Episode 275
My favorite book of 2024 is titled “1967.” The slim volume with the subtitle “How I Got There and Why I Never Left” was written by songwriter Robyn Hitchcock. In it he talks about his musical awakening in the year of the title against the background of his entry into boarding school: new electrifying records are constantly being released, pop music climbs to the highest peaks and ignites one fire after another – rosy hope on all horizons.
At the end of the book, 1967 is over, but for the singer it was never meant to end. Admittedly, the year 2024 will perhaps not go down in legends and songs to the same extent in terms of cultural peaks; it was not exactly an annus mirabilis for pop. However, anyone who was there knows that there was a lot going on.
Beth Gibbons sang again, Nick Cave hosted the service, The Last Dinner Party played frilly goth-pop for a new generation, and Beyoncé rode the country mold. Of course, the singer – like the rest of the US pop upper class – was unable to prevent Trump’s election. Instead, the law of the prairie prevailed. How the West won in 2024.
Two other representatives of the musical establishment shaped the local concert summer of love: Taylor Swift and Adele. Cities were renamed and portable pop-up arenas were built; Adele World included a beer garden, the Adele Spritz Lounge, a Ferris wheel and a carousel: the eventization of pop on roller skates. After the Adele World was dismantled, a construction machinery trade fair was held on the same site.
The world situation, which was deplorable in many respects, led to emotional actions among some artists in 2024: Out of sheer horror at the impending demise of human civilization, Oasis accidentally reunited in August – with their original guitarist Bonehead! He now looks like the runner-up in the last Ian Anderson lookalike contest, so it can only be great.
Coldplay singer Chris Martin, on the other hand, told the perplexed world public in September that his band might, just maybe, stop making music in a few years, let’s see. At the same time, Coldplay released a new record that impressively shows that you don’t need AI for AI music.
Back to Germany: In November, Herbert Grönemeyer first banned Friedrich Merz and shortly afterwards Robert Habeck from using his song “Time for something to turn” for their election campaign purposes. When Merz then wanted to use Nico Haak’s “Schmidtchen Schleicher” in his performances as a substitute, the Dutch singer’s heirs also intervened. The fact that Markus Söder and Christian Lindner have not yet used any German hits to accompany their election campaign appearances remains the most positive thing that can be said about them.
More texts from Eric Pfeil
My personal music highlight of 2024 were Bob Dylan’s Germany concerts, where the singer performed musicologically unexplored things on the guitar with his back to the audience. It was the pure image of God.
If I’m still keeping a pop diary in 2044, Coldplay will probably have announced their reunion and The Last Dinner Party will have released a country record. The lights will still be on in the Bob Dylan Spritz Lounge, and we’ll all be celebrating the Brat Summer revival in 2044 with American President Charli XCX.
Nothing seems as distant as the recent past, writes Robyn Hitchcock. As far as 2024 is concerned, it must unfortunately be said that – unlike the British musician his elysian 1967 – you should leave it as quickly as possible with your hair flying. Get your feet wet!