3 Rock Songs That Have Aged Horribly (And 3 That Aged Well)

Quite a few rock songs through the years have aged pretty horribly. A lot of such music was released in a very different time… but that doesn’t make their subject matter any less cringeworthy in the new millennium. Let’s take a look at a few rock songs from back in the day that have aged horribly, plus three that have aged surprisingly well.

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1. Aged Horribly: “Run For Your Life” by The Beatles

For the most part, The Beatles succeeded in producing music that is still loved (and genuinely still good) decades after their heyday in the 1960s. However, the 1965 Rubber Soul addition “Run For Your Life” is still quite unsettling years later. John Lennon croons about basically wanting to kill a young woman if he catches her with another man. Yikes.

2. Aged Horribly: “Daughters” by John Mayer

This somewhat newish song from 2003 was a pretty big hit for John Mayer. However, “Daughters” has not aged well over the last two decades. This song is quite disturbing if you really listen to the lyrics. Specifically, the lines “Fathers, be good to your daughters / Girls become lovers who turn into mothers” aren’t going to win any feminist awards in the 2020s. Throughout this track, Mayer appears to just see women as objects who must love men and make babies.

3. Aged Horribly: “Good Morning, Little School Girl” by Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead put out so much music back in the day, it’s not exactly surprising that a few listeners missed this uncomfortable piece of work from 1967. “Good Morning, Little School Girl” is solid from a musical perspective. But lyrically, it is extremely disturbing. 

More or less, the song is about an adult man who is attracted to a teenage girl whom he watches on her walk home from school every day. And unfortunately, there are plenty of songs like it from the 1960s and 1970s that have gone unchecked.

4. Aged Well: “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey

When times are tough and you don’t think you can make it, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” still has the lyrical power to inspire and help listeners get through tough times. This is a really solid song that has aged beautifully.

5. Aged Well: “Hotel California” by Eagles

Unfortunately, a lot of Eagles’ music hasn’t aged well. However, “Hotel California” still manages to hit well, without the risk of offending anyone, well into the 21st century. The storytelling on this song is still captivating to new, young listeners. It’s a great example of sociopolitical statements that musicians made during the 1970s.

6. Aged Well: “Under Pressure” by Queen/David Bowie

This 1981 banger has been making the rounds on social media, and I’m personally thrilled that a new generation of listeners is appreciating “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie. 

Those arresting closing lyrics are incredibly inspirational: “‘Cause love’s such an old-fashioned word / And love dares you to care for / The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night / And love (People on streets) dares you to change our way of / Caring about ourselves.”

Photo by Armando Gallo/Getty Images

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