Earlier in this topic i mentioned I used to play the warm up, intro and incidental music at the WNIR from 96-98 as well as manage the hospitality.
You can't change the music as a whole, it's all about the song selection as the years go on but hockey fans grow up with what they're played so the music can stand still if the songs are right.
Just a example. They go to your first ever game, they hear "We will rock you" (not everyone will know of this song that's the reality) they see the fans join in. The next game, they hear the song again, they know the song. The next game they hear the song again, they know the song, they join in with the song and so on and so on.
So music in an environment like the IAW can be timeless but it all depends if the song is a good or bad choice.
When we went to Calgary Flames games in March 2020 they were playing The Glitter Band - Rock n Roll part 2 from 1972........ 1972! A song 48 years old.
There are a couple of dodgy ones in there at the moment, instrumentals, i don't know what the songs are but they seem to get no response, they just seem to be there as they a more present day songs to appease the younger fan but they create no atmosphere whatsoever.
Sully I have to say does an amazing job and it is more difficult to get more present day songs that are suitable for a hockey game as all are "Woh is me" or "he's a twat, glad he's gone" or "Shake your tits while I have a shit", you get the idea.
The songs from the past era's always at some point had bands with songs in the charts that were anthems and angry but pumping, even dance tunes were aggressive, just look at The Prodigy, Underworld or Shamen, shouting, thumping bass tunes.
I don't envy Sully choosing from the present day charts for songs, he might get 2 in 12 months of charts, none of those songs will be played at hockey games in 2 years time let alone 35 years time.