In the song “American Pie,” Don McClean sings of February 3, 1959, when legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper died tragically in a plane crash. That was the day the music died, however, I recently realized that music has been dead since then.

Now, I do like modern music. I am not criticizing today’s artists. However, I am criticizing today’s listeners on their lack of knowledge when it comes to music. People of today claim to hate the “oldies,” yet they have no idea that the music they listen to today is in fact inspired by those “oldies.” We have today’s music because of past music, and all of the artists we listen to today became artists because they were inspired by those “older” legends.

You may not believe me, but I recently met someone who didn’t know who John Lennon was. When I said the name, her response was, “ohh you mean John Legend?” What. To say I was offended is to say the least. She didn’t know who a Beatle was. A Beatle.

Growing up, many people have called me an “old soul.” I collect vinyls and consider myself a music nerd. Music is something that I believe is very prevalent in our lives. I once read that we listen to an average of 20 minutes of music a day without even realizing it: in a store, elevator, on television, etc. It affects our mood and touches lives. It connects people across the world; music has no borders.

We need to appreciate our past to appreciate our future. If it weren’t for Buddy Holly, we would’ve never had the Beatles, who then inspired many other rock bands, leading up to inspiring even today’s artists. It’s all a full circle.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the music of today. I love all different genres of music and listen to modern music. I just think it would be a shame for legends such as John Lennon or Elvis to disappear. They made the real music. They wrote their songs and didn’t have the technology of today. They were all about the music, not about their image. They are the reason we have the music of today, and they deserve respect, appreciation, and to be remembered.