PROOF THAT THE "OLD STYLES" OF MUSIC ARE COMING BACK?

A short while ago in the UK, a single made history by being the first record ever to get to number one in the charts by download sales alone. The song is "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley, a duo comprising of a DJ-producer and an ex rapper-turned-singer, Cee-Lo.

Apart from the obvious accolade mentioned above, this track is also a major step back in time for those of us who remember the soul and disco sounds of the 70's. Reminiscent of great R'n'B singers such as Al Green, but with a modern edge, this song heralds the way forward for the multitude of mature artists who, up till now, have been accused of living in the dark ages by continuing to write and produce songs more akin to "Odyssey" than "Outkast".

Since then, other artists have held the number one spot with records that have obvious influences from previous eras. The most widely known one being perhaps the Scissor Sisters hit which could easily have felt at home in the charts in the late 70's disco era.

The latest in this "Revival Trend" is the recent number one from Mika, a talented singer/songwriter who has been compared to Freddy Mercury. There is no doubt that his record "Grace Kelly" bares more than a passing resemblance to some of the early Queen hits. Not only does this fortify the trend for sounds from 20-30 years ago, but it also brings hope to the many solo artists out there who have been somewhat afraid to portray themselves as a "band" with the use of the multitracking tools now available to them.

Don't be afraid to be yourself and do what you want with your art. We now have proof that you CAN be accepted by the mainstream media for expressing your influences AND using the tools to make the sound YOU like.