The '80s had Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and Madonna's "Express Yourself," and in the '90s, Nirvana became the voice of a generation with "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Every decade and year has its youth-empowering anthems which voice the spirit of its teenagers. And when it comes to kick-ass teen anthems, 2011 was a great year.
After we saw Miley Cyrus perform her moving single "The Climb" at the CNN Heroes Awards, we started wondering what other awesome teen anthems inspired us this year. In 2011 -- a year in which Occupy Wall Street, anti-bullying campaigns, and LGBT rights made headlines -- individuality and personal power was the name of the game. From Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" (the ultimate song of self-acceptance) to Glee's dynamite cover of "We Are Young" to Demi Lovato's super-inspiring single "Skyscraper," it was an unbeatable year for power-ballads.
