The My Generation of your generation?

Mentioned an anthem of youth in the Pearl Jam thread, which got me thinking, what are the anthems of today, yesterday, and which ones will last? Like they said in Singles, "Where is the Misty Mountain Hop, Where is the Smoke on the Water, where is the Iron Man of today? Most of these bands are like well designed bottles of bleach, it's beer and lifestyle music."

I nominate Pearl Jam's Leash, but would also go with the original -- My Generation.

Oh, and can I get someone a beer?

 

Some guys with a guitar and a set of drums can neither define, nor speak for me.

 

I had the misfortune of being in high school during the mid-80s Like A Virgin-Born in the USA-Purple Rain era. And my favorite music was late 70s punk, so I didn't identify heavily with the music of the day.

 

My senior class song was "Free Bird." I graduated high school less than a decade ago. That tells me everything about my generation's "My Generation."

 

That's horrible. Our senior song was some Phil Collins dreck, but at least it was a current release.

 

"Tryin' to forget your generation...'cause your generation don't mean a thing to me.."

Generation X, fronted by a very fluffy-haired Billy Idol, singing an anti-hippie punk anthem circa 76-77 on Brit TV. Too bad the video's so digitized. Gen X is introduced by an outrageously campy Marc Bolan (RIP).

 

Pearl Jam's "Leash" was the first song I thought of. You can't really go wrong with "Porch," either. Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" works pretty well for me, too.

 

You mean it's not Smells Like Teen Spirit or Even Flow?

 

An anthem has to have the ubiquity that Smells Like Teen Spirit had. If you opt for Pearl Jam, it has to be something equivalent, like Jeremy or Betterman.

 

Even Flow and Teen Spirit are what I remember being played EVERYWHERE my senior year of HS (yes, I'm dating myself, dammit), so ya know. Course Jeremy was everywhere as well.

 

I nominate

 

I see your point, but to me, "Drop the leash, drop the leash. We are young. Drop the leash. Get out of my fucking face," speaks to a generation better than, "Jeremy spoke in class today" or "Can't find a better man."

The problem with Leash, of course, is the cursing. Hard to get that played on the radio for a wide audience to hear it.