Born 1965–1980
Gen X Nostalgia
The music, movies, malls, games & memories that raised us.
Cassettes, MTV, food courts, arcades, VHS, school dances — and the songs that still know exactly where you were. But a kid born in 1966 and a kid born in 1979 didn't grow up in the same decade. Pick your birth year and get your era, not a generic one.
Questions
- Who counts as Gen X?
- Generation X is usually defined as people born from 1965 through 1980 — after the Baby Boom, before the Millennials. The tail end (born roughly 1977–1983) is often called Xennials: an analog childhood with a digital coming-of-age.
- What music defined Gen X?
- It depends which Gen X you ask. Older Gen X (born 1965–1970) came of age to “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John and “Every Breath You Take” by The Police; Core Gen X (born 1971–1976) came of age to “Faith” by George Michael and “Look Away” by Chicago; Younger Gen X / Xennials (born 1977–1980) came of age to “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston and “The Sign” by Ace of Base. The through-line is MTV, the mixtape, and the mall.
- What's the difference between older and younger Gen X?
- About fifteen years of pop culture. Older Gen X hit high school when E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was in theaters and gas was $1.21; younger Gen X got there when Jurassic Park was playing and gas was $1.15. Same generation, different soundtrack.
- Why is Gen X called the forgotten generation?
- Smaller than the Boomers before it and the Millennials after, and the last generation whose childhood wasn't automatically recorded. That's the gap this site exists to fill: the memories attached to the songs, written down by the people who were there.
- How do I find my own Gen X era?
- Enter your birth year above — you'll get the #1 song the week you were born, your class-of soundtrack, and every year page from your childhood. Or take the Music Age quiz to find out how Gen X your taste is, whatever year you were born.