Fashion never goes out of style, and popular music has always provided the sonic accessory. From “Buttons and Bows” to “Chantilly Lace," musicians love to sing about fashions, but arguably there has been a decline in the looks — and the music.
It doesn’t get any classier than Fred Astaire in top hat and tails, so let’s start there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFabjc6mFk4
Some say the decline of fashion coincided with the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. We won’t dispute that, and here’s Carl Perkins for the prosecution:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79CJON8fv6c
Another example of fashion – and rock ‘n’ roll going down the tawdry path of decadence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYKlYA77ZI4
The latest and most obvious example of the decline of fashion, and a viral (8 million + hits) song to go with it. This is General Larry Pratt and “Pants on the Ground”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMwhl4IrPNc
Every week on “Record bin Roulette,” KPLU’s John Kessler and John Maynard put an insightful and fun spin on a century's worth of discarded vinyl. The feature is published here and airs on KPLU 88.5 every Thursday during Morning Edition, All Things Considered and on Weekend Saturday Edition.
