Music Matters: The oldies are still riding high

To stream or not to stream? That is the question. Being a middle-aged man of certain prejudices, I still like to be able to handle my music – either on vinyl or CD. I prefer something I can see and touch but accept that for all kinds of reasons that listening to music online has many attractions including ease of storage and access to millions of songs just a click away.

Looking at the current Official Streaming Chart the other day, I was delighted to discover that among all the songs from Olivia Dean, Sam Fender, Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo and others, that some classic acts feature in the charts despite their vintage status.

‘Billie Jean’ by Michael Jackson has been in the top fifty for 172 weeks, while ‘Dreams’ by Fleetwood Mac has been a chart fixture for a whooping 317 weeks! It is heartening in this age of algorithmic and formulaic created pop the oldies are still standing the test of time.

In May we learnt of the death of Dennis Locorriere, co-founder and lead singer of the band Dr. Hook. They recorded so many great songs with ‘Sylvia’s Mother’ and ‘Sexy Eyes’ being two of my favourites. You can relive their music at the King’s Theatre in Portsmouth on Saturday, 25 July with ‘The Dr. Hook Songbook’ that features the amazing talented singer/songwriter Billy Shannon who will be performing all their hits live.

My musical gem: The music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons will be celebrated at Chichester Cathedral on Thursday, 1 October as the venue continues its run of candlelight concerts that have been receiving fabulous reviews throughout the year. With some touching and heart-warming songs featuring in the group’s repertoire, this tribute night will be doubly special in the glorious surroundings of Chichester Cathedral

Listen to Duncan Barkes on Nation Easy Radio, Monday to Friday nights from 10pm. Nation Easy Radio can be heard on DAB digital radio, via the Nation Player app and on your smart speaker – just say “Play Nation Easy Radio.”