Was music really better when we were younger?

The Emotional Power of Music Throughout the Ages

If you have a soft spot for Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” Fall Out Boy’s “Dance, Dance,” and Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” then we probably share a birth year. These songs from the 2000s hold a special place in my heart, evoking memories of first crushes, high school dramas, and the ups and downs of living with my parents.

While I’ve grown to appreciate newer artists like Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, and Sabrina Carpenter, a younger colleague recently told me that the music from 2008 to 2016 was top-tier for her. Artists like Meghan Trainor, One Direction, and Kesha were the soundtrack of her formative years, sparking nostalgia and emotional connections.

So why do we often feel that music was better when we were younger? According to Dr. Rita Aiello, a music psychologist at New York University, it’s not necessarily that the music was better, but rather that music has a unique ability to evoke strong emotions and memories. Music serves as a powerful cue for recalling past experiences and emotions.

Dr. Robert Cutietta, a professor of music at the University of Southern California, explains that music is episodic, engaging our brain’s episodic memory over time. Our preference for popular music peaks in our teenage years, around age 17 to 23, coinciding with a crucial period of identity formation.

As we develop our sense of self during adolescence, the music we listen to becomes intertwined with our identity. This attachment to music from our formative years can lead to a lifelong bond, where songs evoke a mix of happy and sad emotions that enrich our listening experience.

It’s common to look back on past decades as the golden age of music, but this nostalgia is often selective. We tend to remember the songs and artists that were meaningful to us, while forgetting the forgettable ones. Every era has its share of hits and misses, but we choose to remember the songs that resonate with us.

Just as we cherish the music from our youth, today’s young people will likely look back on the early 2020s as a time of great music. The artists they love now will shape their younger selves and hold a special place in their hearts, just as the music of our past continues to impact us today.