"Not Top 40 Anymore?"

I remember the "Golden Age of Rock-n-Roll" very well. As a young boy, I remember the rise of the "Doo-Wop" groups; later, I remember "Rock-a-Billy" singers like Carl Perkins, followed by Elvis. The Philadelphia sound of the "Four Seasons" was highly popular when I entered high school. Finally, I saw the "British Invasion" that took America by storm in the 1960s. I have music from every genre in our collection, I appreciate all of it. When we travel, I like the "oldies" stations; they bring back memories and make for pleasant conversation while we ride. As summer ends, we recall going to local fests where many former legendary groups and artists now perform. It's fun watching them perform, although, it's not the quite the same as it was lo' those many years ago. The groups usually have a few replacement guys, and the lead singer sometimes sounds like "a cat in a potato peeler". The magic isn't the same, the newness is gone; the music and the message have become tarnished with age. I've listened to some "legendary" artists on "American Idol" and I sometimes feel sorry for them, their instrument doesn't work anymore. They get standing ovations out of respect; not for the quality of their performance. Their music has become careworn, as has their voices. I don't believe they could generate much of a following today.

We are now approaching the mid-term elections. Politicians of every ilk are delivering their messages with great vigor. Progressives and conservatives are stumping all across America in an effort to win over the American voter. As an amateur historian, I take great interest in our upcoming political theatre in November. We are beginning to hear the songs of our political "rock stars". Some are singing songs we have been hearing over and over for the last several months from both of the predominant political philosophies. The major "rock star", Barack Obama, has been in the campaign mode since last year. His song seems to be "George Did It, Blame Him Baby!" This song has been at the top of the progressive "charts" for some time now. He has sung this tune consistently since taking office. I think his next tune will be a remake of the old Brenda Lee hit, "I'm Sorry". It looks as if America isn't buying his records anymore. Polls show "BarockStar" isn't doing so well; the song is losing its popularity with Americans. When the "British Invasion" took music by storm, it marked a change in the music industry. Former big stars lost quite a bit of their fan base, some totally vanished from music, some played county fairs, some changed with the times.

America is tired of the "same old song" from Barack Obama. The tune is wearing thin; the "unemployment blues" have been playing for 20 months without one "chord change". Will America continue to listen to this concert, or will she switch channels in November? It seems to me, the progressive song is falling off the "charts" with Americans. What tune do you want?