Best decade for music?

  • I feel like this will be heavily contingent on when you were born.


    For me, the 1990s hands down. Followed by the 80s, then 2010s then 1970s. I haven't listened to enough 60s or older music and the 2000s were dreadful, with some highlights here and there.

  • I feel like this will be heavily contingent on when you were born.


    For me, the 1990s hands down. Followed by the 80s, then 2010s then 1970s. I haven't listened to enough 60s or older music and the 2000s were dreadful, with some highlights here and there.

    I've been collecting music from the 50s to the 70s. I would say the 60's era had better classic hits back then.


    I was born in 1961. ;)

  • Yes I think for most people, except anyone with the surname Rees-Mogg, it will be determined by when you were born. I’m from 1962 but with an older brother who loved music so I was brought up on Beatles as a child and then 70s rock, before discovering post-punk and 80s pop for myself. I then enjoyed the music of my children’s idols in the 90s and 00s, when I had no money to buy music. Now I am listening mainly to classic rock and pop and classical music from the 19th and early 20th century plus some Sinatra. I’d pick 70s as my golden era, as the best combination of originality and style and variety- Rock, Metal, Prog, Disco, Glam, Punk, Funk, post-punk and pop- it was all there, often in the same episode of Top of the Pops. But obviously every decade has its highlights. But I guess it’s harder to be original as time goes on and the ‘business’ marshals creativity into increasing profit motives and diminishing returns

  • Frankly, I'd have to pick a decade of my own definition, ie/ 1966 to 1976, as that was the era when anything seemed possible, and the good stuff outnumbered the bad. Very much the opposite of today, or any time this century, frankly.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • Frankly, I'd have to pick a decade of my own definition, ie/ 1966 to 1976, as that was the era when anything seemed possible, and the good stuff outnumbered the bad. Very much the opposite of today, or any time this century, frankly.

    I agree.

    If I was confined to choosing a calendar-based decade, it would be the 1970s.


    But ask me my favourite 10 consecutive years of music, I would likely say 1967 to 1976, or perhaps '68 to '77 — either one of those two, for sure.

    The vast majority of my favourite albums were released and the vast majority of my favourite bands hit their creative peaks, IMO, during those years.

  • I was born in 1961. Recently on Spotify I put together a playlist of many of my favorite non-Genesis songs. It’s two hours long and every song is from the 60s and early 70s. Frankly I was surprised that all the songs came from that period. After listening to the list (it’s 2 hours long) it struck me that what many of the songs had in common were superior arrangements and melodies. The use of strings and horns during that period was outstanding.

    • Official Post

    I was born in 1976 and obviously the 80ies had an impact. I probably would say the 90ies were most interesting and personally I am not the biggest fan of the seventies.

    cheers

    Christian


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  • I don't think I can put a firm timespan on this, even allowing for foxfeeder's approach of tailoring it. When I look at my music collection and think about my tastes there's stuff from all the decades from the 50s to now. Late 70s/early 80s punk, postpunk, new wave and electro were hugely important and enjoyable for me, as was a lot of 90s stuff. In many ways I'm listening to and appreciating a richer, broader range of new/current music right now than ever before. With a gun to my head I'd possibly say 2013-22. I'd then say, please put the gun down. This really isn't that important.

    Abandon all reason

  • I don't think anyone is saying there isn't good music available from all time periods, but the 60's and 70's were exceptional. 1975, for example, probably saw more great albums released then most decades since. IMO.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • I don't think anyone is saying there isn't good music available from all time periods, but the 60's and 70's were exceptional. 1975, for example, probably saw more great albums released then most decades since. IMO.

    No, I didn't think anyone was saying that. I meant that in my O, when I think it through I'm not getting a specific period leaping out at me as exceptional in the way your 60s/70s does. The reason I'm tempted to go for the last 10 years is that I'm thoroughly enjoying finding and listening to (and seeing) new stuff - partly new to me and fairly recent, or completely new.


    On the same basis of choosing to interpret 'best' in this way, I also think of 68-74 (chart pop, starting to absorb rock music), 76-81 (punk, new wave electropop, seriously getting into Genesis) and 91-97 (dance, indie, britpop, Radiohead, another major band for me) as periods of great enjoyment in my music listening and gig-going - ditto 2010s to now.

    Abandon all reason

  • The challenge of the question was to pick a decade. Like Desert Island discs its not supposed to be easy. However pretty easy for me. No question. The 1970's. Loads of really great music throughout the years of course but most of my favourite bands and albums come from that decade. Genesis, Floyd, Bowie, Motorhead, Hawkwind, Black Sabbath, Led Zep, Jethro Tull, Rush, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Mike Oldfield, Deep Purple,.Uriah Heep, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen 10cc, Elton John, Yes, Roxy Music . I could go on. I can even include a couple a Kate Bush albums and Let It Be by the Beatles was released in 1970s . shame about Punk although although there were a few good songs, the Sex Pistols made 3 or 4 descent ones and I quite liked the Stranglers. (Even more of a shame about disco)

  • I'm assuming we're skipping decades before the 50s because we are focusing on rock music? I like a fair bit of jazz/pop from the 40s and even the 30s, including musicals.


    If I were to pick a decade, it would be the 70s. This is simply because many of my favourite artists had peak output during this decade. Although I was born in 1968, I'm not sure it had anything to do with it as I did not start listening to pop and rock until the 80s.


    If I were to rank the decades, it would be something like 70s > 60s > 80s > 90s > 50s > 10s > 00s.

  • Born in 1960, if I had to pick one decade it would be the 1970s. The best decade for album releases, A Trick of the Tail, The Dark Side of the Moon, Led Zeppelin IV, Rumours etc. There has been great music produced in all time periods but the albums I play the most were released when I was at school.

  • Born in 1960, if I had to pick one decade it would be the 1970s. The best decade for album releases, A Trick of the Tail, The Dark Side of the Moon, Led Zeppelin IV, Rumours etc. There has been great music produced in all time periods but the albums I play the most were released when I was at school.

    This is me, also born in 1960. It turns out the albums I bought in my teens are the albums which have remained my favourites (with the exception of Hotel California, which has run its course with me for various reasons).


    However the 80s have to be next because that is when I really started serious concert going, and also Dire Straits. 8)