Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, it’s Don’t You Forget About Me for older Xers, and Smells Like Teen Spirit for younger ones.

+1

Agreed!

Anonymous wrote:REM

"It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I feel fine)"

young Gen X, I definitely spent a lot of time rewinding this tape and writing down all the lyrics and trying to memorize them.

The answer is Smells Like Teen Spirit. Hands down

Mr Jones is awful.

Anonymous wrote:I’m Black and don’t even know the songs OP listed as “definitive” so please do not try to speak for a generation

I'm Black, too. I invite you to add to the list. Contribute songs from your Gen-X playlist.

Nobody's in agreement, nor should they be. Bring it!

I don't know these songs you all are listing.


Michael Jackson – “Rock With You” or "Billie Jean"

Prince – “Purple Rain”

Anita Baker – “Sweet Love”

Luther Vandross – “Never Too Much”

Sade – “Smooth Operator”

Cameo – “Candy”

New Edition – “If It Isn't Love”

Mary J. Blige – “My Life” / “Real Love”

Boyz II Men – “End of the Road”

Jodeci – “Come and Talk to Me”

TLC – “No Scrubs”

Maxwell – “Sumthin’ Sumthin’”

Ginuwine – “Pony”

D’Angelo – “Lady”

SWV – “Weak”

EU's "Da butt because School Daze was an accurate description of what it was like to go to an HBCU in the '80s and '90s.

My Sharona because it was the main song from the movie "Reality Bites". Reality Bites had an accurate description of what it was like to graduate from college in the mid 90s.

My brother is a younger Xer and I agree throwing out Nirvana is ridiculous.

I think there’s a decent argument for Black Hole Sun, Where is My Mind, Linger, or Once in Lifetime.

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, it’s Don’t You Forget About Me for older Xers, and Smells Like Teen Spirit for younger ones.

I agree with this.

Anonymous wrote:Billie Jean

Thriller

I grew up in thr Uk, so I would sauly “Disco 2000”, “come on Eileen”, “Don’t look back in anger”.

I hated Simple Minds, but I have to admit that Don’t you forget about me would be up there for iconic songs.

I'm an older X(b.1968). I say just download any soundtrack from a John Hughes movie, Pretty in Pink, Breakfast Club, 16 Candles, Ferris Beuller.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Closing Time by Semisonic

"Closing time, time for you to go out
To the places you will be from"

Ugh, this song was so trivial and unimportant.

+1 It also consistently makes the list of "WORST songs" so I guess it's pretty definitive in that way.

I guess I like terrible music, then - I like this song. Although when I heard the story about how it’s actually about a baby, that bugged me.

I was graduating college when this song was popular (98)

I can't believe no one has gone with Pearl Jam's Jeremy yet. I guess a lot of you will say it's too far on the young side of Gen X, but isn't what was popular when you were in high school and college what was most marking to your life? It was for me at least.

Billie Jean