To celebrate BBC Music’s My Generation season, this week on Now Playing @6Music we’re marking 60 years since Teenage Culture hit the mainstream with a playlist of songs by and about teenagers.
Of course, ‘teen age’ was always a thing, but it wasn’t acknowledged as a movement until the babies boomed out of post-war Britain grew up and found a brand new sense of freedom, vitality, rebellion and creativity.
Teenage markets were actively pursued during and after the Second World War as the allied nations dusted themselves down and dared to enjoy the trappings of early capitalism and potential adolescent purchasing power, but wasn’t until the fifties that the ‘teenager’ moniker was coined, and music was the first medium to run with it.
So on Sunday’s Now Playing we’re after songs about youth, teen rebellion, being a teenager, adolescence, and the summing up of a young generation. We’ve all been teenagers (unless you’re currently twelve or under) so it shouldn’t be too difficult!
Start with songs that mention the word teenage, such as Chuck Berry’s ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’, Johnny Nash – ‘A Teenager Sings The Blues’, and ‘Seventeen’ by Boyd Bennett and His Rockets. Delve into The Beatles’ ‘I Saw Here Standing There’, The Who’s ‘My Generation’ and ‘Teenage Lust by MC5. Come forward a bit with Mott The Hoople’s ‘All The Young Dudes’, David Bowie’s ‘Young Americans’, The Ramones’ ‘Teenage Lobotomy’ and of course ‘Teenage Kicks’ by The Undertones.
Then bring it all up to date with Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, Placebo's 'Teenage Angst', and Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’.
You see where we’re going with this. You pick the music, so get your great teenager-inspired suggestions – plus your reasons for suggesting - to Tom via the hashtag #Teenager6Music to help create a playlist. Comment on the Now Playing Facebook page, here on the blog, email nowplaying@bbc.co.uk or drag tracks onto our Spotify playlist.
