August 29, 2024 — Bose, a company dedicated to delivering amazing audio experiences for music lovers around the world, is celebrating 60 years of audio innovation with the unveiling of a cross-generational, decades-spanning study exploring our emotional connection to music. The study uncovers our differences, our loves, and our similarities as humans and music fans – all to recognize the power of sound and the role Bose has played in delivering that sound since 1964.
From Elvis to Tupac, from the original Bose 901 speakers to the latest Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, music has evolved and so have Bose products, bringing fans closer to cultural moments defined by great music and the sounds it evokes – like the memories of a day, a time or place. Looking back at attitudes towards music over the decades, Bose set out to understand how sound has shaped fandom and transformed over time.
The sweeping study looked at 6,000 music fans across the U.S. and U.K., ages 18-64, and asked questions about iconic artists, music genres and music discovery.
- Across every generation, the music of our youth defines our taste for years to come.
Nostalgia for the era in which you were young and carefree might be common, but Bose discovered how universally generational and enduring the power of sound from people’s youths really is. Of the 6,000 people studied, remarkably over 80% of respondents declared if they had to choose one decade to listen to for the rest of their lives, it would be the decade from their teens and 20s.
That nostalgia influences what we collectively view as “good music.”
Like fashion and film, there's a tendency to romanticize the music of the past. More than 60% of all respondents (63%) agreed that music used to be better than it is now.
By and large, people still want to discover new music.
Whether it’s Throwback Thursday or New Music Friday, a Hot 100 station or Oldies Jams, most people are interested in discovering music from eras outside of their own. Across the U.S. and U.K., almost 80% of music fans (79%) are open to discovering music from another generation, which was evidenced in the study’s top artists...
Surprisingly, decades with iconic chart toppers like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift were not among the top decades respondents would choose to listen to for the rest of their lives... at least not yet.
Queen Bey and Taylor Swift are topping the charts, but respondents chose the 1980s as the one decade they’d listen to for the rest of their lives, with Queen as the most influential artist of the decade.
While older artists may no longer be number one on the charts, they're still in listeners’ hearts as the most influential artists of their respective decade.
Still, there were generational differences. In the U.S., Gen Z and millennials were more likely than older generations to gravitate towards artists like Tupac and Eminem among those who selected the 1990s and 2000s, respectively, as the one decade they’d choose to listen to.
In the UK among those who selected the 1980s as the one decade they’d choose to listen to, Michael Jackson stands out more for Gen Z and millennials compared to older generations.
Diamond Anniversary Era
To further commemorate its diamond anniversary, Bose is launching Diamond 60th Editions of its most loved products – the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Ultra Open Earbuds. The new diamond drip will be available at Bose.com beginning August 26th, featured alongside other promotions commemorating Bose’s 60th anniversary. The brand will also be launching an engaging and interactive timeline highlighting key innovation moments in the company’s history and its impact on audio spanning six decades and multiple categories – for the home, on-the-go and in the car.
About Bose Corporation
Bose is world renowned for its premium audio solutions for the home, on the go, and in the car. Since its founding in 1964 by Dr. Amar Bose, the company has been dedicated to delivering amazing sound experiences through innovation. And its passionate employees — engineers, researchers, music fanatics, and dreamers — have remained committed to the belief that sound is the most powerful force on earth; its ability to transform, transport, and make us feel alive. For 60 years, this belief has driven us to create products that have become iconic, changing the way people listen to music.
Survey Methodology
The results presented in this release are based on a comprehensive online survey conducted by Bose. A total of 3,400 U.S. and 3,000 U.K. respondents participated to represent a diverse cross-section of the U.S. and U.K. adult population. Data collection was carried out between June 5, 2024 and June 12, 2024.
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