This thread is for songs or albums that still feel fresh even after X amount of years of existence. Songs can still be good while not aging well. Songs can still be bad while feeling fresh today. What I want to focus on in this thread are songs that don't automatically scream out "HEY, THIS SONG IS FROM 1996." It's for albums that, if you were to get someone to listen to it for the first time today and tell them (i.e. lie) that it came out this year or last year, they wouldn't bat an eye. Or on the inverse, if you told them the year it actually came out, it would shock them. Links would be appreciated, although are not necessary. You can choose to post the date of release or not. I'll start off with this: [youtube]BsBBJ0IxvW4[/youtube] This song came out 20 years ago, 1996.
[video=youtube;EmwmtC7U8Ws]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmwmtC7U8Ws[/video] The entire album this song is from sounds super fresh to this day. Hell, maybe it was ahead of its time. This would sound new if it came out this month. But nope, it came out in 2003, almost 13 years ago. Here's another one from the album (coincidentally I chose the first and the last song on Give Up).
I remember when this song came out 11 years ago and I thought it was meh (little Karl listened to Disturbed lol; didn't like "softer" music at all back then). The next time I heard it was late 2014, when I realized how fresh it sounded. I had forgotten that it came out so long ago, and then I started to fall in love with this band. Sure, it's not their best song by any means, its got sorta cheesy lyrics that are a little repetitive, but it still sounds like it just came out this year. I think its the way Leto delivered the vocals + the melody that makes the song timeless for me. Hell, it's still on the radio around here occasionally too. *I linked this particular version of The Kill to illustrate it's timelessness because I performed this exact version to the note with my band and the crowd loved it, despite the fact that 98% of them had never heard the song before.* [video=youtube;DZRNfOEgKo4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZRNfOEgKo4[/video]
I could list off several songs by Michael that have a very modern sound to them, but I'd say the earliest example of that is the original recording of his demo, "Love Never Felt So Good", from 1983. The song holds the standard piano ballad sound that you'll find composed in many of today's acoustic/piano songs. A few of my friends thought it was something he recorded not long before his death, which didn't end up being the case Most of you familiar with the song will probably know it through the recently released version featuring Justin Timberlake. [video=youtube;fw-iK0Nztv0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw-iK0Nztv0[/video]
This is War- Going off what Karl said, I would label their whole album 'This is War' as timeless. Each song has so much emotion and the album works so cohesively that every time I listen to it I think to myself,"Holy crap. This album is amazing." My favorite songs off of the album are Escape, Stranger in a Strange Land, and Alibi. The whole albums is fantastic though. Born in the U.S.A.- This album is just legendary. So many classic hits on one album it's crazy. I can't really think of anything else for right now.
Strapping Young Lad is the brainchild of Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and their album City, is perhaps the heaviest, most chaotic Metal album on the fucking planet. It's an album that is a display for what Extreme Metal is truly capable of. Far too often, bands within this kind of music are far too technical in their playing, which can make the music feel way too planned out, and unspontaneous, qualities that would drag any kind of song down. You will not find this problem here. The guitar leads are absolutely crushing, and Gene Hoglan's drumming is out of this world. The fact that he can keep up with what's going on, while also being a fucking machine behind the kit (in the best possible way) is incredible. The album may have been released in 1997, but I have no doubt in my mind that if it had been recorded yesterday, and released this year, it would still get the amount of critical acclaim it has garnered. This album hasn't aged a day. [video=youtube;3f20L0msLsM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f20L0msLsM[/video] [video=youtube;xnoXJy9mjmE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnoXJy9mjmE[/video] Oh My Fucking God indeed.
+1 million to this. I was gonna say This is War but I wanted to go with something they made that's a bit older. Absolutely magnificent album.
I guess I agree with Gibs there, even though I am not the biggest fan of City. That album will still be mindblowingly fucking heavy in 20 years. I would say that any older Nine Inch Nails song that is quieter, still sounds amazingly fresh today. Definitely recommend to listen to their Definitive NIN: Quiet Tracks playlist. On the heavier side of things, to me, the best example is "The Way Out Is Through" from The Fragile, which came out in 1999. The track is what I wanted The Hunting Party to sound like. I don't think that there are many bands out there today who could put out a song like that. And it still translates amazingly well live. Check here. Radiohead's Kid A album is also a timeless classic, but the opening track, "Everything In Its Right Place" takes the cake here. I've heard a bit of electronic music and I have never heard anything that comes remotely close to the quality of this track. Play this in your car at a high volume. I'm telling you, your car will shake from the beginning to end. Also, there are a lot of punk bands out there right now trying to revitalize the genre, to various degrees of success. But if someone put out something that had the dynamic range and overall quality of Refused's "New Noise", it would be used as an example of punk being alive for years. The track is so fucking great, and it still will be in 20 years from now.
While I do not in any way like This Is War at all, I will agree it feels fresh even now. Although, blah that album was generic as shit. Pandering to my NIN sensibilities is not going to forgive you for saying I'm too old to obsess over Star Wars. Pandering to my Radiohead sensibilities is not going to forgive you for saying I'm too old to obsess over Star Wars. Yes, yes, yes. To contribute to the conversation, one of my favorite albums by a band considered by some to be a one-hit wonder. Gran Turismo by The Cardigans: [youtube]OdAH_bjvu1A[/youtube] There are many ways this could've aged horribly. It's an electronic rock album from 1998. That should speak more than enough on that aspect. But despite being (holy crap) 18 years old, it would sit well alongside the deluge of female-lead albums in the past few years.
Waiting for someone to open a "timeless movies" thread so I can post "Not Star Wars" and watch hell's gates open.
[video=youtube;fO7ih6Nu3MA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO7ih6Nu3MA[/video] This song came out way back in 1965 but the melody sounds so ahead of its time and modern. There are a couple of other Jackson C Frank tracks that follow this trend.
[video=youtube;d020hcWA_Wg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d020hcWA_Wg[/video] The fact that this song came out 13 years ago blows my mind.
[video=youtube;k4V3Mo61fJM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4V3Mo61fJM[/video] If someone tells me that this song is new, I would believe it.
My absolute favourite song of all time. [video=youtube;oUfW0Tex1G0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUfW0Tex1G0[/video] Teardrop by Massive Attack sounds like it could have come out any year between 1998 and now. [video=youtube;BAVUPu7URbc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAVUPu7URbc[/video] Her voice is magical.
And since we're veering into Massive Attack, how about Portishead? [youtube]WQYsGWh_vpE[/youtube] This song can legally drink in the United States.
Absolutely love Portishead Amazing live too [video=youtube;ixymB-KkSkY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixymB-KkSkY[/video] Also, this live version of Western Eyes is crazy [video=youtube;HlxZipjR_2Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlxZipjR_2Q[/video]
[video=youtube;Dww9UjJ4Dt8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dww9UjJ4Dt8[/video] Only 6 years old but some posted This Is War so.... [video=youtube;XLaFLztnL84]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLaFLztnL84[/video] Really, the whole In The Aeroplane Over the Sea album will never, ever get old and will always be one of the best albums of all time. [video=youtube;_FrOQC-zEog]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FrOQC-zEog[/video] A true masterpiece!