Way back in the 80s, a whole new generation (that would my generation) was exposed to the hits of decades past. There was The Big Chill. Good Morning Vietnam. Dirty Dancing, Stand by Me, The Wonder Years. And let’s face it. The Cosby Family’s cover of Ray Charles’ “Night Time is the Right Time” is one of the greatest TV moments of all time. These movies and shows were paying tribute to some of the best songs in pop history. Chances are these songs were used because they help shaped the memories of the creators of these films and shows.
Similar occurrences took place in the 90s, with old music becoming new again to a younger generation through movies, TV shows and commercials. Today, with the phenomenal success of shows like Glee and American Idol, the internet has given a voice to those who revolt against these ‘revivals’ of old pop classics. There is a movement of people who feel that the music is being tampered with and destroyed when performed by anyone but the original artists. Honestly, does anyone think that the original artists of songs recorded 20 or more years ago can actually do justice to their own songs with their geriatric croaks?
But, sarcasm aside, I won’t deny that occasionally, I’ll feel a little turned off by some of these cover versions. Hell. When that bearded leprechaun took on “Smells Like Teen Spirit” this year on American Idol, even I snarled in disgust and screamed “SACRILEGE!!!” at the top of my lungs (in part to drown out the bearded leprechaun’s voice). And I’m far from a diehard fan of Nirvana.
Really though, if haters would listen more closely to what they don’t want to hear in the first place, they would hear is the sound of something amazing—the nod these shows are giving to the artistry of the original performers. The judges on American Idol, for instance, often tell the contestants they made a big mistake taking on someone as remarkable as, say, Deborah Harry, Donna Summer, Stevie Wonder, Ann Wilson, Stevie Nicks, Luther Vandross…. Not only is the older generation of judges pointing out that these classic artists are untouchable (most of the kids probably don’t even know who the artists are, let alone how brilliant they are), but they are also driving music buyers to the original versions of the songs. It has been a common occurrence for songs performed on American Idol to then cause a HUGE spike in the sales of the original versions of the songs on itunes. Sure, there have been loads of artists who refuse to have their songs ‘mocked’ on shows like Glee, but I’m sure those who give in and give permission are more than happy when those paychecks start rolling in again….
Just last week, after watching the Fleetwood Mac episode of Glee, which was entirely focused on the fact that Rumours is one of the all-time best albums ever, all I wanted to do was go back and re-experience and rediscover the brilliance of an album that has been in my collection for over 30 years…but probably hasn’t been listened to in full for over 25.
An important ingredient of Glee that most haters don’t realize is that it is art imitating life. It consistently shows just how deeply people (the characters) are touched by music. To express their love for songs that have been an integral part of their lives, they sing them at the top of their lungs (deeply ingraining these songs into the souls of a whole new audience while doing so). It’s really no different than the average Joe belting out songs from the likes of Led Zeppelin and Guns ‘n Roses in the car because it makes Joe feel good to be a PART of those songs.
Shows like Glee, The Voice, and American Idol have given a new voice to some of the best songs of the past 50 decades…simply by allowing new voices to sing them. And most often, those voices are singing them quite well. Sure, they’ll never be the original artists, but if someone contemporary doesn’t sing these songs and make them relevant again, the songs could easily become forgotten history rather than music history. Do we really want that? I mean, what would life be without a little Monica in my life, someone letting the dogs out, or occasionally being blue, da ba dee ba dee dye? You know it’s just a matter of time before those songs are being Gleeked, and there’s a whole generation who thinks those songs are classics…
One last thing to consider. The haters take issue with a brilliant singer like Lea Michele belting out a Journey classic once a week, but have nothing to say about the mess being made of great songs daily by contestants on Don’t Forget the Lyrics and The Singing Bee….
