17 Great Teen Songs

with links to YouTube videos

Jan 21, 2024

This “soundtrack” for the teen years from about 12 to 19 would be three times longer if I included love songs, so this hugely important area of life is left out.

This list starts with the vulnerable side of our teen years, then turns to the way we develop deeper empathy with friends and kin and wider circle of care, and then switches over to songs of personal empowerment before finishing on a fun note.

The Millennials’ immortal Avicii is here twice, as are the gifted Millennial songwriters and Broadway producers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

I’ve included more than one version of five of the songs, when I couldn’t choose just one as the best.

I’ve included versions of seven of these songs by the One Voice Children’s Choir. Hats off to Masa Fukada for his brilliant two decades of work as the Choir’s leader. Fukada and One Voice are making an indispensable contribution to the Zoomer generation’s musical culture.

“When I See You Again” seems to be for older stages of life (so I’ll include it in adult lists too), but the song has its roots in the death of Charlie Puth’s friend when they were quite young, and the One Voice kids show that it can be a great teen ballad. (Just as the Mzansi Youth Choir does for Rachel Patten’s rising-adult “Fight Song”.)

Please mention your favorites in the comments section.

Enjoy!

All my best,

Mike