It seems to me that I am always reaching not only for the volume level, but also the bass levels for any album made before 1990 (and even some into the late 90s).   

Yes, overall mastering levels were lower back then, I get that, but look at a spectrum analyzer on some early 80's dance tracks like from Yazoo or Depeche Mode....    now look at dance tracks from today.   The 20Hz to 60Hz is so much louder in the mix than it was back then.
 
Anyone know why?
 
 

Personally, I think 1) home systems have become better at sending bass out at high-ish volume and 2) people get the impression that MORE bass is better...
then again I was around before the 1990s, so what can I say

Everyone was waiting for Meghan Trainor to come out with 'It's all about that bass"??
 
I also noticed the same thing Alewgro.....that seemed to have been the standard set for most engineers at the time.
 

davdud101
Personally, I think 1) home systems have become better at sending bass out at high-ish volume and 2) people get the impression that MORE bass is better...
then again I was around before the 1990s, so what can I say

use your system today, play a pop or rock album from 1981, then play one from today.   

early albums were mastered for vinyl.
 
if you play vinyl too loud, the needle will jump out of the grooves.
 
later, when digital came into play,
a lot of the same mastering techniques stayed the same,
even tho the bandwidth and headroom and overall recording processed had changed.
 
electronics changed,
methods of mastering changed,
and then the loudness wars began.
 
i like the sound of a lot of the older mixes,
and hate the sound of a lot of modern mixes.
 
and i hate the sound of some older mixes,
and love the sound of some modern mixes.
 
in other words,
it's all over the map.
\
 
 
if you want something louder,
turn it up.
 

But there are very bass-heavy albums being released on vinyl today still, and they are still loud and bass heavy...  

yes, the loudness wars - i get that, but is it also a BASS war?

Was the old mixing desks not capable of getting the bass we hear today or did they just purposely not add that much bass to the mixes back then?

edit> uneducated misunderstood question snarky answer... removed. 
J

batsbrew
early albums were mastered for vinyl.
 
if you play vinyl too loud, the needle will jump out of the grooves.
 
later, when digital came into play,
a lot of the same mastering techniques stayed the same,
even tho the bandwidth and headroom and overall recording processed had changed.
 
electronics changed,
methods of mastering changed,
and then the loudness wars began.
 
i like the sound of a lot of the older mixes,
and hate the sound of a lot of modern mixes.
 
and i hate the sound of some older mixes,
and love the sound of some modern mixes.
 
in other words,
it's all over the map.
\
 
 
if you want something louder,
turn it up.
 

We used to play vinyl pretty loud with those big 70s Pioneer and Sansui systems. They would get about as loud as you wanted. I still have a Pioneer SX-1010 that will get louder than you will want it to. I don't remember the bass sounding bad, it always seemed to thump you and sit well in the mix.... with the right speakers.
You're right about mixes, some old ones were bad some new ones are bad. Some of each are good. I always thought that "Low Rider" by WAR was a great song for checking out a system. Some old Fleetwood Mac albums were mixed good. I liked the Bob Welch era albums a lot. Dave Mason Certified Live always sounded good to me too. The first couple of Marshall Tucker Band albums sound pretty bad to my ears. Most Steely Dan Albums are well mixed but AJA tops them all, IMO. I always enjoyed playing KILLER really loud. Firefall albums sound good, as do most Heart albums. Most, if not all, of Zappa's albums have a good mix. CSN still sound's good, real good.
But what do I know, only what I like and it is completely subjective.
J

alewgro
It seems to me that I am always reaching not only for the volume level, but also the bass levels for any album made before 1990 (and even some into the late 90s).   

Yes, overall mastering levels were lower back then, I get that, but look at a spectrum analyzer on some early 80's dance tracks like from Yazoo or Depeche Mode....    now look at dance tracks from today.   The 20Hz to 60Hz is so much louder in the mix than it was back then.
 
Anyone know why?
 
 

My guess to the actual question posed in the OP is CLARITY. We can't hear above 20KHZ, I can't hear anywhere near 20KHZ any more but it still seems to add something that I'll call clarity for lack of a better word. I think it is like a higher sample rate helping the overall sound but I really cannot explain it well or with any confidence, but I think maybe Anderton might be able to and a letter to OP might get a good answer. It is a good question!
Perhaps it is just because they can.
 
J