The year is 1997. I am 14 years old and embarking on yet another road trip with my Dad, a couple of hours north, into the country for a Christmas party. As usual, Dad has chosen The Eagles, Bad Company and Cold Chisel to accompany us on our trip.

I do not want to listen to any of these, so I bring a friend’s Discman and spend the entire drive listening to Green Day, Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. I settle back for a trip, pointedly ignoring the lame 20 year old classic rock my Dad wants me to listen to.

Fast forward to Monday last week. I am driving with a friend and we are listening to Nevermind. Suddenly, I am struck with the stunning realisation that the music I am currently listening to is 20 years old, and I can feel my hair greying just at the thought of it.

Is this how my Dad felt in 1997 when I scoffed at him that Hotel California was stupid music from “forever ago”? Did he look at me and think “please, 1977 wasn’t that long ago!” the same way I am thinking about 1990? Did he suddenly feel like his youth was slipping away because the music that had defined and inspired him was now considered “classic rock”? Did he stand there thinking “that music everyone listens to now is just rubbish”, like I felt on Tuesday during the Hottest 100?

I don’t want to get old….but I don’t like anything new. Think I’ll just listen to Ten until my hair goes totally white.