For most people, ‘oldies’ refer to the songs belonging to the period between the 1950’s to the 1960’s. These include early Motown, Surf Music, British Invasion, Rockabilly, Doo Woop and many more. Many radio apps also focus on songs that were popular between the 1970’s to the 1980’s.
The idea of playing Punk on oldies radio may seem new to die-hard fans of typical oldies songs. It is hence important to understand the origin and features of Punk music that make it suitable to be put in the category of oldies music. During the late 70’s, Punk symbolized music that was crude and wild. However, the 80s music referred to it as any kind of music that was different from the rock songs that were immensely popular during the 1960’s and 1970’s. These were popularly known as Classic Rock. Few bands that played such songs continued to be popular till the 1980’s. They played under the label of Punk whereas few others which played music that was not anarchic, raucous and crude were rechristened New Wave.
Nowadays, more and more radio apps play 70s music composed by various Punk bands. These songs have been accepted by oldies music fans and are soaring in popularity. Traditionally, the songs that were approximately 28 years old qualified to be put under the category of oldies music. This perception has however undergone a significant transformation in the recent years. Nowadays a number of radio apps that are dedicated to playing oldies music, also feature 90’s music.
The reason for this transformation can be understood by evaluating various factors and perspectives. The Classic Rock that is extremely popular includes songs that are around 12-20 years old. Considering this, the Grunge bands that made their mark during the 1990’s can safely fall in the category of Classic Rock. A few years down the line, when they become 28 years old, they may become suitable to be played at oldies radio apps or stations. If we consider this aspect, Punk music easily qualifies to be put in the category of oldies.
This implies that the concept of oldies is not limited to songs belonging to the category of Classic Rock, Grunge or songs from a particular era. The very concept is dynamic and can be modified to include the songs that were composed during the later years.
This can help in making the radio apps more versatile in the selection of songs. The inclusion of songs from different categories and genres of music can allow listeners to create personalized playlists. They can choose from a wide range of available songs to create playlists on the basis of artistes or the genres of music.
The traditional definition of oldies music has undergone a transformation. Instead of simply focusing on the songs from the 1950’s and the 1960’s, it now also incorporates songs composed in the later years. Radio apps that specialize in this category of music provide a wide range of songs to their listeners – Punk being just one of them.


