GhostOfSarcasticBtrd: Prime Age for Musicians

GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 09.16.16	Ten examples from younger to older. My own vote is that there's about a five year period from 24-28 where most writers do their best work after which everything is downhill. Prior they're usually still on the upswing and maturing as writers.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 09.16.16	Yeah I've heard that argued as well but I rarely ever see anyone doing good stuff past age 50 and past 35 seems pretty unusual also. Gira is an anomaly (to me).
zakalwe 09.16.16	17-23. Say everything you need to say, destroy and burn out.
Maco097 09.16.16	LOL Hinds prime age was 28, not 30.
bloc 09.16.16	I would say 28 and 2 months tbh
bgillesp 09.16.16	Kinda hard to argue Chevelle has a defining album when they all are 3.8s. I prefer Vena Sera as their best but anywho, I feel like early to mid 20s is a common age where awesome musicians have learned enough about their music but still have that raw emotional feel. Theres examples of masterpieces from any age though
Flugmorph 09.16.16	you only know americans apparently
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 09.16.16	I put that there cause anyone arguably at or near their peak in their late 30s is a rare find.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 09.16.16	"you only know americans apparently" Honestly just a coincidence.
SitarHero 09.16.16	21-27 sounds about right. It's when you're young enough to identify with your demographics (ie young people) but old enough to articulate yourself effectively. Obviously there are outliers though.
bgillesp 09.16.16	If you want a Canadian to really mess this list up, add Devin. Was his best age 23, 29, 39, who knows?
adr 09.16.16	all the guys from Decapitated were 15-16 when they wrote Winds of Creation and it's their best album. Antti Boman from Demilich was 19 when he wrote Nespithe , burp vocals, riffs, pretty much everything.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 09.16.16	Devin had both City and Ocean Machine at 25 so even for him I'd say he fits the usual pattern. He's just got a really long tail where he declines at a super slow rate.
SitarHero 09.16.16	There might be random peaks in later years, but at least for rock and metal, 30+ is too old to be angry all the time. 15-20 year olds are the major music consumers and once you have kids and a mortgage it's pretty hard to write music for teenagers. zakalwe excluded...of course. xD
bgillesp 09.16.16	I meant 25 instead of 23. Terria was 29. But Ghost and Deconstruction he was 39. I think he has more of a double peak.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 09.16.16	Yeah there are some who have that resurgence where they had a dark period and were just not doing anything notable or addicted to hard drugs or whatever.
AlexKzillion 09.16.16	There is none.
CalculatingInfinity 09.16.16	Honestly in my eyes there's no such thing as a prime age for musicians, completely case by case scenerio.
Mythodea 09.16.16	there is a graph on the internet, showing exactly what you ask, but for a number of arts. Look for it.
DominionMM1 09.16.16	10 isn't even close to swans prime
Typhoon24 09.16.16	21-25...but it's more so measured by how much practice you put in, how "in tune" you are with the times, and the opportunities you receive
Gwyn. 09.16.16	There isn't one
guitarded_chuck 09.16.16	most people it might be early on because they get involved in different things as they age but I don't think there is something biologically inherent that limits creative ability with age
Kompys2000 09.16.16	Varies from genre to genre. For punk and indie, it's around 22 or 23, for metal, probably between 25-35, and for jazz and country (and a lot of singer-songwriter types), it can be anywhere from 30 to 70. "I don't think there is something biologically inherent that limits creative ability with age". Brains tend to lose some of their problem-solving skills and ability to process new information as they age, but other than that yeah.
Riviere 09.17.16	"10 isn't even close to swans prime" Soundtracks was the peak, but even then Gira would have been 42 at the time. Very impressive to make an album that good at that age.
Riviere 09.17.16	I'd say the general age barring anomalies would be 20-40. Some folks don't hit their stride until late in their career, others might make an amazing album in their early 20's and never do anything good again.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 09.17.16	"most people it might be early on because they get involved in different things as they age but I don't think there is something biologically inherent that limits creative ability with age" Yeah, I think there is something genetic about the aging process that makes it like that. How often do you see older musicians trying to recapture that creativity a decade or two later but just not being able to manage it? Happens all the damn time. Even without kids or family or other stuff to potentially hold them back I just don't think people over 35-40 have the same knack for it. Even for jazz and country or other "non-angry" genres. I don't see creativity as a constant over lifespan. I don't know if I'd say it's as strict a range as athletic ability but I think it's damn close for the vast majority of us.
GhostOfSarcasticBtrd 09.17.16	Watch as American Football's new album comes out or Metallica's and tell me you don't think there's something to that.

Submit Comment