What music does Gen Z listen to?

As a 52 year old who's always been a little outside the box, but somewhat in the box too.
In the last few years at my current occupation, I've developed good friendships with guys in their late 20s and some in their early/late 30s on up, watching them grow older, hoping I can impart some integrity, compassion,humility and taste. Some people are born old souls, and hungry for wisdom and knowledge. That said, it's a two way street, I learn and gain perspective from them too. Respect is a two way street.. LOL I thought I was kicking it with the youth..... and truthfully it's harder to find things in common with teenagers for me. I suspect it's to do with the particular ones I know.

Most prominently I find the 25-40 crowd seem to be into rap, it's not my thing, but often I can hear musically interesting things going on in the songs. That said, they like rock too, and good stuff, Beatles, Pink Floyd. I've never had a bad reaction driving up with my music blasting out of the car.
In fact one night I went out to a club in Seattle with a few of these guys to see a band called the 350's, which wasn't my suggestion, but a band they were into. The band turned out to be instrumental rock featuring really good players. The set included a King Crimson cover and Hendrix stuff all done instrumental! I knew every tune pretty much, and the younger guys knew little of it, but were really grooving on it. I can't vouch for teenagers but the young people I do know are alright.

 

My 12 yr old nephew listens to AC/DC and Queen. I recommended that he listened to Led Zeppelin and said that he liked Kashmir.

 

The younger kids post is inner'esting. Listened to a couple of those artists. Fairly sophisticated stuff. When you say "younger", do you mean pre teen? I cant imagine my nieces and nephews understanding the subject matter of much of the groups you posted.

 

Certainly not this...

 

I don't think they think about it much. My store's downtown and fairly huge, we don't get much in the way of the really young kids. I'm thinking 13-ish (which is technically teenagers, but I don't really think of someone as a "teenager" until they look old enough to drive.)

Speaking of which, the photos don't always make it obvious, but Grace Vanderwaal is 13

 

Yes Grace is an astonishing prodigy. Be interesting to see if she flames out at 17 or becomes a long term star.

 

Gas Music From Jupiter

 

I actually met her briefly without knowing who she was. She was backstage at a festival I was working. I assumed she was somebody's kid along for the ride...didn't come off as spoiled at all. Fingers crossed

 

Wow, thank you Jeff! Made my week (I'm the 350s guitarist.) I have noticed that most of the people at our gigs are much younger than us (I'm 64). Very grateful to them, too, as most of my baby boomer friends stay home these nights.

 

My 12 year old heavy metal & fusion. My 15 year old pretty much heavy metal.

 

Damn, I actually spoke to you that night..... It was a small club in South Seattle that had a balcony, I believe it was the clubs last night before closing down. A week night too, if I'm remembering right.
I'm a guitar player myself, and have built three 18 watters, mine are heads. You were playing an 18 watt combo which I had mistaken for a JTM45. I was complimenting your tone, and then you told me it was an 18 watter... I was asking what tubes you had in it....Ring a bell?

I played in bands out of Tacoma for like 15 years, and it was cool in multiple ways, which I mentioned in the earlier post... I'm born in 65, one year late of being a boomer//lol
Anyway my friend Rob brought me with a few other guys, and he had the show recorded, which I never have heard. He also told me he was planning on hiring you guys for a housewarming party, which would be in his shop which is like 3 or 4 times the size of the venue we were at. It hasn't come to pass, but if it does I'll be there. He was hitting me up to record the shop show......

Yeah I camp out a home most of the time anymore myself.....but it was great seeing you guys play.

 

Only classical music - I can't really deal with a lot of popular music even into the early 60s, I suspect I'd find a lot to enjoy outside of pure pop music from the early 20th century but I admit I've never sought it out and I can't say I see anything that points me in that direction quite honestly. I suspect I'd really enjoy traditional folk albums from really any period where recorded music existed, but again I don't look that far back.

 

Give it up already.

I'd flip this round and say that (mercifully) wide exposure to music means that 'kids' (ugh) aren't boxed in to liking one type of music. There's less tribalism and genre specificity, which boils music down to the two types; good and bad. And that's perfectly fine by me.

 

Don’t worry. I’m 33 and I feel 45

 

I have a friend in her early 20’s, very serious about music (constant listener, club and fest goer) who likes the xx, Alt-J, Bonobo, Bon Iver, and other indie faves, and she likes EDM - Calvin Harris, Alessi and others.

I saw Chainsmokers and Calvin Harris in September and enjoyed them both. I’m seeing Australian DJ Flume in December, the xx (for the second time) in February.

All great stuff.