5 Bands That Define the Baby Boomer Generation
In honor of our Baby Boomer rock friends, Audio Ink Radio named five of the best bands of the Baby Boomer generation. – Author: Anne Erickson, Paul McCartney photo via Mary McCartney
The Baby Boomer generation is synonymous with certain kinds of music and trends. Baby Boomers were born from the middle of 1946 to the middle of 1964, according to the United States Census Bureau, and generally from 1946 to 1964, according to the famed Landon Jones book, “Great Expectations: America and the Baby Boom Generation.”
The Baby Boomers were also the “generation that was born in the years directly after World War II when birth rates soared due to economic prosperity in the United States,” according to Senior Living.
When it comes to the music of the Baby Boomer generation, there’s no denying that the generation had some fantastic, pioneering sounds. This generation were the first to get into early rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s and early 1960s, as well as the British Invasion, folk and later rock. In honor of our friends in that generation, here are five bands that define the Baby Boomer generation.
Bands That Define the Baby Boomer Generation
The Beatles
Many consider the Beatles the defining band of the Baby Boomer generation. One of the most celebrated albums from their era was “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” which arrived in 1967 and offered the kind of wild artistry and bold expression that this generation craved. The Boomers were Beatles fans from their early days as a pop band to their later days releasing more trippy, experimental rock. They’re really the No. 1 band of the Baby Boomer generation.
The Eagles
There’s a reason the Eagles are selling out arenas night after night across the world on their reunion tour, and that’s because the Baby Boomer generation loves them and have the cash to pay tickets to see them. The Eagles made it big with their 1976 hit, “Hotel California,” but they also proved themselves as a band with longevity. Boomers just love this band, and many of them know every word to their songs.
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues hailed from England and got their start in the mid-1960s. The band’s special take on progressive rock and psychedelic rock won over the hearts and minds of Boomers everywhere. “Nights In White Satin” became one of the defining songs of this generation. It’s worth noting, however, that the Moody Blues generally appealed more to the older Boomers and even to some of the younger people in the Me generation, because the timing of their success was a bit earlier than others on this tally.
Pink Floyd
As with all of the groups on this tally, Pink Floyd is a band that really appeals to all ages, but Boomers can say they were the first to really have their dibs on them. English rockers Pink Floyd formed in London in the mid-1960s and became one of the most influential psychedelic rock bands of all time. Their albums are really a trip, and every one of them is legendary and takes the listener on a journey. Of course, 1973’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” is a special Baby Boomer gem. Think about it: How many bands have entire planetarium shows dedicated to their music?
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are another band that really got their start appealing to both the Baby Boomers and Me generation, so the Boomers can’t claim them totally to themselves, but there are plenty of Boomers who consider the Stones to be their favorite band. The band scored numerous No. 1 hits in the U.S. with songs such as “Miss You,” “Angie” and “Honky Tonk Woman,” and they just have a ton of chart-toppers to their name. The Stones, of course, were one of the earlier and most defining bands in the hard rock genre. It’s scary to think about what rock would be today without them.
What about Gen-X? Check out some Gen-X one-hit wonders in this Audio Ink Radio feature.
- 5 Bands That Define the Baby Boomer Generation - April 5, 2025
- Who’s the Greatest Classic Rock Guitarist Ever? - April 3, 2025
- 3 One-Hit Wonders That Should Have Been Bigger - April 1, 2025
