Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 18:04     Subject: Re:Definitive Gen X song?
Apparently Starship’s We Built This City just got recognized as the worst song ever made so that should get an honorable mention. I mean who doesn’t have memories attached to that song.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 18:00     Subject: Definitive Gen X song?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:"We are the World"

""Rosanna" and "Africa" by Toto


I have never heard Rosanna played in full. I only know it from those clips in the Time Life music infomercials that played in the 90s.


There was a recent yacht rock documentary that was pretty good; can't remember the title off hand. But that's where I learned that the guys from Toto were session musicians who did a ton of work on other huge 70s and 80s albums. Probably not an obscure fact to anyone paying attention, but I hadn't been aware.


I learned from a local news channel this summer that the lead singer of Toto is the son of John Williams (the composer).
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 17:52     Subject: Re:Definitive Gen X song?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is an illegitimate debate since Nirvana was DQ'd.

Nevermind was the start of the grunge wave. Teen Spirit is the song. Honorable mentions for Green Day's album Dookie; especially the song When I Come Around


How dare you name Green Day in the same breath as Nirvana.


Meh

Green Day’s music is in a Broadway show
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 15:14     Subject: Definitive Gen X song?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's 100% "Don't You Forget About Me" and here's why:

Very few Gen Xers, aged 45-60, are turning the station or skipping that song when it comes on. It's just a perfectly constructed pop song that invites a deluge of memories to the average Gen Xer. While most Gen Xers in that same 45-60 age range will turn the station or skip "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

"Smells Like Teen Spirit's" alleged popularity is totally overblown thanks to MTV and the death of Cobain.


I’m 49 and while I love me some John Hughes the peak of those movies was pre high school for me. So I wouldn’t call the movies of soundtracks definitive at least for me.

Agree Smells like teen spirit is overblown, but you cannot underestimate the influence Nirvana had on music and culture and anyone who tries to simply doesn’t have a grasp of that era. I’m not even a particular Nirvana fans, but I can see the impact they had on music and culture. And I’m sure part of that was Korba’s early death. We were able to place him on a pedestal and never taken him off. He never aged or got uncool.


Absolutely the same for me. We probably need one for those who came of age in the 80s and those in the 90s. I finished high school, college, and was married by 98, but the 80s, man, I was a kid.

So for me, Smells Like Teen Spirit is THE song. And F*ck the Police, even though that was 88. It was still huge in the 90s.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 14:59     Subject: Definitive Gen X song?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:"We are the World"

""Rosanna" and "Africa" by Toto


I have never heard Rosanna played in full. I only know it from those clips in the Time Life music infomercials that played in the 90s.


There was a recent yacht rock documentary that was pretty good; can't remember the title off hand. But that's where I learned that the guys from Toto were session musicians who did a ton of work on other huge 70s and 80s albums. Probably not an obscure fact to anyone paying attention, but I hadn't been aware.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 14:07     Subject: Definitive Gen X song?
I can’t get behind a definitive single song but a playlist with a Volume 1 and 2 would make sense. There is way too much good music to just pick 1.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 13:59     Subject: Re:Definitive Gen X song?
Remember when run DMC and Aerosmith got together to do the video for walk this way? That was big.

Maybe not definitive but another big cultural touch point.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 13:57     Subject: Definitive Gen X song?
Anonymous wrote:No Madonna?!


Agree. Love her or hate her, she was definitely definitive for our generation.

Remember when justify your love aired on MTV and they had to do it at night? My mom let me record it and watch it after school. Scandalous.

Like a prayer was also controversial and a total banger.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 13:53     Subject: Definitive Gen X song?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's 100% "Don't You Forget About Me" and here's why:

Very few Gen Xers, aged 45-60, are turning the station or skipping that song when it comes on. It's just a perfectly constructed pop song that invites a deluge of memories to the average Gen Xer. While most Gen Xers in that same 45-60 age range will turn the station or skip "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

"Smells Like Teen Spirit's" alleged popularity is totally overblown thanks to MTV and the death of Cobain.


I’m 49 and while I love me some John Hughes the peak of those movies was pre high school for me. So I wouldn’t call the movies of soundtracks definitive at least for me.

Agree Smells like teen spirit is overblown, but you cannot underestimate the influence Nirvana had on music and culture and anyone who tries to simply doesn’t have a grasp of that era. I’m not even a particular Nirvana fans, but I can see the impact they had on music and culture. And I’m sure part of that was Korba’s early death. We were able to place him on a pedestal and never taken him off. He never aged or got uncool.


Sorry cobains early death. 27 is so young. Hard to grasp.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 13:52     Subject: Definitive Gen X song?
Anonymous wrote:It's 100% "Don't You Forget About Me" and here's why:

Very few Gen Xers, aged 45-60, are turning the station or skipping that song when it comes on. It's just a perfectly constructed pop song that invites a deluge of memories to the average Gen Xer. While most Gen Xers in that same 45-60 age range will turn the station or skip "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

"Smells Like Teen Spirit's" alleged popularity is totally overblown thanks to MTV and the death of Cobain.


I’m 49 and while I love me some John Hughes the peak of those movies was pre high school for me. So I wouldn’t call the movies of soundtracks definitive at least for me.

Agree Smells like teen spirit is overblown, but you cannot underestimate the influence Nirvana had on music and culture and anyone who tries to simply doesn’t have a grasp of that era. I’m not even a particular Nirvana fans, but I can see the impact they had on music and culture. And I’m sure part of that was Korba’s early death. We were able to place him on a pedestal and never taken him off. He never aged or got uncool.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 13:35     Subject: Re:Definitive Gen X song?
Anonymous wrote:


In Your Eyes


This is a good one. And it sort of provides a link between the older Gen X, who identify with 80s music, and younger Gen X who came of age in the 90s.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 13:35     Subject: Definitive Gen X song?
Anonymous wrote:It's 100% "Don't You Forget About Me" and here's why:

Very few Gen Xers, aged 45-60, are turning the station or skipping that song when it comes on. It's just a perfectly constructed pop song that invites a deluge of memories to the average Gen Xer. While most Gen Xers in that same 45-60 age range will turn the station or skip "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

"Smells Like Teen Spirit's" alleged popularity is totally overblown thanks to MTV and the death of Cobain.


Especially for those of us who actually had Saturday morning detention
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 13:33     Subject: Definitive Gen X song?
Anonymous wrote:OMD-if you leave. That was our Prom Song
Lisa loeb-Stay
REM-Don’t go back to Rockville
Anything by Violent femmes


Always something there to remind me
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 13:26     Subject: Definitive Gen X song?
It's 100% "Don't You Forget About Me" and here's why:

Very few Gen Xers, aged 45-60, are turning the station or skipping that song when it comes on. It's just a perfectly constructed pop song that invites a deluge of memories to the average Gen Xer. While most Gen Xers in that same 45-60 age range will turn the station or skip "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

"Smells Like Teen Spirit's" alleged popularity is totally overblown thanks to MTV and the death of Cobain.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 13:14     Subject: Definitive Gen X song?
Anonymous wrote:"We are the World"

""Rosanna" and "Africa" by Toto


I have never heard Rosanna played in full. I only know it from those clips in the Time Life music infomercials that played in the 90s.