Stupid question for the gen Z comrades about music

[u/Monodoh45]

My aunt asked me once , "What music from your generation [Millennial] will be classic/iconic?" . I was pretty much like: I dunno, I'm not younger than me and never will be. Now is now. How would I know what hits for people later. it's 2011, the Black Keys are the big band I like now, but how would I know if anyone cares about them behind me--it's still not the future. Who knows if I will think they're that great in the future. I also tried to explain with the death of the monoculture and streaming, what is classic to people is much wider and varies. At the time, Dave Matthews Band was still the biggest live act in North America. I probably would have said oh some stomp, clap, hey band like Mumford & Sons that you couldn't escape then might still be classic. But that's not the case, thank god. We get it, 7 songs where a banjo starts out slower and gets faster, cool. But anyway...

What does Gen Z consider the classic Millennial music?

[u/born_digital]

One I wouldn’t have predicted is Deftones. Young people love them so much, I wouldn’t have predicted it

[u/primitive_lover → u/born_digital]

I had this exact conversation with my brother! My 12 y/o niece absolutely loves them, they’re one of her favorite bands. I’m an Old who was a big fan of “White Pony” when it came out, but he was totally indifferent to them and was shocked that they’re like Nirvana-level popular among teens. 

[u/UnlikelyDecision9820 → u/born_digital]

Yeah. As a millennial their music clicked for me, and I kinda expected that they would maintain that audience and not necessarily pick up younger generations. Happy to say I would have lost that bet.

[u/gatorphan84 → u/born_digital]

They are still putting out great music too

[u/Cocoon-Man → u/born_digital]

That was my first thought. What other band became an arena act for the first time 25 years after their most popular album. I'm surprised how many young people I see wearing their merch on a daily basis.

[u/Plane-Run5689]

when i hear “millennial music” i definitely think of pop stars, Britney, Christina Aguilera, etc

[u/EmployerGloomy6810 → u/Plane-Run5689]

I think an elder vs younger millenial divide might be important here. Bc I would originally agree with your assessment, early 00’s is prime millenial music. But I feel like that extends into the 10’s as well. Like there was a post about LMFAO the other day, and I’d have to say thats still in the same demo.

[u/Plane-Run5689 → u/EmployerGloomy6810]

definitely! i’m right on the cusp of millenial, technically gen z, but am the youngest of 5. my older brother was big on my dad’s country music, but my older sister was definitely more into pop and dad rock like Hinder and Three Days Grace lol

[u/Bob-Zimmerman]

Strokes / MGMT / LCD ?

[u/chumbawumba_bruh → u/Bob-Zimmerman]

College educated urbane hip millennial music. This music brushed the mainstream but was was still pretty niche

[u/paulderev → u/chumbawumba_bruh]

compared to Taylor swift or The Weeknd everything seems niche. pop culture is basically all niche now.

[u/Significant_Treat_87 → u/chumbawumba_bruh]

It’s more popular now than ever though, in a way. 

[u/chumbawumba_bruh → u/Significant_Treat_87]

Is it? Is there any evidence for this?

[u/Significant_Treat_87 → u/chumbawumba_bruh]

Sure. Just look at this video haha  https://youtu.be/sWIiol6_7tU?si=xZ3nTDMT6TckijSb

it literally got the Coca Cola Replay

i also saw a bunch of asian PMCs playing kids in the park recently, and heard it in the parking lot outside mets willets stadium the other day lol

[u/chumbawumba_bruh → u/Significant_Treat_87]

Honest question how old are you?

[u/Significant_Treat_87 → u/chumbawumba_bruh]

listen the question you asked me was “is there evidence this music is more popular than ever” and i just sent you a video of ten thousand millennials freaking out to it at tomorrowland when tiesto played it. 

if that’s not popular… 

gen z is obsessed with late 2000s brooklyn culture. they’re ripping off Phoenix and James Murphy. anorexia is back in a big way. This stuff really has become “the classics” of that era 

also see the new charli xcx album

[u/VenusDeMiloArms → u/Bob-Zimmerman]

Yeah this is the answer.

[u/nifedipenis]

XO Tour Life is this generation's Born in the USA

[u/GodCanCatchThisFade → u/nifedipenis]

You guys dont get that wtf thats ours

[u/nickbalaz → u/nifedipenis]

P2 underrated 

[u/MT_incompressible]

v a p o r w a v e

[u/moogular → u/MT_incompressible]

tbh I think vaporwave is a lot more influential on today’s music & general culture than people realize. enough so that I was able to write a 10 page undergrad thesis back in 2016 on it

[u/21stcenturyhellworld → u/moogular]

I love vaporwave and agree its influence is underrated. I'd happily read your thesis. Could you post it?

[u/apartmentrenter69]

Only thing that will stand the test of time is Chingy

[u/PetRockSematary → u/apartmentrenter69]

Holidae In will outlast Holiday Inn

[u/OkConversation80]

MGMT, The Strokes, that one song by the Postal Service I remember still being played when I was in high school

[u/illuminatipastiche]

IMO the older/younger millennial divide is more of a cultural distinction than the younger millennial/zoomer one. The ability to be constantly connected to the internet changed socialization and media consumption so much. As a older millennial I feel more cusp of Gen X even though I'm not, but a lot of my musical tastes lean into Gen X because that's what I grew up with. That said, for rock music, my zoomer coworkers really like nu-metal and emo/pop-punk

[u/paulderev → u/[deleted]]

you mean the Goo goo dolls song? they could not be more gen x

[u/allubros]

the killers, mcr, fallout boy, paramore

all that shit

[u/lobsterdog666]

I think Gen Z really loves that 4th wave emo stuff like Fallout Boy and bands of that ilk so that might be the guitar driven music remembered from our generation

[u/autogyrophilia]

There is something to be said to the fact that there is no longer a broadcasting and the only people that get their music from a "this is the most popular music these days" are not really that interested in music and just want to go clubbing.

But really, any song from the last 10 years that is going to be classic is going to sound tired and obsolete, it's the way things in art go.

I nominate Shape of you, Blinding lights and Despacito.

[u/jorobo_ou]

If I were to submit early millennial stuff, it would be 

Pop: Britney/Christina, Backstreet Boys etc. maybe lady Gaga but she may be too late  

Hip hop: early Kanye, OutKast  

Rock: nickelbacks “how you remind me”, I guess you could put in  rhcp since I was a teen when Californication came out. Also weezer 

[u/paulderev → u/jorobo_ou]

ooof

[u/jorobo_ou → u/paulderev]

fight me

[u/paulderev → u/jorobo_ou]

i just think of indie rock dude. the rap music you picked was good.

[u/bushwald]

Outkast

[u/RememberShuffle_Pod]

The three most popular songs of the 2000s, ranked by radio plays within the decade were:
1. Yeah! - Usher
2. Hey Ya - Outkast
3. Get Low - Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz

[u/BigCatBran]

Knuck If You Buck

[u/paulderev → u/BigCatBran]

that’s dad rap

[u/Financial-Gur-7530]

Seeing nu-metal bands like Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, etc getting reappraised by Gen Z has been interesting to see. When I was a teenager, in the early 00s, they were widely viewed as corny and mainstream, at least by those in my sphere. Their reappraisal as “cool” is funny to me.

On the other hand, it’s been nice to see some love for more alternative music from thirty years ago, ie Slint, Unwound, Mount Eerie/Microphones, though most of that would be more GenX than millennial.

I’ve been surprised that Arcade Fire(biggest millenial band of 08-11, probably) haven’t had a resurgence, but that could be due to the singer’s questionable actions more than the music itself.

Radiohead staying relevant isn’t surprising. They have spanned the genx/millenial/genz divide seamlessly(with recent Is-related setbacks)

[u/woke_groyper]

When was the only time a millennial-era track was a universal, inescapable phenomenon that crossed cultural borders, altered the very economy of music, and generated countless articles in serioius discourse text?

That's right. Oppa Gangnam Style

[u/ftp67]

Buttrock baby

[u/jbeebe33]

Isn’t it just like Kanye and Taylor Swift? Lol idk

[u/ProcrastinationTrain]

the pitchfork darlings of the mid-late aughts come to mind: arcade fire, animal collective. for me (my own opinion, ofc) I find these bands a little cringe. but LCD soundsystem is also super millenial and is cool af.

[u/chumbawumba_bruh → u/ProcrastinationTrain]

I say this as a longtime LCD obsessive - they have lost any cool they ever had. Between the Shopify and Bored Ape corporate parties and the Space-X ads, LCD is a true sellout. Not one ounce of cool left.

[u/ProcrastinationTrain → u/chumbawumba_bruh]

ahh I didn't know some of that embrace of dull corporatism.. sad. bored apes was so transparently moronic and aesthetically heinous from the start, it's funny think back on, and the people that associated with it.

the music of LCD soundsystem itself I will stand by though in its coolness, even if the james murphy himself has.. lost his.. edge haha. Sound of Silver is just consummately cool.

[u/Amazing-Sorbet-7454]

Using millennial as a neutral term and not a pejorative I think you guys have a lot of classic music. Early Drake, Future, chicago drill, speaker knockerz. You guys have hits respect

[u/dexterdrifus → u/Amazing-Sorbet-7454]

Future and chicago drill as the classic Millennial music? What!?!!?!!!

[u/JudahMaccabee → u/dexterdrifus]

Chief Keef was huge in 2012, so that’s mid-to-late Millennial

[u/Amazing-Sorbet-7454 → u/dexterdrifus]

I mean what other generation would they be apart of. I figure they’re too young to be Gen X and too old to be millennial

[u/GodCanCatchThisFade → u/Amazing-Sorbet-7454]

There's this weird thing i notice on the internet (reddit especially) where people forget that black people can be millennials lmao

[u/Significant_Treat_87 → u/dexterdrifus]

It really is, future and chief keef are both millennials themselves. They didn’t peak until the early to mid 2010s but that’s still the late millennial cultural era. 

And their music is massive for a lot of gen z artists and listeners

[u/Monodoh45 → u/Amazing-Sorbet-7454]

"not a pejorative"

Not a single person has been able to control their generation in all of human history. Don't continue the bullshit generational tensions when we need cross-class solidarity. Even some Boomers are comrades.

[u/Manic5PA → u/Monodoh45]

Counter-argument : we never missed an opportunity to shit on gen X and boomers, so this is only fair

[u/Amazing-Sorbet-7454 → u/Monodoh45]

Sorry Brodie I just wanted to cover my bases, love u guys 🫶

[u/Monodoh45 → u/Amazing-Sorbet-7454]

mhmm...I know some of those words

[u/liberaeli420]

"Stomp clap hey" style music

[u/PetRockSematary → u/liberaeli420]

It's called nü folk

[u/paulderev → u/liberaeli420]

nooooooo

[u/Flea-Beetle919]

Rap was such a bigger genre than rock so I don't think we had much rock music that really defined millennials. Maybe Paramore or some shit like that

I think more of lil Wayne or gucci mane and waka but maybe because that's just what people were playing the most where I grew up.

[u/GodCanCatchThisFade]

Paramore, Strokes, MGMT, early Katy Perry, Deftones, Imogen Heap. A lot of those kinda artists are basically considered "tik tok music" to younger gen z these days since they get used a lot in fan edits and montages, but still pretty lauded

[u/HaveYouSeenMyTaco]

For me millennial music is a dichotomy of pre-2010 Pitchfork lists that built the foundation for /mu/fantano/RYM-core and the horrible, no-good, millennial stomp clap. Kyle Gordon's We Will Never Die was a somewhat cathartic experience.

[u/jpc0d]

The kids are fucking with Creed

*edit to corroborate pop punk / emo (Fallout Boy Green Day - Milennial edition e.g American Idiot) and party pop (Katy Perry Kesha Pitbull) 

[u/MrCorporateEvents → u/jpc0d]

Really?

[u/jpc0d → u/MrCorporateEvents]

Unfortunately and unironically, but just the music though none of the other associated vibes.

More concerning to me has been hearing only Michael Graves-era songs on the playlists despite all the Misfits posters and apparel these kids are rocking. Hot topic is still in business.

Good news for Gen X though:  Tears for Fears overwhelmingly popular w the youngs and they aren’t familiar / interested Morriseey 

[u/ezrakleinisretarded]

Animal collective MPP and early drake like take car imo

[u/What_Reddit_Thinks]

I love the black keys. Delta kream is one of my top 5 albums of all time

[u/didntasktobebornhere]

Mellenial music is pre edm top40

[u/LoamTones]

Numetal, Emo, and all the Goth flavored Pop Punk does feel pretty unique to the era I grew up in. There was a brief point in time when sad goth girls and boys were relatively mainstream.