So older people are buying more music. But what are they buying? Nostalgia. “Truth is, I can name at least 25 albums released in 2003 that would please any seasoned rock and pop listener who thinks of music as something more than a soundtrack for dinner with undiscerning guests. But most rock fans my age won’t find it easy to hear them because the major labels have concluded we’re an unadventurous lot and won’t bother to try to reach us. Instead of congratulating themselves on finding ways to sell the same old same old, record execs should realize there are thousands, maybe millions, of us who want it rough, raw and risky, brash, bold and beautiful, as exciting as New Year’s Eve.”