My prediction

2022: Transition from retro pop to pop punk as the dominant genre

2023: Pop punk domination with retro pop on the backburner

2024-2025: Pop punk is dominant. Other styles of rock and metal become more common in the mainstream again. Rap-rock and Electro-rock becomes mainstream as well.

2026-2027: Rock in general is losing it's steam and an electropop revival starts gaining a bit of traction as late 00s/early 10s nostalgia becomes mainstream

2028-2029: Neo-electropop takes over and becomes the dominant genre.

What do you base these predictions on?

What do you base these predictions on?


Current trends and nostalgia cycles.

Current trends and nostalgia cycles.


Very astute. But I'm curious about something. Are nostalgia cycles always infallible, or can something come along that throws them out of whack?

Very astute. But I'm curious about something. Are nostalgia cycles always infallible, or can something come along that throws them out of whack?


a 2 decade nostalgia cycle  seems very consistent to me. The 90s were about the 70s, the 2000s were about the 80s, the 2010s were about the 90s. The latter third of the 2010s saw a lot of nostalgia for the late 90s/early 00s so I think the same will happen in the late 20s. I mean early and mid 00s are already very nostalgic to many people right now, only a matter of time before late 00s nostalgia becomes fully mainstream.

I don't think anything will throw nostalgia out of whack besides WW3 or something.

a 2 decade nostalgia cycle  seems very consistent to me. The 90s were about the 70s, the 2000s were about the 80s, the 2010s were about the 90s. The latter third of the 2010s saw a lot of nostalgia for the late 90s/early 00s so I think the same will happen in the late 20s. I mean early and mid 00s are already very nostalgic to many people right now, only a matter of time before late 00s nostalgia becomes fully mainstream.

I don't think anything will throw nostalgia out of whack besides WW3 or something.


I also thought it was more like 16 years, though some believe 15. Plus or minus 1 year. Anyhow in the late 90's there was some nostalgia for the early 80's. In the late 00's there was nostalgia for the early 90's, and in the late 2010's as you mentioned there was nostalgic for the early 00's. Now in the early 2020's, there seems to be more of the sounds and aestetics of the mid-00's. The late 00's nostalgia will probably be in the mid-2020's.

Although not all musical genres necessarily follow that pattern. For example the mid-2010's generally had Y2K era nostalgia, but Latin pop which was popular in the Y2K instead was more popular in the later part of the 2010's. Therefore it's harder to predict. Pop punk is early to mid-00's, and is now catching on.

a 2 decade nostalgia cycle  seems very consistent to me. The 90s were about the 70s, the 2000s were about the 80s, the 2010s were about the 90s. The latter third of the 2010s saw a lot of nostalgia for the late 90s/early 00s so I think the same will happen in the late 20s. I mean early and mid 00s are already very nostalgic to many people right now, only a matter of time before late 00s nostalgia becomes fully mainstream.

I don't think anything will throw nostalgia out of whack besides WW3 or something.



I also thought it was more like 16 years, though some believe 15. Plus or minus 1 year. Anyhow in the late 90's there was some nostalgia for the early 80's. In the late 00's there was nostalgia for the early 90's, and in the late 2010's as you mentioned there was nostalgic for the early 00's. Now in the early 2020's, there seems to be more of the sounds and aestetics of the mid-00's. The late 00's nostalgia will probably be in the mid-2020's.

Although not all musical genres necessarily follow that pattern. For example the mid-2010's generally had Y2K era nostalgia, but Latin pop which was popular in the Y2K instead was more popular in the later part of the 2010's. Therefore it's harder to predict. Pop punk is early to mid-00's, and is now catching on.


Have these cycles always operated this way through history, or is it a modern phenomenon, i.e. the internet age.

I also thought it was more like 16 years, though some believe 15. Plus or minus 1 year. Anyhow in the late 90's there was some nostalgia for the early 80's. In the late 00's there was nostalgia for the early 90's, and in the late 2010's as you mentioned there was nostalgic for the early 00's. Now in the early 2020's, there seems to be more of the sounds and aestetics of the mid-00's. The late 00's nostalgia will probably be in the mid-2020's.

Although not all musical genres necessarily follow that pattern. For example the mid-2010's generally had Y2K era nostalgia, but Latin pop which was popular in the Y2K instead was more popular in the later part of the 2010's. Therefore it's harder to predict. Pop punk is early to mid-00's, and is now catching on.


Well yeah, nostalgia isn't strictly fixed within a cycle of x number of years but the general trend is there is most nostalgia for stuff about 15-20 years ago.

Have these cycles always operated this way through history, or is it a modern phenomenon, i.e. the internet age.


You would probably know that answer better than me. I don't know much about 20th century decades and the nostalgia cycles back then but I hear the 50s were nostalgic in the 80s(which is unusual since it's usually 20 years) and the 70s were nostalgic in the 90s.

You would probably know that answer better than me. I don't know much about 20th century decades and the nostalgia cycles back then but I hear the 50s were nostalgic in the 80s(which is unusual since it's usually 20 years) and the 70s were nostalgic in the 90s.


Yes, in many, many ways the conservative 80s were a "return to the 50s", but not really for the reasons you are thinking. It was a sharp turn right after the liberal period of the 60s & 70s. There was none of this "institutionalized nostalgia" that y'all have now. There's been many threads about this here, but I am happy to repeat. In the 60s & 70s we NEVER went around being "nostalgic" for times long past. By your 20 year model, that would have made the 60s "nostalgic for the 40s". NOT A CHANCE. In the 60s AND 70s we would have disgraced ourselves to go around being into that stuff, even if we had thought of it in the first place. Which we didn't. it was uncool, it was unhip, and what we had (music, specifically) ws just plain better. In our opinions anyway. Ths institutionalized nostalgia is definitely a phenomenon of the internet age. It started when the ever forward thrust of the 20th Century stopped thrusting.

In the 60s & 70s we NEVER went around being "nostalgic" for times long past. By your 20 year model, that would have made the 60s "nostalgic for the 40s". NOT A CHANCE. In the 60s AND 70s we would have disgraced ourselves to go around being into that stuff, even if we had thought of it in the first place. Which we didn't. it was uncool, it was unhip, and what we had (music, specifically) was just plain better. In our opinions anyway. The institutionalized nostalgia is definitely a phenomenon of the internet age. It started when the ever forward thrust of the 20th Century stopped thrusting.


I agree with this 100%. Absolutely.

Yes, in many, many ways the conservative 80s were a "return to the 50s", but not really for the reasons you are thinking. It was a sharp turn right after the liberal period of the 60s & 70s. There was none of this "institutionalized nostalgia" that y'all have now. There's been many threads about this here, but I am happy to repeat. In the 60s & 70s we NEVER went around being "nostalgic" for times long past. By your 20 year model, that would have made the 60s "nostalgic for the 40s". NOT A CHANCE. In the 60s AND 70s we would have disgraced ourselves to go around being into that stuff, even if we had thought of it in the first place. Which we didn't. it was uncool, it was unhip, and what we had (music, specifically) ws just plain better. In our opinions anyway. Ths institutionalized nostalgia is definitely a phenomenon of the internet age. It started when the ever forward thrust of the 20th Century stopped thrusting.


It's really pathetic an already redundant old style like pop punk is "coming back", we've ran out of "new" past to revive so now kids today are reviving revivals. ;D Pop punk/skate punk in the '90s was already a watered-down wannabe Sex Pistols sound with bands like Green day.

I want modernism back, f@#$ this lame zombie culture.

It's really pathetic an already redundant old style like pop punk is "coming back", we've ran out of "new" past to revive so now kids today are reviving revivals. ;D Pop punk/skate punk in the '90s was already a watered-down wannabe Sex Pistols sound with bands like Green day.

I want modernism back, f@#$ this lame zombie culture.


That's truly dystopian. If so, we would seem to be at the postmodern "end of history".

I just want something we haven't heard betore. Something new and unique. Enough with the revivals. We need some new and fresh music that isn't based on nostalgia. Something creative that we haven't heard before. I know it's possible. It's just there has been a lack of creativity lately but I know we can see something new that is also good pop up soon, at least I hope!

I just want something we haven't heard betore. Something new and unique. Enough with the revivals. We need some new and fresh music that isn't based on nostalgia. Something creative that we haven't heard before. I know it's possible. It's just there has been a lack of creativity lately but I know we can see something new that is also good pop up soon, at least I hope!


I know it's nothing new but at least rock would be back in the mainstream after an over a decade long drought.

The biggest growing trend is clearly the return of guitars - specifically, highly distorted and Lo-Fi. That's gonna continue to be the big thing this year, as this new breed of "rock" combines with trap, forming an evolved form of emo trap. Other than that, hyperpop's influence will continue to gradually rise

The biggest growing trend is clearly the return of guitars - specifically, highly distorted and Lo-Fi. That's gonna continue to be the big thing this year, as this new breed of "rock" combines with trap, forming an evolved form of emo trap. Other than that, hyperpop's influence will continue to gradually rise


i dont see any hyperpop in the mainstream

i dont see any hyperpop in the mainstream


To me, Stay by JB & Kid Laroi is a precursor. That song is lite hyperpop and it's been massive the past 8 months. It's truly the most Gen Z genre - wild, wacky, and focused on electronic. It'll go mainstream eventually

To me, Stay by JB & Kid Laroi is a precursor. That song is lite hyperpop and it's been massive the past 8 months. It's truly the most Gen Z genre - wild, wacky, and focused on electronic. It'll go mainstream eventually


It didn't feel like that to me. Hyperpop is basically meme edit music, stay is synthpop with a little bit of a pop rock vibe.