“Oldies music” is a common request of people hiring musicians in Phoenix. Even though people request it, they often are looking for very different things.
“Oldies music” can actually refer to many different styles of music. The term is often used as a catch-all term to refer to pop, rock, and R&B songs released and played on the radio between 1950 and about 10 years ago.
Oldies Music
“Oldies music” can include:
- doo-wop
- early rock and roll
- novelty songs
- bubblegum pop
- folk rock
- psychedelic rock
- baroque pop
- surf rock
- soul music
- funk
- classic rock
- hard rock
- blues
- country
As you can see, “Oldies music,” beginning in the mid 1950s, includes all kinds of popular music. It has expanded to include a wide variety of genres. Every decade can be defined by different styles.
These days, most people consider oldies music to cover many styles of the 1950s through the 1970s and maybe even beyond. Radio stations that specialize in oldies music even play music from the 1980s and 1990s. These may also referred to as “classic hits”.
Golden Oldies Music
You may have also heard the term “golden oldies.” That is music specifically between the 1950s through the early 1960s. The Golden Oldies includes traditional and jazz-infused pop. This songs were performed by famous singers including Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Eddie Fisher, Frankie Laine, and Patti Page. Eventually the Golden Oldies moved into doo-wop, rockabilly, R&B, and other styles.
The mid 1950s also marked the birth of rock and roll.
Some of the most famous bands and artists from the golden oldies era were Fats Domino, Nat “King” Cole, Chubby Checker, as well as Elvis Presley, Paul Anka, and Frankie Avalon.
Music of the 60s and The Beatles
The 60s saw a major change in the styles with The Beatles. Surf rock was another style that arose in the early 1960s. The best known of the many surf rock group from the 1960s included the Beach Boys. Folk rock also grew in popularity in the mid 1960s. The Byrds who topped the charts in 1965 with the Bob Dylan-penned “Mr. Tambourine Man.” In the late 1960s, hard rock styles became popular.
Baby Boomers generally think of the songs from the 1950s through the early 1970s to be oldies music. But nowadays, the music from the late 1970s and the 1980s is more frequently included in the oldies repertoire.
Whatever you consider to be oldies music, we likely play some of it! We have a huge repertoire of songs and can play just about anything requested. Contact us today to see which of your favorite oldies songs we play!
