A New Year, A New Batch of Millennial Anthems Turns 20 Years Old

As a millennial, it’s difficult to see your favorite edgy jams turn 20.

Millennials have a specific problem where we keep getting older, yet we still feel like we just got out of high school. Case in point, many of us still listen to mostly the same songs we did as teenagers. It’s funny because most of these songs still feel fresh and new. But as we age, so do those songs. In 2022, the anthem “Get Low” by Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz turned 20. We were all just babies twerking when that banger came out. Somehow in 2023, “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, a song no one has stopped listening to, also hit the big 2-0.

Now that we have hit a new year, that means many more of our favorite songs have hit that landmark age. Here is a list of singles that hit the radio waves and changed our lives in 2004 that we’re still playing 20 years later.

Fifteen millennial anthems turning 20 this year

“Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg and Pharrell. How does Snoop look exactly the same all these years later? Is marijuana lowkey the fountain of youth? Someone explain it to me.

“1985” by Bowling for Soup. The time between the year 1985 and when this song came out is only 19 years. Let that sink in.

“American Idiot” by Green Day. The punk-pop band’s epic album was adapted into an award-winning Broadway musical. If you think you feel old now, wait until your kids perform this as their high school musical.

“This Love” by Maroon 5. Who thought that Maroon 5 would still be around?

“Toxic” by Britney Spears – Who still knows the dance moves? The song feels sinister now that we know everything Spears was going through at the time.

“Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson. The song that launched a thousand movie trailers.

“Naughty Girl” by Beyoncé. The Queen never misses.

“Let’s Get It Started” by The Black Eyed Peas

“Yeah!” by Usher, Lil Jon, and Ludacris. You can’t not move when this song plays. It’s physically impossible. Hoping to hear Usher perform this one at the Super Bowl this year.

“I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” by My Chemical Romance. We’re still not okay.

“Run” by Snow Patrol

“All These Things That I’ve Done” by The Killers – Be honest, how often do you listen to the Hot Fuss album in the car?

“Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand

“Broken” by Seether featuring Amy Lee

“All That I’ve Got” by The Used

At least we’ll all be blasting bangers in the nursing home.

(featured image: NBC)

Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com

Author

Close

D.R. Medlen

D.R. Medlen (she/her) is a pop culture staff writer at The Mary Sue. After finishing her BA in History, she finally pursued her lifelong dream of being a full-time writer in 2019. She expertly fangirls over Marvel, Star Wars, and historical fantasy novels (the spicier the better). When she's not writing or reading, she lives that hobbit-core life in California with her spouse, offspring, and animal familiars.