As of the writing of this column, Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” is the number one song on the Billboard Hot One Hundred. Sixty years ago around this time, the number one song was “Sherry” by The Four Seasons.

Now, I try to stay humble when it comes to most aspects of my life, but when it comes to my knowledge of the teeny bopper genre, I tend to become, dare I say, downright obnoxious. At the ripe age of 19 years old, I like to think it is a little quirky that I know most of The Four Seasons discography which is now considered to be “old people music” in the eyes of my peers. 

Growing up, I listened to a wide variety of music that ranged from Gordon Lightfoot all the way to the Beastie Boys. As I began to develop my own taste in music, thanks to a driver’s license, Spotify and my own car, the two genres of music I find myself listening to the most are indie and just about anything released between 1950 and 1969. Not sure if that’s a genre per se, but we are just going to roll with it. 

In my humble opinion, it is pretty obvious that the indie genre is greatly influenced by this time in music history. With this in mind, I thought it would be fun to pair recent songs with an older, teeny bopper that I feel sound similar. 

1.) “There Goes My Baby” by The Drifters and “You Were My Girl” by Palmas 

As a megafan of The Drifters, “There Goes My Baby” stands out as one of their personal best. The song is about seeing a former lover in passing and all of these questions that come to mind about the reasons they are no longer together. The Drifters are a rare example of a group who can sing songs of current passions just as well as they can sing songs about past loves.

Similarly, the Palmas’ lament a broken-heart in “You Were My Girl.” Not only do these songs have matching messages, the gravelly vocals used in both heighten the bitterness described in each.

2.) “Umm Oh Yeah (Dearest)” by Buddy Holly and “I’m Down, Whatever” by JW Francis 

Buddy Holly was one of the most influential rock and roll figures of the 1950s, but I feel as if his impact on the music industry has been eclipsed by a song written by the most overrated band ever, Weezer (ick.) “Umm Oh Yeah” is a song I stumbled upon a few years ago and Holly’s simple lyrics paired with his guitar make for one of the most comforting songs of the era. 

“I’m Down, Whatever” captures the same feeling of love and affection that make Holly’s song so catchy and meaningful. JW Francis’ “softboy-esque” vocals only enhance the overall message of the song and show glimpses of influence from Holly. 

3.) “You’re Always On My Mind” by Sam Cooke and “Witch Love” by Nico Yaryan

If you’re a hopeless romantic, these two songs are for you. Cooke’s “You’re Always On My Mind” can make you simultaneously cry and smile at the same time because of its overall simplicity in describing love. In just two minutes, Cooke paints a picture of a kind of love that everyone deserves to experience. 

“Witch Love” pairs well with the song above because it discusses that same kind of love. Yaryan’s lyric “You’re always on my mind” is definitely a major factor into why these two songs are paired but it isn’t the only reason. Both songs take an inside look at someone who is so deep in love, they can only think of their special someone.