Teen & Young Adult Music across the Decades

Today’s blog post—much longer than my usual—is a follow-up to my last post, “Why We Remember Our Teenage and Early Adult Lives So Vividly.”  If the reminiscence spike is as powerful as suggested in psychological research, we reasonably can expect two things.  First, that experiences from those age epochs have major  roles in the formation of our personalities.  And, second, that the memories  retained from that time are powerful.  As an example, I have chosen to highlight popular music from the decades of 1he 1960s through the 2020s. That music, I contend, almost certainly influenced how cohorts within those decades developed similar values and memories, and how persons of different decades developed significantly different ones.   

Teen and young adult music across the decades serves as a mirror for evolving attitudes, morals, emotions, and societal norms surrounding boy-girl relationships. Although the music is  by no means a definitive barometer, it does provide one gross measure of the general popular approaches to the aforementioned factors. Teen and young adult music illustrates that each era carries a distinct emotional vocabulary and thematic focus reflecting broader cultural shifts. Using the emotion detection feature of Sentiment Analysis, I produced the following breakdown of the emotion words and emotional themes typical of teen and young adult boy-girl relationship songs of each decade:

1960–1969: Innocence, Longing, and Heartbreak

Representative Artists: The Supremes, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Frankie Valli, The Shirelles
Emotion Words: Love, crying, heart, baby, lonely, dream, hurt, true, forever

Emotional Themes:

• Innocent romance: Relationships were often idealized, focused on holding hands, first kisses, and going steady.
• Devotion and waiting: Girls sang about waiting faithfully (e.g., “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?”), while boys promised eternal love.
• Heartbreak: Breakups were portrayed as emotionally devastating but clean. Songs like “The  Leader of the Pack” reflected melodrama.
• Parental or societal disapproval: Romance against authority figures was a common trope.

Example lyric: “He’s a rebel and he'll never ever be any good" – The Crystals (1963)

Playlist:

1.         “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” – The Shirelles (1960)

2.         “Then He Kissed Me” – The Crystals (1963)

3.         “I Want to Hold Your Hand” – The Beatles (1964)

4.         “Be My Baby” – The Ronettes (1963)

5.         “Teenager in Love” – Dion and The Belmonts (1960)

6.         “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” – The Righteous Brothers (1964)

7.         “My Girl” – The Temptations (1965)

8.         “Let It Be Me” – Everly Brothers (1960)

9.         “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – Frankie Valli (1967)

10.       “Can’t Help Falling in Love” – Elvis Presley (1961

 1970–1979: Self-Discovery, Vulnerability, and Gender Shift

Representative Artists: Carpenters, Elton John, ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, Bee Gees, Heart
Emotion Words: Feelings, alone, touch, desire, miss, memories, sorry, love

Emotional Themes:

• Emotional introspection: Lyrics grew more confessional and inward-looking.
• Ambiguity and change: Romantic roles blurred slightly as women expressed stronger voices (e.g., Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”).
• Sexual awakening: Subtle hints of sexuality emerged but still cloaked in metaphor or vulnerability.
• Loss and longing: Breakups were explored with more psychological depth (e.g., “How Deep Is Your Love?”).

Example lyric: “Feelings, nothing more than feelings, trying to forget my feelings of love…” – Morris Albert (1975)

Playlist:

1. “Feelings” – Morris Albert (1975)
2. “You're So Vain” – Carly Simon (1972)
3. “Let’s Stay Together” – Al Green (1972)
4. “If I Can’t Have You” – Yvonne Elliman (1977)
5. “I Honestly Love You” – Olivia Newton-John (1974)
6. “How Deep Is Your Love” – Bee Gees (1977)
7. “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” – Elton John & Kiki Dee (1976)
8. “I Will Survive” – Gloria Gaynor (1978)
9. “Magic Man” – Heart (1975)
10. “Baby Come Back” – Player (1977)

 1980–1989: Passion, Power, and Angst

Representative Artists: Madonna, Prince, Cyndi Lauper, Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston, Debbie Gibson
Emotion Words: Crazy, heart, burning, need, forever, wild, broken, obsession

Emotional Themes:

• Intense passion: Romance became more physical and emotionally extreme (e.g., “Like a Virgin,” “Crazy for You”).
• Teen rebellion: Love was defiant, dramatic, and sometimes destructive (e.g., “Love Is a Battlefield”).
• Fantasy and glamor: Relationships were tied to idealized versions of love, often cinematic or escapist.
• Empowerment: Especially for girls, music began showing emotional strength and agency (e.g., “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”).

Example lyric: “Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame—you give love a bad name.” – Bon Jovi (1986)

Playlist:

1. “Like a Virgin” – Madonna (1984)
2. “Love Is a Battlefield” – Pat Benatar (1983)
3. “I Want to Know What Love Is” – Foreigner (1984)
4. “Crazy for You” – Madonna (1985)
5. “Time After Time” – Cyndi Lauper (1983)
6. “Faithfully” – Journey (1983)
7. “Heaven” – Bryan Adams (1985)
8. “You Give Love a Bad Name” – Bon Jovi (1986)
9. “Open Your Heart” – Madonna (1986)
10. “Eternal Flame” – The Bangles (1989)

 1990–1999: Honesty, Experimentation, and Emotional Complexity

Representative Artists: Britney Spears, TLC, Nirvana, Alanis Morissette, Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey
Emotion Words: Crazy, real, confused, trust, sorry, used, crush, strong, lie

Emotional Themes:

• Emotional realism: Love was messy, contradictory, and openly discussed (e.g., “You Oughta Know”).
• Sexual openness: Songs openly addressed desire and consent, reflecting cultural shifts in attitudes.
• Obsession and infatuation: Boy bands and pop queens sang of heart-pounding crushes.
• Cynicism and mistrust: Lyrics hinted at betrayal, manipulation, and identity crises.

Example lyric: “I want it that way…” – Backstreet Boys (1999)

Playlist:

1. “...Baby One More Time” – Britney Spears (1998)
2. “I Want It That Way” – Backstreet Boys (1999)
3. “You Oughta Know” – Alanis Morissette (1995)
4. “Vision of Love” – Mariah Carey (1990)
5. “Waterfalls” – TLC (1995)
6. “Always Be My Baby” – Mariah Carey (1995)
7. “Torn” – Natalie Imbruglia (1997)
8. “Genie in a Bottle” – Christina Aguilera (1999)
9. “Kiss Me” – Sixpence None the Richer (1997)
10. “My Heart Will Go On” – Celine Dion (1997)

 2000–2009: Drama, Identity, and Textbook Love

Representative Artists: Taylor Swift, Usher, Avril Lavigne, Beyoncé, Chris Brown, Kelly Clarkson
Emotion Words: Hate, text, fake, drama, jealous, alone, forever, broken, real

Emotional Themes:

• High drama: Love was depicted as full of emotional swings—jealousy, betrayal, passion.
• Digital love: Texting, online relationships, and social media began influencing narratives.
• Empowerment post-breakup: Anthems of moving on and self-respect (e.g., “Since U Been Gone”).
• Fantasy vs. reality: Fairytale love stories (e.g., “Love Story”) clashed with real-life complications.

Example lyric: “Because of you, I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me.” – Kelly Clarkson (2004)

Playlist:

1. “Since U Been Gone” – Kelly Clarkson (2004)
2. “Love Story” – Taylor Swift (2008)
3. “Cry Me a River” – Justin Timberlake (2002)
4. “Complicated” – Avril Lavigne (2002)
5. “Irreplaceable” – Beyoncé (2006)
6. “With You” – Chris Brown (2007)
7. “Hey Ya!” – OutKast (2003)
8. “Teardrops on My Guitar” – Taylor Swift (2006)
9. “Unwritten” – Natasha Bedingfield (2004)
10. “Beautiful Soul” – Jesse McCartney (2004)

2010–2019: Vulnerability, Self-Love, and Emotional Fluidity

Representative Artists: Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Lorde, Olivia Rodrigo (late-decade), Harry Styles
Emotion Words: Anxiety, toxic, ghosted, vibe, alone, worthy, broken, safe, fake

Emotional Themes:

• Mental health and love: Lyrics frequently referenced depression, anxiety, and emotional insecurity in relationships.
• Toxicity and boundaries: Songs explored emotional manipulation, gaslighting, and self-preservation.
• Self-love and independence: A growing focus on putting oneself first emerged (e.g., “thank u, next”).
• Emotional fluidity and queerness: Gender and romantic roles were less binary, more fluid and inclusive.

Example lyric: “I'm the bad guy, duh.” – Billie Eilish (2019)

Playlist:

1. “thank u, next” – Ariana Grande (2019)
2. “Lovely” – Billie Eilish & Khalid (2018)
3. “Shallow” – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper (2018)
4. “Lose You to Love Me” – Selena Gomez (2019)
5. “If I Could Fly” – One Direction (2015)
6. “Treat You Better” – Shawn Mendes (2016)
7. “Without Me” – Halsey (2018)
8. “Too Good at Goodbyes” – Sam Smith (2017)
9. “Perfect” – Ed Sheeran (2017)
10. “The One That Got Away” – Katy Perry (2010)1

Decade	Dominant Emotion Words	Themes
1960s	Love, cry, forever, baby	Innocent, idealized romance; heartbreak
1970s	Feelings, alone, touch	Emotional introspection, subtle sexuality
1980s	Burning, wild, forever	Passion, power dynamics, rebellion
1990s	Crush, lie, trust, sorry	Emotional honesty, confusion, betrayal
2000s	Drama, fake, broken	Digital-age love, empowerment, fantasy
2010s	Toxic, ghosted, vibe	Mental health, self-love, identity

To conclude, I feel compelled to mention that  it wasn't until approximately 1990–2000s that Hip Hop and Rap made the word "nigga" and "fuck" common in music.  For instance, N.W.A. sang , “Fuck tha Police” (1988) and Snoop Doggy Dogg's "Doggystyle" frequently used "nigga" throughout the album.  Do you believe that such radical song lyric alterations primarily reflected a immense disintegration in teenage and young adult social standards and respectful language over the decades, or was more a driver of them?