First we had the Baby Boomers. Then we had Generation X. After that came the Millennials. And now – as I learned during the course of 2016 – we are entering the era of Gen-Z.
One can see how labels are useful to sociologists trying to analyse trends in youth culture and to marketing agencies trying to sell stuff to them, but they are also of significance to music fans for each successive social cohort has brought with it profound changes in our listening habits.
The Baby Boomers gave us rock and roll, The Beatles, the Stones, Dylan, Bowie, Woodstock, 45s and 33rpm LPs. Generation X was the kick-back, expressing its sense of alienation and disaffection in punk and, a little later, grunge, and was responsible for many great bands…