8 songs Gen Z loves that are basically remakes of boomer classics they don't recognize

I was hanging out at a friend's place in Austin last weekend when her teenage nephew started playing his Spotify playlist. He was hyped about this "new" song that had just dropped, talking about how fresh and innovative it sounded.

I smiled and nodded, but something about the melody was nagging at me. Then it hit me: this wasn't new at all. The entire chorus was built on a sample from a 1970s funk track I'd heard a thousand times during my years working in high-end restaurants, where we'd play carefully curated playlists that mixed old and new.

The kid had no idea. To him, this was completely original.

That moment sent me down a rabbit hole. I started noticing it everywhere. Gen Z is vibing to songs that are essentially remakes, reimaginings, or heavily sampled versions of boomer classics, but they have no clue about the originals. And honestly? There's something fascinating about that disconnect.

Here are eight songs that perfectly illustrate this musical generation gap.

1) "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus borrows from "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars

Okay, so this one isn't technically a boomer classic since Bruno Mars released "When I Was Your Man" in 2013. But hear me out, because it illustrates the pattern perfectly.

"Flowers" became a massive Gen Z anthem in 2023, with its empowering message about self-love and independence. The melody and chord progression mirror Bruno Mars' earlier hit so closely that it feels like a direct response to it, which was kind of the point.

But here's what's wild: when I mentioned this connection to younger staff members at events I've coordinated, many of them had never heard the Bruno Mars original. They thought Miley had created the whole thing from scratch.

This speaks to something larger about how music gets consumed now. Songs exist in algorithmic bubbles. If Spotify or TikTok doesn't serve you the original, you might never discover it, even if it's only a decade old.

2) "Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo channels Paramore's entire catalog

When "Good 4 U" exploded in 2021, it introduced an entire generation to pop-punk without them realizing they were listening to pop-punk. The song's DNA is pure early 2000s Paramore, particularly tracks like "Misery Business."

Olivia Rodrigo has been open about her influences, which I respect. But a huge chunk of her Gen Z fanbase discovered this sound through her without ever going back to explore Paramore, Avril Lavigne, or the other artists who defined that era.

I remember when Paramore was the soundtrack to my early twenties, playing in kitchen prep rooms and staff break areas. The angst, the energy, the raw emotion, it was everywhere. Now it's back, repackaged, and a whole new generation thinks they've discovered something revolutionary.

Nothing wrong with that. Music is cyclical. But the lack of recognition for the blueprint is interesting.

3) "Levitating" by Dua Lipa samples the entire disco era

Dua Lipa's "Levitating" became one of the biggest hits of 2020-2021, and it's essentially a love letter to late 70s and early 80s disco. The bassline, the rhythm, the production choices, everything about it screams Studio 54.

The song even directly samples "My Woman" by Al Green, though that credit came after some legal disputes. But beyond the official sample, the entire vibe is lifted straight from the disco era that boomers grew up with.

During my time in luxury hospitality, I organized countless events where we'd play classic disco to create an upscale, timeless atmosphere. Hearing those same musical elements repackaged for a Gen Z audience was surreal. They were dancing to their grandparents' music without knowing it.

And you know what? They were having a blast. Maybe there's something universal about those grooves that transcends generational boundaries.

4) "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals echoes 80s synth-pop

Glass Animals broke through to mainstream success with "Heat Waves," a song that dominated charts and TikTok in 2020-2021. Its dreamy, synthesizer-heavy production is directly descended from 80s synth-pop bands like Depeche Mode, New Order, and The Cure.

The atmospheric soundscapes, the reverb-drenched vocals, the pulsing electronic beats, all of it comes from a very specific era of music that boomers and Gen X grew up with. But most Gen Z listeners I've talked to have never heard of those foundational bands.

This one hits different for me because I used to work with a sommelier who was obsessed with 80s new wave. He'd play it during wine tastings, arguing that the music's mood perfectly complemented certain vintages. At the time, I thought he was being pretentious. Now I get it. There's a timelessness to those sounds that keeps getting rediscovered.

5) "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd is basically an 80s cover song

Speaking of 80s synth-pop, "Blinding Lights" took over the world in 2020 by doing something pretty simple: recreating the exact sound of 1983. The song could have been released alongside "Take On Me" by A-ha or "Don't You Want Me" by The Human League, and no one would have blinked.

The Weeknd didn't hide his influences, he leaned into them hard. But again, a massive portion of his Gen Z fanbase had never heard those original 80s tracks. They thought this sound was innovative and fresh, not realizing they were essentially listening to a very polished tribute to a bygone era.

I've always found it interesting how fashion and music both move in cycles. During my three years in Bangkok, I watched Thai youth culture adopt and adapt Western trends from decades past, creating something that felt both nostalgic and new. "Blinding Lights" does the same thing, it's retro and modern simultaneously.

6) "As It Was" by Harry Styles lifts from 80s and 90s alternative rock

Harry Styles has built his solo career on channeling classic rock influences, and "As It Was" is no exception. The song's melancholic melody and production style echo everything from The Smiths to early Radiohead, with a dash of Britpop thrown in.

For boomers and Gen X listeners, the influences are immediately obvious. For Gen Z? This is just what Harry Styles sounds like. Many don't realize he's essentially covering a musical style that peaked before they were born.

What makes this interesting is that Styles seems to genuinely love these older influences. He's not cynically mining the past for hits, he's genuinely inspired by it. But the end result is the same: a generation consuming reheated sounds without knowing they're reheated.

7) "Need to Know" by Doja Cat samples 90s R&B and hip-hop

Doja Cat's "Need to Know" is built on the bones of 90s R&B and hip-hop, particularly the sultry, bass-heavy productions that defined that era. Artists like Aaliyah, TLC, and Missy Elliott pioneered this sound, but many Gen Z listeners encountering it through Doja have never heard the originals.

The song's structure, its vocal delivery, even its music video aesthetic, everything points back to the late 90s and early 2000s. But it's been updated with modern production techniques and TikTok-friendly hooks that make it feel contemporary.

I think about this whenever I'm cooking elaborate meals on weekends. I often use classical French techniques I learned in fine-dining kitchens, but I present them in ways that feel modern and accessible. That's essentially what these artists are doing with music, taking time-tested ingredients and repackaging them for a new audience.

8) "Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles channels 70s folk-rock

Harry Styles makes this list twice because he's genuinely great at borrowing from the past. "Watermelon Sugar" is soaked in 70s California folk-rock, with shades of Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles running through its sunny melody.

The laid-back groove, the organic instrumentation, the whole sun-soaked vibe, it's all pulled directly from a very specific moment in boomer music history. But for Gen Z, it's just a fun summer song by Harry Styles, not a carefully constructed homage to Laurel Canyon in 1975.

During my years designing seasonal tasting menus in luxury hospitality, I learned that the best creations often come from understanding what came before and building on it. That's what Styles does well. He's not just copying, he's evolving these sounds for a new context.

Why this matters, and why it doesn't

Here's the thing: every generation does this. Boomers were listening to rock and roll that borrowed heavily from blues and country. Gen X loved grunge, which was just punk and metal having a baby. Millennials vibed to indie rock that recycled post-punk.

Music has always been a conversation between past and present. Artists borrow, sample, reimagine, and recontextualize. That's how the art form evolves.

What's different now is the speed and the fragmentation. Algorithms feed us music based on what we already like, creating echo chambers where we might never encounter the original inspirations for our favorite songs. The connection between generations of music has become harder to trace.

Is that a problem? Maybe, maybe not. Gen Z is enjoying these songs without the baggage of "oh, that sounds like something my parents listened to." They're experiencing the music fresh, without the weight of cultural context.

But I also think there's value in understanding where things come from. Not to be a snob about it, but because it enriches the listening experience. When you hear "Blinding Lights" and then go listen to A-ha, suddenly you're not just enjoying one song, you're discovering an entire era of music.

That's what I learned in Bangkok, actually. My coffee cart friend who gave me free biscuits taught me that everything has a history, a context, a lineage. The best biscuits came from his grandmother's recipe, passed down and refined over generations. The best moments came from understanding and appreciating that continuity.

Music works the same way. These songs Gen Z loves are fantastic. But they're even better when you know what they're built on, when you can trace the thread backward and discover the rich musical history that led to this moment.

So yeah, your favorite new song might actually be your grandparents' favorite old song with better production. And that's kind of beautiful.