What songs would be on a soundtrack for our generation?

Smells Like Teen Spirit is the quintessential Gen-X anthem. If Xennials are supposed to be different from Gen-X and Millennials, they can't open with the Gen-X anthem.

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Hmm...I dunno if it's really quite as solidly GenX as it may seem. It's one of those strangely divisive songs that apparently, a lot of older GenX didn't really dig. Lots of them seem to harken back to either the hair metal days, New Wave, '80s college rock, or the '80s underground hardcore punk scene. I was kind of surprised myself when I learned this by hanging on the r/GenX sub. Lol...lots of them straight up call it a "Millennial Song."

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SpecialistNo30@reddit

I agree. The Gen X sub is mostly early to late 50s folks who are more nostalgic about 70s and 80s stuff. Nirvana is more very late Gen X and early Millennial.

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AHorseNamedPhil@reddit

I'm on the younger end of X (late 70s) and from what I remember there was a bit of a divide between Xers when grunge blew up. The younger Xers (aka Xennials) were into grunge & alternative bands and tended to make fun of the more tropey hair metal bands, though less tropey bands like GnR were popular, while the older Xers were more into hair metal and not always happy that grunge killed that scene.

Bill Burr is the comedic representation of the attitude of many older Xers.

Of course there were plenty of exceptions & the people actually in the grunge & alternative bands were all older Xers.

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-bobsnotmyuncle-@reddit

It straight up brought me from the world of the 80s to the one that felt like my own.

Bleach is gen x for sure. Nevermind is ours. We got to be in our early formative years for nirvana and smells like teen spirit was the entry to 90s rock for many of us.

I grew up watching much music (Canadian mtv for the Americans) and it was a huge change from the stuff I was already watching. It was the start to my love of 90s music.

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No_Zombie2021@reddit

Kurt was Gen X, so I would argue it was a product of older Gen X. I think I was 14.

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DannyNoonanMSU@reddit

Uh, most if not all of the artists being named were Gen X. Do you think kids were making music back then? Or maybe I'm missing the point of what you're attempting to say.

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No_Zombie2021@reddit

I am saying that “Smells like Teen Spirit” absolutely qualifies for a Xennial soundtrack, it is not exclusively a Gen-X Anthem.

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Averagestiff@reddit

Flagpole Sitta Harvey Danger.

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Kinky-Bicycle-669@reddit

Loved this song, definitely a good addition.

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darthduder666@reddit (OP)

Ever watch Peep Show? If not, then I highly recommend it. Great British comedy.

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Kinky-Bicycle-669@reddit

Nope but I'll check it out.

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darthduder666@reddit (OP)

I love this song. I didn’t really notice or appreciate it much back in the day. It wasn’t until I watched Peep Show that I really took notice to it. When I hear it now I do think of that show, but it also brings me back to the 90s.

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musashi-swanson@reddit

That girl is POISONNNN

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ChiliFartShower@reddit

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andrewjamesvt78@reddit

If I was you I’d take precaution

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Dimebag0352@reddit

Never trust a big butt and a smile.

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Significant_Dog412@reddit

Radiohead- Paranoid Android

The Fugees Killing Me Softly (I'd prefer to say Ready Or Not, but it doesn't seem to have been a hit in the US?)

The Strokes- Last Nite

Pulp- Common People (too British?)

The Prodigy- Firestarter

The Offspring- Come Out And Play

Fatboy Slim- The Rockefeller Skank

The Cardigans- Lovefool (prefer Losing My Favourite Game, but again,doesn't seem to have hit in the US)

System Of A Down- Chop Suey

TLC- No Scrubs

Beastie Boys- Sabotage

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ultramagnes23@reddit

‘Ready or Not’ was a huge hit around me, but growing up in the Midwest Rave Scene with all the jungle remixes probably helped tho. Where you from?

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Significant_Dog412@reddit

Britain. Both Ready Or Not and Killing Me Softly were number ones for us, and both are equally as big. Fugees generally charted better here, but maybe it's one of those cases where the Billboard chart isn't giving a full picture of how big they actually were in the US.

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future_ghost13@reddit

I had listed the Fugees as well but then went with Lauren instead

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Inevitable-While-577@reddit

Something by The Offspring. Pretty Fly? Self Esteem?

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Kinky-Bicycle-669@reddit

Definitely pretty fly. 😂

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Tiny-Reading5982@reddit

The kids aren't alright or gotta get away

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Inevitable-While-577@reddit

I can live with that. The kids aren't alright is my favourite.

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whyneedaname77@reddit

I'm more of an album person than a single song.

Enter the 36 Chambers.

It was like this is what rap is meant to be.

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Cool_Dark_Place@reddit

Add Biggie's "Ready to Die" and Nas "Illmatic", and you've got the Holy Trinity of East Coast rap.

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whyneedaname77@reddit

I actually don't like those two albums. Biggie never did it for me. I have revisited several times and it doesn't do it for me. And neither does Nas.

For me I was the Tribe, De La, Pharcyde, Digable Planets guy. I was that laid back rap guy.

But when I heard Wu Tang I was like this is it.

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Lower_Ad8859@reddit

Biggie never did it for me. I have revisited several times and it doesn't do it for me. And neither does Nas.

I thought I was the only person in the world that wasn't a fan of biggie. Too much bragging and name dropping. As far as Nas... He had me at Illmatic and some of It was Written, but he lost me after that.

Now Tribe, De La, Digable Planets, Pharcyde and Wu. Those are STILL in rotation at the crib and in the whip.

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ultramagnes23@reddit

Tribe, De La, and the Alkaholiks: Coast II Coast are still in my regular rotation on CarPlay.

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Lower_Ad8859@reddit

Tha Liks! Likwidation was my joint

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whyneedaname77@reddit

De La Soul is Dead is one of the greatest albums of all time.

But it takes time to appreciate it. You won't get it the first time. I thought it was garbage when I first heard it.

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Lower_Ad8859@reddit

Indeed! They did go hard with that one. Buhloone Mindstate is my personal favorite though.

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whyneedaname77@reddit

There first four albums are so good. But there was a real change when Prince Paul was no longer the producer.

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Lower_Ad8859@reddit

True, true. It was a different vibe when they started working with J Dilla. Not better, not worse but different.

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whyneedaname77@reddit

Did you ever check out Prince Paul's solo albums? They are fun and entertaining.

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rohm418@reddit

Tical was the record that really got me into hip-hop.

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kheinrychk@reddit

Fucked up, but my graduation song, class of 2002, was Hope You Had The Time of Your Life. Told our band director what the song was about, dumbass was convinced we were lying but ya know…there it is.

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ultramagnes23@reddit

Same here, class of 1999. We were pissed the program listed the name of the song as ‘Time of your Life’ instead of its actual title ‘Good Riddance’ which is what our class voted for.

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