8 Best Music Genre For Seniors
Introduction
We all know that music has a positive effect on the human psyche, but there are certain genres of music that appeal to certain age groups more than others.
If you’re a senior, or know someone who is nearing retirement, this article will share a few musical genres in which you may find interest in listening. A lot of people are worried about what they are going to do when they get older. This article is going to discuss whether seniors should worry about their music genres or not. Many people choose the popular genres that their seniors participate in such as country, hard rock, and heavy metal. These genres have many nostalgic memories for the senior generation who grew up listening to these types of music.
How Does Music Appeal To Seniors?
If you ask any person how music has affected them, they will tell you that listening to music made them happier, or it made them feel complete. Listening to music can bring the emotions and feelings you had during your teenage years back up. Music is an outlet for where people can express their grief, anger, or love through a song. In addition to being able to express your emotions through music, it also helps with depression. Seniors are well known for having depression because of their age and health condition. Music has been proven in studies not only as a way to rid themselves of depression but also as a way of staying healthy with exercise and having social interactions to keep up the spirits.
Seniors should be able to enjoy the music they want to listen to. They should be able to listen to the music they grew up listening to if they prefer that genre of music. As stated before, senior citizens have nostalgic memories of their teenage years and these genres create those memories. If a senior doesn’t want that memory, then they should be able to enjoy other genres without being judged by society.
8 Best Music Genre For Seniors
1. Big Band/Swing (1930’s And 1940’s)
Origins of this genre: This genre of music was originally derived from the experimental sounds of jazz. The band leader, Glenn Miller, is known as the father of this genre. The music has a very catchy beat that everyone in a crowd can dance to. Many artists created their own sounds within the Big Band genre, but they were inspired by Glenn Miller. One artist that put his own twist to the Big Band sound was Frank Sinatra. Sinatra was more commonly known as an iconic crooner in the 40’s and 50’s, but he also had experience with Big Band music as a young adult during his college years.
2. Blues (1930’s And 1940’s)
Origins of this genre: The blues were originally formed in the late 1800’s. It was the country music of African Americans. Initially, it was just banjo, piano, and guitar. Later on, blues came to include many other instruments such as harmonica, drums, and other long winded instruments that the artist would play while singing along during a live performance. The reason the band leader decided to create an innovative music genre out of blues was because he wanted to have more musicians playing at a time. He also wanted to have more options when it came to melodies and styles each musician could play with their instrument.
3. Classical (1900’s And Later)
Origins of this genre: This genre is primarily known as instrumental music. The genre is derived from the Baroque era, which started in the late 1600’s. The genre of classical music is also known as Romantic music because it gives off a very happy feeling. It was originally composed to be played during a live performance and it was also perfect for being played at concerts, operas, and ballet performances. This type of music was more commonly performed by upper class citizens who were quite wealthy and able to afford tickets to attend the performance.
4. Country (1950’s-Present)
Origins of this genre: Country music was originally derived from western swing and honky tonk styles. The sound that was laid out by artists such as Hank Williams and Johnny Cash helped create the country sound. Country music was also popular during the prohibition era where people were extremely hard up for money due to prohibition. The reason why country music is so popular with seniors is because of the memories they have of their youth. If a senior wants to listen to their favorite genre, they shouldn’t be forced to listen to music they don’t want to listen to, or that doesn’t please them at all. This was a lot easier when they were teenagers because they didn’t have to worry about getting on the wrong side of their parents, or getting into trouble for listening to music.
5. Heavy Metal/Glam (1970’s And Later)
Origins of this genre: The heavy metal/glam rock genre was originally derived from the hard rock style of music. It created a more powerful sound compared to other styles of music such as folk and jazz. The style mainly consisted of use of guitar, bass, drums, and electric instruments in order to create that more powerful sound. One band that popularized the heavy metal/glam rock genre is Kiss. In 1976, Kiss released their first album called “Alive”. This album became their breakthrough album and sold over 10 million copies. One reason why the heavy metal/glam genre was so popular with seniors was because of the catchy tunes that were played by the artists.
6. Hip Hop/Rap (1980’s And Later)
Origins of this genre: Hip hop is a style of music that originated in New York City during the 1970’s. During that time, it originally consisted of rap and break beats, but it eventually evolved into different styles like pop, soul, funk, and jazz. The most popular hip hop artist today is Jay-Z. Kanye West also has his own version of hip hop called “West Coast”. This genre is very popular because of the unique style of music that it creates compared to other genres. In addition, it can also be used as a form of expression for those who live in impoverished communities.
7. Jazz (1920’s And Later)
Origins of this genre: This genre is known as being from North America and Europe. The jazz genre is known for being smooth and sometimes having an overall slower beat than other genres of music. This type of style was created by musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and many others during the early 20th century. The purpose of jazz music was to give the audience a more meaningful type of experience rather than just listening to a song.
8. R&B (1950’s-Present)
Origins of this genre: This genre is commonly called rhythm and blues because this type of music consists of both instrumental and vocal talents. The R&B style of music mainly consists around emphasis on the strong beats rather than lyrics. This style includes very catchy songs that are made for dancing in clubs, or just listening to in your bedroom. One artist who popularized this genre was Michael Jackson, who released his first album “Off the Wall” in 1979 which sold 30 million copies worldwide!
Conclusion
Popular music has evolved and changed with the times. Many American seniors can remember the pop and rock songs of their youth that are no longer being played, or no longer create as many hits as they used to. The main reason for this is because new artists are created everyday that prove to be just as popular with people of all ages worldwide. Some artists have even become more popular than those of yesteryear.
While some styles and genres have changed, others have still remained relatively the same; however, they might not necessarily be just what a senior desires to listen to anymore.