Music Monday: Roadtrip Classics

Family riding in their car on the way to a vacation.

The bags are packed. The car is loaded. The gas tank is full. It’s time for yet another family road trip. You get to endure several hours of your parents’ favorite tunes while replaying the tragic scene of walking out of the house without your headphones. Total bummer.

The car ride begins. Twenty minutes in and you and your family are already at a gas station because mom and dad forgot to use the bathroom before they left. While lingering through the aisles, your dad sees the CD rack. Fear overcomes you. He found it. The dreaded “Greatest Hits” album. There’s no going back now.

Juke box with oldies music.
[/media-credit] Juke box with oldies music.

Once you hit the road again the CD is popped in. Suddenly these calm and somewhat dull people transform before your eyes. Within the first minute of the CD there are synchronized dances, specific solos, and a significant volume change. You are wondering “how do they like this stuff?”

After fifteen minutes of your parent’s private concert you begin to realize that maybe they aren’t as ridiculous as you thought. At one time, the songs they are belting were the songs that everyone was belting.

Suddenly, it hits you. You will be in their place one day. You will have kids in the backseat and a spouse who is your singing partner. Your children will hear your music and immediately be turned off by it. But it’s okay because the same thing will happen to them eventually. It’s a never ending cycle.

Time moves forward and so does music. In a few years the top 5 songs will be considered throwback and the throwback music now will be considered oldies. We all have those songs that take us back to a time where we were young and felt carefree. Embrace the songs that make you want to crank up the volume and soak it all in and allow others to do the same.