Best American music of the last 25 years?


What songs and artists best represent American music over the past 25 years?

I am making a mega playlist for my friend immigrating to the States next month. She loves English music but it's heavily censored where she is from. What are the best songs to help her catch up to date on popular genres and show her the best songs of the last 25 years?

Bonus points for songs that cover the plight of generations or relevant sociopolitical situations at the time.

leon471

Many great artists listed above. I’m a fan of Americana - Folk - singer-songwriter, but also some of the newer bands that don’t quite fit into a genre - which is the music I love best.

My Morning Jacket

Bon Iver (Justin Vernon)

Fleet Foxes

The National

Bright Eyes

Big Red Machine

Modest Mouse

Yola

Okkervil River, Sonvolt, This is the Kit, The Weather Station, River Whyless, The Low Anthem, Monsters of Folk and of course Wilco.

Those who say there’s no good music in the last 25 years are either stuck in the safe past or just not listening hard enough. Good music doesn’t always fall in your lap. You have to seek it out amongst the multitudes of crap - but it’s there. The kids are alright.

 

I know I have missed a lot of Pop and Rock bands over the past 25 years, so I know there are more.

Greg Porter

Charles Lloyd

Wilco

Bad Plus

Jack White

Nels Cline

John Zorn

Jason Isbell / Drive by Truckers

Julian Lage

Mattlew Shipp

Rene Marie

Rosanne Cash

Chick Corea

Beach House

Bob Dylan

Aaron Brooks

Bill Frisell

John Hiatt

William Parker !

 

Oh that’s easy. She’s the best singer no one has heard of. Eva Cassidy. Died in the middle 90’s, yet left a singing legacy that lives on, still  

Check out her Autumn Leaves, and Somewhere Over The Rainbow on YouTube. Thank me later