Contents
1 The charm of old songs is more than just nostalgia
Most people born in the 1970s and 1980s likely share this sentiment: we've always preferred listening to old songs to the latest releases. It's become almost a conventional wisdom, a tacit understanding shared by generations. Whenever those familiar melodies sound, it's as if they transport you back to the past—the little stereo on campus, the tape deck in a taxi, or the tunes drifting from the radio late at night. It's hard to describe that feeling, but you understand deep down: old songs have a special enduring quality and warmth.
Of course, there are numerous online articles attempting to explain this phenomenon. Some suggest it's a nostalgic filter, glorifying past music; others suggest it's a shift in the music industry, with different logics surrounding production, distribution, and promotion; and still others, from a psychological perspective, argue that we have a natural attachment to the music we listened to during adolescence. While all of these explanations are valid, they can feel a bit abstract and often fall short of our actual listening experience.
So in this article, I am not going to start from the macro theory, but I want to talk aboutMy own experience and observationWhy, in this fast-food era, do old songs remain reverberating? Why do their melodies, lyrics, vocals, and production keep them timeless, while newer songs, even when popular, often remain short-lived? These questions are more intriguing than simply citing "nostalgia," and are worth pondering.
Next, I will start fromCreative goals, melody and lyrics, singing and productionFrom several perspectives, I have sorted out my understanding of the enduring appeal of old songs. I hope this can bring you some new ideas, not just "emotional resonance."
2. The change of creative goals in the fast-food era
Many people likely agree: the creative atmosphere around old songs was completely different from today. While commercial considerations were still present in the music industry back then, the overall pace was much slower and everyone was more focused. Record companies and artists generally prioritized "quality" and "timelessness." To create a song that would be universally popular, a single song would often undergo repeated refinement and revisions, sometimes taking months.
For example, in the 1990s, singers trained by Taiwan's Rolling Stone Records and Hong Kong's PolyGram Records often took a year or more to prepare and release an album.
Faye Wong's "Sky":
Every song's melody, arrangement, and lyrics were meticulously crafted. The singers would constantly experiment with different vocal styles to find the most appropriate emotional expression. Music production back then was like a craftsman polishing jade—slow and steady work yields meticulous results.
But now it is completely different. With the rise of short videos and streaming platforms, the value of a song depends more onCan I catch you in the first ten seconds?The melody doesn't need to be complete and catchy, as long as the chorus is catchy enough; the lyrics don't need to be deeply moving, as long as they can be ridiculed in the comment section and used as background music. When a song becomes popular, everyone will hum the chorus, but few remember what the whole song is about. They are more like "background music" than "spiritual companions."
Simply put, the goal of creating old songs is to "touch people's hearts," while the goal of new songs is more to "create buzz." This difference reflects a shift in the logic of the entire industry. In the past, album sales and concert tickets determined an artist's status, and only works that were listenable had long-term value. Now, whether a song can go viral in short videos, generating traffic and buzz, is what investors and platforms prioritize.
This change has directly affected the creative ecosystem. In the past, creators would add deep emotions and storytelling to lyrics and melodies, striving to ensure their works would stand the test of time. Classic works such as "The Sound of the Waves Remains," "Realization," and "Suddenly I Miss You" can still touch people's hearts even after decades. Some pop songs today focus more on short-term traffic and explosiveness. The creation process is often fast and updated frequently, resulting in works that pursue momentary appeal rather than long-term companionship. For example, many modern ancient style songs often use "opera for the sake of opera" in order to achieve the theatrical effect of the chorus. The flamboyant singing style and the technical design of the chorus are sometimes even unrelated to the content of the song itself. As a result, although the audience can be caught for a short time, it is difficult to leave a deep impression or to savor it repeatedly.
So, from this perspective, the fast-food era has not only changed the way songs are disseminated, but has also fundamentally changed the goals of music creation. This also explains why people find old songs more enduring—because they were written not for "short-term popularity" but for "long-term companionship."
Among the ancient style songs, HITA's Chi Ling is an exception. The song has a complete historical background and is perfectly integrated with the operatic part of the chorus. I really appreciate it:
Why do I mention the HITA version of Chi Ling instead of just Chi Ling? Because other modified versions of Chi Ling, even the Great Demon King version, are hard to describe. In my opinion, the modified Chi Ling has nothing to do with the original version.
3 Differences in melody and lyrics between old songs and new songs
Listen carefully to the old songs and the new songs, and you will find a very obvious difference:Old songs tend to use bass and mid-range to express emotions, while new songs now seem to prefer using high notes to create "explosive power".
Back in the 1990s, and even the early 2000s, most pop songs had complete melodies and a well-arranged vocal range. The melody's center of gravity was often in the mid-bass range, making the song both easy to hum and naturally narrative. Take Jacky Cheung's "Kiss Goodbye," for example:
Eason Chan's "Ten Years":
The melody does not rely on long high notes, but through steady advancement, it slowly expresses the emotions. When you listen to it, you will feel like a friend is telling you the story in your ear, delicate and profound. Behind such a melody, there are many contributions from Hong Kong composers, such asJoseph Koo, Lam Chun-keungThey excel at crafting melodies that are both catchy and memorable, building on emotions without rushing to overwhelm them, allowing listeners to sense the layers of emotion in the low and mid-range. Meanwhile, composers like Hu Weili, known for his film and television soundtracks, have also created hits like "The Days We Walked Together," whose melodies are equally delicate and enjoyable.
In contrast, many new songs today emphasize high notes and explosive moments. Choruses are often soaring, striving to quickly capture your attention. The result is instant impact, but the listenability is significantly reduced. After all, emotional expression isn't about sheer volume and pitch; repeated listening can easily become tiring, and the emotional depth lacks.
The difference is also obvious in terms of lyrics. The lyrics of classic old songs are very exquisite.Complete emotional expressionWhether it is love, family or life experience, we strive to tell a complete story. Like Lin Yilian's "At Least I Still Have You":
The Hills by Jonathan Lee:
Just reading the lyrics is like reading a poem or an essay. Behind the charm of such words, there is a group of Hong Kong lyricists who have given them the blessing.Lin Xi, Wyman Wong, James WongThey are good at using precise and delicate words to visualize emotions, making people feel involved when listening to the songs, and even feel like they are having a conversation with the singer.
In contrast, the lyrics of many current pop songs seem rather hollow and formulaic, with the common pattern of "I love you," "I miss you," and "I'll be with you," piled on top of each other, lacking detail and depth. They sound lively, but they don't hold your attention over and over again. More importantly, these lyrics lack the quality of "narration," no longer sounding like a heartfelt confession, but more like slogans cobbled together to cater to popular trends.
Therefore, the well-balanced melody and lyrics of old songs are naturally enjoyable: the melodies are gentle and complete (the ingenuity of the master composers), and the lyrics are sincere and delicate (the skill of the lyricists). They are easy to sing, easy to remember, and can touch the heart. However, the creative logic of new songs is more about "how to stimulate the hearing in the shortest possible time." The melodies tend to be high-pitched and impactful, and the lyrics are empty and repetitive. Over time, they naturally lack the sense of "accompaniment."
Let's take a simple comparison: Eason Chan's "Ten Years" and Beyond's "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies" both have melodies that primarily reside in the mid-bass range, and the lyrics convey a strong narrative—they aren't about showmanship, but rather expressing a state of mind. This is why they've become classics. Meanwhile, some recent online hits have choruses that aggressively reach high notes, sounding electrifying, but beyond a brief thrill, few people relisten to them. The difference lies here: the former cultivates a reliance on narrative and resonance, while the latter offers only a fleeting impact.
Summary in one sentence:The old songs slowly express emotions with mid-bass melodies, and the ingenuity of the lyricists and composers makes the works more enjoyable to listen to; while the new songs are more like high-pitched shouts, with a quick impact but difficult to listen to for a long time.
4 Differences in singing and production
In addition to melody and lyrics, singing style and production techniques are also important reasons why old songs are so popular. In the past, singers’ performances depended not only on vocal training, but also onYears of practical experience and work experience, the production team focused on the overall emotional presentation and sound balance.
Let's talk about singing first. Singers of old songs have accumulated rich experience in vocal control, breath control, and emotional expression after years of stage experience and works. What they pursue when recording isAccurate emotional transmission, rather than simply showing off their pitch. Singers like Jacky Cheung, Sandy Lam, and Wakin Chau, even without deliberately hitting high notes, can convey layers of emotion through the ebb and flow of their voices, breath control, and timbre, resonating with their audiences. The performance of classic songs emphasizes a sense of storytelling, with the melody and lyrics becoming the true carriers of emotion—you can feel the singers telling a story, not just showcasing their technique.
Of course, the song itself is one thing, but the same song can have completely different effects when sung by different people. This raises another question:What is the essence of good singing? Why do some singers, despite impeccable pitch and technique, seem to lack a certain flavor? And why do some singers, without the need for showmanship or high notes, seem to be more captivating? Ultimately, great singing isn't about hitting high notes, but rather about singing with heart and sincerity. I'll devote a separate article to this question later, so I'll reserve my spot here.
In contrast, although many songs nowadays have many professional singers, they are influenced by short videos, traffic orientation and digital processing technology, and their singing is more focused onBright timbre and stimulating pitchThe natural flow of emotion can be weakened. Vocal tuning can achieve perfect pitch, but it can also make a performance lose its authenticity and warmth. Many popular online songs rely more on high notes, explosive power, and impactful choruses to catch the ear than on melody and lyrics to move the heart.
The production is similar. Old songs usually emphasizeOverall sound balance and realism, each drum beat, bass, and string instrument serves the melody and emotion, rather than simply creating "shock". Such works will not cause auditory fatigue even if played repeatedly. The production of new songs is more pursued.Instant shock and stimulationThe vocals are heavily suppressed, reverb and effects are used frequently, and the drums and bass are pushed to the limit, just to catch the eye in a short video. The effect is "bright", but the listenability is reduced, making it difficult to become a classic that people will revisit again and again.
It can be said that the reason why old songs are timeless is thatCollaboration between the singing and production teamsLet the melody, lyrics and emotions be fully presented; however, in order to cater to traffic and short-term stimulation, new songs often sacrifice these delicate elements, thus losing the "sense of companionship" and the charm of long-term listening.
5. Final Thoughts
Looking back at what I just talked about, the reason why old songs can remain popular for so long is not just because people are nostalgic, but because they have their own "internal logic":
- Creative goalsBack in the days of old songs, the pace of creation was slow, and people cared more about whether the work was enjoyable to listen to and whether it could touch people's hearts. New songs nowadays are more about capturing traffic and attention, and just wanting to be a hit in a short time.
- Melody and lyricsThe older songs have full melodies, with a strong mid-bass feel, making them pleasant to listen to and easy to hum. The lyrics tell stories and are layered, allowing you to savor them slowly. Newer songs have repetitive melodies and choruses, with strong high notes, but the lyrics tend to be hollow, making them less enjoyable to listen to.
- Singing and productionThe old songs emphasize emotional expression, while the production emphasizes sonic balance, with every instrument and timbre serving the mood. Newer songs, on the other hand, tend to be more stimulating and eye-catching, with a strong instant impact but little appeal to repeat listening.
Generally speaking, the charm of old songs lies in the perfect coordination of melody, lyrics, singing and production, like a story that slowly unfolds; new songs are more of a short-term stimulation, and it is difficult to leave a deep impression after listening to them.
Therefore, understanding the value of old songs is not just about reminiscing about the past, but also about looking back.The charm of music itself and the laws of creationIn this fast-food era, if you can distinguish these differences, perhaps you can find those works that are truly worth listening to over and over again and never get tired of listening to them.