Who are the 'Big 4' bands of millennial dad rock?

Every generation has their own version of dad rock and, unofficially (as if "dad rock" was ever totally official in the first place...) some of those bands are actually granddad rock if you really think about it.

Millennials, like all young generations before them, have been doubted and put down by the elder generations. But the reality is that this generation — comprised of those born between 1981 and 1996 — isn't a bunch of kids anymore. The oldest millennials are 43-years-old and the youngest ones are 28. That's full-blown adulthood!

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Experientially, this generation has perhaps the widest swing in what teenage life was like. Being a teenager in the mid-'90s is radically different than those who grew up on the internet from a pre-teen age.

Even so, there are a small handful of bands that speak to and unite so many millennials. And now that a lot of these millennials are parents, it means we're dealing with another generation of dad rock bands. At Loudwire, we've already made our picks for the 'Big 4' bands of boomer and Gen X dad rock, now let's look at which four make up the next generation of dad rock!

The 'Big 4' Bands of Millennial Dad Rock

Every generation has their own version of dad rock. Here, we look at the 'Big 4' of millennial dad rock.

Millennials are those born between 1981 and 1996, so that's a lot of musical ground to cover from their teen years!

Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita

The 'Big 4' Bands of Gen X Dad Rock

If there were four bands to represent the Dad Rock of Generation X, it would be these.

Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner

The 'Big 4' of Boomer Dad Rock Bands

For kids of the '60s and early '70s, these bands led them through their teen years and stand the test of time as true icons!

Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire

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The 'Big 4' of 10 Rock + Punk Subgenres

Gallery Credit: by Jordan Blum

The 'Big 4' of 17 Metal Subgenres

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