When talking about music and you hear the term, “The Classics,” what comes to mind?

For some, they think of Bob Dylan, Ted Nugent and Alice Cooper. Yet for others, “The Classics” might be The Beatles, Elvis and Frank Sinatra. Whoever comes to mind when you talk about what music is classic, I can guarantee everyone’s opinion is different.

First of all, let’s throw genre out of the window. There are obvious legends in each one, but we are strictly talking about “the classics” as a generational concept.

What defines a “classic” hit? Who defines “classic” artists? When does your favorite band reach “classic” status?

Many will agree that The Who is a classic rock band that spoke to the generation they were playing to. However, I am sure the band members didn’t think at the time that they would be considered one of the best bands of all time. Buddy Holly had a very limited music career before his demise, yet he was a giant inspiration to The Beatles. Did he know he was going to make such a big impact on the music industry? What I am getting at here, is that music legends are defined by generation listeners.

To people in the 60’s, The Who was a great rock band, and many felt they would continue on to be famous, Over the years, those who grew up listening to The Who consider them to be classic, because there was no one who could compare to them. That being said, kids in this day and age listen to 60’s bands and get a sound that is new to them because there truly is nothing like that today, and so they consider them to be “the classics."

What was new and hip back in the day will be viewed as the classics by the people who today listen to the same music, because it is original. So the older generation who say that music today like Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, etc., won’t be the classics are wrong, because today’s music will be the classics to us, and to our kids.

I didn’t grow up listening to Alice Cooper or Foghat in concert, but the day I watched the movie Dazed and Confused in my living room on TV, I fell in love with the soundtrack. I remembered thinking, “Wow, 70’s rock music was awesome!” Listening to my mom reminiscing about this music era was great because I found a deeper appreciation for the music - so you can say we agreed that, Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo is a classic hit.

But who is to say that my kid won’t take a break from the Hip Hop, EDM, Folk fusion songs, or whatever he will be listening to in the future, and go through my old iPhone and fall in love with some old Chance The Rapper songs. It’s my hope that he comes to me so we can reminisce in music from Migos, Drake and Kanye West and other “classic” rap hits.

So many people continue to stick to their guns and say that the music now will never live up to the music of the past. Yet, why would you want music today to be what you heard years ago? Sure there is a sense of nostalgia when you hear old songs or old sounds, but the beauty of the music industry offer opportunity for fresh new rhythms that bring a taste of the past with the new. By that sense our artists today will in fact revolutionize the music industry like those “classic artists” because it is NEW.

The record label, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or the Grammy's don’t determine the classics. The only people who determine the classics are the listeners of yesterday, today and tomorrow.