All around Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, a majority of students always appear to have headphones in; whether it be in class or walking in between periods. One must wonder, what is it that students are listening to? Breaking down the top 4 genres of this generation, here’s an inside look at what students of SPFHS take a liking to.
 
Rap
Rappers of all generations, current and past, are still being listened to today. Music from Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, Lauryn Hill and Migos are popular among teenagers. While the genre is constantly changing and growing with new artists daily, sounds from past rappers are often incorporated into new rapper’s work. For example, Drake includes sounds from the hit song, “If You Had My Love,” by Jlo, released in 1999, in one of his newer songs, “Teenage Fever.” While the rap industry is being completely changed by newer artists, tones and sounds from the past never truly disappear.         
 
Alternative Rock
Alternative music, mainly hitting its peak in the 1980s, has a focus on both rock and incorporating a new and soft sound. Among this generation, the most popular alternative rock bands are Nirvana, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Smiths and Pearl Jam. Alternative music has many different sides to it whether it be grunge, pop or electronic, alternative is a hard genre to pin down to just one sound.
 
Rock
The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Queen are voted as the best Rock and Roll bands of all time according to “Ranker,” a website that allows millions to vote which bands are truly the best in their genre. Rock and Roll, not as popular in this generation as the past, is still listened to by a small group of teenagers.  
 
Pop
Currently, on “Billboard’s Top 100 Songs,” theres is a large variation of artists. Taking the top 5 spots is, “Meant to be” by BB Rexha, “Psycho,” by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign, “Finesse,” by Bruno Mars & Cardi B, “Perfect,” by Ed Sheeran, and taking number one is, “God’s Plan,” by Drake. As of April 6, 2018 these are popular songs among the current generation.