While there are plenty of great modern bands around, with the continual chart-topping rock band The Pretty Reckless regularly hitting the top of the US charts, breaking records as a female-led group, much of what is admired is from decades ago. Hard rock and heavy metal dominated the airwaves in the 1980s, having started to pick up in the ‘60s, with it being the most important music genre of the time. People wanted to rage against the establishment and rebel, but with changing times, it’s become far more difficult for new talents of the genre to break into the mainstream. As such, many hard rock and heavy metal fans refer to retro creations for the best experience, but it’s not just ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s music fans who’re fascinated with retro.

A love of old metal and rock

Decades on from its prime, those who rose to the top of heavy metal are still recognized names in modern music. Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Kiss, Iron Maiden, and Motörhead are still listened to today, with legends like Eddie Van Halen still being discussed for his influence on the music world. They may not break into the charts anymore, but when the bands of metal’s prime are on tour, they can all-but guarantee sell-out crowds. Even Metallica, known for always doing whatever they want regardless of fan approval, continue to pack stadiums. It’s the exact same on the hard rock side of the equation, with The Who, Queen, Def Leppard, Guns N’ Roses listened to around the world. In Poland, AC/DC fans and artists still murals of the band around the capital city. The simple fact that combines all of these bands, outside of the era which they dominated, is that they all proved their greatness. Modern popular music is incredibly different from the prime of rock and metal, so it makes sense that so many prefer to defer to the bands who always delivered.

Retro is the way to go for guaranteed enjoyment

It’s the youngest entertainment medium of them all, and yet the love of retro in gaming is just as strong as it is among hard rock and heavy metal fans. Just last year, a sealed Super Mario Bros cartridge from over three decades ago sold for a cool $114,000. You don’t even need to go as far back as early console gaming, either, with the still incredibly young mobile gaming scene experiencing retro cravings. An in-depth analysis of vintage gaming apps worldwide found that Angry Birds, Tetris, and Candy Crush Saga remain incredibly popular and highly searched for online. The retro games market continues to go strong, and for similar reasons to the love of ‘80s rock and metal – they proved themselves as providers of entertainment. Used video game sites for retro products have found a real niche that people continue to buy into. You can even look to TV to see a similar effect. Netflix releases new series and movies weekly, but those that claim the most views are the ones that they pull in from elsewhere that people enjoyed back when they originally aired, such as The Office.



Created originally at Betway.