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Aziz Ansari on Master of None

If you’ve watched Netflix’s Master of None with Aziz Ansari, you know how much parents and older people mean to the series. Your parents aren’t just the people who passed along their genes and raised you. They’re real people with their own stories and lives that are probably even more colorful than you can imagine. 

The show – whether you’ve picked up on it or not – urges you to keep in touch and value the relationships you have with your parents, grandparents, and anyone else you might have lost connection with, because it’s vital. 

Nothing drives this point home quite like the show’s music selection. It successfully marries old school with the newness surrounding the millennial-themes. Don’t know a certain song that’s playing in the background? Chances are, your ‘rents were jamming to it back in the day. Here are seven songs featured in Master of None from your parents’ day you should totally know and love. 

1. “True” by Spandau Ballet (1983)

From episode two: “Parents.”

In the ’80s, New Wave was IT. Synthesizers and keyboards were at the forefront of every popular song at the time, and “True” by Spandau Ballet embodied the sound. It made it all the way to number four on the Billboard charts and was featured in the ultimate teen movie, Sixteen Candles. Meant to be a nod to Marvin Gaye, “True” has also been sampled by singer Lloyd and P.M. Dawn, further cementing the song as a classic.

2. “You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else” by The Jones Girls (1979)

From episode three: “Hot Ticket.”

If the beginning bass line doesn’t grab you, you might not have a soul. The Jones Girls were legends in music, singing backup for greats like Aretha Franklin and Teddy Pendergrass. “You’re Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else” was the girl group’s biggest hit, and it’s sampled in Jay Z’s “The City is Mine.”

3. “Atomic Bomb” by William Onyeabor (1978)

From episode four: “Indians on TV.”

Sometimes when you’re introduced to international artists, you’re able to open your eyes to that new world. William Onyeabor is a Nigerian funk artist who crossed over to the United States and blew people away.

4. “Love Has Come Around” by Donald Byrd (1981)

From episode five: “The Other Man.”

When your track is co-produced by Isaac Hayes, it literally cannot be any better. A fusion of jazz and soul, Donald Byrd gives you no other choice but to stop what you’re doing and dance. Get your folks to teach you an old-school dance to this. And then do the Nae-Nae because, sure, why not?

5. “You’re the Reason Our Kids are Ugly” by Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty

From episode six: “Nashville.”

This isn’t your T-Swift country. This is that real down-home country where each song was gritty and brutally honest. Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty sing out their miseries about the trappings of being in a loveless marriage, and it’s hilarious.

6. “Africa” by Toto (1981)

From episode seven: “Ladies and Gentlemen.”

Sure, if you hear this song now, chances are you’re probably waiting at the dentist. But it’s been sampled in countless hip-hop songs from artists like Nas, Wiz Khalifa, and Rich Homie Quan. Songwriters David Paich and Jeff Porcaro say the song starts out as a “basic groove” that builds from there. It’s literally impossible not to get into this soft rock jam.

7. “I Can’t Wait” by Nu Shooz (1986)

From episode 10: “Finale.”

One of the most incredible records that never made it to number one, Portland, Oregon-based band Nu Shooz wrote a song so addictive, it’s still admired today. Questlove remixed the joint for a Target commercial this year. Spin magazine called “I can’t Wait” an “ear orgasm,” and we see nothing wrong with that statement.

Thanks, Master of None, for bringing the old to the new, and thanks, parents, for being cooler than we thought.

PHOTO CREDIT: Netflix, Giphy

7 Songs From “Master Of None” That Bridge The Gap Between Millennials & Their Parents  was originally published on globalgrind.com