I’m fairly certain that I was born a half of a century too late. Throw me back fifty years to be born in 1946 and I think that I would’ve done just fine. My old soul manifests itself in the clothes that I like, my ignorance of certain forms of social media (namely Instagram and Twitter), the language that I take (Latin), my fondness for print books and materials, and the music that I listen to. This music is classified as “Oldies” and it ranges from the 1930s and 1940s Big Band style through the folk music of the early 1970s.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

This range of music, particularly the songs and artists from the '50s and '60s are very important to me because it shows what music once was, how different it used to be, and how much better is was back then. This past week, I was able to attend a show of Under the Streetlamp, which is a group of four men who sing songs from this era of Golden Oldies and bring them to modern audiences. While the crowd around me consisted of mostly baby boomers, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to some of my favorite songs performed by others who also enjoy the songs of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Beach Boys, Dion, Buddy Holly, The Drifters, and Sam Cooke.

Buddy Holly

The music of this post-war generation is where both modern Rock N’ Roll and pop music started. It’s important to remember that, without these artists, the popular music of today, no matter how terrible it now sounds, would not be possible. '50s and '60s rock reinvented music, which became wildly popular as the baby boomers hit their teenage years and continued into the British Invasion groups. These early rock artists sang more upbeat songs and had less editing since musicians were able to play their own instruments and sing, unlike the rap music of today, which requires a lot equipment and editing.

Under the Streetlamp brings this older music to new audiences who may not have heard it before, but whose parents or grandparents would have grown up listening to these songs on the radio. It’s important to look back and appreciate artists like Frankie Valli, Buddy Holly, Dion, The Beach Boys, and The Drifters and to learn how they have influenced the music scene. Not everyone has to like their songs, but knowing the roots of modern music and where it started is a nice way to appreciate all that music has become.

Under the Streetlamp