You Pick The Decade(s)

[Nucky Nolan]

I have to give the 80s rock its due - not that it was all the prior decades' creative outburst was, but it was darned good - this from a creaky old boomer, so onward!

The '70s had the best AOR stuff. That was when most album rock bands and singers were in their primes. I'll give that to the Me Decade. It had great AM tunes too. That aside, the '80s had the best music as a whole. You could find great songs in all or most genres. Even Millennial kids admit this. Congrats for not being an old codger. 

[JUAN]

I don’t see how you can lump 60s music together. It started with Do Wop, then Surf music, the British Invasion, Stax/Volt and Atlantic Soul, Motown Soul, the San Francisco sound, acid rock, Dylan, blues rock, horn bands such as Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Chicago, Ten Wheel Drive, Mike Oldfield, the mixing in of country from Graham Parsons, music from musicals such as Hair and Jesus Christ, Superstar, and ended with the beginnings of AOR and Southern Rock from the Allman Brothers.

[26 horses]

The '70s had the best AOR stuff. That was when most album rock bands and singers were in their primes. I'll give that to the Me Decade. It had great AM tunes too. That aside, the '80s had the best music as a whole. You could find great songs in all or most genres. Even Millennial kids admit this. Congrats for not being an old codger. 

Lol, when I play music trivia games I tend to grade out almost as well on 80s as I do 70s, so...I'm quasi-young at heart...

[26 horses]

I don’t see how you can lump 60s music together. It started with Do Wop, then Surf music, the British Invasion, Stax/Volt and Atlantic Soul, Motown Soul, the San Francisco sound, acid rock, Dylan, blues rock, horn bands such as Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Chicago, Ten Wheel Drive, Mike Oldfield, the mixing in of country from Graham Parsons, music from musicals such as Hair and Jesus Christ, Superstar, and ended with the beginnings of AOR and Southern Rock from the Allman Brothers.

You nailed that spectrum shift Juan, of course the 60s began with some old time blues, still had leftovers like big band style standards singers as well as a strong folk component - then you toss in bubblegum, psychedelic, and so on - we really had two decades where music was more varied than it would be again and in constant flux. Pretty great times to be near a radio, AM or FM...

[Nucky Nolan]

I don’t see how you can lump 60s music together. It started with Do Wop, then Surf music, the British Invasion, Stax/Volt and Atlantic Soul, Motown Soul, the San Francisco sound, acid rock, Dylan, blues rock, horn bands such as Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Chicago, Ten Wheel Drive, Mike Oldfield, the mixing in of country from Graham Parsons, music from musicals such as Hair and Jesus Christ, Superstar, and ended with the beginnings of AOR and Southern Rock from the Allman Brothers.

I don't know. Maybe it's because it all came out in the same decade. 

[Nucky Nolan]

Lol, when I play music trivia games I tend to grade out almost as well on 80s as I do 70s, so...I'm quasi-young at heart...

I like varied decades and varied genres. You can make a case for any era from the '60s to the '90s. We likely can all agree that music went south at some point after 9/11. Even those darn Millennial kids agree.

If you really want to depress yourself, look at the current Top Forty. Then compare it to any Top Forty from the '60s to the '00s. Heck, you could compare it to charts from the early '10s or the mid '10s for that matter. That "South Park" fart music bit, about today's pop music, isn't too far off the mark. 

[PB]

The '70s had the best AOR stuff. That was when most album rock bands and singers were in their primes. I'll give that to the Me Decade. It had great AM tunes too. That aside, the '80s had the best music as a whole. You could find great songs in all or most genres. Even Millennial kids admit this. Congrats for not being an old codger. 

Yes, you can find great songs in all or most genres in the 80s.  But not a lot.  Not compared to earlier decades - just re-read Juan's post re the 60s.  The 80's isn't even in the conversation compared to that.

I will confess to preferring albums to singles, rock to pop.  Maybe that's the difference.  I didn't realize that makes me old and you young, seems like an odd way of measuring that.

[PB]

... We likely can all agree that music went south at some point after 9/11...

I want to say to rise of disco, perhaps 1977 when the Village People came on the scene and Lynyrd Skynyrd left.

[Nucky Nolan]

Yes, you can find great songs in all or most genres in the 80s.  But not a lot.  Not compared to earlier decades - just re-read Juan's post re the 60s.  The 80's isn't even in the conversation compared to that.

I will confess to preferring albums to singles, rock to pop.  Maybe that's the difference.  I didn't realize that makes me old and you young, seems like an odd way of measuring that.

You can find *many* great songs in the '80s! Are you kidding me? Older people *and* younger people often say that was the best decade for music. I absolutely agree with them.

Maybe you just have bad taste. That's fine. Some guys like black licorice and prunes more than things that actually taste good. It's a free country, and I'm free to listen to the best decade of music ever, the '80s (not even freaking close).

[Nucky Nolan]

I want to say to rise of disco, perhaps 1977 when the Village People came on the scene and Lynyrd Skynyrd left.

I was all of 3 then (yikes), and I'm going through a midlife crisis now (double yikes)! Next, you'll tell me that music died with Buddy Holly.

[Bart Ell]

I like varied decades and varied genres. You can make a case for any era from the '60s to the '90s. We likely can all agree that music went south at some point after 9/11. Even those darn Millennial kids agree.

If you really want to depress yourself, look at the current Top Forty. Then compare it to any Top Forty from the '60s to the '00s. Heck, you could compare it to charts from the early '10s or the mid '10s for that matter. That "South Park" fart music bit, about today's pop music, isn't too far off the mark.

You can blame downloading and now streaming for most of it.
Limited sales means record companies can't throw money at 10 bands in hopes that one hits.
Bands don't have a big enough advance to screw around in a castle for 4 months recording an album, either.

There is some very good music out there but you can't find it because every bedroom band has the same ability to get their crap out there.
People are simple - if you give them too much choice they devalue all of it equally.

[PB]

You can find *many* great songs in the '80s! Are you kidding me? Older people *and* younger people often say that was the best decade for music. I absolutely agree with them.

Maybe you just have bad taste. That's fine. Some guys like black licorice and prunes more than things that actually taste good. It's a free country, and I'm free to listen to the best decade of music ever, the '80s (not even freaking close).

I think we could find ''older people *and* younger people'' with all sorts of different opinions.  So what if you know people with whatever opinion they have. 

Look how fat ''most people'' are.  Look at the elected officials ''most people'' give us.  Look at all the crap ''most people'' buy.  I'm quite fine to be in disagreement with ''most people'' on any number of issues.

One of us has lived through both the 70s and the 80s, and listened to the music of the day at the time - and one of us hasn't.  Which is in a better position to discern?

This is beginning to remind me of people who never heard of Wilt Chamberlin, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, or Oscar Robertson insisting Michael Jordan (or worse, LeBron James) is the GOAT - simply because those are the best players they grew up with.  Tell me, have you heard of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin?  Because I'll take them vs Michael Jackson, Blondie, and The Police any time.

[26 horses]

I like varied decades and varied genres. You can make a case for any era from the '60s to the '90s. We likely can all agree that music went south at some point after 9/11. Even those darn Millennial kids agree.

I think it got AI'd basically - all programmed from top to bass.

If you really want to depress yourself, look at the current Top Forty. Then compare it to any Top Forty from the '60s to the '00s. Heck, you could compare it to charts from the early '10s or the mid '10s for that matter. That "South Park" fart music bit, about today's pop music, isn't too far off the mark.

I just can't go there.

Miles Davis saves me.

[26 horses]

You can blame downloading and now streaming for most of it.
Limited sales means record companies can't throw money at 10 bands in hopes that one hits.
Bands don't have a big enough advance to screw around in a castle for 4 months recording an album, either.

There is some very good music out there but you can't find it because every bedroom band has the same ability to get their crap out there.
People are simple - if you give them too much choice they devalue all of it equally.

Funny way to say that technology killed the radio star.

And Joe Bonamassa is a modern dinosaur, bummer.

[26 horses]

I think we could find ''older people *and* younger people'' with all sorts of different opinions.  So what if you know people with whatever opinion they have. 

Look how fat ''most people'' are.  Look at the elected officials ''most people'' give us.  Look at all the crap ''most people'' buy.  I'm quite fine to be in disagreement with ''most people'' on any number of issues.

One of us has lived through both the 70s and the 80s, and listened to the music of the day at the time - and one of us hasn't.  Which is in a better position to discern?

Does one have to have lived through the turn of the century to discern Mark Twain ?

This is beginning to remind me of people who never heard of Wilt Chamberlin, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, or Oscar Robertson insisting Michael Jordan (or worse, LeBron James) is the GOAT - simply because those are the best players they grew up with.

So statistics either count or?

Tell me, have you heard of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin?  Because I'll take them vs Michael Jackson, Blondie, and The Police any time.

And where would you rank Quicksilver Messenger Service or Grand Funk Railroad?

Each decade has its signature artists who perhaps don't make the hall of fame, yes?

For every Tom Brady there's a Dan Fouts, which basically means that stats aside context can shade in for accomplishment.