| The term, "oldies," refers to both popular music from | | | | Billboard's Top 100 LP's chart for over three years |
| the 1950s-1970s and the radio format that specializes | | | | and has, to date, spawned some 14 sequels. (Click |
| in this type of music. "Golden oldies" usually refers to | | | | here for a recent interview with Art Laboe.) |
| oldies music exclusively from the 1950s-early 1960s. | | | | Soon after the release of Laboe's first "Oldies But |
| Oldies songs are typically from the R&B, pop | | | | Goodies" album, the phrase, "oldies but goodies," |
| and rock music genres but may also include country, | | | | became commonplace and by around 1960, people |
| movie soundtrack, novelty, and other types of | | | | were waxing nostalgic for 1950s doo-wop which was |
| popular music played on the radio from around | | | | already starting to be classified as "oldies." Little |
| 1950-on. Pop music genres that had their heyday | | | | Caesar And The Romans' 1961 hit, "Those Oldies But |
| before the 1950s (e.g., ragtime, big band) are | | | | Goodies (Remind Me of You)" and its sequel, |
| generally considered "too old" to be included in the | | | | "Memories of Those Oldies But Goodies," both pay |
| oldies radio format. Oldies music radio stations, which | | | | homage to early doo-wop and doo-wop artists. This |
| typically feature bands and artists such as (to name a | | | | wave of nostalgia brought about a doo-wop revival in |
| few) Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Little Richard, Pat Boone, | | | | the early 1960s which was the first of many nostalgia |
| Sam Cooke, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Rolling | | | | movements in pop music since the term, "oldies," |
| Stones, the Rascals, the Association, the | | | | was first applied to older pop music. |
| Temptations, the Who, Elton John, and Fleetwood | | | | While "golden oldies" has remained a constant over |
| Mac, cover a wide variety of styles including early | | | | the years, the larger body of pop music that we still |
| rock and roll, rockabilly, doo-wop, surf rock, girl | | | | call "oldies" today - which is made up of core golden |
| groups, the British Invasion, folk rock, psychedelic | | | | oldies songs plus more modern material - is not fixed |
| rock, baroque pop, soul music, Motown, and | | | | but has been gradually expanding forward in time to |
| bubblegum pop. Oldies music also overlaps with classic | | | | keep up with changing demographics. Nowadays, |
| rock which focuses on the rock music of the late | | | | oldies music is generally considered to include all of |
| 1960s and 1970s as well as newer music in a similar | | | | the 1970s, even disco, and the same is expected to |
| style. | | | | be true someday for the music of the 1980s, now |
| The phrase, "oldies but goodies," was first coined in | | | | often described as "retro." Oldies music is also |
| 1957 by renowned deejay Art Laboe who, at around | | | | expanding in breadth as thousands of long-forgotten |
| that time, used to get frequent requests from his | | | | tunes from the 1950s and 1960s that never made |
| listeners for songs from the early 1950s. A central | | | | the Top 40 in their day are being rediscovered and |
| figure in L.A. radio for over half a century, Laboe was | | | | resurrected. Whether because of nostalgia, curiosity, |
| the first deejay to play rock and roll on the West | | | | or a genuine love for good music, the oldies format |
| Coast and one of the first to play black and white | | | | has maintained a huge following and will probably |
| artists on the same show. In 1959, he put together | | | | continue to do so for many years to come. |
| the first LP to feature (mostly older) songs by | | | | Amy Gold |
| different artists. This immensely popular compilation | | | | (c) Copyright 2005, allbutforgottenoldies. |
| album, entitled "Oldies But Goodies," stayed on | | | | |