They say past times were better. Maybe yes, maybe no. Technology advances at a giant’s pace, and our standard and quality of life improve exponentially—even though the environmental cost of much of this new technology is very high.

What is true is that many moments from the past are indeed missed. For example, I remember the 80s and 90s. The music from our favorite artists was found in huge megastores with endless rows of records—first vinyl, then CDs. Each album cost around $15 or $20, so for any teenager, buying one felt like acquiring a very expensive treasure. That’s why music was shared and copied onto cassettes and later onto CDs.

Now, we have practically all the recorded music in the world in the palm of our hand. Listening to music has become so ordinary that we sometimes forget how hard it is to create it. Even more so now, in the age of AI, when a robot can make music based on our instructions. It’s true that from the era of cassettes to Spotify, the ones who have benefited most are the musicians and the people who enjoy their work. There are no longer intermediaries to feed, nor giant record labels becoming millionaires with my $20. The truth is that in the 80s and 90s, finding and listening to music was an adventure—and that’s also why I believe the music of those decades was the best ever produced.