‘Age is just a number’: Five amazing albums made by the over-60s
Since the advent of pop music and rock and roll, the scene has invariably been linked to youth culture. Even today, the vast majority of bands and artists populating the album charts are fairly young. Particularly in the case of rock music, adolescent angst proved to be a perfect catalyst for a variety of incredible records that simply would not carry the same impact if somebody in their fifties created them; ‘Killing In The Name’ would have been very different had it been sung by a grey-haired man with a bus pass.
Of course, in the early days of rock and pop, only the younger generation was interested in the style. Nowadays, on the other hand, music transcends generations, with even the people populating retirement homes around the world young enough to remember the advent of rock and roll. As a result, there is certainly no shortage of older artists who are still going strong in the modern age. If you look at the line-up of any music festival this summer, you will inevitably find a deluge of artists that have been around for the past 20 or 30 years.
While many of these ageing artists have resigned themselves to cash-grab reunion tours and ‘greatest hits’ albums, there have been many musicians over the years who have created some of their most outstanding work during their later years. After all, if you have dedicated your life to the pursuit of artistic and musical expression, why would that motivation stop once you reach a certain age? By all logic, you should have more to say and more to write about by the time you reach old age due to the various life experiences you have gone through.
Ageism is prevalent in many aspects of modern society, and the music world is undoubtedly among them. Indeed, when you look at the singles charts or the shelves of record stores, it is young faces you see sneering back at you. Although the older generation are largely ignored or insulted by the music industry, it has not stopped a pioneering few from continuing in their noble quest for musical greatness. So, join us as we run through five undisputed masterpieces created by artists who were all, at the time, over the age of 60.
The five best albums made by the over-60s:
Scott Walker – Bish Bosch
The incredible comeback orchestrated by Scott Walker should be studied in music classes across the land. Once known for his velvety tones and cinematic compositions, Walker was one of music’s defining voices during the 1960s. Upon his return to the industry during the 1990s with Tilt, the Ohio-born songwriter switched out his gentle crooning for ruthlessly experimental, captivating soundscapes.
Bish Bosh was Walker’s final solo studio album and the third in a trilogy of incredible avant-garde records. Released in 2012, shortly before Walker’s 70th birthday, the record paints a picture of a prolific artist finally breaking free from the shackles of commercialism to pursue something he is clearly very passionate about. It is certainly among Walker’s greatest albums, which is no easy feat given the breadth and quality of his career.
Françoise Hardy – Personne d’autre
Back in the 1960s, Françoise Hardy was the face and the voice of the vibrant yé-yé wave in Paris. Often noted for her ethereal voice and tracks, which captured a sense of adolescent euphoria, Hardy is among the finest French vocalists of all time. However, her music was tied so tightly to the years of yé-yé that, when the scene died down, there did not seem to be any place for Hardy to go. Although she kept putting out records fairly regularly, she struggled to capture the intense brilliance of her early recordings.
That was until 2018 when, at the age of 73, the vocalist unveiled what would become her final studio album, Personne d’autre. Deeply heartbreaking, personal, and emotionally charged, the album is perhaps the best thing Hardy managed to produce following her 1960s heyday. Reportedly inspired by Poets of the Fall – who Hardy covers on the album – the record tells the story of a woman who has experienced a great deal of heartbreak, pain and suffering during her long and illustrious career. I defy anyone to listen to Personne d’autre without welling up.
Joe Bataan – Call My Name
After giving up on a life of gang violence and crime to pursue his true passion, Joe Bataan became a titan of the American funk and soul movement. During his golden age, back in the 1960s and 1970s, Bataan’s work regularly incorporated a wide range of influences, particularly Latin jazz and salsa. This helped to make the New Yorker something of a rarity among the heavily saturated funk and soul scene, and he grew a cult following in the process.
As was the case with a depressing amount of funk and soul stars, Bataan achieved some modest success during his heyday before slipping away into obscurity for many years. It was only during the early 2000s when Spanish independent label Vampi Soul uncovered the musician that his music began to reach dizzying new heights. In 2005, at the age of 63, Bataan released Call My Name, which clearly showed that his love for infectious soul floor-fillers never waned during the years he spent away from the music industry.
Kim Gordon – The Collective
When you spend the majority of your life recording and performing with one band, it can be easy to fall into something of a routine. So, when Kim Gordon dedicated herself to a solo career following the dissolution of Sonic Youth in 2011, it would have been very easy for her to write material which evoked the sounds of the beloved noise rockers. Unsurprisingly, though, Gordon yearned for something more exciting than all of that, chasing a unique, experimental sound, which proves that the Rochester songwriter has undoubtedly still got it.
The Collective is Gordon’s most recent record, released earlier this year, shortly before her 71st birthday. Upon listening to the driving beats and colossal walls of sound captured on the record, however, it would certainly be difficult for an unassuming listener to correctly guess the age of the artist. As always, Gordon remains unpredictable, secretive, and dedicated to the pursuit of new and interesting sounds.
Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash seems to be one of only a few artists that everybody, regardless of age, nationality, gender or class, can agree upon. The ‘man in black’ should be hailed as one of the greatest songwriters to ever grace the airwaves, and his deep baritone vocals never fail to get the hairs on your neck to stand to attention. For the most part, though, Cash’s most well-known work was recorded during the period from the 1950s to the 1970s. By 2002, the singer was written off as being past his prime.
Of course, you should never underestimate the great Johnny Cash. For, at the age of 70 and only one year prior to his death, the singer unveiled American IV: The Man Comes Around. Largely made up of cover versions, including his infamously gut-wrenching take on ‘Hurt’ by Nine Inch Nails, Cash’s gravelly, weathered voice somehow adds more emotional weight to his performance. The Man Comes Around evokes an image of a man who has experienced more than most people ever will, and Cash manages to capture the heartbreak of that feeling perfectly.
