Billboard Hot 100 songs show trend of past decades’ influence

The easiest path to the past is through the radio, where current hits sound more like 1940s doo-wop, 1950s funk and 1980s dance music than the EDM and rap sounds that people have become accustomed to.

A few of today’s top-10 Billboard Hot 100 songs take on distinct sounds that allude to songs and styles from past decades. Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” and “Lips Are Movin,” Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!” and Taylor Swift’s album “1989” all embody sounds from past eras. The revival of sounds from the past has proved to be successful; “All About That Bass” was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks in 2014.

Both students and professors said they think the revival of older music in today’s pop music was inevitable. UCLA musicology professor Robert Fink said other musical styles, such as classical music, consistently incorporate past musical elements.

“I think music listeners are getting bored with (pop) music that’s been circulating around for probably the past decade or so and artists are beginning to realize that,” said first-year business economics student Tim Connors.

Trainor’s “All About That Bass” incorporates aspects of the 1950s, including upright bass and doo-wop sections. Trainor told New York Daily News she was introduced to music of the renowned funk, soul and R&B; recording artist James Brown, as well as jazz and doo-wop by her musician father as a young child.

“(All About That Bass) has some aspects of ’50s rock, which makes it a little bit unusual,” Fink said. “Parts of it sound like they could have been recorded by Elvis.”

“Uptown Funk!” which is currently No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, jumps ahead a few decades with inspiration from 1980s R&B.; Billboard columnist Sean Ross traced the song’s influence to about eight songs from the 1970s and 1980s, including Zapp’s “More Bounce To The Ounce” and One Way’s “Cutie Pie”. Fink said the song also sounds similar to “Jungle Boogie” by Kool and the Gang and “Jam” by Michael Jackson.

“You can actually point out nine or 10 songs that it’s just literally lifting pieces from,” Fink said. “He hits absolutely every kind of dance pop … hit that I remember from my early life.”

Taylor Swift also took guidance from ’80s artists for her latest album, “1989,” which currently has three singles on the Billboard Hot 100: “Blank Space,” “Style” and “Shake it Off.” Phil Collins, Annie Lennox and Madonna are a few artists who influenced her album, Swift told Rolling Stone. Music critics have pointed out that the songs have 1980s synth-pop motifs such as a large percussive sound and intricate storytelling.

Connors said he thinks the vintage aspects of popular music attract listeners, citing the success of Kanye West’s 2005 single “Gold Digger,” which samples the 1954 Ray Charles’ song “I Got A Woman.” He said that Mark Ronson has been working on music that incorporates older elements for a long time. Ronson’s 2003 song “Ooh Wee” samples Boney M’s 1966 cover of the song “Sunny,” but his work did not become famous until he partnered with popular recording artists such as Bruno Mars.

Fink said other artists, including Amy Winehouse, have picked up on this trend previously. He said Winehouse recorded her songs on her 2006 album “Back to Black” with microphones and instruments from the 1960s.

Some students said they think that general ideas from previous decades are becoming more ingrained in our time.

“We’re in that cycle where the ’60s and ’50s are becoming more popular, and the whole idea of being a free spirit and being your own individual person is coming back into play,” said first-year physiological sciences student Jordan Mazza.

Most students said they enjoy the resurgence of older styles of music on the radio. Mazza said she finds the music fun to dance to. First-year business economics student Andi Wong said she thinks the revival of old sounds forges a connection between older and newer generations.

“My parents would listen to (the radio) and say, ‘Oh, that sounds really familiar,’” Wong said.