Was Music Better in the Past?

Or am I suffering from the “when I was younger, everything was better” syndrome?

Try naming a single transcendent rock or pop song from 2010–2025. I’m talking about a song that will transcend generations, one that kids fifty years from now might still include on their party playlists. A song you’d send in a capsule into outer space to preserve the cultural legacy of humanity.

I can’t.

This post is influenced by the recent Super Bowl halftime performance (Kendrick Lamar). It was okay, at best, I thought. Obviously, “They Not Like Us” has been a big hit, and obviously, the performance generated — like a good performance should — lots of buzz, thanks to Lamar’s beef with Drake, Serena Williams’ appearance, Trump’s presence as the new President, and so on.

Some commentators are praising Lamar’s show as a big cultural phenomenon, celebrating the supposed symbolism and profound messages in his appearance and performance. I don’t agree. I thought it was a mediocre show, and it’s a bit of a shame that the supposed “cultural phenomenon” watched by hundreds of millions is about one rapper’s feud with another rapper, littered with dirt and profanities, even if sanitized because of live streaming.

I’ve had Kendrick Lamar on my playlist for years and enjoy many of his songs, so I don’t need to hear “They Not Like Us” in relation to my assessment of Kendrick Lamar’s performance.

These thoughts on Sunday made me watch U2 perform “Where the Streets Have No Name” at the 2002 Super Bowl. That’s an example of a transcendental performance.

I don’t think I’m “old school”: while I still love the artists I liked in my younger years, my music tastes are versatile, and every year I’m adding new artists, songs, and albums to my playlist. I like different genres. I like Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift. I love Twenty One Pilots.

But I just can’t think of any extraordinary records from recent years. Pop and rock music, on the whole, were better in the past. Period.

I can think of some great songs from the early 2000s — for example, ‘Mr. Brightside’ by The Killers or ‘Viva La Vida’ by Coldplay. These hits have aged well, and they still have a place at sporting events or even parties.

But I can’t think of any from the last decade.

My son and I were listening to ‘It Must Have Been Love’ by Roxette the other day, and we…