Baby boomers were born in the 1960s, so they experienced many iconic musicians firsthand. Their love for music has even grown stronger with age, inspiring similar appreciation from subsequent generations. Here are 18 of the best bands and singers boomers will always love.
The Beatles
The Beatles burst onto the British music scene in 1960, setting off the incredible cultural phenomenon known as ‘Beatlemania.’ According to Forbes, approximately 7.3 million boomers tuned in to watch The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, and their love for the band only grew from there.
Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston was a vocal powerhouse known for her work in pop, gospel, and R&B. She was discovered in 1983 and quickly released some of her most iconic songs, including ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ and ‘I Will Always Love You.’ Boomers will always adore her soulful voice and lyrics.
Dire Straits
Baby boomers are known for their love of rock music, which is why they’ve loved British band Dire Straits since 1977. The band has sold over 100 million units worldwide, appealing to the love young boomers had for classic rock at a time when punk seemed set to dominate.
Elvis Presley
Almost 50 years after his death, Elvis Presley is still one of the most famous singers in the world. Elvis is best known for his rock ‘n’ roll songs, including ‘Jailhouse Rock’ and ‘Suspicious Minds,’ and will always be a timeless musical figure in the eyes of boomers.
David Bowie
Born in 1947, David Bowie’s career was littered with innovative artistic adventures in glam rock, pop, and electronica. He was a pioneer with millions of fans, and despite his music spiking in popularity in the ’70s, he’s still immensely popular with both boomers and younger generations.
Tina Turner
Widely known as the ‘Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, Tina Turner was a boomer-era sensation, with HuffPost citing her healing voice in the wake of personal tragedies as the reason for her enduring fame. Her death in 2023 left many boomers mourning, but her legacy lives on through her music.
Van Morrison
Baby boomers love soulful music genres like blues and jazz, so it makes sense that they love Van Morrison. His songs, including global sensations’ Baby, Please Don’t Go’ and ‘Bright Side of the Road,’ have remained boomer favorites since the 1960s. He has been remembered for his clever lyrics and thematic genius ever since.
Nirvana
Nirvana is a band that boomers and millennials will always love, both for their music and their cultural legacy. They are even loved by Gen Z today, but they particularly appealed to boomers in the ‘90s for striving to keep rock music alive. The band’s career only lasted three years, but its impact lives on.
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin is another artist with a massive legacy that boomers will always remember. She was unequivocally declared the ‘Queen of Soul,’ with her biggest hit being the iconic ‘Respect.’ Her music did incredible work for the popularization of soul and gospel music, the effects of which are still impactful today.
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell is a multi-talented musician lauded as one of the most important female artists of the late 20th century. The Culture Crush praises her resilience in an industry where the media was deeply critical of her, but boomers today unanimously love her music.
AC/DC
AC/DC is one of the world’s most famous rock bands. Their rock and roll style will never get old for boomers, even despite their heavy metal influences. Their raw vocals and epic guitar riffs are iconic, featured on songs like ‘Back in Black,’ ‘Highway to Hell,’ and ‘Let There Be Rock.’
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac first formed in the ’60s as a blues rock band, and most baby boomers will agree that this was their golden period. The iconic ‘70s album ‘Rumors’ was undeniably their biggest hit, but their older, more rock-oriented work will always be the most classic in the eyes of most fans.
Janis Joplin
Despite her devastating death at age 27, Janis Joplin’s massive impact on the music industry still endures today. Joplin was a hippie pioneer who excelled in psychedelic rock and blues, and just about every boomer remembers her fondly to this day.
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye was another incredible singer whose legacy has been kept alive by multiple generations, especially boomers. After his tragic death in 1984, Gaye’s songs, including the famous ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,’ continued to define the boomer generation, who still adore his music to this day.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones will always be one of the most iconic bands in the world. Everything Zoomer describes the band’s ‘Peter Pan effect’ on boomers, transporting them back to their youth through the music they adored growing up. This adoration only grows with age and will likely be passed onto future generations.
The Who
Boomers’ love for the rock band The Who has never died, and it all began in 1964. Despite various periods of split and inactivity, The Who is still performing music together to this day, resulting in a staggeringly impressive career of over 60 years.
Buddy Holly
Younger generations may know Buddy Holly from Don McLean’s song ‘American Pie,’ but boomers fondly remember his complete rock ‘n’ roll legacy. Despite his tragic death at the incredibly young age of 22, Holly was a pioneer, and boomers will always love him for how he helped shape the rock genre.
Queen
There’s a reason we saved Queen until last; their timeless music is iconic not just for boomers but the entire world. From ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ to ‘We Will Rock You’, there are very few demographics who haven’t heard their hits, regardless of age or geographical location.
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