Gen X at 60
We’re Ken and Jim—two of the first Gen Xers to turn 60—and this milestone is pushing us to ask questions we’ve never asked before. About aging. About identity. About what we’re still becoming.
In Gen X at 60, we talk about the things we never talked about—not with each other, and maybe not even with ourselves. From ambition and adventure to friendship, legacy, lust, and eldership, we explore what it really means to grow older when you’re part of the generation raised to figure it out alone.
Our professional careers have centered around communication, emotional intelligence, and learning—so we’re wired for deep conversations. But we also bring humor, perspective, and a willingness to wrestle with what’s still unfolding. This isn’t advice. It’s not nostalgia. It’s a conversation we hope you will join—as these two Gen Xers shape what 60 means for us, instead of inheriting what it meant for everyone else.
Gen X at 60
Put Another Dime in the Jukebox, Baby
The music of our teens and twenties wasn’t just background noise — it was identity, rebellion, and the soundtrack to becoming ourselves. In this episode, Jim and Ken wax nostalgic about the music that shaped them, why that music still matters at 60 and beyond, and how just one song can transport you instantly back in time.
Psychologists refer to other phenomenon as the reminiscence bump — the idea that the memories from our teens and twenties stick with us more than almost any others. It’s the magical stretch of life when music, first loves, first jobs, and first risks all fuse together, and the songs we heard then become time machines we can ride for the rest of our lives.
So, put another dime in the jukebox, baby — and see which songs carry you straight back. Oh, and before or after, why not explore some of the music mentioned in this episode? Let the music play!
Hot Dogs and Hamburgers by John Cougar Mellancamp https://music.apple.com/us/song/hot-dogs-and-hamburgers/1823072786
El Paso by Marty Robbins https://music.apple.com/us/song/el-paso/158518000
Neon Moon by Brooks and Dunn https://music.apple.com/us/song/neon-moon/258643362
The Glamorous Life by Sheila E. https://music.apple.com/us/song/the-glamorous-life/124887851
Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding by Elton John https://music.apple.com/us/song/funeral-for-a-friend-love-lies-bleeding-2014-remaster/1440863114
Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcATvu5f9vE
Purple Rain by Prince Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster] - Album by Prince & The Revolution - Apple Music
Sara Smile by Daryl Hall & John Oates https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYEpFJhuu1E
Stop Making Sense The Movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WMG2h8XLuI
Tezeta by Mulatu Astatke (Ethiopian Jazz) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ygSCd6TaTg&list=RD8ygSCd6TaTg&start_radio=1
Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNcsUNKlAKw&list=RDWNcsUNKlAKw&start_radio=1
MTVs First Day - August 1, 1981 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1lQKTYlkt7cI0MVLp3NmbH
