What Songs Could Go on a Cross-Generational Playlist?

[AARPLynne]

Today’s high schoolers and their grownup counterparts reminisce with lyrics and try to sing favorite songs. What music do teens and parents have in common? Lady Gaga? Boyz II Men? “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”?

What songs could go on a cross-generational playlist?

[g111848h]

New York, New York by Frank Sinatra

somewhere over the rainbow

[Winter2025VA]

So glad you stopped by @g111848h 💃

[Winter2025VA]

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@AARPLynne wrote:

Today’s high schoolers and their grownup counterparts reminisce with lyrics and try to sing favorite songs. What music do teens and parents have in common? Lady Gaga? Boyz II Men? “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”?

What songs could go on a cross-generational playlist?

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[MaVolta]

Let It Be - The Beatles

This song charted for the second time in 2021 coming in at #5    on the Billboard 200. It was #1 in 1970. The Beatles had over 1 Million in record sales in 2020 making them #1 that year. They were #2 in vinyl sales for 2021. Queen is another band whose album sales also reach the top 5 in recent years. Good music will always be timeless.

[EricC28201]

Folks who are Speed Metal enthusiasts might be surprised to find out that Uriah Heap's Look At Yourself was released in 1971.

On the whole, though, music is timeless so most songs have at least a chance of being cross-generational.

[MarybethG691589]

I would have to say that any songs from The Eagles and of course Bob Seger!!

[Winter2025VA]

Mary Beth @MarybethG691589 , I hope you will stop by again 🙃

➡️[*** MARY BETH 

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@MarybethG691589 wrote:

I would have to say that any songs from The Eagles and of course Bob Seger!!

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[cm9889168]

"American Pie"  by Don McLean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5ecvBaqHBk

[LindaJ253266]

You've Got A Friend by James Taylor

[cm9889168]

"We Are the World"  by USA for Africa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AjkUyX0rVw&list=RD9AjkUyX0rVw&start_radio=1&t=0

[JillH588488]

Yesterday

Lean On Me

White Christmas 

[s474823g]

This song is not an oldie but I feel should be on the list, Cold Little Heart by Michael Kiwanuka (theme song for Big Little Lies).

[tn2415]

This is an absolutely great song. I gave it 5 stars on first listen in my iTunes library and shared it with my daughters ages 23-39.

[MaVolta]

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@s474823g wrote:

This song is not an oldie but I feel should be on the list, Cold Little Heart by Michael Kiwanuka (theme song for Big Little Lies).

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That's a good choice! I looked it up on YT and the video has over 62 million views!! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOubjLM9Cbc

[MaVolta]

I don't listen to a lot of "newer" music, but there are some songs from the 2000's that I've enjoyed listening to -

Craving 

Hold Back the River

and others by James Bay

Rumour Has It

Set Fire to the Rain

Rolling in the Deep

and others by Adele

Wake Me Up - Aloe Blacc & Avicci

Viva La Vida - Coldplay

Million Reasons - Lady Gaga

[g111848h]

When I'm 64

New York, New York

Stand By Me

[KathyH308614]

A Pirate looks at 40

[nm6933131]

YMCA.

[DeborahM349327]

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"

[r473273l]

Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. I think it's more popular now than when he first sang it! The fans all sing it after our college team wins.

Rachel

Whoops! I accidentally posted this message twice.

[MaVolta]

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@r473273l wrote:

Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. I think it's more popular now than when he first sang it! The fans all sing it after our college team wins.

Rachel

Whoops! I accidentally posted this message twice.

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I agree, it's a fantastic sing-along-song for all ages. Neil Diamond's songs are timeless classics for everyone to enjoy. 

There's a Neil Diamond musical biography under development for Broadway.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/neil-diamond-musical-broadway-853994/

[josephw72863]

A Boy Named Sue. Johnny Cash.

[mkstx]

My five year old grandson loves Another One Bites the Dust and Fat Bottom Girls by Queen.  I think most of their music would be cross-generational.  

[KeithL217853]

I went back to college and finished my degree in my late 40's during the 2000's. The students back then were quite taken with Miles Davis, Carlos Santana, et al. However, one young man insisted that The Beatles were a back-up band for Paul McCartney and Wings. To say I was annoyed is gross understatement.

K

[r473273l]

Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. I think it's more popular now than when he first sang it! The fans all sing it after our college team wins.

[r836290c]

when I was 13 I discovered The Beatles and always had my transistor radio on. When my oldest daughter turned 13 she started with all the 90s groups...in high school her Art teacher introduced her to The Beatles and she listened to their music...My youngest daughter listened to the rap music of the early 2000s groups...I happened to be listening to The Beatles at home and she asked who I was listening too and replied The Beatles...She became a fan of the early Beatle love songs..My daughters enjoy country music, R and B Oldies, also late 60s and 70s artists plus their own generations music.

[m121925z]

So Rare by Jimmy Dorsey.  It came out while Elvis Presley and Bill Haley were big hits.  We teenagers loved it too. 

[StanleyB746959]

What’s going on, Marvin Gaye

Imagine, The Beatles 

[s754991s]

“Heart and Soul” by Hoagie Carmichael. The melody is now used by Train for “Play That Song”

“ Heart and Soul” is also the name of a charming movie staring Robert Downy Jr. 

It was the first song a piano teacher taught my father when he decided to learn to play the piano when I was a teen.