and eight-track tapes have given way to MP3 digital downloads, yet music remains the melody of life for many boomers.

by Lawrence Herzog

Let’s get this out of the way right off the top: I was not at the 1969 Woodstock Festival (actually the Woodstock Music and Art Fair). Nor was I at John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 10-day “Give Peace a Chance” Bed-In back in 1970 Montreal. But I sure wish I had been.

I am similar to most other boomers, I suspect. Music has been the melody of my life — from the “British Invasion” through the heavy metal and glam rock of the ’70s, the disco craze, arena rock of the ’80s and the pop confections of the ’90s. These days, my mid-life ears favor more sophisticated listening and I shuffle from Sinatra to U2 to Mozart.

The recording industry may be largely oriented towards a younger market, yet our buying patterns prove that we boomers have a tune in our hearts, even as we age.

“While the recording industry struggles with piracy and sharing among younger consumers, there's at least one group with the income and inclination to pay for music,” says Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group. “Most baby boomers are still buying only CDs, but many have also begun to add digital tracks and subscriptions to their music-buying mix.”

STILL BUYING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

“Music is central to the lives of a majority of baby boomers; however, like anybody else, they can become complacent, given all the music that surrounds them,” said says Jim Donio, president of NARM (The National Association of Recording Merchandisers). “This report proves that there is an increased need and urgency for the music industry to improve the way it communicates, merchandises and markets to this age group.” NPD calculates that doing so could generate $700 million to $1 billion in potential incremental sales of both CDs and digital downloads from boomers.

Just like our generation, today’s young consumers are likely to view music as an expression of themselves. The digtal music files they play and swap and the favorite bands they proclaim on social networking sites like Facebook are about being cool and plugged in — same as it was for us.

THE ANSWER IS BLOWIN' IN THE WIND

Dozens of today’s up-and-coming singers are reaching back to pay tribute to some of the classic recording artists of the ’60s and ’70s. Cover tunes are a staple nowadays on many Top 40 radio stations. We might not be so hip anymore, but we still have clout. Just look at the number of “legacy” artists who toured last year: Tony Bennett, The Police, The Doobie Brothers, Chicago, The Temptations, The Four Tops and a dozen more. It was like being stuck in a time warp.

Progressive artists of the ’60s wrote and sang about the Vietnam war. Today’s socially aware musicians are tackling topics that include Iraq, terrorism and civil liberties under threat. Will their compositions become anthems and rallying cries of rebellion, in the way songs by Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Woody Guthrie, Neil Young, Bob Marley and John Lennon did 40 years ago?

After a long time passing, dissent is again finding a voice in modern music, especially in hip hop and rap. Protest music seeks its audience through video clips and MP3 downloads from fledgling artists who have, in the internet, a ready distribution medium. Good thing too, because Dylan and Young are getting long in the tooth. Time to pass the torch to younger voices.

Last December, boomers stood in line for hours when the classic rock band Led Zeppelin reunited for a single concert in London, England. It was another gloriously nostalgic example that, for many boomers, “the song remains the same” — even if the bands are a little stooped over by Father Time.

Lawrence Herzog grew up listening to the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin on vinyl and was the first person he knew to buy a CD player in 1983. He now plays a diverse selection of tunes on his iPod and prowls new and used CD stores, looking for rarities.