Recently I heard a Classic Hits station running an all-80s weekend, promoting it as ‘songs you remember from when you were in high school and college.’
While it’s certainly true that people appreciate music made before they were born, it’s undeniable that many identify with the hit songs from their formative teen and young adult years — even if they didn’t really like some of the songs when they were new.
So, who was in high school or college in the 1980s? Assuming people started high school at 14 (it varies by district), went to a four-year college, and graduated at 22, a person who attended high school or college at any point between 1980 and 1989 is now between 48 and 65 years old, with a median age of about 56.
Notably, that median age is outside of the 25-54 demo.
So, as of 2023, how old are people who attended high school and college within specific decades, assuming the ages described above?
| Decade | People who attended H.S. and college are now: |
| 1960s | 68 to 85 (median: 76) |
| 1970s | 58 to 75 (median: 66) |
| 1980s | 48 to 65 (median: 56) |
| 1990s | 38 to 55 (median: 46) |
| 2000s | 28 to 45 (median: 36) |
| 2010s | 18 to 35 (median: 26) |
Looking at it from the other way around, approximately when did people in some common demos attend high school and college?
| Demo | Attended H.S. and college |
| 18-34 | 2003-now |
| 18-49 | 1988-now |
| 25-54 | 1983-2020 |
| 35-64 | 1973-2010 |
In other words, a person who is now right in the middle of the 25-54 demo graduated high school in 2001.
Of course, when a person attended high school and college is not the only factor that determines what kind of music they want to hear. People listen to music before high school and after college. There’s a generational ripple effect when kids hear their parents and grandparents playing the songs of their youth. And people will always seek out good music from any era.
But in this case, the station’s claim is specific: We are the station for people who were in high school or college in the 1980s. They’re almost telling you to go away if you didn’t.
Maybe it’s a lesson in making imaging broad enough to appeal to everyone who’s enjoying the music you’re playing.
But maybe it’s also a lesson on who your programming is really targeting. Is the station’s target listener 56 years old? Maybe, if their target demo is 35-64.
I’m definitely not a music programming expert, but it’s no secret that gold-based radio stations tend to update their playlists more slowly than the years advance. Formats sometimes become defined by specific songs rather than the age of their intended target demo.
It may be time for some stations to check the calendar.