Why do people prefer music from their teenage years?

January 10, 2012 3:45am CST
Why do people tend to gravitate more strongly towards music that was popular in their teen years? I was a teenager from 1987-1994, and the music from those years just sounds "right" to me, especially at the tail end of that era (think Offspring, Green Day, Counting Crows, etc.). Music before that time seems dated, and music created after that time, while sometimes likable, never holds my interest the same way. Mr. desjardins is 4 years older than me, and he tends to like stuff from the early 80s. When I was growing up, my mother listened to stuff that had to be popular when she was a teenager. I used to make fun of my parents for listening to "oldies," but now I'm the one listening to music from 15-20 years ago. Yet it still sounds current to me. Is there something in the adolescent brain that imprints music more strongly?
3 responses
@megamatt (14292)
• United States
11 Jan 12
Well a lot of people just have fond memories to attach to that music. Sometimes for a lot of people, the teenage years are the best years of their life, and it is all downhill from there. That is rather sad to say, but it is something that is ultimately true to say the very least. Still for others, their teenage years are going to be very good. I think the same thing is true for any other forms of entertainment from those years. We always find what we watched on television as children and teenagers rather better than the current fare a lot of the time. There are just going to be a lot of times where its not really all that better, but it is because it is rather going to bring a smile to our faces. There is just something that is connected with our youth that is great.
@mavil85 (348)
• Philippines
10 Jan 12
hello! teenage years are the years that define who you are. this is where changes happen to you, physical emotional and psychological. these are the years when we get confused and then finally find ourselves. this time of your life created who you are today, part of it are your preferences as well as your memory. you probably miss your teenage years :) have a great day
@alberello (4752)
• Italy
10 Jan 12
Well, you see, dear friend, the music heard during the years of adolescence, does not forget. Even now I am almost 20 years later I still listen to happy songs of those times (80 'or 90'). Many groups such as "4 No. blondes" are loose, no longer exist, but their music is still alive.