For the Record

Author: Emily Temple

I fear that our generation has become materialistic and amoral, and it's because we do not, as a group, believe in a higher power. We have no spiritual leader. I'm talking about Dylan, obviously. But you knew I was.

Paul Simon once wrote, "Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts," and for our parents, that was true - Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin. But, to be honest, I don't see our generation doing it. At least not as a unified group. Maybe it's just my perception of the past versus my experience of the present, but it seems to me that the music scene of the 60's and 70's was much more cohesive than ours is today. I mean sure, it was grunge kids versus disco kids in the 70's, just watch Detroit Rock City. But everyone has always agreed on Dylan. Everyone has always agreed on Janis.

You can't say it's because we have nothing to unify against. We had the Iraq war, at the very least, not to mention our present administration's countless other outrageous abuses of power. But we kind of let it all slide past. We have become complacent and basically apathetic about what's going on around us. And it's because we have no overwhelming cultural force to propel us. Popular music has become a dirty word, and it's because it has become a dirty subject. Our generation tunes in now not to hear protest songs and appreciate musical genius, but to get quick, sensory pleasure. To hear about sex and money, not revolution. Mediocrity is fine, as long as we can grind to it. Or curse our parents/girlfriends to it, as the case may be. Hence the segregation of today's music culture into almost feuding sects, and the constant struggle to find and stake out quality - to be hip on the sub-cultural, alternative (read: good, or at least better) music out there.

When our parents were in college, they were inspired and unified by the voices of their heroes in a way we can't seem to recreate while we seem to be led by the distasteful meanderings of Britney Spears and 50 Cent? Our culture has become about "bringing sexy back," and I mean, come on.

Two out of three musically educated twenty-somethings agree that our generation is sonically defunct. Who do we have? Who is the "voice of our generation," as Dylan has so often been called? As far as I can see, our choices are Justin Timberlake or Kanye West, and they don't come anywhere near representing our generation, at least as far as I can tell.

I read a statistic somewhere once (and here we veer even farther into the hazy realm of poorly backed up editorials, since I haven't been able to find it again) that the number one thing that graduating seniors our parents' age wanted to do was to make a difference in the world. Know what the number one thing our generation wants to do? Yep, make money. And it's hard not to draw the connection between the popular music then, with its roots in social change, and the popular music now, which is all flash and prestige.

It has been claimed, many times, that hands-down Dylan is the voice of every generation. While it is true that his words stand the test of time (not to mention the fact that the man is still coming out with new records), and not to downplay his excellence, but I don't want to be sitting around chewing on my parents' leftovers my whole life. I want our generation to make some sort of mark, both musically and in the way that only the overarching influence of a really good musical act can inspire.

Essentially, what it comes down to is just that. It's what inspires us and what will remain. When we are our parents' age, what will be playing on the oldies radio stations? I've got news for you - it'll be the same thing that's playing now. The Beatles. Led Zeppelin. Quality. So what I'm saying is, revolt. Listen to something good, play something good, but most of all, let's make sure something comes of our youth culture. Because we'll be old soon.