"Teen Age Riot" is a song by American rock band Sonic Youth, and the first single from their 1988 album, Daydream Nation. It received heavy airplay on modern rock stations and considerably expanded their audience (along with the album).
"Teen Age Riot" is one of Sonic Youth's most recognizable songs, yet it is something of an oddity among their repertoire, consisting of a traditional verse-chorus pop song structure. The song was included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll and is an on-disc track in the game Rock Band 2.
"Teen Age Riot" was the final song performed live by the band, serving as the closer for their last show at the SWU Festival in São Paulo, Brazil, on November 14, 2011.
Music and lyrics
The song is about an alternate reality where J Mascis is president of the United States. In the liner notes accompanying the deluxe edition of Daydream Nation, Byron Coley quoted Thurston Moore on "Teen Age Riot": "It was actually about appointing J Mascis as our de facto alternative dream president".
Some live performances of "Teen Age Riot" omitted the opening section sung by Gordon, notably the live version recorded and released with the deluxe edition of Daydream Nation. The opening section was also cut from the song's music video.
Critical reception
Mark Deming of AllMusic described "Teen Age Riot" as a "trippy joy", further praising the song as a "glorious experience". According to Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune, the song is one of "the band's best, straight-ahead tunes". Michael Hand of The Guardian designated the song as a highlight from Daydream Nation, further describing the song as a "wistful opener". Nitsuh Abebe of Pitchfork praised the song, writing that it's "the most glorious, accessible pop song of [Sonic Youth's] career". Robert Palmer of Rolling Stone also spoke positively of "Teen Age Riot", describing the song as "driving slamtempo pop power".
In 2021, it was ranked at number 157 on Rolling Stones list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
Chart performance
In the United States, "Teen Age Riot" debuted at number 28 on the Alternative Airplay chart for the issue dated December 24, 1988.