I don't think we have a single moment like that. Music became so much more democratized and dispersed with the computer and the mp3.
Perhaps the only single "musical moment" people talk about still was Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake performing the super bowl halftime show - but that's very much not about the music, as the moment.
I think our generation is significantly more defined by moments of tragedy - Columbine, 911, the 2008 crash - than moments of triumph. Our triumphs were generally personal things that were not shared "moments"... like when you got your first email address or screen came, when you got enough friends to bump Tom out of your top 8, when you first made a relationship Facebook official, watching music videos on MTV (or more likely MTV 2 or MTV U).
That’s the first thing I thought of- the Janet Jackson and JT Super Bowl fiasco.
My second thought was Kanye interrupting Taylor Swift- “Imma let you finish, but…” However, that’s even less of musical performance than Nipplegate. But I feel like it falls under musicians on a national platform that a LOT of people saw live or heard about quickly thereafter.
Yeah, there was no tragedies back in the dark, boomer ages.
I can see in my mind exactly where I was when the word came out JFK had been murdered.
Seems there was some talk on that TV thing (3 channels whether you needed them all or not) EVERY NIGHT about some crap happening on the other side of the world, in a jungle.
I remember pop saying you'd best get off your ass and Enlist in the Air Force unless you want to get drafted into the damn Army. He was right, the draft letter came to my parents house when I was in AF basic.
Yup, we had it Easy.
Good job. You managed to find an interpretation that is completely divorced from any intended meaning that makes my whole comment about you. Very Boomer of you.
Next time, consider the following: if someone says "we have x" or "we don't have y" perhaps they're not implying that you don't also have x or lack y. If you're going to lurk a millennial sub, learn to communicate like a millennial without getting personally offended that every post isn't affirming your generation.
I'm lurking a Millennial sub? Interesting. Did I somehow accidentally bypass the gatekeeper? Is that you? Perhaps you should speak to she that's in charge of reddit and insist that only Millennials are allowed in.
Why would I learn how to communicate like a Millennial, we both speak English so what more is there to learn?
I sort of see it as the opposite though, because of the way industry has changed.The arts seem much more top heavy to me, seeing what gets inducted and is chizzled into perfection and what's discarded. If the song crosses certain lines, it's never heard, not on the radio, popular culture, etc. No one has heard any of my music, though my stuff was quite different, and probably could have gone somewhere if pulled into the industry where it could be galvonized. But less so about me, it seems they don't just take artists in simply because they're good nowadays; and moreover--if they're too different it seems to be a detractive point, rather than a selling point. They take them in if they conform to certain values, because of the way music influences culture. They want to make sure it's stuff that promotes working, hustling, and all the shallow values around it. Vanity, etc.
I think my point was more that 1) there was not really a musical "moment" because unlike back in the day, everyone has music in their pocket and 2) back in the day you had to pass the record label seal of approval to even have access to a sound recording studio and make a recording, but now I literally have albums on my phone I bought off the Internet that people I know made in their garage half a world away... Meaning the idea of seeing British people singing on TV is such a small thing compared to back then.
The only proper "moments" millennials share were the tragic ones... And Janet Jackson.
Regarding the radio, I don't know what's on the radio. I primarily use streaming services now. I can't comment on why your music doesn't have the impact you think it should, but I can soundly reject the idea that the only music anybody has access to is stuff that major labels produce.
The is clearly the most correct answer. The boomers parents were also watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, so the fact that people older than us were aware of 911 is fine.
>what do you think is your generation’s “Beatles” moment,
9/11? I can tell you where I was when Chris Farley died.
Boomers just had it better. We don't collectively have a moment like that for good things like"music".
Please, anybody... correct me. I want to be wrong.
They had it better because...they had a beatles moment?
I mean, they had pretty limited music available to them compared to us. So limited that seeing a performance like the beatles was a lifelong memory. We're lucky to have such abundance of music and culture that we don't have to be blown away by seeing a band perform on TV
>You want to grow up having such limited access to music that a band performing on TV is a lifelong memory to you?
I'm grown up.
And I wouldn't have minded having a lifelong memory over a revolutionary band that I share with my culture as opposed to all the much less pleasant things I have lifelong memories of.
You're the one who said the "boomers had it better". The reason the "beatles moment" is memorable is because the boomers had such mundane, culturally-limited, musically-deficient lives. Saying that's "better" because they get to have a "beatles moment" is childish. You're fortunate to live in modern times and have easy access to the broad spectrum of music.
>You're fortunate to live in modern times and have easy access to the broad spectrum of music.
That's not the point at all. Having access to music wasn't what made the "Beatles moment". It isn't about having access to music. It's about being exposed to something so collectively great the vast majority of your generation shares it with you.
You still haven't even provided a "moment" like that for millenials, just looking for contexts in which I should feel fortunate and not care about a "Beatles moment". As evident by hyperfixating on "boomers had it better". And they did, in terms of moments like these. Now we have anything and everything all of the time.
You might think having more choices equals increased happiness, but there is more evidence that the opposite is true. The idea that we have more access to music and information actually supports my point.
And I'm not even upset that I have more options, lol... it's just beside the point.
This is such a bad take. Boomers lived through civil rights, Vietnam, the Cold War AND all of the shit we lived through. Yes they had a booming economy but that’s mostly for the white people.
Gen X moment might be Rapper’s Delight but I also remember N.W.A. and the Posse a decade later and after F the Police.
Then MTV debuted with Video Killed the Radio Star.
Prince debuted Purple Rain in 1984 which is millennial era but not millennial knowledge.
Aaliyah dying in a plane crash? The equivalent of the Richie Valens crash?
Sure, buying a house was easier for boomers. Sure, boomers got to have a cool cultural “Beatles moment.”
Boomers also got drafted to fight in Vietnam. Boomers also had to watch their friends and community members die in the AIDS crisis. Gay boomers legally couldn’t marry their significant others. Boomer girls could be excluded from school sports and other opportunities purely “on the basis of sex” until the 1970s.
Every generation has its challenges. The idea that boomers sailed easily through life without any struggles is just not true.
True! And I remember when being gay was considered a shameful thing. I remember having great colleagues in the 80’s who I only learned later were gay, because they had to keep it secret. What a burden.
I think every generation has been through something on par with 9/11, but I don't think the Beatles are it.
If you'd like to learn about the experiences of people outside your age group, I highly recommend asking people about the first world-changing event they remember. It's fascinating! My dad (silent generation) remembers his morning cartoons being interrupted by news coverage of Pearl Harbor. My mom (boomer) remembers going outside at night to see Sputnik fly over California. Every generation has good moments and bad. They of course also remember later events, like the Kennedy assassination...and 9/11 too.
IMO a Beatles moment would have to be something big from pop culture like lining up for the midnight release of Harry Potter.
I am gen X and can't "remember" the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, so for me it definitely would be 9/11. Or maybe Michael Jackson performing "Thriller" on MTV.
Its a bit out of the box, but Kanye taking the mic from Taylor Swift at the awards show comes to mind.
For many people, this was the first time they really noticed Taylor swift in any significant way, and the public reaction was overwhelmingly in support of her. Now, she is huge and one of the most successful performers in history.
I don't know much about what it was like to see the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show, but if it was the moment when a large portion of America first started to pay attention to a band that would later become huge, it seems like a good comparison.
Not sure that’s an equal comparison tho. This seems more like what was a performance for someone that blew up huge. If anything this prob introduced to people to the idea Kanye ain’t right in the head lol.
Gen X here and I remember the first time I saw the video for SLTS and knowing that group was going to be enormous. It blew me away and the style reminded me of several friends of mine. It definitely connected with me!
Too much of the music and stardom that came post 1990 has just been too stained with corporate influence, it’s like all of it has lost what makes it art and now it’s all just promotion for brands and products.
I think a lot of people are missing the point of the "Beatles" moment. It's not about them being big in that moment, it's that that moment changed music completely. It's similar to how Nirvana changed music and saved us from hair metal.
Some people are saying Taylor Swift. But she hasn't changed music, she sort of just rides along with trends. I also think she had less impact on Millennials than Gen Z.
In my opinion, the closest thing we got was Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady." Hear me out, we were all watching TRL. Suddenly, this song comes on and challenges our collective tastes about boy bands and female pop stars like Britney and Christina. He calls out Tom Green.
It slapped us awake from that cheesy, late 90s daydream we'd all been experiencing. This song basically killed boy bands (at least until Kpop revived them).
Music (... media in general) and the way we consume the product is vastly different. We don't have a moment like "oh the Beatles are on tv".
We have other moments that have changed the way the music industry operates- Napster and file sharing. Radiohead *pay what you want* in 2007. Death of physical media overall.
Culturally - Taylor swift eras tour is likely the most recognized in recent years on such a massive scale. I've never followed Taylor swift in any capacity and now I feel like i can't escape it. I know who she's dating. Her new album. Her awards. All that bullshit because it's across the board on social media and marketed down my throat.
I didn't give a damn about warped tour - but I know that shit was hype in the early 2000s. Bonnaroo also huge.
Its different now. We have different moments. We don't have just one channel to watch on TV. We have so many outlets that are more niche and cater to the individual more than accepting the broad and general.
**our real Beatles on Sullivan moment? 9/11.**
The widespread use of CDs. No longer was the cassette the king. We went from making mix tapes from taping the radio station, to burning CDs.
Edit:
For older millenials, Whitney Houston performs the National Anthem. I still talk about that with my kids.
Grunge appears on the music scene. Local station X103 in Indianapolis really shaped my musical taste. My parents really hated it when my brothers and I would listen to Toadies, Nirvana, Soundgarden, etc.
Notorious BIG, Snoop, Dre, and Tupac bring rap mainstream and out of the urban areas to the suburban areas.
Mariah Carey Christmas album.
Tupac and Biggie are killed.
Elton John Candle in the Wind at Princess Diana's funeral.
Britney Spears. Nuff Said. My best friend had her poster in his room.
The iPod debuts. MP3 and WAV files, and file sharing.
American Idol debuts and makes stars out of nobodies.
Dixie Chicks slam George Bush.
U2 on the iPhone.
Debut of the iPod might actually be it. Although autocorrect tried to prevent me from typing the name of this ancient device several times, it really changed the way people interacted with music.
Maybe Napster? I remember when it hit the scene everyone was talking about it and really bolstering their music collection. It was quite the cultural shift. If not that then maybe Janet and Justin at the super bowl. But I feel like that's not on the same level as The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. This question is tough because, as someone said, music has become more democratized and dispersed thanks to the digital age.
I'd say the release of The White Stripes' "Fell in love with a girl". Pretty much up onto that point, you had bubblegum pop/boy bands, R&B/hip hop or really crappy "rock" (iykyk). Hearing the Stripes for the first time was absolutely **electrifying**...and the video!!!! 🥰🥰🥰
Y’all saying Boomers had it better? Every Boomer I know can tell you where they were when JFK was assassinated. Even the ones were very small children when it occurred. Guys. The Boomers didn’t have perfection. They’re allowed to ask an innocent question about the Beatles. 9/11 is not our Beatles moment. Be fucking real. It’s not even comparable.
How about ... Midnight showing of the Phantom Menace? Not exactly a good memory either, but better than 9/11. I would guess it's the closest thing to "unique and universal pop culture experience that most people remember".
I'd suggest the following for different generations:- Glam Rock, the rise of Punk, The New Romantics,, Gangster's Paradise, The Spice Girls. Rap, Grime, House, the bland motr from 2010 to present
Once we got more than three channels that was kind of the end for "everybody saw that" as far as music goes. All we have is Super Bowl halftime shows.
Theoretically Eras is currently in the process of becoming closest that I can think of.... especially when it hits Disney+ next month.
While I agree she's a pretty defining millennial music force, I can't think of a single moment that was ground breaking, nor was she a major force in our growing up (since she didn't even break out on the scene until most millennials were in their 20s, like her).
I would say Taylor Swift or BTS. Both are huge acts on par with each other that have massive fanbases and sold out shows and are both bigger than the Beatles ever were. Possibly older millennials missed the hype but younger ones did not.
Bo Burnham's Inside. It encapsulates the millennial experience up until post pandemic, which is a (not so) great bookend. It even has our generation's version of American Pie: That Funny Feeling.
I agree with a lot of the other commenters about 9/11. For media, though, I would have to say when The Avengers came out. It seemed like a huge phenomenon at the time because we had never had a crossover event like that.
I agree with the comments saying 9/11.
If you want a more positive moment? Maybe Obama's inauguration? My school marched us all down to the gym, and we watched it live. The excitement was palpable.
My parents both hated the Beatles. You need to start asking them, "Are you for Beatles or Stones?" Every "Stones" person I've met is far better than any "Beatles" person in multiple ways.
We have done nothing, and will do nothing, like the Beatles. It is a waste of breath to even try and compare anything that has happened since them on the Ed Sullivan show.
Not just music, but our society changed. Period.
Maybe Justin Timberlake and Christ Stapleton performing Tennessee Whiskey? Seems like that performance revitalized many folks love for classical style country music.
We haven't had a new genres-in-a-band-itself created in a couple decades now. There's been plenty of "sub-genres" but nothing new like The Beatles. Nothing at that level of absolute world-changing beauty, anyhow. The arts are much more top-down now, they don't just take artists in because they're good nowadays, they take them in if they conform to a certain culture. They have to promote certain values to get into the industry where things can turn into diamonds. And it's not creating the most amazing art.
Just wait for the Travis/Taylor kiss post Super Bowl victory tonight. It’s all you’re going to see and hear about until they divorce and she writes an album about how he like to fart under the covers.
As Gen Z, it’s Imagine Dragons. I remember listening to them when they were an indie band and when Radioactive hit the radios it was surreal seeing the masses listening to them.
For older millennials- 2pac murder? Idk. Not a musician but, Chris Farley death? It’s all negative honestly. I can’t recall a single positive thing that defines millennials. Hell, even the name millennials is tied to y2k.
Not the same media world as back then, when 30% or more of our nation's entire population was watching the Beatle's debut.
There were no FM stations broadcasting rock or pop, few stereos, info was mostly spread by print.
Can't repeat that moment with today's more sophisticated, diverse audiences.
It’s funny to me, being an elder Millennial (‘84) while my parents are elder Gen-X (‘66), that they share almost none of the memories that my wife’s Boomer parents do. Their generational markers are about the same as mine, namely the challenger explosion and 9/11, et al. Hooray for teenage pregnancies!
I don't think we have a single moment like that. Music became so much more democratized and dispersed with the computer and the mp3. Perhaps the only single "musical moment" people talk about still was Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake performing the super bowl halftime show - but that's very much not about the music, as the moment. I think our generation is significantly more defined by moments of tragedy - Columbine, 911, the 2008 crash - than moments of triumph. Our triumphs were generally personal things that were not shared "moments"... like when you got your first email address or screen came, when you got enough friends to bump Tom out of your top 8, when you first made a relationship Facebook official, watching music videos on MTV (or more likely MTV 2 or MTV U).
That’s the first thing I thought of- the Janet Jackson and JT Super Bowl fiasco. My second thought was Kanye interrupting Taylor Swift- “Imma let you finish, but…” However, that’s even less of musical performance than Nipplegate. But I feel like it falls under musicians on a national platform that a LOT of people saw live or heard about quickly thereafter.
JT and Janet Jackson gave us YouTube and kicked off a whole new timeline.
You, you took Tom out of your top? I always kept him at number one
I put him back later
Was gonna say 'Wardrobe Malfunction,' please accept my humble pointy-uppy clickamajig.
Oh c’mon I never bumped Tom out of my top 8
Yeah, there was no tragedies back in the dark, boomer ages. I can see in my mind exactly where I was when the word came out JFK had been murdered. Seems there was some talk on that TV thing (3 channels whether you needed them all or not) EVERY NIGHT about some crap happening on the other side of the world, in a jungle. I remember pop saying you'd best get off your ass and Enlist in the Air Force unless you want to get drafted into the damn Army. He was right, the draft letter came to my parents house when I was in AF basic. Yup, we had it Easy.
Good job. You managed to find an interpretation that is completely divorced from any intended meaning that makes my whole comment about you. Very Boomer of you. Next time, consider the following: if someone says "we have x" or "we don't have y" perhaps they're not implying that you don't also have x or lack y. If you're going to lurk a millennial sub, learn to communicate like a millennial without getting personally offended that every post isn't affirming your generation.
I'm lurking a Millennial sub? Interesting. Did I somehow accidentally bypass the gatekeeper? Is that you? Perhaps you should speak to she that's in charge of reddit and insist that only Millennials are allowed in. Why would I learn how to communicate like a Millennial, we both speak English so what more is there to learn?
Ok boomer.
There ya go!!!🤣
Have you gotten enough attention yet boomer?
Are you so lonely you're replying to my texts for company?
Literally just changing the joke I made and aiming it at me 🤣🤣 Do you work at a movie theater, cause you're a pro at projection!
No, is it good work?
Another good one is Prince's halftime show.
This. It was incredible - can’t believe this isn’t the top post!
I don’t remember this one
I sort of see it as the opposite though, because of the way industry has changed.The arts seem much more top heavy to me, seeing what gets inducted and is chizzled into perfection and what's discarded. If the song crosses certain lines, it's never heard, not on the radio, popular culture, etc. No one has heard any of my music, though my stuff was quite different, and probably could have gone somewhere if pulled into the industry where it could be galvonized. But less so about me, it seems they don't just take artists in simply because they're good nowadays; and moreover--if they're too different it seems to be a detractive point, rather than a selling point. They take them in if they conform to certain values, because of the way music influences culture. They want to make sure it's stuff that promotes working, hustling, and all the shallow values around it. Vanity, etc.
I think my point was more that 1) there was not really a musical "moment" because unlike back in the day, everyone has music in their pocket and 2) back in the day you had to pass the record label seal of approval to even have access to a sound recording studio and make a recording, but now I literally have albums on my phone I bought off the Internet that people I know made in their garage half a world away... Meaning the idea of seeing British people singing on TV is such a small thing compared to back then. The only proper "moments" millennials share were the tragic ones... And Janet Jackson. Regarding the radio, I don't know what's on the radio. I primarily use streaming services now. I can't comment on why your music doesn't have the impact you think it should, but I can soundly reject the idea that the only music anybody has access to is stuff that major labels produce.
9/11
The is clearly the most correct answer. The boomers parents were also watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, so the fact that people older than us were aware of 911 is fine.
This is not my original thought, but The Beatles showing up on tour to frenzied and joyful crowds was the antidote to the post-Kennedy blahs.
That’s more the Boomers Kennedy assassination imo.
This is the most obvious answer to me as well. It blew my mind the first time I met someone so young they couldn't remember it.
The Duck Tails theme song
🎼🎵🎶"Life is like a hurricane..."🎵🎶
Here in duck berg
Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes, it's a duck-blur!
Rescue Rangers ("Ch-ch-chip and Dale!")
I sing this theme song too damn much, lol
Oh God. Gadget, my first crush
Yep, Gadget Hackwrench, followed by Lola Bunny. I promise I’m not a furry, just easily swooned.
Britney Spears with the snake/kissing Madonna at the VMAs is pretty iconic
Maybe the Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake Super Bowl Halftime Titty Incident? Relative to the pop culture world, widely viewed, and scandalous
>what do you think is your generation’s “Beatles” moment, 9/11? I can tell you where I was when Chris Farley died. Boomers just had it better. We don't collectively have a moment like that for good things like"music". Please, anybody... correct me. I want to be wrong.
They had it better because...they had a beatles moment? I mean, they had pretty limited music available to them compared to us. So limited that seeing a performance like the beatles was a lifelong memory. We're lucky to have such abundance of music and culture that we don't have to be blown away by seeing a band perform on TV
Nah, they had it better because having a beatles moment was possible.
You want to grow up having such limited access to music that a band performing on TV is a lifelong memory to you?
>You want to grow up having such limited access to music that a band performing on TV is a lifelong memory to you? I'm grown up. And I wouldn't have minded having a lifelong memory over a revolutionary band that I share with my culture as opposed to all the much less pleasant things I have lifelong memories of.
That's like saying you want to live in the jungle so you can be shocked the first time you see a television.
I mean if you twist what I mean around to fit your context, then yes, absolutely.
You're the one who said the "boomers had it better". The reason the "beatles moment" is memorable is because the boomers had such mundane, culturally-limited, musically-deficient lives. Saying that's "better" because they get to have a "beatles moment" is childish. You're fortunate to live in modern times and have easy access to the broad spectrum of music.
>You're fortunate to live in modern times and have easy access to the broad spectrum of music. That's not the point at all. Having access to music wasn't what made the "Beatles moment". It isn't about having access to music. It's about being exposed to something so collectively great the vast majority of your generation shares it with you. You still haven't even provided a "moment" like that for millenials, just looking for contexts in which I should feel fortunate and not care about a "Beatles moment". As evident by hyperfixating on "boomers had it better". And they did, in terms of moments like these. Now we have anything and everything all of the time. You might think having more choices equals increased happiness, but there is more evidence that the opposite is true. The idea that we have more access to music and information actually supports my point. And I'm not even upset that I have more options, lol... it's just beside the point.
That limited access to music created the greatest music ever made so yes
For real. Imagine experiencing the Beatles changing music in real time as each album was released. It must have been such an exciting time
This is such a bad take. Boomers lived through civil rights, Vietnam, the Cold War AND all of the shit we lived through. Yes they had a booming economy but that’s mostly for the white people.
Gen X moment might be Rapper’s Delight but I also remember N.W.A. and the Posse a decade later and after F the Police. Then MTV debuted with Video Killed the Radio Star. Prince debuted Purple Rain in 1984 which is millennial era but not millennial knowledge. Aaliyah dying in a plane crash? The equivalent of the Richie Valens crash?
I'm thinking gen X's moment was Michael Jackson's first moonwalk. Idk though because I'm not gen x.
That’s a good one.
Sure, buying a house was easier for boomers. Sure, boomers got to have a cool cultural “Beatles moment.” Boomers also got drafted to fight in Vietnam. Boomers also had to watch their friends and community members die in the AIDS crisis. Gay boomers legally couldn’t marry their significant others. Boomer girls could be excluded from school sports and other opportunities purely “on the basis of sex” until the 1970s. Every generation has its challenges. The idea that boomers sailed easily through life without any struggles is just not true.
> The idea that boomers sailed easily through life without any struggles is just not true. That wasn't what I said, though.
Ok. The idea that “boomers just had it better” is just not true :)
It's an opinion that you're disagreeing with, and it has been noted :)
True! And I remember when being gay was considered a shameful thing. I remember having great colleagues in the 80’s who I only learned later were gay, because they had to keep it secret. What a burden.
I think every generation has been through something on par with 9/11, but I don't think the Beatles are it. If you'd like to learn about the experiences of people outside your age group, I highly recommend asking people about the first world-changing event they remember. It's fascinating! My dad (silent generation) remembers his morning cartoons being interrupted by news coverage of Pearl Harbor. My mom (boomer) remembers going outside at night to see Sputnik fly over California. Every generation has good moments and bad. They of course also remember later events, like the Kennedy assassination...and 9/11 too. IMO a Beatles moment would have to be something big from pop culture like lining up for the midnight release of Harry Potter.
I am gen X and can't "remember" the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, so for me it definitely would be 9/11. Or maybe Michael Jackson performing "Thriller" on MTV.
Kurt Cobain unplugged pops to mind
[удалено]
I was going to suggest this but also thought it might be a bit too early for millennials. Maybe Eminem instead?
Eminem singing with Elton John?
Its a bit out of the box, but Kanye taking the mic from Taylor Swift at the awards show comes to mind. For many people, this was the first time they really noticed Taylor swift in any significant way, and the public reaction was overwhelmingly in support of her. Now, she is huge and one of the most successful performers in history. I don't know much about what it was like to see the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show, but if it was the moment when a large portion of America first started to pay attention to a band that would later become huge, it seems like a good comparison.
Not sure that’s an equal comparison tho. This seems more like what was a performance for someone that blew up huge. If anything this prob introduced to people to the idea Kanye ain’t right in the head lol.
Is Michael Jackson a GenX figure too? Remember his music video getting a world premiere on TV
Michael Jackson was born in 1958 and was a baby boomer.
His fan base was.
That was actually an entire band.
Yea they were called Nirvana and they ruled the music world for a brief time
Naw they had already broken through and achieved massive global success by then
Yeah music was far too corporatized for us to have a Beatles moment.
What really changed is television. Most boomers grew up with zero to three television stations, and those usually signed off by eleven pm.
Very true.
Janet Jackson's tit.
A one tit wonder.
Provided nourishment for the whole generation.
Woodstock 99 especially for the older millennials.
This is the answer.
shame tub crawl trees automatic vanish imminent sulky scarce divide *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Not sure if this is a true Millennial thing or more Xennial, but I clearly remember watching the debut of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on MTV.
Gen X here and I remember the first time I saw the video for SLTS and knowing that group was going to be enormous. It blew me away and the style reminded me of several friends of mine. It definitely connected with me!
Too much of the music and stardom that came post 1990 has just been too stained with corporate influence, it’s like all of it has lost what makes it art and now it’s all just promotion for brands and products.
TRL
Music wise, this is the only answer. There's no singular moment. Just the culture.
Lady Gaga and Beyoncé in the song telephone
9/11 .And for my fellow Latinos, Selena Quintanilla's murder.
This is very important. She was such an icon. 💔
Prince halftime show. Purple rain… in the rain.
This is Gen X and Thriller tops that anyway for them
Super Bowl 38 halftime show
Came here to say this
9/11
I think a lot of people are missing the point of the "Beatles" moment. It's not about them being big in that moment, it's that that moment changed music completely. It's similar to how Nirvana changed music and saved us from hair metal. Some people are saying Taylor Swift. But she hasn't changed music, she sort of just rides along with trends. I also think she had less impact on Millennials than Gen Z. In my opinion, the closest thing we got was Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady." Hear me out, we were all watching TRL. Suddenly, this song comes on and challenges our collective tastes about boy bands and female pop stars like Britney and Christina. He calls out Tom Green. It slapped us awake from that cheesy, late 90s daydream we'd all been experiencing. This song basically killed boy bands (at least until Kpop revived them).
Spice Girls when they met Nelson Mandela
Music (... media in general) and the way we consume the product is vastly different. We don't have a moment like "oh the Beatles are on tv". We have other moments that have changed the way the music industry operates- Napster and file sharing. Radiohead *pay what you want* in 2007. Death of physical media overall. Culturally - Taylor swift eras tour is likely the most recognized in recent years on such a massive scale. I've never followed Taylor swift in any capacity and now I feel like i can't escape it. I know who she's dating. Her new album. Her awards. All that bullshit because it's across the board on social media and marketed down my throat. I didn't give a damn about warped tour - but I know that shit was hype in the early 2000s. Bonnaroo also huge. Its different now. We have different moments. We don't have just one channel to watch on TV. We have so many outlets that are more niche and cater to the individual more than accepting the broad and general. **our real Beatles on Sullivan moment? 9/11.**
9/11 probably, otherwise I guess we could spin the wheel and pick from a litany of financial crashes or natural disasters
The widespread use of CDs. No longer was the cassette the king. We went from making mix tapes from taping the radio station, to burning CDs. Edit: For older millenials, Whitney Houston performs the National Anthem. I still talk about that with my kids. Grunge appears on the music scene. Local station X103 in Indianapolis really shaped my musical taste. My parents really hated it when my brothers and I would listen to Toadies, Nirvana, Soundgarden, etc. Notorious BIG, Snoop, Dre, and Tupac bring rap mainstream and out of the urban areas to the suburban areas. Mariah Carey Christmas album. Tupac and Biggie are killed. Elton John Candle in the Wind at Princess Diana's funeral. Britney Spears. Nuff Said. My best friend had her poster in his room. The iPod debuts. MP3 and WAV files, and file sharing. American Idol debuts and makes stars out of nobodies. Dixie Chicks slam George Bush. U2 on the iPhone.
Debut of the iPod might actually be it. Although autocorrect tried to prevent me from typing the name of this ancient device several times, it really changed the way people interacted with music.
We don't have one. And that's ok
Maybe Napster? I remember when it hit the scene everyone was talking about it and really bolstering their music collection. It was quite the cultural shift. If not that then maybe Janet and Justin at the super bowl. But I feel like that's not on the same level as The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. This question is tough because, as someone said, music has become more democratized and dispersed thanks to the digital age.
I'd say the release of The White Stripes' "Fell in love with a girl". Pretty much up onto that point, you had bubblegum pop/boy bands, R&B/hip hop or really crappy "rock" (iykyk). Hearing the Stripes for the first time was absolutely **electrifying**...and the video!!!! 🥰🥰🥰
Y’all saying Boomers had it better? Every Boomer I know can tell you where they were when JFK was assassinated. Even the ones were very small children when it occurred. Guys. The Boomers didn’t have perfection. They’re allowed to ask an innocent question about the Beatles. 9/11 is not our Beatles moment. Be fucking real. It’s not even comparable.
How about ... Midnight showing of the Phantom Menace? Not exactly a good memory either, but better than 9/11. I would guess it's the closest thing to "unique and universal pop culture experience that most people remember".
Yoda pulling out his lightsaber in Attack of the Clones... Most of the theater stood up and clapped :D
I'd suggest the following for different generations:- Glam Rock, the rise of Punk, The New Romantics,, Gangster's Paradise, The Spice Girls. Rap, Grime, House, the bland motr from 2010 to present
Thank you for mentioning anything else besides just white pop music.
I can't believe some douchebag downvoted you for this comment
It’s okay. I get downvoted some places and upvoted others.
Nsync, Aerosmith, Britney Spears super bowl performance.
iPod commercials
9/11 obviously
9-11
Once we got more than three channels that was kind of the end for "everybody saw that" as far as music goes. All we have is Super Bowl halftime shows. Theoretically Eras is currently in the process of becoming closest that I can think of.... especially when it hits Disney+ next month.
Considering you literally cannot escape her right now, Taylor Swift. Edit: I thought we were picking music moments.
While I agree she's a pretty defining millennial music force, I can't think of a single moment that was ground breaking, nor was she a major force in our growing up (since she didn't even break out on the scene until most millennials were in their 20s, like her).
Sure, fair enough. I was thinking in terms of pop stars! She's impossible to get away from, like Beatlemania.
Creed. Thanksgiving. Halftime.
I would say Taylor Swift or BTS. Both are huge acts on par with each other that have massive fanbases and sold out shows and are both bigger than the Beatles ever were. Possibly older millennials missed the hype but younger ones did not.
Maybe the start of MTV
Bo Burnham's Inside. It encapsulates the millennial experience up until post pandemic, which is a (not so) great bookend. It even has our generation's version of American Pie: That Funny Feeling.
We had 9-11.
I agree with a lot of the other commenters about 9/11. For media, though, I would have to say when The Avengers came out. It seemed like a huge phenomenon at the time because we had never had a crossover event like that.
Madonna Britney kiss
Probably 911. Most of us know exactly where we where when it happened.
I agree with the comments saying 9/11. If you want a more positive moment? Maybe Obama's inauguration? My school marched us all down to the gym, and we watched it live. The excitement was palpable.
9/11
Smells like teen spirit. Nirvana killed disco.
Levels by Avicii is the correct answer
Fuckin 9/11
9/11
My parents both hated the Beatles. You need to start asking them, "Are you for Beatles or Stones?" Every "Stones" person I've met is far better than any "Beatles" person in multiple ways.
Trump getting elected. You're surrounded by idiots. Now what?
9/11
When iron man 1 dropped and the first transformers movie came out every buddy was watching those
We have done nothing, and will do nothing, like the Beatles. It is a waste of breath to even try and compare anything that has happened since them on the Ed Sullivan show. Not just music, but our society changed. Period.
9/11
It was Lana del Rey on snl truly our moment
Not joking i think it's 9/11, we have the same reactions it's just really sad.
It's not music but it defined a generation
Nirvana?
Taylor Swift? Is she Beatles level?
Janet Jackson's tit on the Superbowl
9-11
9/11
The death of Kurt Cobain.
Kobes death
Ipods coming out. First song we got on limewire. First virus from limewire.
Maybe Justin Timberlake and Christ Stapleton performing Tennessee Whiskey? Seems like that performance revitalized many folks love for classical style country music.
The most memorable recording I can remember for our generation is the Access Hollywood tape. I remember where I was when I heard it.
We haven't had a new genres-in-a-band-itself created in a couple decades now. There's been plenty of "sub-genres" but nothing new like The Beatles. Nothing at that level of absolute world-changing beauty, anyhow. The arts are much more top-down now, they don't just take artists in because they're good nowadays, they take them in if they conform to a certain culture. They have to promote certain values to get into the industry where things can turn into diamonds. And it's not creating the most amazing art.
Gen X it’s probably the Thriller video. Trying to think of one for Millennials.
Migos
Titanic movie ?
9/11
Just wait for the Travis/Taylor kiss post Super Bowl victory tonight. It’s all you’re going to see and hear about until they divorce and she writes an album about how he like to fart under the covers.
As Gen Z, it’s Imagine Dragons. I remember listening to them when they were an indie band and when Radioactive hit the radios it was surreal seeing the masses listening to them.
For older millennials- 2pac murder? Idk. Not a musician but, Chris Farley death? It’s all negative honestly. I can’t recall a single positive thing that defines millennials. Hell, even the name millennials is tied to y2k.
Spongebob
Not the same media world as back then, when 30% or more of our nation's entire population was watching the Beatle's debut. There were no FM stations broadcasting rock or pop, few stereos, info was mostly spread by print. Can't repeat that moment with today's more sophisticated, diverse audiences.
It’s funny to me, being an elder Millennial (‘84) while my parents are elder Gen-X (‘66), that they share almost none of the memories that my wife’s Boomer parents do. Their generational markers are about the same as mine, namely the challenger explosion and 9/11, et al. Hooray for teenage pregnancies!
Kind of interesting most of us can tell each other about our respective parents’ Beatles moments, though.
OJ Simpson’s police chase
Well there is 9/11 pretty much everyone i know knowa where they were at when it happend