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Part 3 - Generations of Sound: How Age Shapes Listening Habits

The article examines how music listening patterns transform between generations starting with Baby Boomers' record rituals and ending with Gen Z's algorithm-based soundscapes to show how age and technology and culture influence our sound connections.

June 25, 2025

Listening Rituals: How People Around the World Experience Music Part 3

Generations of Sound – How Age Shapes Listening Habits

The third part titled Generations of Sound reveals how age influences musical preferences
Music exists without boundaries of time but human listening practices remain distinct from one era to another. People from different time periods develop their personal musical collections according to technological advancements alongside cultural developments and social transformations. The evolution of music listening has been examined in this article starting from vinyl records to TikTok and from mixtapes to customized playlists.

🎙️ Baby Boomers (Born 1946–1964): The Golden Age of Albums

Music touched Boomers through their physical senses during their time. People saved their money to purchase records before listening to the entire album at home with friends and sometimes with marijuana while always paying close attention.

Technology: Vinyl, AM/FM radio, 8-tracks
Rituals: Album listening parties, radio countdowns, live concerts
Genres: Rock, soul, folk, jazz
During the 1960s music listeners did not use the song selection feature. The album played from beginning to end because it functioned as a narrative sequence. – Linda, 68, London

📼 Generation X (Born 1965–1980): The Mixtape Generation

People born during the 1960s transitioned from analog to digital music formats. During their youth they used mixtapes to express love and recorded broadcasted songs on their boomboxes and walked with portable music players. Music served as an individual form of self-expression while being easily transportable and frequently challenging social norms.

Technology: Cassettes, CDs, boomboxes, early MP3s
Rituals: Making mixtapes, taping radio shows, CD burning parties
Genres: Grunge, hip-hop, punk, alternative
A mixtape functioned as the ultimate declaration of love. Every track had meaning.” – Carlos, 47, Mexico City

💻 Millennials (Born 1981–1996): The Playlist Pioneers

The music industry saw both the ascent of Napster and its descent while iTunes emerged and streaming services began to appear. The generation pioneered music storage in portable devices while also leading the development of perfect playlist curation sessions.

Technology: iPods, MP3s, LimeWire, Spotify
Rituals: Curating playlists, sharing earbuds, discovering music on blogs
Genres: Indie, EDM, pop-punk, R&B
Aisha possesses her original iPod Classic which serves as a nostalgic container of her high school years. The iPod Classic remains my possession as it represents a historical archive of my youth. – Aisha, 35, Nairobi

📱 The Algorithm Generation refers to people born between 1997 and 2012.

Music exists immediately and endlessly while being social for members of Gen Z.
The musical discovery process occurs through TikTok while songs become popular during brief moments of time. The Gen Z audience consumes music by remixing and sharing their reactions to songs.
The algorithm generation engages in two practices: they listen while remixing and they react to songs before sharing them with others.Technology: Streaming apps, TikTok, Bluetooth speakers
The musical practices of this group include making playlists for moods and studying to lo-fi beats while participating in viral dance trends.
Hyperpop alongside bedroom pop and drill and genre-mixing represent the music preferences of Gen Z.
I often listen to TikTok music without knowing the artists because I recognize only their 15-second sounds. Jayden who is 19 years old from Toronto.

🗣️ Generation Alpha (Born 2013–Present): The Voice-Activated Listeners

The members of this generation experience their entire life within an environment of smart speakers and touchscreen devices and AI-generated playlists. They uses voice commands to access music while also using gamified platforms and interactive content. The members of this generation experience music as a natural part of their daily routines which extends from their bedtime to their playtime.

Technology: Smart speakers, tablets, YouTube Kids, voice assistants
Rituals: Asking Alexa for songs, dancing to music on tablets, singing along to game soundtracks
Genres: Children’s pop, YouTube music, video game soundtracks, family-friendly hip-hop

Samira's 38-year-old daughter uses voice commands to request songs while occasionally singing her requests to the speaker. Music exists in her life as naturally as sunlight and Wi-Fi according to Samira who lives in Doha.

🧠 What This Tells Us

Every generation displays unique listening preferences which demonstrate how human beings interact with each other and express themselves and find relief. People continue to discover music through different methods yet they always maintain the essential emotional bond with music.
The Soundtracks of Generations serve as the musical expression of each historical period.

A curated mix of iconic tracks from each era: