Television Stranger Things (Netflix Original) | CONTAINS SPOILERS

nimic said:
How old are you?
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It came out 4 years before I was born and a good 12 years before I started listening to any sort of music, by which point it definitely wasn’t the music of that time any more than it is now. By the time I properly got in to music, in my early teens it couldn’t have been more different.

I’d say I discovered it and other 80s music around the age of 21.
 
VeevaVee said:
It came out 4 years before I was born and a good 12 years before I started listening to any sort of music, by which point it definitely wasn’t the music of that time any more than it is now. By the time I properly got in to music, in my early teens it couldn’t have been more different.

I’d say I discovered it and other 80s music around the age of 21.
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Think its a very simple answer, those in their teens and early 20s probably haven't heard it unless they have a keen interest in music from that era. So if anything its not that surprising. Pretty sure before the episode if you played the song to a 15yo or 20yo they'd probably have no clue about it or who Kate Bush is. Could probably do the same to an average 30yo and I'd be surprised if they knew the song.
 
VeevaVee said:
It came out 4 years before I was born and a good 12 years before I started listening to any sort of music, by which point it definitely wasn’t the music of that time any more than it is now. By the time I properly got in to music, in my early teens it couldn’t have been more different.

I’d say I discovered it and other 80s music around the age of 21.
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Sure, but people in their 30s listening to some 80s music is hardly strange. I've got plenty of 80s songs in my playlist too. That doesn't mean there's not a lot of potential growth out there from teenagers and people in their twenties from a song appearing on maybe the most watched TV show on atm. Most people aren't actively listening to Kate Bush these days, that's just the way it is unfortunately.
 
Actually, even though I'm in my 30s and listen to some 80s music, I'm also part of that "new found popularity". It's in my playlist now, but before I saw it in Stranger Things I only had two Kate Bush songs there. They're great songs, though.



 
nimic said:
Sure, but people in their 30s listening to some 80s music is hardly strange. I've got plenty of 80s songs in my playlist too. That doesn't mean there's not a lot of potential growth out there from teenagers and people in their twenties from a song appearing on maybe the most watched TV show on atm. Most people aren't actively listening to Kate Bush these days, that's just the way it is unfortunately.
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flameinthesun said:
Think its a very simple answer, those in their teens and early 20s probably haven't heard it unless they have a keen interest in music from that era. So if anything its not that surprising. Pretty sure before the episode if you played the song to a 15yo or 20yo they'd probably have no clue about it or who Kate Bush is. Could probably do the same to an average 30yo and I'd be surprised if they knew the song.
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I’m just surprised it had that impact based off when my generation likely became aware of music outside of said generation. My point was that I and others were around their age (assume we’re thinking 18-25 here) and already aware of it. There’s not much difference with the scenario, apart from a lack of music tv these days. Maybe that’s it.

Wonder if it’ll be the spark of something.
 
VeevaVee said:
I’m just surprised it had that impact based off when my generation likely became aware of music outside of said generation. My point was that I and others were their age (assume we’re thinking 18-25 here) when we became aware of it. There’s not much difference with the scenario, apart from a lack of music tv these days. Maybe that’s it.
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Yeah sure, just saying you became aware of music from the generation immediately preceding yours. You probably didn't listen to a lot of Frank Sinatra (though my cousin does listen to some Sinatra, weirdly).

Probably a good point about the lack of music TV. I bet you heard that song on MTV or VH1 or something.
 
VeevaVee said:
Max’s scene was great, but I’m a bit confused about why it’s sparked such interest in the song. It’s always been a banger. Did so many people really not know about it?
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It's probably because most people who watch it are young enough to have been born long after it came out, and Kate Bush has been out of the public eye for decades (with the exception of those comeback dates she did a few years back). I was 5 years old when the song first came out and I don't think I became aware of it till the late 90s when Placebo did a (not very good) cover version.
 
VeevaVee said:
I’m just surprised it had that impact based off when my generation likely became aware of music outside of said generation. My point was that I and others were around their age (assume we’re thinking 18-25 here) and already aware of it. There’s not much difference with the scenario, apart from a lack of music tv these days. Maybe that’s it.

Wonder if it’ll be the spark of something.
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I think you’re really overestimating the average age of people using TikTok in that way. There’s going to be an absolute tonne of kids who are under 18, likely born in the late 2000s who have also contributed to its rise in popularity. It’s unfair to expect kids that age to listen to music from almost 40 years ago.

I certainly didn’t when I was was that age. In fact, even though I was born in 89 I think 80s pop is mostly awful and wouldn’t dream of specifically searching it out on Spotify. I’m not even sure I would have got the name and artist if it was played for me a month ago.
 
decorativeed said:
It's probably because most people who watch it are young enough to have been born long after it came out, and Kate Bush has been out of the public eye for decades (with the exception of those comeback dates she did a few years back). I was 5 years old when the song first came out and I don't think I became aware of it till the late 90s when Placebo did a (not very good) cover version.
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Yeah, it’s far from unthinkable that there’s Stranger Things fans for who Kate Bush is before their parents were born. I should be amazed that there’s people doing the “how do they not know this!” but of course they are.

I personally listen to a lot of music from before I was born, but I am absolutely certain that I have major gaps in my knowledge from before I was born because it’s daft to think I don’t.
 
nimic said:
Actually, even though I'm in my 30s and listen to some 80s music, I'm also part of that "new found popularity". It's in my playlist now, but before I saw it in Stranger Things I only had two Kate Bush songs there. They're great songs, though.



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One more for your playlist. I was listening to it on repeat for about a month before the show was released, so trapped in an endless Running up that Hill playlist now.
 
phelans shorts said:
Yeah, it’s far from unthinkable that there’s Stranger Things fans for who Kate Bush is before their parents were born. I should be amazed that there’s people doing the “how do they not know this!” but of course they are.

I personally listen to a lot of music from before I was born, but I am absolutely certain that I have major gaps in my knowledge from before I was born because it’s daft to think I don’t.
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Yeah but the point is I’m not from that generation either. That I’m closer to it is largely irrelevant as we’d long moved past that era of music by the time I was going to school. It’s basically the same situation as they’re in, with the only difference being music tv popularity.
 
caid said:


One more for your playlist. I was listening to it on repeat for about a month before the show was released, so trapped in an endless Running up that Hill playlist now.
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Such a great song!
 
VeevaVee said:
Yeah but the point is I’m not from that generation either. That I’m closer to it is largely irrelevant as we’d long moved past that era of music by the time I was going to school. It’s basically the same situation as they’re in, with the only difference being music tv popularity.
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It’s far from irrelevant. We’re talking about an entire generation difference. Their parents probably aren’t really listening because they’re younger than/were very young when the song was released, so where would these (let’s say) 15 year olds be listening to Kate Bush?
 
VeevaVee said:
Of course is it. The song was as relevant when I was a teen as it is now. I had absolutely zero connection to 80s music
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Did your parents listen to 80s music? Did any older relatives listen to 80s music? Was there 80s music in any of the films or TV programs you were watching? There's a reason you started listening to 80s music, i. e. the music of the previous generation, and not Frank Sinatra, or The Beatles, or Little Richard.
 
Another underrated Kate Bush song is the one about how horny she is for a small child.

They should put that in Stranger Things. But today she’d probably be CANCELLED for it! So much for the tolerant left of Hollywood!
 
I was put onto the original back in 2003, when Infusion did a speaker-melting progressive house remix of it. Unfortunately, a proper release was kiboshed by KB.

 
phelans shorts said:
It’s far from irrelevant. We’re talking about an entire generation difference. Their parents probably aren’t really listening because they’re younger than/were very young when the song was released, so where would these (let’s say) 15 year olds be listening to Kate Bush?
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Where was I listening to it? My parents didn’t listen to anything. The generational difference is totally irrelevant when both generations are completely past that era. The only possible difference, as I’ve already said, is music tv.
nimic said:
Did your parents listen to 80s music? Did any older relatives listen to 80s music? Was there 80s music in any of the films or TV programs you were watching? There's a reason you started listening to 80s music, i. e. the music of the previous generation, and not Frank Sinatra, or The Beatles, or Little Richard.
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I would’ve obviously considered that if my parents were listening to it. They didn’t listen to any music when I was growing up. By the time I was watching movies and tv that wasn’t for kids we were into the 2000s. Even the 90s was very far removed from what the 80s was aside from the likes of vhs and cassettes, nevermind the 00s. Especially when it comes to the music.

I started hearing 80s music because I don’t live in a vacuum. There’s 80s student nights and clubs in most cities, even now.

The reason for people listening to 80s music now isn’t simply because it was the previous generation…it’s because it’s a massive era of change when it came to pop music, with very catchy synthy music that you don’t really get anymore.

It also has a fanastic sound, which modern producers often end up implementing characteristics of now because it’s so appealing to the human ear, rather than the over-perfect finished product that can be achieved these days.
 
All the reasons that you like 80s music, sure. In the 90s and 00s, people generally thought 80s music was bad. Now it's coming back more and more (see: Stranger Things). But there's no inherent good quality to 80s music that sets it apart from other music.
 
nimic said:
All the reasons that you like 80s music, sure. In the 90s and 00s, people generally thought 80s music was bad. Now it's coming back more and more (see: Stranger Things). But there's no inherent good quality to 80s music that sets it apart from other music.
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That’s hugely incorrect. There’s a reason 808s and 303s cost an absolute fortune now. Both iconic machines from the early 80s with a huge demand still now. There’s many other sought after synths and drum machines from the 80s too including the Jupiter 8 and Linndrum. You’ll have heard a tonne of these and are still hearing a tonne of them in music today. That’s alongside producers looking to recreate that imperfect sound from the 80s with processing.

Sampling also because a thing in the 80s.

All these were big advances in what was available and are what made the music that came soon after so likable compared to the likes of those you suggested such as Frank Sinatra. Plus, it shares more similarities with the music of today than arld Frank does, because of these very things and because they’re still in use - either the very things themselves, or some evolution of them.

It’s these similarities that are what people connect with, while also having much more charm than much of today’s music, at least to the people who weren’t there to experience it at the time.
 
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The general trend is that people prefer music from their own or slightly before their own generation, but that every generation has a more varied music taste than the one before.
 
nimic said:
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The general trend is that people prefer music from their own or slightly before their own generation, but that every generation has a more varied music taste than the one before.
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Preference is very different to awareness. And the only part of this that matters doesn’t prove your point at all. If anything it shows I’m right to have been surprised all along.
 
I hope no one was expecting Stranger Things discussion the last page or so, but at least we didn't have to use spoiler tags. Still two weeks to go, someone else come up with something to discuss until then.
 
The 80s is big now (or just before now, we’re creeping into the 90s tbf) because nostalgia cycles work in 30 year loops… roughly the time it takes for people who were teens/formative early adults in any given era to become taste making arbiters in adulthood (I.e. the people in charge of making, producing and commissioning shit) so, like, usually people in their 40s & 50s… Also a time when you start pining for your youth as you’re probably getting divorced and your kids are hitting the same age you were when you remember all the cozy lovely things you do now about your childhood.

You can like any particular eras aesthetic for any number of reasons, but the reason they become huge important cultural touchstones years later (like the 50s did in the 80s for example, with Happy Days, Back to the Future, Peggy Sue got Married, Greece, lots of remakes of 50s B Movies etc) is because of that… not because the music you personally like was actually the most amazing and wonderful decade of creative endeavour ever.

Every decade will get this treatment at some point. We’re about to have it with the 90s, which in turn had it with the 60s/early 70s (why guitar music became really big again)

EDIT: oh, you’ve stopped having that discussion. Well…Good. Ha! let that be a lesson to ya!
 
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Mockney said:
The 80s is big now (or just before now, we’re creeping into the 90s tbf) because nostalgia cycles work in 30 year loops… roughly the time it takes for people who were teens/formative early adults in any given era to become taste making arbiters in adulthood (I.e. the people in charge of making, producing and commissioning shit) so, like, usually people in their 40s & 50s… Also a time when you start pining for your youth as you’re probably getting divorced and your kids are hitting the same age you were when you remember all the cozy lovely things you do now about your childhood.

You can like any particular eras aesthetic for any number of reasons, but the reason they become huge important cultural touchstones years later (like the 50s did in the 80s for example, with Happy Days, Back to the Future, Peggy Sue got Married, Greece, lots of remakes of 50s B Movies etc) is because of that… not because the music you personally like was actually the most amazing and wonderful decade of creative endeavour ever.

Every decade will get this treatment at some point. We’re about to have it with the 90s, which in turn had it with the 60s/early 70s (why guitar music became really big again)

EDIT: oh, you’ve stopped having that discussion. Well…Good. Ha! let that be a lesson to ya!
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It’s not just nostalgia cycles either though. Although it no doubt plays a part.

The 80s defined music today. It was when electronic music really took off due to the advances available (some great mid to late 70s stuff too, although less mainstream). It’s what makes it more relatable to many than what came previous.

I’m not some 80s music super fan, but it’s also (objectively) much better (now, looking back) than the big girl/boy band pop music that came in the 90s. I think the majority of people would like to listen to some 80s pop classics over 90s and early 00s pop, largely because the music was better and more timeless in a sense (even if it is very obviously 80s).

It no doubt does help that the 80s is deemed a ‘cooler’ era which plays in to your cycles, but I’d be surprised if the 90s was ever celebrated as much.
 
VeevaVee said:
It’s not just nostalgia cycles either though. Although it no doubt plays a part.

The 80s defined music today. It was when electronic music really took off due to the advances available (some great mid to late 70s stuff too, although less mainstream). It’s what makes it more relatable to many than what came previous.

I’m not some 80s music super fan, but it’s also (objectively) much better (now, looking back) than the big girl/boy band pop music that came in the 90s. I think the majority of people would like to listen to some 80s pop classics over 90s and early 00s pop, largely because the music was better and more timeless in a sense (even if it is very obviously 80s).

It no doubt does help that the 80s is deemed a ‘cooler’ era which plays in to your cycles, but I’d be surprised if the 90s was ever celebrated as much.
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The fact that the 80s was when music became truly ubiquitous thanks to digital audio and CDs must play a part as well.
 
VeevaVee said:
I’m not some 80s music super fan, but it’s also (objectively) much better (now, looking back) than the big girl/boy band pop music that came in the 90s. I think the majority of people would like to listen to some 80s pop classics over 90s and early 00s pop, largely because the music was better and more timeless in a sense (even if it is very obviously 80s).
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I think this is a bizarrely subjective thing for anyone to say with such objective certainty. Also the 80s was considered quite a naff era for a good while until it came back in vogue. This seems more like your opinion than anything else. Sounds like my dad talking about the Dave Clark Five.

I think there’d be plenty of people who would chose the 60s, 70s or 90s over the 80s, and the 00s are too young to have had a proper nostalgic appraisal yet.
 
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VeevaVee said:
It’s not just nostalgia cycles either though. Although it no doubt plays a part.

The 80s defined music today. It was when electronic music really took off due to the advances available (some great mid to late 70s stuff too, although less mainstream). It’s what makes it more relatable to many than what came previous.

I’m not some 80s music super fan, but it’s also (objectively) much better (now, looking back) than the big girl/boy band pop music that came in the 90s. I think the majority of people would like to listen to some 80s pop classics over 90s and early 00s pop, largely because the music was better and more timeless in a sense (even if it is very obviously 80s).

It no doubt does help that the 80s is deemed a ‘cooler’ era which plays in to your cycles, but I’d be surprised if the 90s was ever celebrated as much.
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I really dont think 80's is seen as a particularly strong era of music by most. There was way, way too much cringy, terrible shit amongst the good. Who the hell thinks the 80's was cool? :lol:
Shiny tracksuits, mullets, fecking Wall Street was their idea of a cool movie. Theres individual cool artists in the decade but the mainstream was painfully cheesy and vacuous

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^ The 80's
 
VeevaVee said:
It’s not just nostalgia cycles either though. Although it no doubt plays a part.

The 80s defined music today. It was when electronic music really took off due to the advances available (some great mid to late 70s stuff too, although less mainstream). It’s what makes it more relatable to many than what came previous.

I’m not some 80s music super fan, but it’s also (objectively) much better (now, looking back) than the big girl/boy band pop music that came in the 90s. I think the majority of people would like to listen to some 80s pop classics over 90s and early 00s pop, largely because the music was better and more timeless in a sense (even if it is very obviously 80s).

It no doubt does help that the 80s is deemed a ‘cooler’ era which plays in to your cycles, but I’d be surprised if the 90s was ever celebrated as much.
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Then prepare to be very surprised, because it’s absolutely going to happen. Just as the 00’s will have their day, just as the 10’s and just as right now will.
 
phelans shorts said:
Then prepare to be very surprised, because it’s absolutely going to happen. Just as the 00’s will have their day, just as the 10’s and just as right now will.
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The 90's fashion has been going for years. It lasted a lot longer than the 80's thing really. Apparently were on the 00's now. I've heard Limp Bizkit mentioned way too many times recently. I've had the joy of listening to conversations about how crap low rise jeans are, how much everyone hates them and how the 00's suck. I'm pretty sure im a fashion guru via osmosis now.
 
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