I was born in '69 (heh) and Smells Like Teen Spirit is definitely 100% the Gen X anthem. Maybe this is a white people thing, though? But when Kurt sings "oh well, whatever, never mind"? Hoo boy, what could be more Gen X than that?
This is true. Also where you grew up? I’m from New York. I live in California now and my friend had a 90s themed 30th birthday party a few years ago and I showed up dressed like Lil Kim. And every last girl at the party was wearing oversized jeans and flannel. It was SO painfully awkward.
OMG, I bet you looked amazing! I am white to the point of transparency, but I might have chosen a Missy Elliot look. Hoops, jersey, ball cap and one leg of the track pant pulled up. A comfortable way to party!
Because we're the olds now. Kids today (and I've seen this in gen Z a little) don't see a difference between gen X and boomer. They do see a difference between themselves and Millennials, though.
I was at a conference at grad school and the professor at my table was grumbling about the app the undergrads were using for their presentation, like ugghhh Millennials. And I was like, my friend, I am a Millennial. Those 19 year olds are not. If you mean “kids today” just say that.
For Boomer's I'd think something from the '60s would be more appropriate like the Rolling Stones "Satisfaction" or Beach Boys "Good Vibrations". I'm Gen X and got Journey's "Escape" album with "Don't Stop Believin" for my birthday the year it was released. So, I was already old enough to be developing my own taste in music that differed from my boomer parents (Elvis, Beatles, Tom Jones, Fleetwood Mac).
I'm fine with "Smells Like Teen Spirit", at least for me it was one of those songs that when it came out, I could tell it was something special. If I had to pick an alternate to represent my generation I'd go with New Order's "Blue Monday", but I tend to listen to more '80s music than '90s now.
I don't think there's one Boomer quintessential song - there's at least 2 sub-generations in the Boomer timeframe. My parents are in an earlier group, pre-Beatles. My in-laws are 7 years younger, and of a different class with a completely different vibe.
If you're going with the Femmes for Gen X, I'd probably choose "Add it Up" over "Blister in the Sun". But trying to choose between Nirvana and the Femmes illustrates a question I've probably thought way too much about: what actually defines a generation's music?
Is it the music of your youth and coming-of-age years - i.e., music that was actually written and performed by the generation before yours (the Femmes were all Boomers - or "Generation Jones" if you accept that split, and I kind of do)? Or is it the music of your 20s - the first batch of music actually made by your generation (Nirvana all being actual Gen X, of course)?
Or is it somehow a mixture of the two - the former being the things that presumably influenced your generation's taste in music, and the latter being where that generation took those influences? And if that's the case, can you even point to one thing as being "quintessential"?
But then I think back to my teen years in the mid/late '80s, when my friends and I spent a lot of time listening to what was then "classic rock": '60s/'70s stuff. And this also seems to be a running theme with teens - at least going through a period where they "discover" older music. I have a friend who's teen/Gen Z kids are way into '70s\'80s music right now.
So maybe good music is just good music, and generations aren't the artistic islands we think they are.
Probably too reductive, but my handy rule of thumb courtesy of Chris Rock is, "whatever was playing the year YOU started getting laid, you'll hold onto that shit forever."
I'm early Gen X, but I'm the the youngest of 3 girls, so a lot of what I grew up with when I was very young was what my sisters were listening to: so some Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, lot of stadium rock and pop. And then some of these bands had comebacks in the 80's.
I remember be able to listen to different radio stations for different genres, before everything got bought out by I Heart Radio and everything is now the same ten songs.
This. Whenever I see millennials my age joking about the music of their youth that defines them, it's always them singing a gangsta rap song while they pack their kid's school lunch!
Yeah, I like a lot of "rock" but the majority of the music I listen to isn't rock. It really never was, either. I've always had a fondness for music without lyrics, even as a little kid...There was always classical.
As someone in the foggy years between X & Y, maybe I don't really deserve an opinion on either gen, but I would go with Len's "Steal My Sunshine" for xennial.
Blister In The Sun is a fantastic choice. I'm biased because it is my husband's favorite song, but I would take that one over SLTS in a heartbeat.
Unrelated but related: my Gen Z (I think? born in 2004) kid just asked both of us "what is the definition of music?", probably for a paper they're writing for their Music Theory class, and the difference in the answers we each gave were basically a microcosm of our entire personalities. Mr. Snakehole was succinct and specific. My answer was speculative and all over the place and took about ten minutes to give. It was kind of glorious.
If someone asked me to define music, I'd go all literal and talk about sounds that fit into an easily recognizable pattern along the t (time) axis.
It's kind if a silly question, but could provoke some interesting thoughts and conversations. I would not want to write a paper on it, though...Again, I think the real benefit and interest would be in discussion.
In fairness I'm not even sure it was for a paper, it would be entirely in character for them to just want to start a discussion/debate about it. And it was a very fun conversation! They made the point that music doesn't always have to be in a pattern and then made me listen to Japanese noise band Merzbow as proof. One of their finals is creating a song using sounds but not instruments or vocals, and I'm looking forward to hearing what they come up with.
FFS, as a Peak Boomer (born 1956 at the top of the baby boom), why would a song that came out when I was 25 say anything about my generation in any way? Even setting aside the absurd assumption about 'Boomers' that people born in 1946 have some quintessential commonality with those born into the very different world of 1964.
We just listened to 'Don't Stop Believing' (because we couldn't remember anything but the title) and it's a kinda dull song made up of early eighties lyrical clichés about one night stands, thrills, and for some reason an obsession with streetlights. Is the NYT implying that this is the quintessential experience of the whole quote Boomer generation unquote?
I totally get arguing for the magnificent 'Teen Spirit' as saying something about a generation. I can understand 'Mr Brightside', a killer song in every respect (sorry not sorry). But damned if I know what they're smoking over there at the NYT... or maybe it's a side-effect of the Viagra?
BTW, If I had to nominate a quintessential Boomer song, it'd be 'Stairway to Heaven'. Interested in other suggestions!
Actually, I would accept Fleetwood Mac's 'Don't Stop' - although it doesn't speak at all to me personally, at the time it came out my mates and I were listening to The Clash.
I am biased as a superfan, but I was born in 87. Old millennial. But for me it’s blink-182 “dammit.” Fell in love with the song at 10. If I had known how prescient it was I would have chosen something else. Whole song is about getting jaded as you realize life sucks. “I guess this is growing up.”
Bonus points cause I taped the song off the radio (as one did back in the day. Have I mentioned the onion tied to my belt?) and played it for my cousin. “What the fuck IS THAT shit???” he griped. Better than Korn (his favorite at the time) boo.
I have an incredible soft spot for blink-182's dammit. Both because I love it and because one of the last times I saw one of my best friends, he told me how every time he heard that song it made him think of me. He didn't die or anything, just, we grew up and grew apart. I ran into him years later randomly at a renfair in a completely different part of the country and instead of being nice it was just awkward. It made me sad.
Millennial thread! I would go hip hop too... Fugees Ready or Not. OutKast Rosa Parks. Lauryn Hill Doo Wap. I feel like we need to give TLC to Gen X? Missy Elliot Work It or The Rain. Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Usher. I refuse to say Kanye, but also if we pretend time stopped in 2010 no way his name isn’t up there. Rihanna! Okay now I’m just feeling very nostalgic.
As an Xer, I go with the Smiths' "How Soon Is Now?"
As a bonus, Morrissey's de-evolution into a Boomer mirrors what I see from way too many of my contemporaries....
Morrisey ruining his own music for y’all is pretty on brand for Gen X imo.
Harsh and absolutely true.
So true
I was born in '69 (heh) and Smells Like Teen Spirit is definitely 100% the Gen X anthem. Maybe this is a white people thing, though? But when Kurt sings "oh well, whatever, never mind"? Hoo boy, what could be more Gen X than that?
This is true. Also where you grew up? I’m from New York. I live in California now and my friend had a 90s themed 30th birthday party a few years ago and I showed up dressed like Lil Kim. And every last girl at the party was wearing oversized jeans and flannel. It was SO painfully awkward.
OMG, I bet you looked amazing! I am white to the point of transparency, but I might have chosen a Missy Elliot look. Hoops, jersey, ball cap and one leg of the track pant pulled up. A comfortable way to party!
I was thinking this was definitely a white suburban subset discussion based on the titles offered. Good observation by you
Why do people keep confusing/blending GenX and Boomers? We are SO not Boomers. Im going to my room to crank The Smiths. <slams door>.
Because we're the olds now. Kids today (and I've seen this in gen Z a little) don't see a difference between gen X and boomer. They do see a difference between themselves and Millennials, though.
I was at a conference at grad school and the professor at my table was grumbling about the app the undergrads were using for their presentation, like ugghhh Millennials. And I was like, my friend, I am a Millennial. Those 19 year olds are not. If you mean “kids today” just say that.
As a millennial being called old now I do feel this.
Class of '84/'88 casting my vote for "It's the End of the World As We Know It"
As your fellow classmate, Seconded.
For Boomer's I'd think something from the '60s would be more appropriate like the Rolling Stones "Satisfaction" or Beach Boys "Good Vibrations". I'm Gen X and got Journey's "Escape" album with "Don't Stop Believin" for my birthday the year it was released. So, I was already old enough to be developing my own taste in music that differed from my boomer parents (Elvis, Beatles, Tom Jones, Fleetwood Mac).
I'm fine with "Smells Like Teen Spirit", at least for me it was one of those songs that when it came out, I could tell it was something special. If I had to pick an alternate to represent my generation I'd go with New Order's "Blue Monday", but I tend to listen to more '80s music than '90s now.
I don't think there's one Boomer quintessential song - there's at least 2 sub-generations in the Boomer timeframe. My parents are in an earlier group, pre-Beatles. My in-laws are 7 years younger, and of a different class with a completely different vibe.
If you're going with the Femmes for Gen X, I'd probably choose "Add it Up" over "Blister in the Sun". But trying to choose between Nirvana and the Femmes illustrates a question I've probably thought way too much about: what actually defines a generation's music?
Is it the music of your youth and coming-of-age years - i.e., music that was actually written and performed by the generation before yours (the Femmes were all Boomers - or "Generation Jones" if you accept that split, and I kind of do)? Or is it the music of your 20s - the first batch of music actually made by your generation (Nirvana all being actual Gen X, of course)?
Or is it somehow a mixture of the two - the former being the things that presumably influenced your generation's taste in music, and the latter being where that generation took those influences? And if that's the case, can you even point to one thing as being "quintessential"?
But then I think back to my teen years in the mid/late '80s, when my friends and I spent a lot of time listening to what was then "classic rock": '60s/'70s stuff. And this also seems to be a running theme with teens - at least going through a period where they "discover" older music. I have a friend who's teen/Gen Z kids are way into '70s\'80s music right now.
So maybe good music is just good music, and generations aren't the artistic islands we think they are.
Probably too reductive, but my handy rule of thumb courtesy of Chris Rock is, "whatever was playing the year YOU started getting laid, you'll hold onto that shit forever."
Make way, everyone, Professor Vissum coming in with the nuance! ;-)
Ha! I just like to overcomplicate things while pretending I'm simplifying them.
I'm early Gen X, but I'm the the youngest of 3 girls, so a lot of what I grew up with when I was very young was what my sisters were listening to: so some Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, lot of stadium rock and pop. And then some of these bands had comebacks in the 80's.
I remember be able to listen to different radio stations for different genres, before everything got bought out by I Heart Radio and everything is now the same ten songs.
My generation? I'd say "Oh! Susanna"
I’m a boomer. Don’t Stop Believing? Nope.We boomers were raised on rock and roll, not pansy assed Journey.
Born to Run. Period.
Ok, boomer.
This articles automatically assumes that a defining generational song is rock oriented. Aretha Franklin's Respect comes to mind.
This. Whenever I see millennials my age joking about the music of their youth that defines them, it's always them singing a gangsta rap song while they pack their kid's school lunch!
To be fair, gangsta rappers also pack their kids school lunches.
Yeah, I like a lot of "rock" but the majority of the music I listen to isn't rock. It really never was, either. I've always had a fondness for music without lyrics, even as a little kid...There was always classical.
Gen X here. My vote would be: The Smith’s “How Soon Is Now?”
As someone in the foggy years between X & Y, maybe I don't really deserve an opinion on either gen, but I would go with Len's "Steal My Sunshine" for xennial.
https://youtu.be/E1fzJ_AYajA?si=YNZvoWVGl2apyasW
Just listened to that the other day. Man, that is a BOP.
This is an adorable answer and I support this choice.
Blister In The Sun is a fantastic choice. I'm biased because it is my husband's favorite song, but I would take that one over SLTS in a heartbeat.
Unrelated but related: my Gen Z (I think? born in 2004) kid just asked both of us "what is the definition of music?", probably for a paper they're writing for their Music Theory class, and the difference in the answers we each gave were basically a microcosm of our entire personalities. Mr. Snakehole was succinct and specific. My answer was speculative and all over the place and took about ten minutes to give. It was kind of glorious.
“Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.” —Jean-Michel Basquiat
If someone asked me to define music, I'd go all literal and talk about sounds that fit into an easily recognizable pattern along the t (time) axis.
It's kind if a silly question, but could provoke some interesting thoughts and conversations. I would not want to write a paper on it, though...Again, I think the real benefit and interest would be in discussion.
In fairness I'm not even sure it was for a paper, it would be entirely in character for them to just want to start a discussion/debate about it. And it was a very fun conversation! They made the point that music doesn't always have to be in a pattern and then made me listen to Japanese noise band Merzbow as proof. One of their finals is creating a song using sounds but not instruments or vocals, and I'm looking forward to hearing what they come up with.
FFS, as a Peak Boomer (born 1956 at the top of the baby boom), why would a song that came out when I was 25 say anything about my generation in any way? Even setting aside the absurd assumption about 'Boomers' that people born in 1946 have some quintessential commonality with those born into the very different world of 1964.
We just listened to 'Don't Stop Believing' (because we couldn't remember anything but the title) and it's a kinda dull song made up of early eighties lyrical clichés about one night stands, thrills, and for some reason an obsession with streetlights. Is the NYT implying that this is the quintessential experience of the whole quote Boomer generation unquote?
I totally get arguing for the magnificent 'Teen Spirit' as saying something about a generation. I can understand 'Mr Brightside', a killer song in every respect (sorry not sorry). But damned if I know what they're smoking over there at the NYT... or maybe it's a side-effect of the Viagra?
BTW, If I had to nominate a quintessential Boomer song, it'd be 'Stairway to Heaven'. Interested in other suggestions!
Actually, I would accept Fleetwood Mac's 'Don't Stop' - although it doesn't speak at all to me personally, at the time it came out my mates and I were listening to The Clash.
I am biased as a superfan, but I was born in 87. Old millennial. But for me it’s blink-182 “dammit.” Fell in love with the song at 10. If I had known how prescient it was I would have chosen something else. Whole song is about getting jaded as you realize life sucks. “I guess this is growing up.”
Bonus points cause I taped the song off the radio (as one did back in the day. Have I mentioned the onion tied to my belt?) and played it for my cousin. “What the fuck IS THAT shit???” he griped. Better than Korn (his favorite at the time) boo.
I have an incredible soft spot for blink-182's dammit. Both because I love it and because one of the last times I saw one of my best friends, he told me how every time he heard that song it made him think of me. He didn't die or anything, just, we grew up and grew apart. I ran into him years later randomly at a renfair in a completely different part of the country and instead of being nice it was just awkward. It made me sad.
So now I also like this version of the song:
https://youtu.be/z2YkhFPYSN4?si=jf4jWqrQEwx3MgZk
Have I mentioned the onion tied to my belt?
It was the style at the time.
Dammit is amazing. Just a great song.
Elder millennial: The Thong Song
Somehow, not Sisqo’s #1 hit.
https://www.stereogum.com/2197070/the-number-ones-sisqos-incomplete/columns/the-number-ones/
Millennial thread! I would go hip hop too... Fugees Ready or Not. OutKast Rosa Parks. Lauryn Hill Doo Wap. I feel like we need to give TLC to Gen X? Missy Elliot Work It or The Rain. Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Usher. I refuse to say Kanye, but also if we pretend time stopped in 2010 no way his name isn’t up there. Rihanna! Okay now I’m just feeling very nostalgic.
GenX Waiting Room - Fugazi
I thought about that too. Great song. Maybe more X than Xennial. Not enough of my peers know it.