Forth One

As you probably know, I love reminiscing and recently I’ve had a bee in my bonnet about a conversation with a friend a couple of weeks ago.

Musically, I can quite often be found in my loser cruiser listening to late 90’s, early naughties bubble gum pop, which he thinks means I have shocking taste in music!

Who said it was wrong to like these songs from back in the day? Just like our parents look back at the 50’s/60’s/70’s/80’s with a great fondness, why can’t we 20 something’s do the same?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my all time classic (credible) artists such as Queen, Bowie and The Beatles but if I like them, why can’t I like my Spice Girls, Five, Steps, B*Witched and even the odd bit of Stock, Aitken Waterman?

When I was in my high school years, these were the bands and artists who were on Saturday morning telly and we all loved it!

Every one of my male classmates fancied Britney Spears, she was hot (still is), her tunes were bright and fun so why is this kind of music scoffed at nowadays after such an impact?

When you go to a party, you don’t hear Iron Maiden filling the dance floor, it’s the likes of the Spice Girls and cheesy Gina G-esque tunes that get you dancing.

Trust me, in the past, I’ve been gigging with the floor jammed with the likes of Billie Piper, Hear’ Say, and  N-Sync but as soon as I play The View or The Kooks, everyone seems to want to go for a drink or toilet break. Coincidence or is it just these songs haven’t had the time to set into the psyche of being a floor filler?

Back in the late 90’s after the Brit Pop phenomenon the likes of Boyzone and Take That on their way out first time around, were the millions of people who bought into the bubblegum pop market wrong to do so?

I spent loads of my pocket/paper round money in the now defunct Woolworths in Dalkeith on CD singles and tapes, does that make me a weirdo because I bought the happy-go-lucky Lou Bega’s “Mambo Number 5” or Aqua’s “Doctor Jones”?

If you look back through your Now 40-50’s of this time and you will see the likes of The Vengaboys and Backstreet Boys helping sell these albums by the bucket load, something that doesn’t happen nowadays.
Yes we had a few forgettable artists from this time; Scotland’s very own Mero (with their catchy “It Must Be Love”) Cartoons, A-Teens and Fast Food Rockers but these bands did enjoy some success and again, if it was so bad, why did we boost their bank accounts with our hard earned cash?

If you look at today’s music scene, this genre of music is making a come back. We have Wanted (today’s new Five), Parade (today’s new Spice Girls), The Saturdays (today’s Girls Aloud) and Justin Bieber (today’s Aaron Carter!) Like many things in life, things have come full circle! Take me as an example; I’m back at Forth One after 2 years away! How the heck did that happen?

In times where we are in recession, everything on the news is doom and gloom; the happy cheesy pop sensation is on the charge once again.

Personally, I think we should all just smile a bit more and if a song catches your ear then let it do so and lift your mood!

There is nothing better when you are having a bad day but the sun is shining and you have your favourite kind of music on to cheer you up!

It just so happens I might have S-Club 7 blasting, what’s the big deal with that? Everybody fancied one of them (admit it or not) anyway!