Think your generation had the best music? It’s time to settle the debate

There are few debates more pointless — and somehow more passionately defended — than arguing over which generation produced the best music.

Politics? Sure. Sports? Absolutely. Pineapple on pizza? Somehow still controversial.

But tell a room full of boomers, Gen Xers, millennials and Gen Z listeners that their generation’s music wasn’t the best, and suddenly everyone becomes a music historian with very strong opinions.

And honestly? I’m guilty too.

As a proud millennial, part of me firmly believes humanity reached its musical sweet spot somewhere between Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Boyz II Men and the beautifully chaotic magic of burned CDs.

I had one disc I put together that included Jimmy’s Chicken Shack, Soul Asylum, Ben Folds and System of a Down. It was absolute chaos, and I loved it.

The truth is, every generation thinks their music was the best. And after some study, I’ve come to a surprising conclusion that will settle the debate once and for all — but more on that in a moment.

My musical journey is all over the map

Music was one of the first things that really shaped me. Michael Jackson and MC Hammer introduced me to the idea that music could be larger than life.

Michael Jackson wasn’t just a singer when I was a kid; he was practically mythical. My older brother and I were so obsessed that there was a stretch where we genuinely wanted to change our names to Michael.

We weren’t allowed to watch MTV, which somehow made it even more exciting. So, we’d sneak over to that channel, hoping to catch “Beat It,” “Bad,” or — if the stars aligned and the universe smiled upon us — “Thriller.” That was our version of striking gold.

Schooled by the greats

MC Hammer taught me music could be fun. Boyz II Men taught me harmony could hit you right in the soul. Then Stone Temple Pilots showed me music could have grit.

Metallica taught me it could have an edge. Pearl Jam and Nirvana introduced me to the endless possibilities of rock. And Dave Matthews Band somehow convinced me violins and acoustic guitars belonged right alongside distorted guitars in the pantheon of greatness.

I became a full-fledged grunge kid for a while. I wore flannel and owned knockoff Doc Martens (because real Doc Martens cost what felt like the gross domestic product of a small nation). I was all in.

The first cassette tape I ever owned was “Too Legit to Quit.”

The first CD I was ever given was “II,” by Boyz II Men.

The first CD I bought with my own money was “Purple,” by Stone Temple Pilots.

That’s a pretty wild progression if you think about it.

Spending all my money

Then there was Columbia House.

If you’re a Millennial of a certain age, just reading those two words probably triggered a mild stress response. The “12 CDs for practically free” deal felt like the greatest scam ever pulled. And for a brief, glorious moment, I thought I had beaten the system.

Then the bill came.

Turns out “shipping and handling” was apparently code for “surprise financial panic.” I learned a lot that day … mostly about contracts.

Later, when I started working at a local skating rink, making the princely sum of $3.50 an hour, my friend and I would head straight to the used CD store every payday and spend nearly everything we made on used albums.

We treated those shopping trips like sacred pilgrimages. Music wasn’t background noise; it was identity.

Every generation has a case

That’s why this debate gets so heated — because every generation really does have a compelling argument.

Boomers built the foundation

If you grew up with The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John and The Rolling Stones, you have every right to feel a little smug.

That generation didn’t just enjoy great music. They helped define modern popular music. Entire genres were born or transformed in that era.

Of course, not every song from the 1970s was a masterpiece. Some of it sounds like a wizard got lost in a flute store. But still, their case is strong.

Gen X had the cool factor

Gen X may have the strongest “we’re cooler than all of you” energy. And honestly, they have receipts.

Nirvana. Pearl Jam. Soundgarden. Tupac. Biggie. Radiohead.

That era somehow managed to sound angry, exhausted and deeply profound all at once. It was the musical equivalent of staring out a rainy window while contemplating existence.

And somehow, it worked.

Millennials got the musical buffet

As a Millennial myself, I am proud to say we had an insane buffet of music. We caught the tail end of the Gen X grunge but were still young enough to glide into guilty pleasures of boy bands and Brittany while also witnessing a new take on alternative rock.

No generation had more stylistic whiplash than millennials. Think: boy bands, pop divas, grunge leftovers, nu metal, pop punk, hip-hop’s explosive mainstream rise, alternative rock, big-time singer-songwriters.

You’d turn the radio on in your car and get a Blink-182 hit followed immediately by Outkast. Then it was Linkin Park followed by a trailing Dave Matthews Band jam session.

After a short commercial break, we’d get a long block of Eminem, Creed and Limp Bizkit. Then we could wash that all out of our mouths with a pop rock one-hot-wonder by Semisonic.

Our playlists were absolute chaos — and they were glorious.

Gen Z has access to everything

This generation has something none of us had: immediate access to basically every song ever recorded.

That’s incredible.

They can discover Queen, Tyler, The Creator, Fleetwood Mac, Zach Bryan and Nirvana in a single afternoon.

That kind of access is powerful — but there’s a tradeoff.

Previous generations had shared musical experiences. We all heard the same songs because we had fewer options. You waited for the radio to play your favorite song. You watched MTV, hoping your music video would come on. You borrowed CDs from friends.

Today, music is often more personal and fragmented. I don’t think that’s a worse experience, just different.

So, who wins?

After years of confidently insisting that Millennials had the greatest musical era ever, I’ve finally landed on the only honest answer.

Music isn’t just sound. It’s memory.

Music is your first kiss and your first heartbreak. It’s the song playing in the backseat on a family road trip or the track that instantly takes you back to your childhood — when you listened to that album while lying on your friend Bryan Tarr’s living room floor as the two of you worked through every track together.

Your catalog of musical memories includes that song our parents introduced us to and the track we heard on the radio, but could never figure out who sang it.

That song makes you think of your mom cooking dinner in your kitchen. This song makes you think of that middle school crush who didn’t know you even existed. That song reminds you of the day your grandma died, and this song is your wedding day.

Music is woven into the tapestry of our experience — the ups, the downs, the melancholy tracks that give emotion to heartache, and the hopeful tunes that continue to give us goosebumps.

Our lives all have their own personal soundtracks. It’s tied to moments that shaped us, and that’s why we defend it so fiercely.

We’re not just defending songs. We’re defending memories. So let’s finally put the debate to bed.

Boomers, Gen X, millennials, Gen Z, and whoever comes next: You’re right. Your generation’s music was the best. It’s the best because it made you. It’s a part of who you are. And we all have a beautiful musical journey ahead of us, including old favorites and new surprises.

So you can now go to your next family event or work party and let everyone know that your generation’s music was the best. After all, a guy who writes on EastIdahoNews.com said so.

Just don’t let them know I said their generation’s music is the best, too.