Originally Published April 13, 2022
Photo courtesy Unsplash and photographer Mick Haupt
If one creates a song or an album with any intention on making it last, that thought refers to the longevity of that specific musical work. However, just because something will age well does not mean it will have staying power, and things that are dated can maintain hit-song status for decades long after release. This leads to the questions of what current songs will have staying power for decades on, and currently lingers on long past it was first played?
There is a definitive way to answer the second question. While the Billboard Top 200 Songs chart tracks the popularity of songs and caters towards more recent works, as of the week of April 16, 2022, there are roughly 21 songs released more than 10 years ago that appear on the charts. "Sweater Weather" by The Neighborhood, released March 28, 2012, is highest at No. 58. It is followed by Eminem's 2002 hit "Without Me" at No. 76. The lowest qualifying song is Bruno Mars' 2010 song "Just The Way You Are" at No. 193.
Of the decade-or-older songs, they encompass rock like Nirvana, Queen and Coldplay, rap artists like Eminem and Coolio, and songs that are more than 10 years old but less than 15 years old, like the aforementioned Bruno Mars and The Neighborhood songs. This is to mention songs like Frank Ocean's "Lost" at No. 99 and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "Can't Hold Us" at No. 194 that will soon become a decade old in the upcoming months.
The harder question to quantify regards what current songs will have staying decade-and-longer staying power. Should that be measured by length of time on a chart or chart position? In that case, Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" might hold, after being No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 consecutive weeks. Is one remembered by their accolades? Many non-acclaimed songs are still fondly remembered. This is without even mentioning other countries, and how societally their music taste is different than that of the U.S.
In short, the only way to see if something stays is to wait it out in time. Something could be released that may be remembered for the next 50 years, and unforgettable songs of the present can turn to obscurity sooner rather than later. But there is no quantifiable way to predict the future, or how the future will think.
