What exactly IS Old Skool?

[revpat55]

Can someone out there please give me the definition of Old Skool? I am a totally un-trendy over 50 and have no idea what it means!

[Joe_the_Lion]

I think it is the m usic YOU listened to, moreover what was popular, when you went to school.

For example my informative years were 1982-1988, so Bowie was big, the start of the Smiths and pretty much crap (Five Star and Bros spring to mind at school discos)

YOu are more likely late 60's and 70's, probably the best period in music history.

I say it was when the recipitant was at school because I recenetly went to An Old Skool Disco aimed at twenty somethings and it was all Blur, Oasis, Radiohead and the Manics.

[Donquixote]

It's a bit of a strange one really. It mainly tends to be referring to the very late 80's/early 90's crossover...it started being popularly used in the dance music scene. Then, it was referring to the old house/acid/rave scenes from that period and would be a night of, i suppose, nostalgia and an excuse to party to the 'old classics'.
Now, it's kind of been picked up as a generic term for any music from a previous generation.
I remember the term old skool being widely used in the hip hop community too. Not just for music, but also for clothing, trainers, jewellery...pretty much anything that was big a few years previous but now thought of as retro. In the hip hop sense, it was most usually referring to the mid 80's.

[littleoldme]

Old skool is a term most associated with hip hop and rap and seems to refer to the more peaceful acts of the late 80s like De La Soul and Run DMC as opposed to the idiots prattling on about "b1tches", drugs and shooting cops or each other.

In other forms of music, old school (spelt properly) generally refers to an older style sound of a genre that has changed over time. The music itself doesn't need to be old, just in that older style. "Old school soul", for example, could just as easily apply to Beverley Knight's rather wonderful (personal opinion) new album as to Aretha Franklin or Otis Redding. It wouldn't apply to the mawkish claptrap (sorry, personal opinion again) of someone like R. Kelly.

[Mattk]

old school is modern music in a dated fashion eg strongly influenced by glam

[BillyBB]

Old Skool tends to refer to the early genre defining years of a music style. Originally Old Skool would be the Electro/Hip Hop/SoulDance music and fashions from '78 to mid eighties which led to Rap and 90's R'N'B. Later the early Rave tunes from '88 to '92 were described as Old Skool because they were also a new style which led to Techno and high BPM dance music.
I'm guessing the term has been appropriated by other genres now but it strikes me that the usage is more a marketing gimmick trying to give something credence. Old Skool product branding which has nothing to do with the above mentioned music scenes.

[revpat55]

I tell you, it's a minefield out there!! I think I am turning in to my dad!! - he never understood the music scene either! Thanks to all for your answers, and at least I now know what the posters for Old Skool events are about