Then vs. Now
Big hair, parachute pants, popped collars, shoulder pads, and Michael Jackson’s moonwalk were all products of growing up in the 1980s. Reminiscing about the songs from this era evokes memories of bands such as Bon Jovi, Heart, and ZZ Top; top artists included Bryan Adams, Prince, and Michael Jackson. Eighties music was characterized by many romantic ballads. Teens growing up during this time could easily identify with some of the messages in the songs. Heartbroken or rejected teens could emulate Elton John’s “I’m still standing.” According to Billy Joel, who cared if your car was out of style or your speakers were cheap because it’s “all still rock and roll to me.
Nowadays, hairstyles tend to be straight and sleek, skinny pants are in, collars are worn down, shoulder pads are only worn by American football players and Psy’s horse dance are trending. With the advent of YouTube, gone are the days of having to wait for hours for your tune to play on the radio or MTV. By typing in a few keystrokes, instant gratification is at hand: your favorite song plays. Even better, you can listen to your favorite song, over and over and over again; all for free on YouTube. Today’s music also imparts significance to teenagers. Bands like Maroon 5 and Coldplay, or artists such as Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, and Rihanna croon out messages about love and love lost, being lazy and “doing nothing at all,” or dancing and needing only a “beauty and a beat.”
“Billie Jean” vs “Gangnam Style”
When Michael Jackson did the moonwalk at a performance of “Billie Jean” in 1983, the world loved it. Many people imitated this dance move and “Billie Jean” became Jackson’s most popular hit single of all time.
The notoriety of Psy’s “Gangnam Style” exploded within a matter of months reaching one billion YouTube views in December 2012. It doesn’t matter that only a small portion of the world’s population understands Korean. Even President Obama has admitted trying “Gangnam Style” horse dance moves.
Both songs have a repetitive beat and a catchy tune. The moonwalk and the horse dance are moves that many try to imitate. The lyrics from “Billie Jean” refer to experiences with seductive groupie women in Jackson’s life. “Gangnam Style” lyrics may also be from Psy’s experience growing up in the Gangnam district of Seoul.
While “Billie Jean” was Jackson’s most popular hit, he had many other songs that topped the charts. Psy’s “Gangnam style” is one hit in his sixth album. His other songs are virtually unknown outside of South Korea.
After such great fame from “Gangnam Style” will Psy just “Beat It” or will he continue to top charts with even more favored tunes? We will have to wait and see.
