A significant portion of today’s new music is greatly influenced by the sounds of the Boomer generation, and it extends beyond the folk and hippie genres. The Baby Boomers pioneered the introduction of intense, somber, and sometimes negative themes in music, breaking away from the traditional notion that music should always be pleasant. The vibrant energy of modern heavy metal and punk rock can trace its roots back to the loud, issue-driven, feedback-rich music originally produced by all Baby Boomers.