One of the terms we tend to use a lot to discuss music is 'dated'. But is it always a bad thing? I'd argue there are plenty of songs where being "of their time" is an attribute, not a defect. Bieber's Where Are U Now comes to mind. It sounds straight out of 2015, but that's what makes it so good.

 

Discuss.

 

Of course not

Not really. It's one of the weakest "drags" ever. And most people throw it when they have nothing else to say.

No because what is considered “dated” or unappealing changes over time. What matters is the song’s inherent qualities — songwriting, production, melodies, vocals, intention etc etc 

I like when something is a product of its time. Not everything has to be atemporal 

To me there are good dated which will becomes classic, and there's bad dated which becomes unbearable, corny, and doesn't hold up with time. Depends, I guess.

yes, it is.

 

intentionally referencing the past as a throwback and executing it well: a throwback

 

unintentionally sounding like it’s following dead trends: dated 

It really depends. Regardless of Y2K, I’m obsessed with the early 00s dark child sound and it’s immediately dated. New Jack Swing didn’t survive past like 1992 and I lap up every song with it. It really depends on how much I like the sound. 2011 EDM (which granted I actually lived thru as a teen) aged poorly to me and sounds badly dated but I’m going to enjoy it as a throwback. I think a song being dated might lock it to an era but it doesn’t mean it has to affect how good it is to listen to nowadays. Streaming #s prove that with the most 80s sounding songs imaginable doing big numbers.

Something being dated isn't a bad thing. It just means that it's very much a product of its time. A song can be dated and bad, sure. But a great song can be dated as well.

Not to me, 2023 music is trash anyway

It's not always bad, it depends on the quality of the music.

 

For example, Chromatica was dated, but it was also sounding cheap and horrible. But as an another example, even though River by Miley Cyrus and BREAK MY SOUL by Beyoncé got called dated by people, they were good, they were loved, they're listenable, catchy and quality records. So yeah it depends on the quality of the production and the layers etc I guess. 

No it's not. Music always follow a decade - era trend so is its purpose to have a specific sound. 

If you listen to Nessun Dorma it sounds timeless because you just get involved and emotional with that incredibile music but certainly is dated...a composer wouldn't compose something like that now like Puccini did 100 years ago.

 

So i would say is not about being dated but about how some music became less interesting  and get you less invested. 

If you listen the Bee Gees you get involved, some kind of 70s music of the same style feels now boring.

Both have a dated sound but one seems still relevant, the other not. 

Edited March 12, 20233 yr by vale9001

It depends on your definition of dated. For example, according to ATRL albums like The Fame/Monster and Born This Way are dated but they charted in 2023, while Blockout is ATRL's definition of timeless but didn't chart since its release.

Yo me being dated and sounding of their time are different things.

WAUN is like California Girls, they have sound that is very distinctive for the time that they were released and they are top quality, but there are songs from that period that you can tell they were knock off/wanted to fit in that sound and those are the ones that end up feeling dated.

No, I have never thought it was a valid criticism. Things sound like they're from the past because they are. You can't expect something from the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, etc., to feel like it was made in 2023. It's ridiculous and unreasonable even to expect it to. 

Yes. There’s a difference between dated and something being inspired, influenced, or reminiscent of a certain era.

Dated on arrival yes, otherwise no, it'll just be nostalgic

that drag is used excslusively by OGHs, and even though they provide a couple of chuckles here and there merely on the merit of their persistent desire to hate on Gaga, nobody ever takes them seriously. "dated" is a joke of a drag, which is quite fitting for OGHs 

6 minutes ago, Rino said:

that drag is used excslusively by OGHs, and even though they provide a couple of chuckles here and there merely on the merit of their persistent desire to hate on Gaga, nobody ever takes them seriously. "dated" is a joke of a drag, which is quite fitting for OGHs 

Yep, it was coined to shade TF and later BTW by a fanbase whose fave hasn't had a catalogue album chart in ... ever?

Depends on the artist and their direction.

 

For example, Joyce Wrice music would be considered commercially dated but her sound and style has always been niche 90s/00s R&B. 

I don't think most normal people say it as a bad thing, but as an accurate word to describe a song or album that is following very current music trends at the time. People who are into music culture in any genre seem to use it as an insult, though.

Edited March 12, 20233 yr by Gladiator

yes. but not that bad at all. it could mean that it's good but no one would listen to that sound anymore.

Yes.. Dated means we've heard it before in a bad way aka not fresh 

 

You can create a song with old sound that will sound fresh and not overheard and tired 

It’s a very silly “drag.”

 

There are so many incredibly iconic hits from the 80s that sound super “dated,” and that’s part of their charm. It would be very strange if “Material Girl” or “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” or “Don’t Stop Believin’” or “When Doves Cry” etc. didn’t sound like they were straight out of the 80s. And look how many artists have done 80s-inspired eras. Give it another decade or so and the 2010s will be a nostalgic time. People are already bringing back Y2K looks and sounds. 

2 hours ago, perfillusion said:

It depends on your definition of dated. For example, according to ATRL albums like The Fame/Monster and Born This Way are dated but they charted in 2023, while Blockout is ATRL's definition of timeless but didn't chart since its release.

"dated" has nothing to do with chart success 

 

OT: No, it's not a bad thing at all. You can find music from any time period that slaps.