About Oldies Music--A Classic Discussion

For several weeks, Chicago-based blogger Kent Kotal has been exploring, with readers and contributors to his list, the concept of what, exactly, is an Oldie? The refreshing consensus is basically...what it means to you personally. The Buckinghams are a unique musical entity because to so many across the country, they are a national pop act who topped the charts. Yet, to anyone from Chicago, they are still considered a 'local' sensation who did well outside of town. Nevertheless, however you perceive The Buckinghams or their music of the 1960s, here's an excerpt from Kent's wrap-up post today:

"Just because it's old ...
Doesn't mean it's an "oldie"!!!
That seems to be the general consensus of our recent "What Is An Oldie?" Poll.

In fact, when tabulating and analyzing all of the responses we received, it seems that the majority of the oldies music fans out there seem to think that "The Oldies Era" ends at about 1975 ... or right before the dawn of The Disco Era.

(Sure, we still had folks insist that it shouldn't run beyond 1963 ... that The British Invasion began another new era in music ... but if I'm going to cover "oldies" and retain any sense of passion about it, I've at least got to include the music that means the most to ME ... and that would be that so-called "Beatles Era" of 1964 - 1970. Music changed in SO many ways during these years ... and British Rock was just one aspect of this.)

We had the whole Motown / Atlantic / Stax Soul Thing going on ...

Psychedelia found its way on to the charts ...

As did HUGE country cross-over hits by artists like Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roger Miller.

West Coast and East Coast falsetto sounds by the likes of The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons ...

Pop sensations like The Monkees, Tommy James and the Shondells, The Turtles and Paul Revere and the Raiders ...

Local Acts like The Buckinghams, The Cryan' Shames and The New Colony Six ...

Girl Groups like The Chiffons, The Shirelles, The Ronettes, The Shangri-Las and The Dixie Cups ...

And so much more. (And they all got played side by side every single day and nobody thought ANYTHING at all about it!)

Of course a REAL Oldies Station has GOT to include "Roots of Rock" artists like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and The Everly Brothers ... this is an absolute MUST ... as are break-out stars like Connie Francis and Brenda Lee ... Bobby Darin and Ricky Nelson ... the list truly does go on and on and on ..."

Check out Kent's blog at: http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Kent, for another series and lively discussion on a favorite topic. DLW

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