Is Older Music Making a Comeback?

With an endless supply of videos, social media platforms like Tiktok and Instagram are consistently showing us the latest. Whether it’s the new movies, music, or shows coming out, it always keeps us up to speed on what’s going on in the world of entertainment. Recently, there has been a resurgence of older songs and artists ranging from the early 70s to the early 2000s.

What’s interesting about each of these songs is that they each have a different origin of how they resurfaced on social media. For example, in March of this year, actress Amanda Seyfried played the song “California” by Joni Mitchell (1971). Not only did she sing Mitchell’s song, but also simultaneously played the dulcimer as Mitchell did in her live performances of the song. Seyfried played the song as a way to show appreciation for the state of California which was experiencing devastating wildfires at the time; unaware of the affect she would have on the song and its newfound popularity.

Secondly, with the new Bob Dylan biopic “a Complete Unknown” coming out in late 2024, the song “It Ain’t Me, Babe”, has skyrocketed in popularity. The song was originally written by Bob Dylan, but has brought new meanings and interpretations with each version including covers by Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, as well as actors Timothee Chalamet and Monica Barbaro. Similar to the infamous “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac, the song encapsulates the raw emotion, haunted memories, and lingering presence of a past relationship. In terms of social media presence, both songs are often used in content about relationships whether it is about the content creator themselves, or characters from a show.

Whether it is a nostalgic video about high school graduation, prom, or a milestone birthday, the song “Forever Young” by Alphaville always seems to make it into the algorithm. After release, the song was later used in movies like “Empire of the Sun” and “Napoleon Dynamite” only to make a comeback in over 35 years.

On a platform known for putting out the newest trends and updates, Instagram and Tiktok users have seen a surprising amount of older music being used for new content. Although platforms like Tiktok are often shamed for being overly trend focused, it is a great way to discover “old” music that may be “new” to you.

 

Check out some of these songs below!

“Champagne Coast” by Blood Orange (2011)
“Forever Young” by Alphaville (1984)
“California” by Joni Mitchell (1971)
“Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac (1977)
“Our House” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)
“Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” by Jeff Buckley (1994)
“Easy” by Commodores (1977)
“Someone To Call My Lover” by Janet Jackson (2001)
“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan (1973)
“It Ain’t Me, Babe” originally written by Bob Dylan (1964), and also sung by Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, Timothee Chalamet, and Monica Barbaro