Is it normal for a 13-year old to have never heard of Elvis?

no.... sadly we have grown old

A bit of a surprise but then it was a long long time ago and she'd have been only 4 even when the re-releases were out, if she hadn't heard of the Beatles then even more shocking imo.

Of course it`s normal. Did you know of singers who were dead years before you were born?

mightymac, yes absolutely. I knew about the Beatles and the Beach Boys well before I was 10 although this was long after they had stopped making music. I don't want to come across as another old fart who hates modern music, but rather a slightly bit older gentleman who thinks the younger generation may be missing out if they limit themselves to what is played on modern radio.

Problem is kids today are not interested in the past my daughter has never heard of some historical figure that I find sad but at the end of the day never having heard of someone like Nelson or Napoleon is never going to get them a job

It`s a generation thing. Every generation have their own pop musical heroes. Why would she want to play Elvis music?

Very true mac

Yet if you look at youtube there's no shortage of "I'm only 12, but I really love The Dave Clark Five/Led Zeppelin/Echo and the Bunnyman etc" comments on their respective videos.

Elvis Presley is not a topic covered in the school History cerriculum.

It may seem a sacriligous comment to make with me becoming a member of the old fogey club but there is just an absolute wall of great music out there for all musical tastes and all of it fresh. Popular music is in rude health but having said that my neice was made up when I rcently gave her an old collection of Sinatra and Nat King Cole records I picked up years ago.

dewey  • August 3, 2014 11:21 PM BST
Elvis Presley is not a topic covered in the school History cerriculum.
shocking ommision

Funnily enough, there was a kid called Lee in my class at school who was a big Elvis fan. When Elvis died he was depressed and there was an incident where everybody was laughing at him, this would be shortly after he died. Nobody else gave a toss about Elvis and that was at the time he died, or shortly after. My point is, very few actually care about anything before them, then or now, it's just that there's so much more to forget now than then.

not unusual

not unusual

Luckily there is an ever increasing selection of quality popular music out there as you get good new stuff each year (and the old stuff still remains quality, it doesn't stop being good just cos it's old) so for any music fans with a wide taste like me (and that includes classical) there is a never ending supply to enrich our lives

sorry lawrence
thats tom green grass

Indeed cdog, there's more and more to discover for those that want to, but there's nothing knew in the majority not being interested. I don't remember anyone ever talking about about the Beatles at school in 1980, they just weren't interested except for one kid, it was all The Jam,Tubeway Army etc.

I think he had deteriorated physically a lot when he died Elvis....42 he was not that old

He had an eating addiction he found to control
still he has just about done it all..as many women as anyone would ever want...drugs...fame..money...the lot

People did not worry as much about their health then

In our youth we all have our musical idols...they change from generation to generation

I remember the Beatles used to shock older people, the Stones were even worse...look at their hair they would say
a different world

we are all free to like to like whatever music we like

He went down hill very emphatically and rapidly from 68 to 78, all on film, quite incredible, like he was changing 'fat suits' every year.

or 77

FlowerMyth. I am old enough to remember guys like Lee and I remember where I was when I heard Elvis had died. I didn't care much about other great artists died such as Bob Marley, John Lennon, and Marvin Gaye  As I got older my knowledge involuntarily branched out and I learned of the famous ones who didn't happen to appeal to my personal taste. My concern is if a 13-year old today has not heard of Elvis, she has probably not heard of Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, the stones and she might be dead before she learns
to appreciate the acting skills of Robert de Niro or Marlon Brando.

we are all free to like to like whatever music we like

Indeed but the OP was surprised the young lady had not even heard of Elvis, not that she didn't like him.

I guess that in t he days when Radio One had a virtual monopoly, listeners were exposed to a far greater range of music than now, when it is perhaps too easy to listen only to whichever genre you (or your peer group) like. On the other hand, once you know what to look for, it is probably easier and certainly cheaper to find it now, thanks to itunes, youtube, spotify and so on.

I'll stop now before I fall off this fence.

Elvis who?

Virtually impossible not to have heard of Elvis, of course she may be good at science and maths
rather than music or the arts or history but still its doubtful.

To reverse the polarity of the OP, it's interesting how many people get stuck in a musical time warp. Lots of us love music, but somewhere we stop listening to new stuff and get stuck in a certain era that we feel comfortable with.

On the flip side, it is scary how subsequent generations seem to have less and less appreciation of the history of anything.

It is wrong to assume that there will always be music.

Of course it's normal. Most of us on here are equating what we were aware of at her age with today, totally ignoring the fact that today's generation have far more sources of stimulation.

On top of that, she may simply not be very interested in the relative trivia that is music.

True to all. I would just like to add that in the Scandinavian language group there is a term called allmänbilding, or common knowledge, which constitutes a base of factual knowledge that all somewhat knowledgeable individuals should be familiar with. Individual preference is one thing but once your knowledge strays from something or someone who has shaped musical or general cultural history I believe you are somewhat handicapped.

half of em don't know who the resident Prime Minister is nowadays Mr 69

Cobblaz
03 Aug 14 23:56   
Elvis who?

Costello.

My view is...it is perfectly reasonable that a 13 year old of today, would not have heard of Elvis

Aug 3, 2014 -- 7:09PM, call me a taxi wrote:

Cobblaz 03 Aug 14 23:56   Elvis who? Costello.

1.01 landed

Dont think ive heard of Elvis in 10 years or so tbh

Apart from once in a Noel Gallagher interview when he mentions the Beatles and slips Elvis in to who created rock n roll

You have to ask whether Elvis is that culturally relevant? You can't explain to someone of 13 how influential and ground breaking people like Elvis, Brando and James Dean were for the kids of that time but it was of it's time and in the grand scheme of things he sung other peoples songs, looked cool, shook his hips and acted in shiit movies. Today there are icons wherever you look and if you don't get the latest there will be another one along in six months.

Knowing who Elvis was has nothing to do with age or musical taste. It's a matter of general knowledge. Whatever your views, he was ' famous ' and  an important figure in the history of popular modern music of his time. As were many others of various musical genres through history. Same with sport.. A 13 year old might not be remotely interested in boxing, but the name  of a certain Mr Ali is an historic icon in this field, because of the  impact he had on the boxing world and the world of culture as a whole.
Whether it be music,sport,art,films,books, politics etc.etc. certain figures in history were significant and as such form our knowledge of the world.

I would expect an intelligent, well educated 13 year old to know who Elvis, Ali, Kennedy,Picasso, etc. were.
However, it's a sad fact there are significant numbers of young people who through lack of education both in school and in the home are woefully ignorant of anything beyond who the latest soap star is, what's happening on Big Brother and which particular C list ' celebrity ' is going out with who. This, despite a greater access to media and knowledge than there ever has been.
It's all down to a matter of education.

Elvis Presley has always been my idol!

Growing up as a kid and into my teenage years and beyond, I wanted to do three things!

Visit Graceland, Sun Studio and his birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi!

In 1993, whilst in America for our 25th Wedding Anniversary we drove to Graceland on route from Nashville, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana and in 2004 we drove up from Orlando, Florida to Tupelo, Mississippi (a round trip of 1500 miles) taking in Sun Studio and a fleeting visit back to Graceland, but not for the tour this time!

Vinyl records have always been a passion of mine, I have over 5000 7" singles all from 1956 to 1964 which are predominantly, Rock 'n' Roll or D*o-W*p!

And yes, they are worth a fortune!

Graceland is pretty small considering how much he was worth.

Facts
04 Aug 14 03:57
Joined:
05 May 03
| Topic/replies: 14,466 | Blogger: Facts's blog
Knowing who Elvis was has nothing to do with age or musical taste. It's a matter of general knowledge. Whatever your views, he was ' famous ' and  an important figure in the history of popular modern music of his time. As were many others of various musical genres through history. Same with sport.. A 13 year old might not be remotely interested in boxing, but the name  of a certain Mr Ali is an historic icon in this field, because of the  impact he had on the boxing world and the world of culture as a whole.
Whether it be music,sport,art,films,books, politics etc.etc. certain figures in history were significant and as such form our knowledge of the world.

I would expect an intelligent, well educated 13 year old to know who Elvis, Ali, Kennedy,Picasso, etc. were.
However, it's a sad fact there are significant numbers of young people who through lack of education both in school and in the home are woefully ignorant of anything beyond who the latest soap star is, what's happening on Big Brother and which particular C list ' celebrity ' is going out with who. This, despite a greater access to media and knowledge than there ever has been.
It's all down to a matter of education.




Agree with all of this

Me too. My 13y.o. daughter and 11y.o. daughter both know who Elvis was and why he died and not because of me telling them. It's either down to lack of education or perhaps she has aspirations of being a High Court judge.

same argument at work a few months ago when a couple of 25 yr olds didnt no who ali was,there was that poll last year that showed all those under 20,s didnt no who david cameron was

Sounds like it's all down to Nanny and Grandad then.........................................................

kids today dont know sh1t. i had some supposedy rock chick girl half my age chatting me up in the pub who didnt even know who avenged sevenfold were. i despair of todays youth.