Best Decade for Music
- Thread starter MacLeod
- Start date
1960s hands down!
In terms of style and panache, and solely the end product with no other real-life qualifiers that might be disheartening to some, which is hard to do if the point of music is to sell messages in some perceivably appealing and credible way, then either mid-1960s, early-1980s, or early-1990s set the stage for and directly participated in numerous innovations.
Especially regarding the 1960s, drugs weren't always a prerequisite though it's obvious in some cases where many drugs were used - if not their use overtly encouraged in their songs. A nation of junkies, just how interesting might that be if you really think about it?
I've sat through and laughed at "Crown of Creation"'s drug-addled yet well-scored tracks several times to analyze the meanings and some tracks' lyrics are rather hilarious when otherwise not fascinating, certainly from a historical perspective but I feel sorry for the people who were convinced using drugs were oh-so-great... Amazing sound and tonal range, that makes me wish for instrumental editions at times...
But I'll vote 1980s, especially for New Wave (1980-85) and the rise of country rock (Juice Newton, et al). Electronic instruments are a lot more difficult to induce an emotional response from...
Especially regarding the 1960s, drugs weren't always a prerequisite though it's obvious in some cases where many drugs were used - if not their use overtly encouraged in their songs. A nation of junkies, just how interesting might that be if you really think about it?
I've sat through and laughed at "Crown of Creation"'s drug-addled yet well-scored tracks several times to analyze the meanings and some tracks' lyrics are rather hilarious when otherwise not fascinating, certainly from a historical perspective but I feel sorry for the people who were convinced using drugs were oh-so-great... Amazing sound and tonal range, that makes me wish for instrumental editions at times...
But I'll vote 1980s, especially for New Wave (1980-85) and the rise of country rock (Juice Newton, et al). Electronic instruments are a lot more difficult to induce an emotional response from...
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Whatever you say, Grandpa.
The correct answer is: the 1980's were the best decade for everything.
I was a teenager in the '80s. That's why I love the '60s.
The 60s, which for me, musically, was actually about 1962 thru about 1975. It's my go-to feel-good music. I was born in '57, so it's what I grew up with.
The 70s also had lots of awesomeness - Springsteen, Meat Loaf, Petty, Blondie, New Wave and Punk. I was a teenager then.
But the 60s, IMHO, was more filled with creativity and musical revolution than any other decade.
The 80s had TONS of great music too, and we had MTV on in the house all the time.
But none of it ever struck me better than my first love, the 60s.
Later? I dug Indigo Girls, Michelle Branch, Nora Jones... hell, that's about it for post-80s music. I couldn't even name any besides those three.
I think you get to a certain age and you stop caring about pop music. It's not aimed at us old folks anyway.
The 70s also had lots of awesomeness - Springsteen, Meat Loaf, Petty, Blondie, New Wave and Punk. I was a teenager then.
But the 60s, IMHO, was more filled with creativity and musical revolution than any other decade.
The 80s had TONS of great music too, and we had MTV on in the house all the time.
But none of it ever struck me better than my first love, the 60s.
Later? I dug Indigo Girls, Michelle Branch, Nora Jones... hell, that's about it for post-80s music. I couldn't even name any besides those three.
I think you get to a certain age and you stop caring about pop music. It's not aimed at us old folks anyway.
The 70's without a doubt.Might as well rename the thread "When were you a teenager?"
Hugo - when he was -9 to 0
Depends on when you were born, what type of music you like.
I was born in 1967 and started listening to top 40 pop in the mid 70's around 8 years old.
Then as I got older and started buying cassettes and then CD's, I got more into 70's classic rock and mainstream metal.
The 60's 80's have their share of great tuneage. The 90's and beyond, not so much until I discovered symphonic metal, doom metal & folk metal from Europe around 2007 and since.
The internet & youtube have been essential in finding new types of music for me. Very few of the bands I liked in the 70's & 80's release new music any more. If I hadn't discovered new style of music and new bands, I'd probably be pretty bored with music by now.
I was born in 1967 and started listening to top 40 pop in the mid 70's around 8 years old.
Then as I got older and started buying cassettes and then CD's, I got more into 70's classic rock and mainstream metal.
The 60's 80's have their share of great tuneage. The 90's and beyond, not so much until I discovered symphonic metal, doom metal & folk metal from Europe around 2007 and since.
The internet & youtube have been essential in finding new types of music for me. Very few of the bands I liked in the 70's & 80's release new music any more. If I hadn't discovered new style of music and new bands, I'd probably be pretty bored with music by now.
I was born in 1983, started listening in the 90s, and now listen nearly equally all the way from 1965 to present.
If we are talking popular music, 60s or 90s. All music, every decade is really close.
I think which decade you started listening is the decade you have the most fondness for average songs and most forgiveness of flaws due to emotional attachment. Like, my standard for liking a song is lower for the 90s than other decades.
But if you’ve really gone out and seen what’s out there and tried to listen to everything that bias gets smaller and smaller.
It’s easy to say current music is bad if you don’t like dance pop and hip hop but I’d hold The National or St Vincent up to the best rock of any era.
If we are talking popular music, 60s or 90s. All music, every decade is really close.
I think which decade you started listening is the decade you have the most fondness for average songs and most forgiveness of flaws due to emotional attachment. Like, my standard for liking a song is lower for the 90s than other decades.
But if you’ve really gone out and seen what’s out there and tried to listen to everything that bias gets smaller and smaller.
It’s easy to say current music is bad if you don’t like dance pop and hip hop but I’d hold The National or St Vincent up to the best rock of any era.
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Wouldn't it depend on what kind of music? Now all music styles had a decade they all flourished in.
I wasn't even alive in the 40's, but I really like the Big Band music, especially Swing.Might as well rename the thread "When were you a teenager?"
I say the 1950's without those pioneers, the rest would not exist. They put up with a lot of shit and no I don't count the fake artist Elvis. He stood on the backs of giants.
I rank the decades (musically) as: '80s, '70s, '90s, '10s, '60s, '00s
I'm cheating a little, I'll call...
The "90s" 1990-1996,
The "2000s" 1997-2007,
The "2010s" 2008-Present.
I'm cheating a little, I'll call...
The "90s" 1990-1996,
The "2000s" 1997-2007,
The "2010s" 2008-Present.
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80's music is glorious.
If I look at my top 20 albums right now, they fall in:
1964, 1966, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 2003, 2007, 2010
1964, 1966, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 2003, 2007, 2010
Rock & roll-era music historians/critics would agree with us on that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone's_500_Greatest_Songs_of_All_Time
Likewise, I have a college-level textbook on R&R-era music history. Its chapter breakdown is as follows:
- Up to 1955: 1 chapter
- Remainder of the 1950s: 1 chapter
- 1960s: 5 chapters
- 1970s: 3 chapters
- 1980s: 2 chapters
- 1990s: 2 chapters
- 2000s: 1 chapter
The 1960s are simply the cultured choice.
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