Anthem-Ology, Part Deux

Hey All,
Weeks back I broached the subject of the significance of the Rock Anthem. There have been a handful of pop songs I would consider to be the anthem of a generation or even anthem of an era. To my frustration, I discovered not only could I not get a consensus for the pertinence of a particular song as anthem, I couldn't get consensus on what defines an anthem in the first place. Therefore, I ambled through an analysis and discussion (with the help of my friend, R'Chaard, The Cosmic Castaway), bluffed my way in and out of a definition, and fiddled with a particular tune's potential as an anthem and slinked off under cover of darkness.

I assumed my subject was simply too esoteric or highbrow (or, perhaps, simply ahead of its time), hence the difficulty in finding resource and support material on the inter-web.

Lo, yesterday I came across this brief article in NME. Granted, the (unnamed author) poses listing a ranking the Top 50 Indie Anthems. But he/she gives a very helpful definition of the pop music definition of anthem; "It's the moment in the night when with a special tune behind you, for three and a half minutes it's like you can do anything at all. It's the songs that bring meaning to life and bring you and your friends close together. They're the songs that make a difference."
I really appreciate that last part, the songs that bring meaning to life and bring you and your friends close together. Essentially, the anthem is the musical theme you use to bind yourself to your and your community together.
Finally, validation for that which I've been prattling on about all along--how music aids in the re-inscription and reinforcement of values in a particular community.

Unfortunately, in the previous discussion I didn't stop to consider how genre fits into the equation, or repetition, for that matter. Perhaps this is where the consensus breaks down. I neglected to consider what an era's metal anthem may be, Hip Hop Anthem, Country, Pop, Punk...you see the challenge here...
That being said, I was initially disenchanted by the amount of repetition of artists in our Indie Anthem list. I see a great many songs by The Smiths, Joy Division, and The Stone Roses. It is interesting, however, to find a great many of the songs proposed are not recent, and voters are looking at songs from more than simply one era, not simply their own ear.
So, perhaps there needs to be a distinction between a Generational (or Era) Anthem and Genre Anthem. In the Genre Anthem, obviously, era is not a concern.

And look, Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit tops our Indie list-a song whose significance I have mulled over for many years. Frankly, I see Spirit is the anthem of Gen X, just as I see Don McLean's American Pie as an anthem for the Baby Boomers...but this is just my perspective as a pop maven and pocket ethnographer. I am sure there are better thinkers out there with better documentation and stronger argumentative skills would successfully say otherwise and that is perfectly acceptable.
Time will make us all liars no matter what we do, so bicker away.

More later,
Coletrane