Gen Z and Millennials stunned to learn hit pop songs are older than modern women’s rights
Millennials and Gen Z have been left well and truly stunned after only just discovering that their favourite pop songs are older than some women’s rights.
While these tracks span decades, charts, and eras, each one eerily lines up against a moment where women were still waiting for something basic to catch up.
Whether it revolved around healthcare being treated as optional, safety features designed around someone else's body or legal rights arriving way too late, or not at all, the list is a pretty shocking one indeed.
Four Nine shared the rundown last week in a post which has since clocked up over 61.7k likes along with dozens of comments from people beyond outraged.
Millennials and Gen Z have been left stunned after discovering which pop hits predate women’s rights (Jemal Countess / Stringer / Getty Images
'Say So' by Doja Cat released before abortions were decriminalised in New Zealand (2020)
Doja Cat's 'Say So' dropped in early 2020, just before New Zealand finally removed abortion from its criminal code.
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The Abortion Legislation Act 2020 allowed access up to 20 weeks without the old requirement of two doctors signing off.
Before this, abortion technically sat inside criminal law, even if access was often granted in practice.
The reform reframed abortion as healthcare, instead of a crime.
'As It Was' by Harry Styles released before menopause training was mandatory for doctors, it still isn’t (2026)
Harry Styles released 'As It Was' in 2022.
By 2026, menopause training still isn’t a mandatory part of medical education in many systems, including the UK.
That gap matters given that millions go through menopause, yet many report misdiagnosis or dismissal.
The lack of universal legal requirement results in patchy care depending on where you live and who you see.
'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)' by ABBA released before women could legally be served at the bar in the UK without discrimination (1982)
ABBA’s smash-hit from the '80s predates a basic right that sounds almost fictional now.
Until the early 1980s, women in some UK pubs could be refused service at the bar.
The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 laid the initial groundwork, but it took enforcement and a major cultural shift into the 1980s to normalise equal service.
'Stateside' by Zara Larsson and PinkPantheress released before a federal right to paid maternity leave was introduced in the US, it still isn’t (2026)
The US still has no federal law guaranteeing paid maternity leave.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (1993) offers unpaid leave for some workers, but that’s as far as it goes as everything else depends on employers or state laws.
Compared to most developed countries, it’s an outlier.
'Flowers' by Miley Cyrus released while endometriosis patients were still being told to 'just get pregnant' to manage symptoms (2023)
'Flowers' by Miley Cyrus hit the charts in 2023 and, at that point, many patients with endometriosis were still being told to 'just get pregnant' as a workaround.
Clearly, such 'advice' isn’t treatment and reflects a long-standing pattern where women’s pain is minimised or misunderstood.
Diagnosis still takes years on average, and proper care remains inconsistent.
'I Love It' by Icona Pop ft. Charli XCX released before Ambien dosages were reduced for women after years of overdosing (2013)
For years, women were prescribed the same Ambien dose as men despite metabolising it more slowly.
In 2013, the FDA cut recommended doses for women in half after evidence showed higher risk of next-morning impairment and overdose.
It exposed how often drug testing ignored sex-based differences.
Hannah Montana 20th anniversary airing while virginity tests are still legal across all US states (2026)
Hannah Montana hit its 20th anniversary last week and 'virginity testing' has still not been fully banned across all US states.
Medical bodies have called it unscientific and harmful, given that there is no biological way to 'confirm' virginity.
However, legal gaps mean the practice hasn’t been universally outlawed.
'Hello' by Adele released before women were officially allowed in combat roles in the army (2015)
Adele released 'Hello' the same year the US lifted its ban on women in combat roles.
In 2015, the Pentagon opened all military positions to women. Before that, frontline combat jobs were officially off-limits, regardless of capability.
'Anti-Hero' by Taylor Swift released before tampons were tested on actual human blood (2023)
'Anti-Hero' by Taylor Swift came out in 2022.
Until 2023, tampons were not routinely tested using real human blood with testing often relying on saline solutions, which behave differently.
Such news understandably raised concerns about how accurately products were being evaluated for safety and absorbency.
'9 to 5' by Dolly Parton released before a woman was sworn into the US Supreme Court (1981)
Dolly Parton sang about workplace inequality in 1980 with her smash-hit '9 to 5'.
The following year, Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman appointed to the US Supreme Court.
It only took nearly two centuries from the court’s founding to get there!
'Vampire' by Olivia Rodrigo released before the first use of an anatomically correct female crash test dummy (2023)
'Vampire' came out in 2023 and, that same year, regulators began pushing for more realistic female crash test dummies.
For decades, safety testing relied on a 'default male' model.
Female bodies were approximated or ignored, which led to higher injury risk for women in car crashes.
'Survivor' by Destiny’s Child released before same-sex marriage was legal anywhere in the world (2001)
'Survivor' by Destiny's Child blessed our ears in 2001.
Back then, same-sex marriage wasn’t legal anywhere in the world.
While the Netherlands became the first country to legalise it that same year, it's clear that progress since then has been uneven, but that moment marked a global shift.
It didn't take long for people to rush to the comments and share their shock at some of these scary facts.
"You're telling me paid maternity leave is not given everywhere," exclaimed one Instagram user.
A second chimed in: "Telling someone to 'just get pregnant' is so insane holy sh*t."
"Omg I didn’t know drs were recommending women get pregnant to reduce endometriosis symptoms!!!" penned a third as a fourth lamented: "Wait this is so depressing I wanna cry."
A fifth agreed: "Dang this just p*ssed me off."
"This post made me so upset," wrote a sixth as another echoed: "So this is actually f*cking insane."
And a final Instagram user outlined: "And some people are still anti-feminist."
Topics: Gen Z, Real Life, True Life, Instagram, Social Media, Women's Health, Politics, US News, News, World News, Music, Explained
Rhiannon Ingle