80 Best Songs by Millennials

Feb 15, 2025

I love all 80 of these songs, consider all 80 of them to be great songs, and find each of them personally meaningful. Millennials’ musical achievements are extraordinary, and they are well on their way to becoming the greatest generation of musicians in human history.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve listened to a thousand songs by bands and other musicians of Millennials born in the 1980s and 1990s. About 750 of these songs were new to me. I’d never heard them before. But I gradually whittled them down to 80 that I regard as great songs and that are already personally meaningful to me. And I ranked them from #1 to #80. A totally subjective exercise, of course, but I hope it is of some help to you as you continue to build your own playlists.

In recent weeks, I split up my favorite GenX songs into multiple playlists, but I’m just posting this one playlist of great songs by Millennials. And it doesn’t include love songs (well, maybe a couple in Italian) or dance songs. (Which would at least double the list.)

In 2025, Millennials have just reached the age Boomers born from 1943 to 1959 reached in 1988 and us GenXers born in the 1960s and 1970s reached in 2005. Boomers have produced lots of great music since 1988 and Xers have produced lots of great music since 2005. So Millennials will produce boatloads more great music in the decades ahead.

I honestly had no idea that Millennial musicians had produced so many great songs. I’m a midlife GenXer, so not every song by a Millennial was written for a listener like me. I’m surprised that so many songs by people in their twenties and thirties appeal to me in my fifties.

About 30 of these songs are spiritual per se and about 50 are “secular”. About 20 of the spiritual songs are Christian songs. (If you’re not a Christian, skip right over them unless you’re curious about what young Christian musicians are accomplishing these days.)

Image result for maverick city music chandler moore

What Millennial Christian musicians have done with Christian music over the past decade and a half is nothing short of staggering. One stunningly good song after another. About 15 of the 25 are by (1) Maverick City Music / Chandler Moore and (2) Lauren Daigle — two of the greatest Christian musicians / bands who have ever walked the Earth. (More on them in future posts.) These 25 songs have really taken my soul to new places — and I’m sure I’ll be listening to almost all of them the rest of my life.

Five of the songs are by Alicia Keys. Been listening to Keys for about four years now. Thanks to my friend Molly for drawing Keys to my attention.

Five of the songs are by Mumford & Sons, the best secular band of the Millennial Generation and the best folk-rock band of all time. Been listening to Mumford & Sons for about three years now but this is the first time I’ve listened to all of their songs. Quite an experience.

Four of the songs are by Christina Aguilera. One was familiar to me and three are new to me. Have never appreciated her more. Thanks to my friend Antonio for making sure I paid full attention to her music.

Image result for christina aguilera singing

Five of the songs are by Imagine Dragons. I’d heard of them but hadn’t listened to all their songs before. A very unique sound, of course, and I enjoy belting out these five.

Five of the songs are by the highly gifted European Moslem musician Sami Yusuf. Hope you enjoy them too.

Five of the songs are by Jesus Culture, Chris Quilala, and Kim Walker-Smith. I’ve been listening to them since 2009 but two of the songs are new to me.

Image result for jesus culture chris quilala kim walker-smith

Michael Kiwanuka delivers not only the stellar song “Love and Hate” but two other great songs. Truly a unique talent who provides a transformational listening experience.

My favorite singer in the world since 2009 has been Nathan Pacheco. He mostly does cover songs, but these four collaborations with Yanni were unique because Pacheco wrote lyrics to these four songs and then sang them.

And there are three songs each by Dante Bowe and Jacob Collier. Collier is a genius, of course, in a league of his own — and I’ll write more about him soon.

What do you think? Any songs by Millennials that you love that are not on this playlist? Is there a song or two you’d move way up the list?

If you’re on Spotify, the playlist is here.

On YouTube, the playlist is here.

Each song listed here also links to its YouTube video.

All my best to you,

Mike