Cheerleader rock is a music genre that incorporates cheerleader chants, blaring electric guitars, and marching band instrumentals. It first emerged over two decades ago in the mid-2000s, but it was never identified as a trend or defined as a genre. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan is joined by friend of the pod Christine to discuss the two standout acts of this style (The Go! Team and Sleigh Bells) along with several musicians who have released cheerleader rock tracks (Toni Basil, Gwen Stefani, and Junior Varsity). Amongst other things they discuss how Nathan first discovered The Go! Team through a Cartoon Network advert, how Derek E. Miller envisioned Sleigh Bells as “‘Hollaback Girl’ with metal guitars,” and how Cross The Street by Junior Varsity mirrors Huddle Formation by The Go! Team. They round off the episode by talking about cheerleader fashion and cheerleader movies. 

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Recorded on 3/6/2025