Before I start off, I would like to say that this has nothing to do with generational boundaries. The purpose of this thread is to discuss the different generation cultures and as what is suggested in the title, to discuss which generation culture is your favourite. A generation cultural period is defined by the popular culture which was aimed at and/or influenced by a certain age group of the time. For instance, the Generation X cultural generation is renowned for grunge, gangsta rap, individualism, MTV and shows such as Beavis and Butthead. The years in brackets is the period of time in which the generation culture spanned for. Also, the years I have mentioned are entirely opinionated and the boundaries are based on evidence which I have personally found useful. In other words, they are not definite.

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u431/SharksFan99/elvis10_zpsvryepta9.jpg
Silent Gen Culture - (1954-1962)

This cultural generation is largely defined by the advent of Rock n' Roll. Musicians who were popular during this cultural period include Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and of course, Elvis Presley. I consider the release of "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets to mark the start of this cultural period. The song was not only an anthem for youth during this period of time, but it is also responsible for the emergence of rock and roll into the mainstream. By 1954, the world had largely recovered from World War II and 50s culture had become fully established.

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u431/SharksFan99/rs-431-the-beatles_zpsxaaas8y5.jpg
Baby Boomer Culture - (1963 - 1981)
Baby Boomer / Gen X Crossover Cultural Years (1982-1985)

The Baby Boomer Culture is responsible for the development of many sub-genres (such as heavy metal and psychedelic rock) and a lot of aspects of today's pop culture can be directly or in-directly contributed to the pop culture which emerged during this period of time. I consider the arrival of The Beatles onto the mainstream music scene and the British Invasion to mark the start of the Baby Boomer cultural generation. Some of the artists/bands who emerged and were popular during this period of time include Queen, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, AC/DC and the Sex Pistols. I consider 1981 to be the last overall Baby Boomer cultural year, with the Live Aid concert of 1985 marking the end of the relevance of Baby Boomer culture/influence in the mainstream media.

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u431/SharksFan99/beavis-and-butthead-couch-leaderboard_zps6ua4bkxa.jpg
Generation X Culture - (1986 - 1996)
Gen X / Millennial Crossover Cultural Years (1997-1998)

This is personally my favourite gen cultural period and i'm jealous of those who were able to experience Gen X culture at first-hand. :P As briefly touched upon in the opening paragraph, Gen X culture is defined by the introduction of MTV, the emergence of grunge and Britpop, the continued development of hip-hop, alternative media and individualism. I pinpoint 1986 as being the first overall Gen X cultural year. The year saw the release of Run-DMC's "Walk This Way", which propelled hip-hop into the Top-40 charts, and the emergence of the Beastie Boys. Some of the artists who emerged and were popular during this gen cultural period include Madonna, Nirvana, Oasis, Alanis Morrisette, 2Pac and The Smashing Pumpkins. I consider 1996 to be the last overall Gen X cultural year, as the focus of the media and music industry began to shift in 1997 towards a new demographic. Despite this shift, Gen X culture still maintained a level of prevalence until Late 1998/Early 1999, thanks to the continued success of 90s alternative-rock bands such as Garbage and The Offspring; the latter releasing two singles in Late 1998 ("Pretty Fly For a White Guy" and "Why Don't You Get a Job") which peaked in the Top-10 and were very successful.

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u431/SharksFan99/Panic-at-the-disco_zps6utldwzy.jpg
Millennial Culture - (1999-2012)
Millennial / Gen Z Crossover Cultural Years (2013-2015)

Whilst Millennial culture began to emerge as early as 1997, it wasn't until 1999 that it had completely entrenched mainstream pop culture. The Millennial culture can be defined by the emergence of genres such as Nu Metal and pop punk, the uptake of social media websites (such as Myspace & Facebook) by youth for the first time, the Emo scene, the impact on youth/adolescents as the result of the Global Financial Crisis and the rise of bubblegum teen-pop. Some of the artists/bands who emerged and were popular during this cultural period include Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera, Fall Out Boy, NYSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. As such, I pinpoint 2012 as being the last overall Millennial cultural year. It was a year before the emergence of #hashtags as a popular form of online communication, the sudden development of the "selfie" and the emergence of new social media websites such as Snapchat and Instagram. All three of these factors revolutionized society in such a way which made 2013 feel quite distinct from the years proceeding it. Music wise, Electropop and dubstep had given way to EDM in the Top-40 charts by 2013.

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u431/SharksFan99/Gen-Z-technology_zps5bknopa2.jpg
Generation Z Culture - (2016-present)

As of April 2017, it is currently to early to determine how Generation Z culture will shape out and what the defining characteristics of the culture will be. However, I do believe that 2016 is the first year without significant Millennial overtones or influences in the pop culture. Pokemon Go largely appealed to a demographic which were either too young or weren't even born yet during the Pokemon faze of the Late 90s. The app also popularised augmented reality, which may provide us a glimpse in to the further progression of virtual and augmented reality in years to come.

Music wise, there have so far been no significant changes to the Top-40 charts and the genres which were popular during the earlier years of the decade are still popular today. The only exception to this was the emergence of dancehall-pop on to the Top-40 charts, with songs such as Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" and Drake's "One Dance". Artists such as Ariana Grande and Lorde have also emerged onto the scene and are currently representatives of this new generation culture. Perhaps as an indication of a change in culture, 2016 was also the year that the first signs of mainstream nostalgia for the Early 2000s began to appear. "Closer" by The Chainsmokers, a band who emerged into mainstream consciousness last year, contains lyrics which refer to listening to the Early 2000s band, Blink-182. Online perception of the Early-Mid 2000s has also appeared to change, with the time period now receiving universal appreciation among a large proportion of internet users. It remains to be seen whether this new found appreciation of the Early-Mid 2000s will further transpire into the mainstream media in the next few years, however it could suggest that a new demographic is now the focus of pop culture.

Gen Y culture is my favorite era. I actually wish I was more Gen Y (even though technically I'm a Y/Z cusp), since Gen Z kids are a pain in the ass to deal with. Especially since they're generalized with using smartphones more than any other generation.

For me, I like both the Gen X and Gen Y culture. I more identify with those cultures even though I was born in 1999. Don't get me wrong I'm not a hater "of kids today" or hater of "smartphones and new tech" but I do sometimes wish that was born either in 1970 or 1981  :P.

If I was born in 1970:
1. I would have been a "'70s kids"
2. I would have been a '80s teen (1983-1989)
3. The first Presidential election I could vote in legally would have been the 1988 election between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis.
4. I would have been a young adult during the '90s (ages 20-29 during the years 1990-1999).
5. I would still be a young (but not as young) in the 2000s (I would be 30-39).

If I was born in 1981:
1. I would have been a "'80s kid"
2. I would have a '90s teen (1994-2000) and have graduated HS in 1999.
3. The first Presidential election I could vote in legally would have been the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore.
4. I would have been a young adult during the '00s (ages 19-28 during the years 2000-2009).
5. I would still be a young person in this decade (2010s), I would be currently 36. (ages 29-38 during the 2010s).

I picked Boomer! Swinging 60s and all the classic rock. :D

For me, Baby Boomer and Gen X crossover is my most favorite!  8)

Definitely X.

I don't think Generation Z culture is going on yet. Millennials end anywhere from 2000-2004.

I don't think Generation Z culture is going on yet. Millennials end anywhere from 2000-2004.


Sorry, but it has absolutely nothing to do with generation birth years.

I don't think Generation Z culture is going on yet. Millennials end anywhere from 2000-2004.


I'm sorry, but I don't think Millennials were at the tail end during 2004. Most 2004 babies at the time were at elementary school during the 2010s, while they have no memory of their lives before tablets were everywhere (since the early 2010s).

Sorry, but it has absolutely nothing to do with generation birth years.


It does because the youngest Millennials haven't turned 18 yet.

I'm sorry, but I don't think Millennials were at the tail end during 2004. Most 2004 babies at the time were at elementary school during the 2010s, while they have no memory of their lives before tablets were everywhere (since the early 2010s).


People born in 2004 would be the last to remember life before the 2008 crash. The 2010s were more influential on many Millennials than the 2000s. What year would you end the Millennials?

It does because the youngest Millennials haven't turned 18 yet.


Birth years do have an influence on the emergence of a new culture, but the generation in which they were born in does not, especially when you take into account how flexible the boundaries of generations are.

People born in 2004 would be the last to remember life before the 2008 crash. The 2010s were more influential on many Millennials than the 2000s. What year would you end the Millennials?

Most 2004 babies would have barely been able to remember life before the 2008 crash and even so they were only 3-4.

Birth years do have an influence on the emergence of a new culture, but the generation in which they were born in does not, especially when you take into account how flexible the boundaries of generations are.


I don't recall a new pop culture happening in 2016 though.

People born in 2004 would be the last to remember life before the 2008 crash.


Things were still the same after the 2008 recession. That doesn't specifically mean 2004 babies can remember the economy before crashing in 2008. I don't even remember the 2008 crash simply because the economy wasn't important to me, and this is coming from somebody born in 1999.


The 2010s were more influential on many Millennials than the 2000s.


No it didn't. Most Millennials were born in the 80s and 90s, not in the 90s and early 2000s. A lot of people believed that Millennial culture started to rise in 1999, which was five years before 2004 babies were conceived.


What year would you end the Millennials?


At the very least, it should end at 2000.

Most 2004 babies would have barely been able to remember life before the 2008 crash and even so they were only 3-4.


Barely is enough to be on the outer boundaries. They were Z in the 00s but outside Millennial cusps now because of the events that happened in 2008.

I don't recall a new pop culture happening in 2016 though.


It's all subjective. I personally don't think we are in Millennial culture anymore, but others may have different views.

Things were still the same after the 2008 recession. That doesn't specifically mean 2004 babies can remember the economy before crashing in 2008. I don't even remember the 2008 crash simply because the economy wasn't important to me, and this is coming from somebody born in 1999.

No it didn't. Most Millennials were born in the 80s and 90s, not in the 90s and early 2000s. A lot of people believed that Millennial culture started to rise in 1999, which was five years before 2004 babies were conceived.

At the very least, it should end at 2000.



If it ends in 2000, why are there boundaries for early and mid Millennials so early?
Why would early end in mid 1986 instead of some time in 1988? It's simple math

I'm sorry, but I don't think Millennials were at the tail end during 2004. Most 2004 babies at the time were at elementary school during the 2010s, while they have no memory of their lives before tablets were everywhere (since the early 2010s).

Yeah, most 2004 babies started elementary school during the 2009-2010 school year (Kindergarten). The 2000s were over by the time they started elementary school.


Barely is enough to be on the outer boundaries. They were Z in the 00s but outside Millennial cusps now because of the events that happened in 2008.

The 2008 crash would have absolutely NO effect on a 3-4 year old. C'mon man ???.

If it ends in 2000, why are there boundaries for early and mid Millennials so early?
Why would early end in mid 1986 instead of some time in 1988? It's simple math

The definitions of generations depends on person to person.

It would have an effect if their family became a lot poorer.

If it ends in 2000, why are there boundaries for early and mid Millennials so early?
Why would early end in mid 1986 instead of some time in 1988? It's simple math


Like I stated earlier, the boundaries for generations are flexible. There is no "point A" and "point B" when it comes to the start and end of a generation. 

It would have an effect if their family became a lot poorer.

There are people who fall into poverty or become poorer regardless of a recession. You're REALLY stretching it.

Like I stated earlier, the boundaries for generations are flexible. There is no "point A" and "point B" when it comes to the start and end of a generation.


But how does this account for people with abnormally early and vivid memories?

There are people who fall into poverty or become poorer regardless of a recession. You're REALLY stretching it.


True but there was a lot of panic in 08 and I think the people born in 04, even if they didn't know what was going on would have absorbed some of the panic.

If it ends in 2000, why are there boundaries for early and mid Millennials so early?


Early Millennials: 1982-1988
Middle Millennials: 1989-1994
Y/Z Cusps (Late Millennials): 1995-2000

There, that's the boundaries for early, mid, and late Millennials.


Why would early end in mid 1986 instead of some time in 1988? It's simple math


Look at my chart and you could see that early Millennials ended that year.

But how does this account for people with abnormally early and vivid memories?


Quite frankly, it really wouldn't matter in the scheme of things. I can vaguely remember 9/11 as a 2 and a half year old in 2001, but that doesn't make me a Millennial.

Quite frankly, it really wouldn't matter in the scheme of things. I can vaguely remember 9/11 as a 2 and a half year old in 2001, but that doesn't make me a Millennial.


Even if I don't remember 9/11, I still see myself as a late Millennial.

Quite frankly, it really wouldn't matter in the scheme of things. I can vaguely remember 9/11 as a 2 and a half year old in 2001, but that doesn't make me a Millennial.


You are though because Millennials end in at least 2000. Memories matter more than birth year in some respects.

True but there was a lot of panic in 08 and I think the people born in 04, even if they didn't know what was going on would have absorbed some of the panic.

Still stretching it. Most 2004 babies aren't even entering high school until 2018 (they'll graduate HS all the way in 2022).


Even if I don't remember 9/11, I still see myself as a late Millennial.

I don't really care too much about the generation debate but I do identify much more with Generation Y/Millennials than Gen Z.

1924 was part of the GI generation and they were very young when the Great Depression set in.

1924 was part of the GI generation and they were very young when the Great Depression set in.

The Great Depression started in 1929 (those born in 1924 were 5) and lasted until about 1941 (when they were 17). No comparison to 2004 babies, stop reaching dude.

1924 was part of the GI generation and they were very young when the Great Depression set in.


Except the Great Depression happened in a decade, compared to about a couple years with the Great Recession in 2008. People (at least his supporters) were already thanking Obama with his economic decisions during the early 2010s.

Except the Great Depression happened in a decade, compared to about a couple years with the Great Recession in 2008. People (at least his supporters) were already thanking Obama with his economic decisions during the early 2010s.


In some states it lasted longer and there's still an issue of panic. Many of the jobs that came back pay far less than what people had originally. Now we're in a state of new panic that will probably last until the 2020s.

In some states it lasted longer and there's still an issue of panic. Many of the jobs that came back pay far less than what people had originally. Now we're in a state of new panic that will probably last until the 2020s.

Hey, I'm not going to get into this. However, if you think that those born in 2004 are Millennials.....then so be it....I don't care.

In some states it lasted longer and there's still an issue of panic. Many of the jobs that came back pay far less than what people had originally. Now we're in a state of new panic that will probably last until the 2020s.


That doesn't really mean 2004 babies could remember the economy very well before the 2008 recession. Understanding the economy to 4 year olds is like rocket science.

That doesn't really mean 2004 babies could remember the economy very well before the 2008 recession. Understanding the economy to 4 year olds is like rocket science.


They don't have to understand the economy.

That doesn't really mean 2004 babies could remember the economy very well before the 2008 recession. Understanding the economy to 4 year olds is like rocket science.

IKR. People born in 2004 haven't even lived in a world pre-Iraq War. The first Prez they have probably EVER known is former President Obama.


They don't have to understand the economy.

Well, then why don't we just include everyone born until 2014 as a Millennial considering as you said "Now we're in a state of new panic that will probably last until the 2020s"?

Hey, I'm not going to get into this. However, if you think that those born in 2004 are Millennials.....then so be it....I don't care.


Exactly. I hate the fact that unconventional99 has turned this into a generation boundaries debate, even though this thread was never intended to be about generation boundaries.

Exactly. I hate the fact that unconventional99 has turned this into a generation boundaries debate, even though this thread was never intended to be about generation boundaries.

Exactly. It's ridiculous. Anyways like I said earlier....I would want to be born in either 1970 or 1981. I like both Gen X culture and Gen Y culture.

Exactly. It's ridiculous. Anyways like I said earlier....I would want to be born in either 1970 or 1981. I like both Gen X culture and Gen Y culture.


The only possibility is that if you were born in 1970 or 1981, there is a possibility that you wouldn't have really liked or identified with Millennial culture. If you had of been born in 1970, you would have already been 27 years old by the time the first signs of Millennial culture began to emerge. I understand what you're saying about liking both Gen X and Gen Y culture, but if you had of been born in either 1970 or 1981, there is a chance that you may have liked one culture, but not the other.

Exactly. It's ridiculous. Anyways like I said earlier....I would want to be born in either 1970 or 1981. I like both Gen X culture and Gen Y culture.


Sorry for derailing but my favorite culture is a tie between Boomer and Xer.
I think 1966 would be the ideal year to be born to experience the 80s and all it had to offer.

The only possibility is that if you were born in 1970 or 1981, there is a possibility that you wouldn't have really liked or identified with Millennial culture. If you had of been born in 1970, you would have already been 27 years old by the time the first signs of Millennial culture began to emerge. I understand what you're saying about liking both Gen X and Gen Y culture, but if you had of been born in either 1970 or 1981, there is a chance that you may have liked one culture, but not the other.

No you don't get what I'm saying. I like both Gen X and Gen Y culture so I chose 2 birth years that would make me experience either or. If I was born in 1970, I would have experienced Gen X culture and if I was born in 1981 I would have experienced Gen Y culture as an adult (instead of a little kid).

Sorry for derailing but my favorite culture is a tie between Boomer and Xer.
I think 1966 would be the ideal year to be born to experience the 80s and all it had to offer.

Well if you was born in 1966 you would have remembered all of the 1970s and turn 13 in 1979. The first US Presidential election you could vote in would be the 1984 election (Ronald Reagan vs Walter Mondale) in which you would have turned 18 that year. You would have been a teenager from 1979 until 1985 (ages 13-19) and a young adult from 1986 until 1995 (ages 20-29) and a youngish adult from 1996 until 2005 (ages 30-39). That sounds pretty good to me.

They don't have to understand the economy.


But how do they know what's different before and after the 2008 crash?

So far it's definitely millennial/Gen Y culture because that's all I can relate to based off this poll.

Me too. I hate 2014/5-present though I'm not sure if that's because of the Gen Z influence. Rather, I hate it because it's a bitter and unpleasant time where everyone is mistrusting and cynical.

There's also the barrage of racism and the alt-right's rise, and given that a number of my friends on this site (as well as IRL) are black, Jewish, or LGBT, it's an issue that's very personal to me.

Gen X but... I really wouldn't call 1985 a boomer crossover year at all...

Really I think 1977 was the end of Boomer culture because punk rock exploded internationally that year.

Punk Rock was more of a late boomer thing but Hardcore Punk is an X'er thing.

But going back to this chart... 1985, that's 100% unadulterated Gen X. Gen X culture should be 1984-1996. 1980-1983 should be the crossover years.

Punk Rock was more of a late boomer thing but Hardcore Punk is an X'er thing.

But going back to this chart... 1985, that's 100% unadulterated Gen X. Gen X culture should be 1984-1996. 1980-1983 should be the crossover years.

Yeah you're right.

Late Boomers are wayyyyy cooler than Early Boomers. Punks were scrappier and hungrier and therefore would win in a fight with those lame hippies, who would move around very slowly due to having done so much drugs. Or the hippies would try to "fight" with their pacifism and peace and love, to which they would obviously lose.

But going back to this chart... 1985, that's 100% unadulterated Gen X. Gen X culture should be 1984-1996. 1980-1983 should be the crossover years.


I have always thought that 1986 was the first outright Gen X cultural year, because of Run-DMC's success into the mainstream, the emergence of the Beastie Boys and the early beginnings of hair metal. However, with that said, I do understand why 1985 is viewed as being an outright Gen X year as well. To be honest, I believe a lot of the songs released in 1983 and 1984, such as "Gloria", "Flashdance" and "Footloose", still have a bit of a Gen Jones undertone to them, but I guess it is all subjective anyway.

Yeah you're right.

Late Boomers are wayyyyy cooler than Early Boomers. Punks were scrappier and hungrier and therefore would win in a fight with those lame hippies, who would move around very slowly due to having done so much drugs. Or the hippies would try to "fight" with their pacifism and peace and love, to which they would obviously lose.


Clearly. Punks used speed, hippies smoked pot.


I have always thought that 1986 was the first outright Gen X cultural year, because of Run-DMC's success into the mainstream, the emergence of the Beastie Boys and the early beginnings of hair metal. However, with that said, I do understand why 1985 is viewed as being an outright Gen X year as well. To be honest, I believe a lot of the songs released in 1983 and 1984, such as "Gloria", "Flashdance" and "Footloose", still have a bit of a Gen Jones undertone to them, but I guess it is all subjective anyway.


1985 had a lot of that stuff, too. Rap like Run DMC was already pretty popular and the Beastie Boys had opened for Madonna and made a good amount of press that year but while they weren't totally top 40 yet, RnB during this time had already began to crossover into rap territory with stuff like Chaka Khan and New Edition, to name a few, and those were huge hits. The year also had Heart, a band that used to appeal to the boomers, switching over their sound to glam with their 1985 self-titled comeback album. Motley Crue jumped on the glam bandwagon this year with Theater of Pain, too. David Lee Roth's solo album, Ratt's Invasion of Your Privacy, Bon Jovi's 7800 Fahrenheit, etc. Lot's of glam. 1984 also had stuff like Ratt's Out of the Cellar, Bon Jovi's self-titled, Autograph's Sign in Please, Scorpions' Love at First Sting (another band that was more boomer oriented before going glam) and not to mention all the Kiss albums released after they took their make-up off. I do agree about 1983, though, but I guess you're right. It's all subjective.

I would say everyone of them except the Gen Z era. all of them have brought in many positives along with negatives. Although, I have to ask, why is the Silent Gen culture so short? Didn't it actually begin much earlier?

Although, I have to ask, why is the Silent Gen culture so short? Didn't it actually begin much earlier?


The reason why I started the Silent Gen culture at 1954, is because the emergence of Rock n' Roll at the time resulted in the development of a youth-focused market for the very first time. That's partly the reason why older generations at the time disliked Rock n' Roll as much as they did. In their eyes, it was 'corrupting the youth', but it was also something which had never occurred within society beforehand.

The reason why I started the Silent Gen culture at 1954, is because the emergence of Rock n' Roll at the time resulted in the development of a youth-focused market for the very first time. That's partly the reason why older generations at the time disliked Rock n' Roll as much as they did. In their eyes, it was 'corrupting the youth', but it was also something which had never occurred within society beforehand.
I understand that. It's just that the Silent Generation culture began after WW2, and there was lot that impacted them than just the second wave you mentioned.

In some states it lasted longer and there's still an issue of panic. Many of the jobs that came back pay far less than what people had originally. Now we're in a state of new panic that will probably last until the 2020s.


The after effects of the Great Recession was not just a couple of people being laid off, it has created a profound crisis in the international order, nationalist populism is rising in many countries(on a scale not seen since the 1930s), a loss of political trust/lessened expectations for the future that opened the door for demagogues like Trump and events like Brexit.

We're likely due a recession just by the business cycle but I think there could be a second shock, it could happen during Trump's first term.