Simon Reynolds, in works like Retromania, examines the cultural obsession with the past. He argues that pop culture constantly recycles earlier styles and ideas, creating an aesthetic where bygone eras persist in shaping our present. For Reynolds, this fixation is not merely nostalgic—it actively informs how we understand identity and social dynamics. In this sense, the recurring influence of past aesthetics serves as a kind of “ghost” that infuses modern culture with the promises and limitations of what came before, echoing the core themes of hauntology.