Nothing says “you’re old” quite like the foundations of your once hip and trendy music tastes being dubbed nostalgic.
But hey, Jon Fishman is making the best of it. The middle school teacher started a TikTok account dedicated to playing chart-topping 80s and 90s tunes for his sixth graders and getting their candid, hilarious and often brutal responses.
So far, the playlist has included hits like “Heart of Glass” by Blondie (which is “good” but “very old person music,” apparently), that “so-so” and “kinda disco but also western” Andy Gibb classic, “(Love is) Thicker Than Water” and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Soul to Squeeze,” aka “trash in a good way.”
But by far the song with the biggest response and the most views on TikTok goes to “1979″ by The Smashing Pumpkins.
ICYMI (i.e., in case you weren’t alive in the late 90s), “1979” is one of The Smashing Pumpkins’ most highly acclaimed songs, even earning the band a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year in 1997.
Does Fishman’s class care about the accolades? No, definitely not.
@jonfishman8 6th grade vs. the ‘90s #6thgradeteacher #teachersoftiktok #genx #musicfromthe90s #smashingpumpkins #billycorgan #music #middleschool #period4 #period6 #alternative #indie #rock ♬ 1979 – The Smashing Pumpkins
“It reminds me of depression,” one student wrote. Which, not gonna lie, isn’t inaccurate.
“Very cringe, sounds old,” wrote another. Ouch.
Another wrote that the song had “nothing to do with smashing pumpkins.” This complaint understandably drew a lot of laughs from TikTok viewers.
Still, not every comment was savage. A few students complimented the song for its “good beat” and being “very chill.”
One even went so far as to say, “It’s giving summer and cool kids.”
And perhaps the biggest, sweetest most adorable compliment of all:
“It is the bestest song in the whole wide world. My mommy and daddy listen to it.”
Fishman’s makeshift series is drawing a big fanbase, and viewers are already bidding for more “nostalgic” bands like Radiohead, Pearl Jam and The Ramones, just to name a few.
If you want to see what pops up next on the playlist, follow Mr. Fishman’s TikTok here.