"anthem" for Generation X?

[pwmartin]

I went to a lecture a few years ago given by a seminary professor who is a widely-published author in several fields of congregational ministry, including youth ministry. He had just finished collaborating with Tom Bowdoin on what faith and church membership among Gen-Xer's looks like.

In his multi-media lecture, he referenced U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and even played the video for the audience. He claimed that the song represents the closest thing that Generation X has to an anthem (I hate stereotypes generally, but Gen X refers to those born roughly between 1960 and 1980).

I grew up a U2 fan, and listened to JT extensively in high school, so his comment resonated with me, at least (born in 1973). It was an intriguing supposition and led to some good discussion that day. Interestingly, as soon as he started to play it, everyone in the audience who was in their 20s or 30s instinctively began singing along. The older folks were clueless.

What say you: if Generation X were to have an unofficial anthem, would it be "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"?

 

[kakvox]

Generation X consists of what age group?

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

people who grew up in the 80s, I believe

less than zero etc.

 

[Siren]

I thought Generation X consists of those born in the late 1970's to mid 80's. Growing up I was called a Gen-Xer.

 

[namkcuR]

Generation X are the children of the Baby Boomers

 

[david]

I thought the Gen X anthem was Smells Like Teen Spirit.

 

[Siren]

I thought the Gen X anthem was Smells Like Teen Spirit.

I thought it was too! Grunge was all the rage then.

 

[david]

I was like 14/15 when Smells Like Teen Spirit was new. I am pretty sure I was Gen X. I think the kids now are Gen Y or whatever stupid damn label that was given to them.

Whatever the new generation is now, their anthems sure suck!

 

[Tranquilfire]

I think the kids who were born in the 80s were technically Generation Y. Generation X was from the late 60s to the 80s. Anyway, I consider I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For my favorite song of all time, and if it represents my generation, it does a good job. My generation has grown up on innovations like the CD and the personal computer, and has always been fast-moving and busy because they can't seem to find something to keep them content. We might be happy, but we're never content. In other words, maybe we really just can't find what we're looking for.

 

[Siren]

I remember when MTV used to play the Smells Like Teen Spirit video constantly. I still love that song. I miss the days of Grunge music. It was the music most parents dismissed as crap. Moshing was big then too.

 

[jcool]

err..wasn't it the nirvana song..

but i can go for that U2 song....

 

[U2Kitten]

Gen X is the post baby boom generation. The baby boom is 1946-1964, Gen X is 1965-1977 (from what I've seen) and those born 1978-1990 are Gen "Y" (younger than that is being called "XYZ")

So that makes me Gen X. I've always considered the SBS and NYD more the anthems of the generation.

 

[HelloAngel]

I was born in 1977 and ISHFWILF is definitely not my anthem. I think it's hard to pin down a generation's anthem b/c ours is such a diverse and affected generation - it really depends on culturally where you sit.

I would say for the people I know and came up with that our anthems are the Nirvana song and perhaps anything by Nine Inch Nails. And then maybe U2's "One."

 

[pwmartin]

U2Kitten has a good age range for Gen X. It has less to do with growing up in the 80s and more to do with with when you were born. Again, there is a danger in taking these labels and generalizations too seriously, but it's still fun to think about. Gen Xers are now those people aged approx 27-43.

Gen X is sometimes called the MTV generation. We're the people who were in our middle school or elementary years when MTV first began. Those born at the end of the age range, like in 1976-1980, are of course going to fall out of that categorization a little it and will more likely identify with "One" and grunge rock. I think "Smells Like Teen Spirit" definitely captured the zeitgeist of its whole era (early 1990s). Helloangel was only about 10 when ISHFWILF out, so she may have been too young to have felt its initial impact.

 

[Norse]

No, I a pretty sure it is being the child of a baby boomer.

 

[david]

Lame. I don't want to be part of generatrion Y!

 

[Nate Dogg]

I've always considered ours Generation "Why?"

 

[pwmartin]

Or the "Internet Generation," since you were the first to grow up with widespread access to the Internet and were educated party through it.

Hey...we got MTV and you got the Internet. I think you got the better deal.

 

[Bono's shades]

My parents were both Depression Babies (born in the 1930s) but I'm a Gen-Xer because they had me late - I was born in 1967.

I always thought it was dumb to stereotype people by generation, especially since people born on one end of the timespan have totally different experiences growing up than those on the other end. My sister is nine years younger than me (my parents had her REALLY late), but she also is technically considered a Gen-Xer. She and her friends were jamming to Nirvana and Pearl Jam while I was still listening to my U2 albums and asking, "Who are these strange people you are listening to?" I eventually learned to like grunge, but I never felt like it was "my" music the way U2 was.

OK, back to the original subject...wouldn't One be an even better choice for a Gen-X anthem than ISHFWILF? That seems to be the kind of song that would resonate with people who grew up in the '90s just as much as those who grew up in the '80s.