When did the timeline die in the Fallout universe?

[GTech]

After playing Fallout New Vegas (and loved it), I was left wondering about its timeline (I know it is around 2280, I think) but I was kinda confused on the 50s atmosphere of the game. In Fallout 3, I had the idea that the timeline slowly faded around the 50s and was eventually stuck in the 50s, with the fact that in the Galaxy News Radio station there are 30s and 40s music, but none from the 50s or over. In New Vegas, I just kinda feel it slightly confusing that not only it is now exploring the music from the 1950's but now it is going to the early 60's. Does it have to do with the setting, atmosphere, backstory or anything. In both ways though they fit their own game.

[Jagermh]

Get one of the extended radio mods to fix the music problem

[OddballE8]

The fallout timeline diverged from ours somewhere between 1945 and 1960...

you can read all about it here: http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Divergence

 

ps. the fact that GNR only played 30-40's music is kinda irrellevant... could easily be explained by stuff like maby the station was an "oldies" station.

anyway, the fallout world kept the ideals and aesthetics of the 50's and 60's and since making new music that sounds like old music is hard, its easier for the game developers to jsut use real music from the 50's (and 40's and 60's) to give us the "feel" of the time.

also, bethesda were "new" to the fallout world when they made fallout 3 so i think they might have just overdone it with the music and going too far back in time so to speak.

 

EDIT: also, you have to remember that in the 50's and 60's not all things new were embraced as easily and as fast as they are nowadays. You would have radiostations only playing 30's and 40's music because they didnt like all that "newfangled stuff" :P