Blog: Pandora for the ages

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October 12, 2006

Pandora for the ages

You may be surprised at how many Pandora listeners there are who are over 70 years old. Some of them are using the internet daily, so put away your stereotypes! There are other older listeners who are using the internet solely for listening to music via Pandora, having been turned on to it by a relative or friend.

More than one listener over 70 has written in to tell us that while listening to Pandora they're actually getting up to dance to their old favorites such as Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry, remembering doing The Twist, The Jitterbug and The Bunny Hop.
jitterbug.jpg
Hollywood Palladium, 1940


Last week a gentleman wrote in to tell us that he's 82, and that his Benny Goodman and his Tommy Dorsey stations remind him of his teenage years, dancing at the Hollywood Palladium in the 1940s. (Entry fee: 50 cents.) Another woman, 71, listens to music from her college days on Pandora on a laptop, in bed. She likes the trip down memory lane listening to Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong. The internet is sometimes thought of as a young person's game, but we're finding that love of music draws listeners of all ages.

Posted by Lucia at October 12, 2006 10:36 AM

Comments

hey most of today's teens are into more of the R&B thing then anything else try and get some of that for Pandora. more of my friends may join and enjoy this as much as i do.

Posted by: liz at October 12, 2006 01:36 PM

I must confess they are not the only ones listening to that music.

I'm 22 and i listen all day long those artists. Ella, Louis, Frank, Nat King... the list goes on and on!

Swing just has that i-dont-know-what that makes it the best kind of music.

Posted by: TheSpamHere at October 13, 2006 07:34 AM

it's incredible that music (and internet) has no barriers.
keep rockin' Pandora!
greetings

Posted by: sebastian at October 13, 2006 07:59 AM

That's so great! It's amazing how I can share some of the same musical interests with someone who is of another generation. I'm only sixteen and I love listening to big band, swing, and artists of long ago.

Posted by: Kara at October 13, 2006 10:26 AM

This entry is heartwarming; I know that I love the Internet myself and it makes me happy to know that some of our seniors enjoy it in the same ways!

Posted by: mmm7 at October 15, 2006 12:08 PM

Hello,

I think it is great that 70 year olds are listening, however, my 3 year olddaughter would like to have a selection of music that interests her. I would love it if such songs as "baa baa black sheep, alphabet song" etc could be added.

Posted by: Tracey at October 16, 2006 10:11 AM

Thanks for the lovely comments!!

cheers, Lucia

Posted by: Lucia @ Pandora at October 16, 2006 10:43 AM

i'm an 18 year-old high school senior and this is one of the reasons why i love pandora. it's really hard to find music of the older genre in today's society. pandora makes it really easy for someone like me to experience great music from days long past even though i never got the chance to be there.

Posted by: tofuu at October 16, 2006 10:47 AM

Age is just a number (in my opinion) What ever music appeal to your HEART and MIND. rule over the age factor/ I am in my late Forty and still listen to FUNK,Modern Rock,Soul and Old school Rap. Oh Classic Rock Forever. Yes! I love the Big Band/swing music (What it used to be called back in the 40's and early 50's)it is great for walking and jump roping. The sound is so live and no electronic gizmo crap. These artists were the real musicians.

Posted by: Sharona at October 16, 2006 09:44 PM

Since listing to pandora, my husband and I have had nights listing to classic, country, jazz, R&B, oldies and smooth jazz anytime we wanted too. We now have romantic nights listing to love songs to set the mood.

We have had friends asking what station we're listing too and showed them pandora, they too list to it now....

Thank you...

Posted by: MM at October 16, 2006 11:08 PM

Add me to the 80 somethings who depend on Pandora for the good music of our youth. My Big Band station takes me back to the Aragon in Chicago, The Glen Island Casino, and Frank Daly's Meadowbrook. They were all on the radio. Remember radio? TV without the picture.

Posted by: Neal at October 17, 2006 06:53 AM

And I thought I was the oldest at 49! You guys should feel good about creating a space for all age music lovers... kudos my friends!

Posted by: silverhorn at October 17, 2006 08:56 AM

wow! this is incredible! senior citizens really rock sometimes :)

i saw that there were meet-ups in Indiana and other American towns. fo you know if there are any planned in Quebec? I've been spreading the word in my entourage, but would be nice to meet other people, too.

Posted by: superk at October 19, 2006 08:15 AM

Just letting you know the baby boomers are represented on Pandora. I'm 57 and building stations of great music from the 1930's through today.

Posted by: JMG at October 20, 2006 04:02 PM

Music *is* age transcending. One of the biggest problems in the music industry today is the need to categorize or box in music/artists and fans. I listen to all kinds of music and appreciate artistry in all genres. This is one area where age truly is irrelevant.

Posted by: moonhead at October 21, 2006 07:16 AM

Good God, I'm almost there (soon to be 47) and it's good to know that technology will help ease the inevitable descent into nothingness, which I accept as our unavoidable fate. Technology and of course, pharmaceuticals.

Posted by: Richard Gross at October 23, 2006 12:15 AM

Better living through music, technology, and pharmaceuticals, eh?

Posted by: Lucia @ Pandora at October 23, 2006 11:39 AM

Hey Guy's...!!
I think it's marvelous, that something like this has come along..!! Just to think, I stumbled on it looking for WBGO FM.. Although, I took you to task with my reqests,you really met the challenge..!! I'm still looking for Ayako Shirasaki, Incidentally, she'll be appearing with Marian McPartland on WBGO FM 11/16 @ 6:30P EST.. So check her out..!! PEACE...!!

Posted by: John at November 1, 2006 02:30 PM

I'm having a great time listening to Pandora. I would like to know if, in the future, you would add a search for not only artists and songs, but genres, such as Soft Rock, Jazz, Pop, R&B, Big Band, Classic Rock, Eclectic, Punk, etc. I think this type of search would be much more helpful in finding the songs/music one prefers.
Thank you.

Posted by: Genie at November 2, 2006 11:38 AM

I am a 70 yr old devotee of bluegrass. Thank you for playing all my old time favorites.
Bergen Co NJ

Posted by: Hattie at November 2, 2006 05:25 PM

Hey, I'm 72 and my favorite music is from BEFORE my time. The 20's and 30's Louis Armstrong, Bix Biederbecke, Isham Jones, Ted Weems et al. Some of it I didn't know was available until Pandora found it. I have bought several CD's from Amazon as a result.

Posted by: Don at November 2, 2006 07:50 PM

Second that on the genre search. I tried to type in "Classical" today and was presented with a question asking if I meant the song The Classical by The Fall or Emergency Music.

I know that the artist and song search is much more advanced and revolutionary but sometimes you just want to listen to an entire genre of music.

Posted by: Rob O at November 2, 2006 09:30 PM

Why does the music fade in and out? It's very irritatging!!

Posted by: Marti Evans at November 3, 2006 04:12 AM

I also would like to put my vote in for a genre catagory. It would open up the possibilities for finding music, if one doesn't know the title or artist.
Thanks

Posted by: Dale at November 4, 2006 07:47 AM

Still a youngster here at 65. I am a great blues fan and I am very happy that you have quite a good selection of the original blues singers and players.

I would like to be able to pick songs out by genre, too. Like Classic Rock and Roll!

I love Pandora!

Posted by: Sally at November 4, 2006 10:24 AM

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