Music in Grocery Stores

This is going to be one of these "old people," blogs. The kind where I say, "I can remember when, etc."

I can remember when I used to go to the grocery store and they would play this hideous music. No beat, just some old generic junky music that I wished that they would turn off. Hardly music to shop by or you would want to shop by. Music that would make you run out of the store not wanting to be in there any longer than you possibly had to be. You know, that type, the elevator music stuff. Ick!

Well today I was in my favorite grocery store in my hometown (my first hometown) and I could actually name that tune they were playing in less than three notes. (I would have done great on "Name that Tune," provided that they would ever bring that show back!) It was a song by Jan and Dean called "Deadman's Curve." Not only could I name that tune, I actually remembered the lyrics. Here I was singing this song, softly under my breath while S was rolling her eyes saying, "Well that's a stupid song."

In my mind it was a memorable song made back in the early 60's when the Beach Boys were popular too, I think before the British Invasion. It was a ballad about Jan Berry's actual accident driving on Deadman's Curve in California. But then I realized that song was nearly 43 years old!! WOW! No wonder S thought the song was weird.

Then I got to thinking there would be no way this type of song would be played in a grocery store setting back in the early 60's. No, we would have to put up with that "music for elevators" or that old stuff made popular in the 40's. I wonder who determines what music to play in the grocery store? Is "Deadman's Curve" an appealing song for someone to buy cheese, cookies or something from the Chinese deli??

Can you imagine what type of music will be playing in grocery stories in 20-30 years? Music by Soulja Boy, Maroon 5, 50 Cent, and Nickelback will probably be played and I can hear S being able to know these songs with her kid looking like she has lost it. Just wait, it'll happen!