Say “Bye, Bye, Bye” to generational music battles

I have always had to have music on while I’m in the car. As my kids have gotten older and developed their own musical tastes, it has become something of a battle. Where I’m happy with the 80s or 90s channels or Radio Margaritaville on satellite radio, the girls have gone from insisting on the kids’ station to begging to put on the current hits station or our local top-40 “mix” station.

My music has been deemed “cringey” for the most part. Sigh. I guess this is payback for the phase where I referred to my parents’ music as “geezer music.”

I’m not a total curmudgeon. I do like a lot of current music, but I prefer a real mix of songs and the stations my girls want to listen to are pretty repetitive. I like Taylor Swift (I call myself “Swiftie-adjacent” because I don’t consider myself a full-blown Swiftie, but my kids are Swifties), but I don’t want to hear “Karma” and then “Cruel Summer” literally two songs later. Let’s shake it off… er, up… a bit, shall we?

This isn’t my first go-round with straddling generational lines in music. I’m a late GenXer with an early-millennial sister, so our musical tastes overlap some. You know that bit about how you can tell GenX, millennials and GenZ apart by their favorite boy band? I may be a New Kids on the Block diehard (aka “Blockhead”), and the millennials may claim the *NSYNC-Backstreet Boys debate for their own battleground, but I will also firmly take a spot in the *NSYNC camp – and raise you a little 98 Degrees while I’m at it.

Somehow I managed to turn my daughters into baby Blockheads, and when I found out NKOTB were going to be playing Hershey on my birthday, I told my husband that was all I wanted for my Christmas/birthday gift, and it became a family experience! So my two little Gen Alphas who can only listen to the very latest music? Their very first concert ever was one of Mom’s “old” favorites! Although they did add their Swiftie touch, making friendship bracelets to trade before the show.

They had a blast at the concert (as did I, of course), but everything else I like was still considered old. Until a few weeks later when *NSYNC’s “Bye, Bye, Bye” suddenly started playing on the current-hits station, courtesy of its appearance in the “Deadpool and Wolverine” soundtrack and a certain opening scene. 

Now my musical tastes are far less dated and cringey because I can do the “Deadpool dance,” although I refuse to call it that. Have some respect!

But this let me introduce them to the rest of the *NSYNC catalog, which means if THAT long-awaited reunion tour ever really does happen, I’ll be selling a kidney to afford tickets for the three of us.

Hey, uniting generations is a noble cause, so JC, Justin, Lance, Joey and Chris… if you’re reading this, you just need to reunite. For world peace. Or at least, fewer fights over my car radio.