What makes a song a ‘millennial song’

What makes a song a ‘millennial song’

From It's Been a Minute by NPR

June 10, 2026 · 30 min

About this episode

The episode explores which song best defines the millennial generation through discussions with NPR Music editors.

What song best defines the millennial generation? On this episode from our friends at All Songs Considered, NPR Music editors Hazel Cills and Sheldon Pearce join host Robin Hilton to weigh the options and attempt to pick the one song that best captures the Millennial experience, from the dizzying highs of the dot-com boom, when anything seemed possible, to the post-9-11 bust, the "hope and change" of the Obama years, and prolonged period of generational disillusionment. Want more on the culture of pop music? The D-List pop star purgatory Bad Bunny redefined what "America" means Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: Robin Hilton

Guests: Hazel Cills, Sheldon Pearce

Topics covered

  • millennial music
  • pop culture
  • generational identity
  • music analysis
  • cultural commentary

Keywords

  • millennial song
  • music
  • NPR
  • pop music
  • cultural identity
  • generational disillusionment
  • Obama years

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR, All Songs Considered, NPR Music, NPR Plus, NPR’s Pod Club

Products: Bad Bunny

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