The word nostalgia is a blend of the Greek words for “return” and “pain” - but judging by our current choices of music, at least, we could be considered a society of masochists.
We live in a world where ‘best of’ albums fly high among the top selling of the year, top BBC presenters are leaping to join a station called Greatest Hits Radio, vinyl is making a comeback, and even chart-baiting new music is now often derived from samples of the old.
