Blog: 80s and 90s Make a Comeback

80s and 90s music and Generation Z

As a person in Generation Z, I can attest to the fact that 80s and 90s music has made a comeback in my generation. The most popular concert at the moment may be Taylor Swift’s Eras concert, and the hottest gossip may be the rivalry between Hailey Beiber and Selena Gomez, but that does not mean that Madonna is considered anything less than queen of pop still to this day. Generation z certainly enjoys their rap and a particular crowd enjoys their hot country. However, us teenagers also love to get down to Mr. Brightside by The Killers in the club.

Dancing

One reason why retro music has regained its fame is because it is considered the ultimate dance music. One way to tell is that nowadays awkward teenagers can’t even seem to bust a real move at their school dances, but it only takes one look at Pretty in Pink to tell that dancing has gone downhill throughout the years. The teenage boys trying to dance to rappers such as Lil Wayne have a hard time matching Patrick Swayze’s energy during his epic dance stunt to (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. However, when that DJ plays that song, all of a sudden elbows start bopping and knees start popping. Clubs today may not

look quite as much like a dance hall when the DJs used turntables instead of Spotify, but the songs bring back those vibes and Generation Z seems to love it!

Fashion

Our parents’ favorite music has made a comeback along with their fashion trends. Next time you insult INXS or the Goo Goo Dolls, take a look around and I guarantee you will see some “mom jeans.” The resurgence of 80s and 90s style has been a direct reason why some members of Generation Z have shown more of an interest in Whitney Houston’s style than that of Kim Kardashian. From baggy ripped mom jeans to oversized blazers with shoulder pads, some Generation Z twenty-year-olds look more like they have Van Halen playing through their AirPods than Post Malone. With fashion that would be considered retro now becoming considered hip, there is so much room in popular culture for retro music to appear on the Billboard charts as well.

What We are Used to

However, perhaps the most notable reason why popular music from thirty or more years ago seems to be creeping into our modern playlists is the fact that it has always been there since the beginning. For some young people, 80s and 90s songs may be the most played songs in their “Spotify Wrapped” because the songs have been circulating in their “Liked Songs” since they purchased a Spotify subscription. This is because we all grew up listening to our parents’ favorite music they had downloaded on their IPod Shuffles and the music stuck with us. It is familiar for us and in the same way if it is our parents’ favorite music, 80s and 90s music often is some of our favorite music as well because we also grew up listening to it.

Conclusion

In many ways, Generation Z may listen to more 80s and 90s music than Millennials because they had their own IPod Shuffles to listen to Beyonce and Brittney Spears. However, for us Gen- Z kids, we had no other alternative but to listen to our parents’ 80s and 90s alternative rock, so we became drawn to it. Fashion, however, was brought to us in a different way. Normally, teenagers want to rebel and dress entirely opposite of how their parents did, convinced their parents’ style is outdated. Different from the norm, retro fashion has made a comeback because fashion circulates throughout decades and now it is time for the grunge and punk styles to return, and along with them, the music of Nirvana and Blondie! Moreover, as our parents’ trends make a resurgence, I’m sure they will be thrilled to share their love of mullets, Macgyver, and Michael Jackson with us!