To many of us, music is a part of our daily lives: wake up and listen while getting ready for school, sit in class or an IMC and listen while you pretend to get work done, work out while jamming to a pump up song of your liking and go home and listen before bed. As the headphones frequent my ears, I’m starting to find what is the new popular sound on the radio, has little appeal compared to what I listened to in the past years.

We’ll start with hip-hop and rap. Now even though I have nothing against today’s rap music by Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Macklemore, etc., I believe the songs lack the meaningful aspect songs by old school rappers possessed. For instance, Tupac and Biggie would rhyme, set against soulful music mixed with a solid beat, about trials and tribulations they went through. Nowadays, many rappers are just saying random lyrics that don’t even make sense paired with a mediocre mixed up track in the background. Plus, with artists such as Kanye West trying different styles of rap music (look at the difference between his 2007 album Graduation compared to his 2013 album Yeezus), I’d say stick to the old feel of songs from The College Dropout, Late Registration and Graduation. This same rule should go for Lil’ Wayne, since, in my opinion, he hasn’t made anything worth listening to since he put out one of my favorite albums, Tha Carter III, back in 2008.

Now I’ll be honest, I don’t listen to any rock music coming from today, but I would be surprised if someone could show me something more impressive than some songs and albums of the past. For example, some of the best rock music I can think of comes from the ‘60s and Jimi Hendrix. Songs like Voodoo-Child and Red House possess both energy and finesse, which is matched by few today. Also in the ’60s there are gems such as the song Crossroads by Cream, the band where Eric Clapton got his start. To some, these might seem like useless songs, but in my opinion there is much more passion in these pieces than in the majority of things you’ll find today. Yet, if you are searching for something more modern with both skill and passion, I will suggest another one of my favorite albums: Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles. This album from 2007 is a blend of acoustic rock and blues that is both nice on the ears and impressive as well. Or you can check out an older song, Covered in Rain by John Mayer, on the 2003 album Any Given Thursday.

With plenty of music out in the world today, I find it much more appealing to stick with the older, and in my opinion, better music.